Posthuman Saga Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Contents
• Pre-Game Organisation
  • Character Specific Components
  • Common Components
• Game Setup
  • Common Setup
  • Player Setup
  • Boosts
  • Counters
• Game Objectives
  • Mission Objectives
  • Side Missions
  • Recon Objectives
• Map Quadrants
  • Starting Zones
  • Terrain Tiles
  • Landmarks
• Story Encounters
  • Stat Challenges
  • Story Example
• Playing the Game
  • Round Summary
  • Morning Phase
  • Day Phase
  • Night Phase
• Actions
  • Camp
  • Forage
  • Move
  • March
  • Map
  • Trek
• Combat Encounters
  • Combat Results
  • I. Primary Challenge Card
  • II. Ranged Combat
  • III. Melee Combat
  • IV. Combat Cleanup
  • Combat Example
• Additional Rules
  • Suffering Mutations
  • Gaining XP
  • Spending XP
  • Taking Loot
  • Modding Melee Weapons
  • Encountering a Mutant Boss
  • Getting Knocked Out
• End of the Game
  • Final Scoring
  • Tiebreakers
• Alternate Game Modes
  • Team Versus Mode
    • Team Versus Setup
    • Team Versus Gameplay
  • Solo Mode
    • Solo Mode Setup
    • Solo Mode Gameplay
• Credits and Acknowledgements
• Icon Glossary
  • Stats
  • Character Board Anatomy

Game Contents

• 4 character boards
• 5 character miniatures
• 12 dice
• 28 marker pegs
• 12 boost cubes
• 20 counter cubes
• 8 mission objective cards
• 16 mission progress cards
• 5 character cards
• 2 mission score cards
• 30 enemy cards (level 1)
• 30 enemy cards (level 2)
• 4 mutant boss cards
• 20 ranged weapon cards
• 20 melee weapon cards
• 26 equipment cards
• 12 minor mutation cards
• 14 major mutation cards
• 7 recon objective cards
• 14 event cards
• 16 landmark cards
• 16 action cards
• 10 starting weapon cards
• 50 skill cards
• 49 challenge cards
• 13 follower cards
• 1 rulebook
• 1 storybook
• 1 solo mission board
• 1 journey board
• 20 food tokens
• 20 ammo tokens
• 10 meds tokens
• 10 booze tokens
• 10 book tokens
• 1 mutant threat marker (solo only)
• 4 visible mutation tokens
• 4 camp tokens
• 16 landmark tokens
• 70 story tokens
• 8 mission tokens (level 1)
• 4 final mission tokens (level 1)
• 12 mission tokens (level 2)
• 4 final mission tokens (level 2)
• 4 side mission tokens
• 20 broadcast tokens
• 20 character tokens (4 per character)
• 3 20+ XP tokens
• 20 morning tokens (4 per character)
• 11 morning tokens (blank)
• 64 scavenge site tokens (16 per type)
• 64 terrain tiles (16 per type)
• scavenge site token bag
• story token bag

Pre-Game Organisation

Before your first game, assemble each character pack by placing the following game components into one of the plastic bags provided.

Character Specific Components

Each character pack should contain the following character specific components:

• 1 character card
• 2 starting weapon cards
• 10 skill cards
• 9 or 10 challenge cards
• 4 character tokens
• 4 morning tokens

Common Components

At the start of every game, each player should also take the following common components:

• 4 action cards
• 2 mission tokens (level 1)
• 1 final mission token (level 1)
• 3 mission tokens (level 2)
• 1 final mission token (level 2)
• 1 side mission token
• 5 broadcast tokens
• 1 camp token
• 7 marker pegs
• 2 boost cubes
• ammo and food tokens (see character card)

Note: At the end of each game, return all character specific components to their corresponding character packs. This will facilitate setup in subsequent games, letting you get back into the action much more quickly!

Game Setup

Note: The following setup is for a standard game with 2–4 players. You will find the rules for team versus mode and solo mode in their own sections toward the back of this rulebook.

Common Setup

1. Place the journey board in the center of the table.
2. Organise the landmark deck and the mission progress deck according to their card backs, in ascending numerical order (i.e., lowest-numbered card on top).
3. Shuffle the enemy decks, mutant boss deck, mutation decks, weapon decks, equipment deck, and follower deck.
4. Take a number of morning tokens from each player (4P: 2 each, 3P: 3 each, 2P: 3 each). Add enough blank tokens so that there are 16 total. On the round track, place blank tokens on spaces #1 and #16, then shuffle the other 14 tokens and randomly distribute them to spaces #2 – #15, face down.
5. Shuffle the terrain tiles and split them into several stacks. Place the stacks off to the side of the board, face down.
6. Place all scavenge site tokens into the scavenge site token bag and all story tokens into the story token bag.
7. Draw a number of terrain tiles from the stack (4P: 4 terrain tiles, 3P: 3 terrain tiles, 2P: 3 terrain tiles). Place them in the map queue in the center of the journey board, face up. Then draw an equal number of scavenge site tokens and place one next to each terrain tile in the map queue, face up.
8. For each player, choose three landmark tokens at random and, without viewing them, place them face down in three zones of their quadrant (as indicated in the diagram).
9. Shuffle the event deck and place it in the matching space on the board, face down.
10. Choose a random recon objective card for the current player count and place it in the matching space on the board.
11. Choose the mission score card for the current player count and place it in the matching space on the board.
12. Take one character token from each player. Distribute them randomly to the spaces on the player order track.

The deck icons are: minor mutations, major mutations, ranged weapons, melee weapons, equipment, followers.

Player Setup

Each player takes a character board and place it in their own play area. Then, each player chooses a character and takes the matching character pack and miniature, along with a set of common components (see p. 3).

1. Place your character card in your play area, next to your character board.
2. Place both of your starting weapon cards in the equipped slots of your inventory.
3. Place two of your broadcast tokens in the ready area and the other three in the exhausted area.
4. Take two boost cubes and place them in the ready area of your character board.
5. Look through your challenge cards. Set aside any cards with a yellow band at the top. Place the other cards in the ready area of your character board.
6. Place your camp token in the matching token slot. Separate your mission tokens by level, then place each stack in a separate token slot. In each stack, put the final mission token on the bottom, with a character token just beneath that.
7. Take the number of ammo tokens and food tokens listed on your character card and place them in the matching token slots.
8. Look through your skill cards. You may spend your starting XP (shown on your character card) right now to learn skills. Each skill card has an XP cost, and some have prerequisites. Place any learned skill cards next to your character board, face up. Then set the rest aside. Any unspent starting XP is forfeited.
9. On your health bar, place a green peg in the hole that corresponds to your starting health (shown on your character card). Place a black peg in the next hole to the right of the green peg. On your morale bar, place a yellow peg in the hole that corresponds to your starting morale (shown on your character card). Place a black peg in the next hole to the right of the yellow peg.
10. On your fatigue bar, place an orange peg in the hole furthest to the left.
11. On your experience bar, place a black peg in the hole furthest to the left. Keep the other black peg nearby; you will need it if your XP exceeds 10.
12. Place your set of action cards next to your character card, face down.
13. Place your miniature on the journey board, in the starting zone of the quadrant closest to you.
14. Place one character token on the "0" space of the score track.
15. Draw a random mission objective card and place it in your play area, face up. Then read the mission briefing printed on the card.

A character card shows: health, morale, boosts, XP, shooting, melee, strength, speed, and mind.

Boosts

Black cubes are boosts, which represent extra effort that you can exert to influence the outcome of events, challenges, actions, and encounters. The effect of a boost varies from one card to the next. You start the game with two boosts in the ready area. Using a boost exhausts it; exhausted boosts can then be recovered.

Counters

Red cubes are counters, which help you keep track of recon objectives, follower abilities, item uses, and damage. Certain cards indicate that you must use counters. However, you can also use counters in other situations if you feel they are helpful.

Game Objectives

"You've had it easy over the past year. You've been fed, trained, and kept safe behind the walls of the Fortress. That can't go on forever. More survivors are arriving, and we have limited space and resources for you fresh faces. We can only keep the most productive new members in our community. So you'd better make sure that you deliver."

The player with the most victory points (VP) at the end of the game wins. There are five ways to score…

• completing your mission objective (see p. 8)
• completing your side mission (see p. 9)
• completing the recon objective (see p. 9)
• defeating a mutant boss (see p. 22)
• spending XP (see p. 22)

Mission Objectives

At the start of the game, each player receives a mission objective card, which shows two missions that must be completed sequentially: the level 1 mission then the level 2 mission. You start the level 2 mission after you complete the level 1 mission.

To complete a mission, you have to trek (see p. 15) in terrain that matches each of the terrain types required by the mission. You may do these in any order, with the exception of the end terrain type, which must be done last. When you trek in terrain that matches one of the required types, you may place a mission token on that terrain. Your mission tokens do not need to be placed on adjacent terrain.

When you have trekked in all of the terrain types for a mission, including the end terrain type, you score VP based on how quickly you completed the mission for that level, in comparison to your opponents.

On the mission score card, place a character token on the leftmost empty space in the row that corresponds to the level of that mission. If multiple players complete the same mission during the same round, they each place their character tokens on the same space of the mission score card.

When you place your character token on the mission score card, you immediately score the VP indicated by the space where you placed your character token, plus one VP for each of your mission tokens of that level. Adjust your position on the score track accordingly. (If a mission is incomplete when the game ends, you will score one VP for each mission token of that level that you were able to place on terrain.)

When you complete a mission, take the mission progress card shown in the matching section of your mission objective card. Read the new mission briefing, then place the card so that it covers the previous mission briefing.

Side Missions

To complete a side mission, which will be indicated on a mission progress card, you must trek (see p. 15) in terrain that contains a specific scavenge site.

When you complete it, place your side mission token on the terrain you occupy and immediately score two VP.

You can never place a mission token or side mission token on terrain if there is one there already.

Recon Objectives

At the start of the game, a recon objective card is randomly chosen and placed on the journey board. This card shows four different recon sequences, each made up of a series of scavenge sites.

To complete a recon sequence, you must place the indicated scavenge sites on adjacent terrain in your quadrant of the map. Furthermore, the scavenge sites must be in correct sequence. The sequence can start anywhere in your quadrant of the map and follow any path, as long as the required scavenge sites are on adjacent terrain and in correct sequence.

On your turn during the Day Phase (see p. 13), you may score a recon sequence that you have completed. To do this, flip over all of the scavenge sites you used to make the sequence, then immediately score the number of VP for that sequence. Once a scavenge site is flipped face down, it can no longer be used for any reason.

If you are the first player to score that sequence, you claim the first player bonus for that sequence. Take the bonus shown, then place a counter cube over that bonus, to indicate that it has been claimed and that no one else may claim it.

The four scavenge site types are: Lab, Factory, Mall, and Junkyard.

Map Quadrants

Starting Zones

The area where you place your miniature at the start of the game is your starting zone. This area does not have a terrain type and cannot be foraged. You do not have to eat food (see p. 12) while in your starting zone. Once you leave your starting zone, you cannot return to it.

Terrain Tiles

The terrain you place in your quadrant form your own section of the map. Terrain must be placed orthogonally adjacent to each other. Each terrain indicates both its terrain type and the bonus loot it offers.

The terrain type determines what standard loot you will take when you forage in that terrain. To take the bonus loot, you must succeed at a mind challenge when you forage in that terrain.

You may place terrain while mapping (see p. 15) and when you move while foraging or trekking (see p. 14). Certain card effects also let you place terrain.

The terrain types are: rural, forest, city, and mountain.

Landmarks

In your map quadrant, there are three zones with landmark tokens. When you place terrain in one of these zones, replace the landmark token on top of the terrain, without revealing it.

During the Night Phase (see p. 13), if you occupy terrain with a landmark token, flip that token over to reveal its number. Search the landmark deck for the card with the same number. Reveal the card and read its effect.

During the Night Phase (see p. 13), if you occupy terrain with a revealed landmark card, you may activate its effect. Once you do, discard that landmark card and token.

Story Encounters

When you have a story encounter (see p. 12), draw a random story token from the story token bag. The player to your left finds the matching entry in the storybook, then reads the story and the options available to you.

There can be three different types of options in a story: compulsory, bonus, and standard options. Each option is preceded by a letter, so that you can match the option text to the corresponding outcome text.

Compulsory and bonus options are colour-coded to show which conditions, such as visible mutations or followers, cause them to apply.

The reader first checks to see if you meet the conditions of any compulsory options. If you do, they read aloud those options and none of the other options.

Otherwise, the reader finds the standard options and reads them aloud. Then, they check to see if you meet the conditions of any bonus options. If you do, they read aloud those options too.

After hearing all of your available options, you must choose one of them. If the option you choose involves a stat challenge, you must attempt it now.

The reader then locates the outcome text that matches the option you chose and reads it aloud. The outcome text explains the resolution of the story and any in-game penalties or rewards yielded.

Stat Challenges

Many story encounters will ask you to attempt a stat challenge. Stat challenges are based on either your mind stat or your speed stat.

When you attempt a stat challenge, you may choose one card from your challenge deck and play it, face up. This is your primary challenge card.

You may not choose a card with the Do Not Exhaust! label as your primary challenge card. If these are the only cards you have left in your challenge deck, you may not choose a primary challenge card.

Then, shuffle your challenge deck and draw up to two more challenge cards at random and play them, face up.

Total the values for the corresponding stat on all of the challenge cards you just played. Compare the total stat values against the listed requirements. This will determine whether the outcome of the challenge is a failure, success, or major success.

After resolving the stat challenge, exhaust your primary challenge card (if any) by placing it in the exhausted area of your character board, face down.

Take any random challenge cards that you drew and shuffle them back into your challenge deck.

Story Example

You are playing as the Biologist, and the story token you have pulled is #8. The player to your left reads story #8, Human Season, which involves an encounter with mutant slavers. This story has five different options.

The first two options are compulsory. The reader checks to see if you have any visible mutations. If you did, you would be forced to (A) help the mutant slavers capture humans or (B) refuse. But you don't have any visible mutations, so the reader skips right past those options.

The reader then reads aloud the standard options. You are able to duck into an abandoned building, and you must decide either to (C) lay low until nightfall, which would cost you food or fatigue, or (D) peek out a window to see if you've given them the slip, which would require a speed challenge with a success on 3.

However, because you have the Bird Hunter, who is a resourceful follower, you have a bonus option available: (E) try to flank the slavers, which would require a speed challenge with a success on 3 and a major success on 4+.

You choose the last option and try to flank the mutant slavers. To attempt the speed challenge, you start by choosing your primary challenge card: Frontal Attack, which has a speed value of 2.

You then draw Flail, which has a speed value of 0. Oh no! You decide to draw a second challenge card. You're in luck — it's Solid Hit, which has a speed value of 1. This gives you a total of 3. It's not enough for a major success, but it is enough for a success.

The reader locates the outcome text that corresponds to the bonus option and reads aloud the success text. You take the XP reward that you have rightfully earned.

Playing the Game

Before the first game, one player should read the introductory story of the storybook.

Round Summary

Each round has three phases:

• Morning Phase
  • Each player must eat food or suffer fatigue.
  • Resolve a story encounter (if applicable).
  • Resolve any broadcast or event.
• Day Phase
  • Each player secretly selects an action.
  • Resolve actions in player order.
• Night Phase
  • Each player may spend XP to learn skills.
  • Refresh the map queue.

Morning Phase

Eating Food

Each player must decide whether they wish to eat food or suffer fatigue. To eat food, you must discard one food token. If you do not have any food tokens — or if you have food tokens but do not wish to discard one — you suffer one fatigue.

However, if your camp token is present on the terrain you occupy, you do not have to eat food. Instead, simply remove your camp token from that terrain and place it back in the matching token slot at the top of your character board.

Story Encounters

Reveal the morning token that is in the current space on the round track. If it is blank, nothing happens. But if it shows a character's portrait, that player must immediately resolve a story encounter (see p. 11).

Broadcasts

When a broadcast occurs, the players receive intel. The players bid broadcast tokens for the right to choose first from the terrain and scavenge sites in the map queue. This also determines the player order until the next broadcast.

Each player secretly decides how many of the broadcast tokens from their ready area they wish to bid, placing them in their hand. When all players have decided, everyone reveals their bids simultaneously.

On the player order track, rearrange the character tokens based on the number of broadcast tokens each player bid: the highest bidder first, the second-highest bidder next, and so on. In the case of tied bids, maintain the tied players' positions relative to each other. Each player exhausts all broadcast tokens that they bid.

In player order, each player takes a paired terrain and scavenge site from the map queue, adding them to their hand. The maximum hand size is four; if you have more than four terrain and/or scavenge site in your hand (in any combination) at the end of a broadcast, discard down to the limit of four.

Once all players have taken from the map queue, draw new terrain (from the stack) and new scavenge sites (from the bag) to refill empty spaces in the map queue.

Events

When an event occurs, draw the top card of the event deck and read the card aloud. Some events have effects that resolve immediately, while others remain in play.

Mutants Encroaching!

At the beginning of round 7, the Mutants Encroaching! event occurs.

Remove the level 1 enemy deck from the game. From now on, all players will draw from the level 2 enemy deck when resolving combat encounters (see p. 16), regardless of whether or not they have completed their level 1 mission.

Remove the minor mutation deck from the game. From now on, all players will draw from the major mutation deck when suffering a mutation (see p. 20).

Day Phase

Declare Actions

Each player secretly selects one of their four action cards and places it face down.

The four action cards are:

• Map: Recover 2 broadcast tokens -OR- refresh the terrain and scavenge sites in the map queue. Then take a paired terrain and scavenge site from the map queue. You may place any number of terrain into empty zones adjacent to the terrain you occupy. You may then place scavenge sites on the terrain you occupy and any adjacent terrain.
• Forage: Move or march, then take the standard loot from the terrain you occupy. Then you may attempt a mind challenge (4+). If you succeed, take the bonus loot from the terrain you occupy.
• Trek: Move or march, then resolve a combat encounter. If you survive, gain the reward. Then you may place a mission token on the terrain you occupy (if there is not one there already).
• Camp: Place your camp token on the terrain you occupy. You may now spend up to 4 recovery points. Recovery points can be spent to recover health, morale, fatigue, boosts, broadcast tokens, and random challenge cards.

Resolve Actions

All players reveal their selected action cards simultaneously. Players then resolve their selected actions (see p. 14–15) in player order. To speed up game play, you may wish to have players resolve camp and forage actions simultaneously.

Night Phase

Learn New Skills

Each player may spend XP to learn new skills from their skill deck. Each skill card has an XP cost, and certain skill cards have prerequisites.

Refresh Map Queue

Draw new terrain (from the stack) and new scavenge sites (from the bag) to refill empty spaces in the map queue.

Actions

Camp

When you camp, place your camp token on the terrain you occupy.

You may now spend up to four recovery points.

Each recovery point you spend allows you to recover one health, one morale, one fatigue, one boost, one broadcast token, or one random challenge card.

If you wish to spend multiple recovery points on recovering challenge cards, you must declare in advance how many you are going to recover.

Forage

When you forage, you move or march, then you take the standard loot from the terrain you occupy:

• City: 1 melee weapon card
• Forest: 2 food tokens, 1 recovery token
• Rural: 2 ammo tokens, 1 food token
• Mountain: 1 ranged weapon card

Then you may attempt a mind challenge (4+). If you succeed, take the bonus loot from the terrain you occupy, in addition to the standard loot.

Move

When you move, you may move your miniature up to two spaces away. Each space of movement must be from one terrain to an adjacent terrain; you cannot move diagonally and you cannot move through or into an empty zone.

While moving, as long as you have at least one space of movement left, you may choose one terrain from your hand and place it in an empty zone adjacent to the terrain you occupy. If you do, you must move onto it, and your movement immediately ends. You may then place one scavenge site from your hand onto the new terrain.

March

When you move, instead of moving normally, you may suffer one fatigue to draw one random terrain from the stack and place it in an empty zone adjacent to the terrain you occupy. If you do, you must move onto it, and your movement immediately ends. You may then place one scavenge site from your hand onto the new terrain.

Map

When you map, you recover two broadcast tokens -OR- refresh the map queue.

To refresh the map queue, discard all terrain from the queue and draw new ones from the stack to replace them, then discard all scavenge sites from the queue and draw new ones from the bag to replace them. Discarded terrain are set aside until the stack runs out, in which case they are reshuffled to form a new stack. Discarded scavenge sites are always placed back in the bag immediately.

After you complete the first step, take a paired terrain and scavenge site from the map queue, adding them both to your hand.

Finally, you may place any number of terrain into empty zones adjacent to the terrain you occupy. You may then place any number of scavenge sites onto the terrain you occupy and any adjacent terrain (if there is not a scavenge site there already).

The maximum hand size is four; if you have more than four terrain and/or scavenge sites in your hand (in any combination) at the end of your turn, discard down to the limit of four.

Trek

When you trek, you move or march, then you must resolve a combat encounter (see p. 16).

If you have not completed your level 1 mission, draw a level 1 enemy card. If you have completed your level 1 mission or the Mutants Encroaching! event (round 7) has occurred, draw a level 2 enemy card.

If you survive the combat encounter, you gain the reward. Then you may place a mission token on the terrain you occupy (if there is not one there already). If you get knocked out (see p. 22), you gain no reward and may not place a mission token.

Combat Encounters

Combat Results

Any effects and icons shown with a blue background on a card apply during ranged combat.

• Shot results indicate the effectiveness of the ranged attack. Ranged weapons, as well as enemies with ranged attacks, each have a chart that indicates how shot results translate to damage.
• Damage results are added to the total amount of damage dealt by the ranged attack.
• Range value indicates the order in which you and the enemy deal damage to each other.

Any effects and icons shown with a red background on a card apply during melee combat.

• Attack results indicate the effectiveness of the melee attack. Melee weapons, as well as enemies with melee attacks, each have a chart that indicates how attack results translate to damage.
• Damage results are added to the total amount of damage dealt by the melee attack.
• Block results indicate how much damage from the opponent's melee attack can be prevented.

I. Primary Challenge Card

You may (but are not required to) choose one card from your challenge deck and play it, face up. This is your primary challenge card.

You may not choose a card with the Do Not Exhaust! label as your primary challenge card. If these are the only cards you have left in your challenge deck, you may not choose a primary challenge card.

II. Ranged Combat

After you choose your primary challenge card, you must enter ranged combat; it is mandatory. Follow these steps to resolve ranged combat:

1. Choose one ranged weapon (if any) that you have equipped and wish to use. To use it, you must discard one ammo token, returning it to the supply.
2. Shuffle your challenge deck, then draw one random challenge card from your deck and place it next to your primary challenge card, face up.
3. Total the shot results on your challenge cards, then check your ranged weapon's shooting chart to determine how much damage you will deal. If you have any damage results on your challenge cards, add those to the total. You may use your ranged weapon's special abilities (if any) during this step.
4. Roll the enemy's shooting dice, then total their shot results and check their shooting chart to determine how much damage they will deal. If the enemy has any damage results, add those to the total. The enemy uses their special abilities (if any) during this step.
5. Determine who has the higher range value. If your range value is higher, you deal your damage to the enemy first, then the enemy (if not killed) deals their damage to you. If the enemy's range value is higher, they deal their damage to you first, then you deal your damage to the enemy. In the case of a tie, damage is dealt simultaneously.
6. Take the randomly drawn challenge card and shuffle it back into your challenge deck. Keep your primary challenge card face up in front of you for now.

III. Melee Combat

You must enter melee combat as long as the enemy has not been killed; it is mandatory. Follow these steps to resolve melee combat:

1. Choose one melee weapon (if any) that you have equipped and wish to use. There is no cost to use it.

2. Shuffle your challenge deck, then draw one random challenge card from your deck and place it next to your primary challenge card, face up.

3. Total the attack results on your challenge cards. Then roll the enemy's melee dice and total their attack results. Subtract the enemy's attack results from your attack results. This is the attack value.

   You may discard any mods (see p. 21) from your melee weapon to gain their effects. You and the enemy both use special abilities (if any) during this step.

   • If the attack value is zero or higher, check your melee weapon's melee chart to determine how much damage you will deal.
   • If the attack value is zero or lower, check the enemy's melee chart to determine how much damage they will deal.

4. If you have any damage results, add those to your damage total. If the enemy has any damage results, add those to their damage total.

5. If you have any block results, subtract those from the enemy's damage total. If the enemy has any block results, subtract those from your damage total.

6. Both you and the enemy deal damage to each other simultaneously.

IV. Combat Cleanup

The combat encounter is now over! Follow these steps to clean up after the encounter:

1. Determine what reward you receive. The reward changes based on whether you were knocked out, survived the encounter, or killed the enemy:
   • If the amount of damage you received is equal to or greater than your remaining health, you have been knocked out. You receive no reward.
   • If you were not knocked out, but the amount of damage you dealt to the enemy was less than their health, you survived the encounter. You receive the survive reward.
   • If you were not knocked out, and the amount of damage you dealt to the enemy was equal to or greater than their health, you killed them. You receive the kill reward.
2. Mutant enemies will cause you to mutate if they are able to hit you. If a mutant enemy dealt you any damage in melee combat, you suffer a mutation. You cannot suffer multiple mutations in a single combat encounter, no matter how much damage you were dealt by the enemy.
3. Discard the enemy card, placing it in the corresponding discard pile. Return to the supply any damage counters that were on the enemy card.
4. Exhaust your primary challenge card (if any) by placing it in the exhausted area of your character board, face down. Take your randomly drawn challenge card and shuffle it back into your challenge deck.

Combat Example

1. You are playing as the Scavenger, and you encounter a Hammerhand while trekking. You eye each other up and get ready to fight!
2. You choose your primary challenge card: Perfect Shot, which provides three shot results during ranged combat (on the blue side) and one attack result during melee combat (on the red side).
3. You must decide whether you want to use a ranged weapon. Since the Hammerhand can't shoot back at you, you take advantage by using your Kalt 9mm.
4. To use your Kalt 9mm, you must spend one ammo. Then you draw a random challenge card for ranged combat: Flail, which provides no shot results. So you still only have three shot results. Consulting your Kalt 9mm's shooting chart, you see that three shot results deals one damage. That's not enough to kill the Hammerhand, but it's something. You then shuffle Flail back into your challenge deck.
5. With your Hunting Knife equipped, you prepare for a fight at close quarters. You draw a random challenge card for melee combat: Frontal Attack, which provides two attack results. Combined with your Perfect Shot, this gives you a total of three attack results.
6. The Hammerhand has one attack result automatically, and rolls three melee dice: one red and two green. He rolls two more attack results and one damage result. Today is not your day!
7. Subtracting the Hammerhand's attack results from your attack results would give you an attack value of zero. However, using the Balanced special ability of your Hunting Knife, you exhaust a boost to gain one attack result, which gives you an attack value of one.
8. Consulting your Hunting Knife's melee chart, you see that an attack value of one deals one damage, which is enough to kill the Hammerhand, since you already dealt him one damage with your Kalt 9mm. But the Hammerhand rolled one damage result, which he deals to you, so you lose one health.
9. Since you killed the Hammerhand, you receive the kill reward, which is a follower card and one XP. Nice!
10. However, since the Hammerhand damaged you in melee combat, you also suffer a mutation, as indicated by the icon on the Hammerhand card.

Additional Rules

Suffering Mutations

As you venture out beyond the walls of the Fortress, it is inevitable that your body will give in to the seeds of mutation around you.

When a mutant enemy deals you at least one damage during melee combat (see p. 17), you suffer a mutation. You cannot suffer more than one mutation per combat encounter. Occasionally, other game effects can also make you suffer a mutation.

When you suffer a mutation, draw one card from the mutation deck. At the start of the game, draw from the minor mutation deck. If you have completed your level 1 mission or the Mutants Encroaching! event (round 7) has already occurred, draw from the major mutation deck.

If you draw a mutation card that you already have, draw another card instead, then shuffle the duplicate back into the deck.

Some mutations are more easily noticed by others. These are called visible mutations. Their effects come into play during certain encounters and events. When you draw a visible mutation card, the card will instruct you to take a visible mutation token. You will never have more than one visible mutation token.

Certain mutations will decrease your maximum health or morale. When this happens, move the corresponding black peg down one hole on the health or morale bar. If that hole is already occupied by the coloured peg, move the coloured peg down one hole first. Otherwise, do not move the coloured peg.

Gaining XP

During the game, you will gain XP in various ways. The main sources of XP are story encounters (see p. 11) and combat encounters (see p. 16). For a successful combat encounter, the XP you gain is indicated by the survive reward or kill reward on the enemy card.

Spending XP

During the Night Phase, you may spend XP to learn new skills from your skill deck.

Taking Loot

Some situations in the game will let you take loot. This is a broad term that covers consumables (i.e., food, ammo, and recovery tokens) followers, and items (i.e., weapons and equipment).

• Food Tokens: These can be spent during the Morning Phase to prevent fatigue (see p. 12). Foraging in forest terrain is a sure way to find food.

• Ammo Tokens: These can be spent to use your ranged weapons during combat (see p. 16). Foraging in rural terrain is a sure way to find ammo.

• Recovery Tokens: There are three different types of recovery tokens, which you can spend at any time (except during encounters) to trigger their effects.

  • Meds allow you to recover one health.
  • Booze allows you to recover one boost.
  • Books allow you to recover one morale.

  When you receive a generic recovery token, you choose one of the three types. Foraging in forest terrain is a sure way to find recovery tokens.

• Follower Cards: These have various uses. You may have up to two followers at a time. If you gain a third follower, choose two to keep and discard the other. Followers do not take up slots in your inventory. If you get knocked out (see p. 22), you must discard all of your follower cards.

• Ranged Weapon Cards: These are used during ranged combat (see p. 16). Foraging in mountain terrain is a sure way to find ranged weapons.

• Melee Weapon Cards: These are used during melee combat (see p. 17). Foraging in city terrain is a sure way to find melee weapons.

• Equipment Cards: These provide ongoing effects. They usually have non-combat uses. Foraging for bonus loot and killing enemies during combat encounters are the primary ways to find equipment.

If you draw an item card that you already have, you may draw another card instead, then shuffle the duplicate item card back into the corresponding deck.

Modding Melee Weapons

Melee weapons can be modded to increase their effectiveness during combat encounters.

Most melee weapon cards have one or two icons in their bottom left corner. These mod slots indicate the number of mods that can be attached to that melee weapon.

Most melee weapon cards have an inverted icon in their top right corner. This mod type indicates the ability that the card can provide in melee combat if it is used to mod another melee weapon.

You may mod a melee weapon at any time (except during encounters). Modded melee weapons cannot be voluntarily dismantled.

To mod a melee weapon, you simply need any two melee weapon cards in your inventory. Choose one to be the main weapon and the other to be the weapon mod. Turn the weapon mod upside down and slide it underneath the main weapon, so that only the mod is still showing.

During melee combat (see p. 17), you may discard the weapon mod from a modded weapon in order to apply the corresponding combat result. The combat result does not apply unless you discard the weapon mod.

Discarded weapon mods are placed in the melee weapon discard pile. If the melee weapon deck runs out, reshuffle the discarded cards to form a new deck.

Encountering a Mutant Boss

When you complete your level 2 mission, your mission progress card will instruct you to draw a mutant boss card and place it in front of you. From now on, you may resolve the mutant boss encounter (instead of a normal combat encounter) when you trek in terrain that does not contain a mission token or side mission token.

A mutant boss encounter works like a normal combat encounter (see p. 16), but there are two rounds of melee combat, instead of one. After resolving the first round of melee combat, exhaust your primary challenge card and shuffle your drawn challenge card back into your challenge deck. Before you begin the second round of melee combat, choose a new primary challenge card and draw another challenge card at random.

If you kill the mutant boss, you immediately gain two VP and two XP as the kill reward. This triggers the end of the game; the game will end when the current round is over.

If you do not kill the mutant boss, keep the mutant boss card in front of you. You may resolve the mutant boss encounter again in a future round, but the mutant boss will reset to their full health.

Getting Knocked Out

If your health or morale is ever reduced to zero, you are immediately knocked out. When you get knocked out, you must carry out the following five steps:

• Lose one VP. (Adjust your position on the score track accordingly.)
• Discard any follower cards that you have, placing them in the corresponding discard pile.
• Recover one fatigue.
• If you have less than two health, reset your health to two. If you have less than two morale, reset your morale to two.
• Place your camp token on the terrain you occupy, then place your camp action card in front of you, face up. This must be your next action.

If you get knocked out during a combat encounter (see p. 16), you cannot take any rewards, even if you killed the enemy. In addition, you cannot place a mission token or side mission token on your current terrain.

End of the Game

When a player defeats a mutant boss, the end of the game is triggered; the game ends when that round is over. Otherwise, the game ends when round 16 is over.

Final Scoring

At the end of the game, players add the following to the victory points (VP) they have already scored:

• one VP for every mission token they have placed that corresponds to an incomplete mission
• one VP for every five XP remaining

The player with the most total victory points wins!

Tiebreakers

In the case of a tie for final score, the tied player who defeated a mutant boss wins the game.

If that does not break the tie, then the tied player who completed their level 2 mission first wins the game.

If that does not break the tie, then the tied players each check their current fatigue level and add the number of mutations they have. The tied player who has the lowest combined total wins the game.

If the game is still tied, then the tie can only be decided by a good old-fashioned brawl.

Alternate Game Modes

Team Versus Mode

In team versus mode, two teams of two players each square off against each other.

Team Versus Setup

Follow the normal setup instructions for the game, with the following changes and modifications:

• Each team places both of their character miniatures on the same starting zone, in the same quadrant of the map.
• Take two morning tokens for each player. Then add six blank tokens. On the round track, place blank tokens on spaces #1 and #14, then randomly distribute the remaining tokens to spaces #2 – #13, face down. Leave spaces #15 and #16 empty.
• Each team only uses one set of mission tokens and only draws one mission objective card.
• Choose the recon objective card that is marked for team versus mode.

Team Versus Gameplay

Follow the normal rules for the game, with the following changes and modifications:

Scoring Victory Points

Each team has a joint score. Use the character token of only one character from each team in order to keep track of the team scores on the score track.

• Mission Objectives: In order to place a mission token or side mission token, you and your teammate both must be on the same terrain, both must choose the trek action, and both must survive the resulting combat encounter.
• Recon Objectives: When a team is the first to score a given recon sequence, only one of the teammates gets to take the first player bonus.

Broadcasts

During a broadcast, players take from the map queue in player order, as normal. However, each player may only take one terrain or one scavenge site (not both!), leaving the other in the map queue.

After the broadcast, draw new terrain (from the stack) and new scavenge sites (from the bag) to refill empty spaces in the map queue.

Collective Hand Size

Rather than each player having a separate hand, each team has a collective hand. Each team cannot have more than six terrain and/or scavenge sites in their hand (in any combination) at the end of a broadcast or action.

Social Skills

Certain skill cards are known as social skills.

When you and your teammate are in the same terrain, you may use each other's social skills as though they were your own skills.

If you and your teammate both have the same social skill, the effects are not cumulative, however.

Trading With Teammates

During the Night Phase, teammates can freely give their food, ammo, recovery tokens, followers, weapons, and equipment to each other.

Teammates may not give health, morale, fatigue, XP, boost cubes, or broadcast tokens to each other.

Landmarks

During the Night Phase, if both you and your teammate occupy the same terrain that contains a landmark token, you choose which one of you resolves it.

Actions

Each player chooses their action individually, but teammates may communicate with each other. Once revealed, actions are resolved as follows:

• Camp: During the Morning Phase, if both you and your teammate occupy the same terrain, and if there is one camp token present in the terrain you occupy, neither of you need to eat food; simply remove the camp token instead. However, if both camp tokens are present, remove both of them.
• Forage: No change from the standard game. Each player carries out the action independently.
• Map: No change from the standard game. Each player carries out the action independently.
• Trek: You may resolve combat encounters on your own in order to gain rewards. However, in order to place a mission token or side mission token, you and your teammate must resolve a combat encounter together. You must be together in order to resolve a mutant boss encounter.

Combat Encounters

When you and your teammate have a combat encounter, draw two enemy cards from the same enemy deck. Then choose which of you will face which enemy.

You both resolve ranged combat in the order of your choice. You each select your own primary challenge card, then draws a random challenge card, shoot your chosen enemy, and your chosen enemy shoots you back.

If both you and your teammate killed your enemies in ranged combat, the combat encounter ends immediately. Likewise, if both you and your teammate are knocked out, the combat encounter ends immediately.

If both enemies are still alive, and neither you nor your teammate has been knocked out, you both resolve melee combat in the order of your choice. You each draw a random challenge card, attack your chosen enemy, and your chosen enemy attacks you back.

If you killed your enemy during ranged combat, but your teammate did not kill their enemy, you may assist your teammate during melee combat. Your teammate adds all melee results from your primary challenge card.

If you are knocked out during ranged combat, but your teammate is not, your enemy will assist your teammate's enemy. Your teammate's enemy rolls one additional black die during melee combat.

If you both survive the combat encounter, you may split the rewards as you wish. If only one of you survives, only the surviving player gains the rewards.

Mutant Bosses

When your team completes your level 2 mission, you draw one mutant boss card (not two).

When you resolve a mutant boss encounter, only one teammate may participate in ranged combat against the mutant boss; decide which one of you will do so.

After the chosen teammate resolves ranged combat, each teammate must resolve one round of melee combat against the mutant boss, in the order of your choice.

The teammate who participated in ranged combat against the mutant boss must use the same primary challenge card during their round of melee combat.

End of the Game

When a team defeats a mutant boss, the end of the game is triggered; the game ends when that round is over. Otherwise, the game ends when round 14 is over.

Solo Mode

Solo Mode Setup

Follow the normal setup instructions for the game, with the following changes and modifications:

1. Take the solo mission board instead of drawing a mission objective card. Choose to use side A or B. (There is no difference in difficulty.)
2. Place the mutant threat marker on the start space of the mutant threat track along the bottom edge of the solo mission board.
3. Take one scavenge site token of each type (Factory, Junkyard, Lab, Mall). Distribute them randomly to the leftmost spaces of the four mutant power tracks.
4. Shuffle the mutant boss deck and place it just below the solo mission board. Reveal the top card of the deck and place it on top of the deck, face up.
5. Draw two terrain tiles from the stack and place them face up in the map queue, then draw and place one scavenge site token next to each terrain tile. If you draw two identical terrain tiles or scavenge site tokens, discard and re-draw until both terrain tiles and scavenge site tokens are different.
6. Take all four of your morning tokens, then add 10 blank tokens. On the round track, place blank tokens on spaces #1 and #14, then randomly distribute the remaining tokens to spaces #2 – #13, face down. Leave spaces #15 and #16 empty.
7. Choose one of the two recon objective cards that are marked for solo mode.
8. Take a set of three additional level 1 mission tokens from one of the other character packs.

Solo Mode Gameplay

Follow the normal rules for the game, with the following changes and modifications:

Game Objectives

You do not track victory points in solo mode. The goal is simply to complete all three of your missions while keeping the Fortress safe from the mutant threat.

• You win if you complete all three missions depicted on the solo mission board by the end of round 14.
• You lose if the mutant threat marker reaches the Fortress space on the threat track or if you have not completed all three missions by the end of round 14.
• Mission Objective: You have two level 1 missions and one level 2 mission to complete. You may complete the level 1 missions in the order of your choice, but you must complete one before starting the other. Each time you complete a mission, move the mutant threat marker back one space on the threat track.
• Recon Objective: To score a scavenge sequence, flip over the scavenge sites used in the sequence, then take the indicated bonus. You may score each scavenge sequence multiple times.

Broadcasts

1. At the start of each broadcast, advance the mutant threat marker by one space on the threat track.
2. Then choose a paired terrain and scavenge site from the map queue, adding them to your hand.
3. Discard the remaining terrain, but place the remaining scavenge site on the leftmost available space of the matching mutant power track.
4. If the scavenge site is placed on a space with a listed effect, resolve that effect immediately.
5. If the scavenge site is placed on the last space of that track, resolve that effect as usual and then discard all scavenge sites from that track, except the one in the leftmost space. Each mutant power track can fill multiple times over the course of the game.

Solo Incompatible Cards

Certain cards are incompatible with solo mode. If you have any skill cards that are marked this way, you may not use them in solo mode. If you draw a card from any deck that is marked this way, immediately discard it and draw a replacement.

Scavenge Sites

At any time during the game, if both scavenge sites in the map queue are identical, discard one of them and re-draw until they are different.

Second Day Phase

At the end of the Day Phase, you may spend one food token to resolve a second Day Phase immediately. Select a second action to perform, which must be different from the one you selected in the first Day Phase. You may resolve a second Day Phase once per round. There is still only one Morning Phase and Night Phase in each round.

Actions

• Camp: As soon as you leave the terrain that contains your camp token, remove the camp token.
• Forage: No change from the standard game.
• Map: Once per round, you may exhaust any number of broadcast tokens to discard that many terrain and/or scavenge sites from the map queue, then draw new ones to replace them. If you wish to exhaust multiple broadcast tokens, you must declare in advance how many you are going to exhaust.
• Trek: No change from the standard game.

Encountering Mutant Bosses

After you have completed both of your level 1 missions, you may choose to resolve a mutant boss encounter with the currently revealed mutant boss by trekking in terrain that does not contain a mission token.

A mutant boss encounter works as it does in the standard game. You must resolve one round of ranged combat and two rounds of melee combat.

If you kill the mutant boss, move the mutant threat marker back one space on the threat track. Then discard that mutant boss card and reveal the next card of the mutant boss deck, placing it on top of the deck, face up.

Getting Knocked Out

If you get knocked out, advance the mutant threat marker one space on the threat track. (This is in addition to the normal effects of getting knocked out.)

Credits and Acknowledgements

Game Design: Gordon Calleja

Art Direction: Mark Casha

Illustration: Arjuna Susini

Development: Johnathan Harrington, Jonathan Gilmour, and Nick Shaw

Writing: Daniel Vella and Gordon Calleja

Graphic Design: Mark Casha and Chris Borg

Miniature Sculpts: Kieran Russell

3D Game Renders: Fabrizio Cali

Project Management: Anne Harmasnes

Editing: Dustin Schwartz and Johnathan Harrington

Test Leads: Timothy Clark, Andrew Porsella Flores, Rafael Cordero, Michael S. Debus, Derek Jonson, Jasper Schellekens, and Nick Shaw

Production: Mark Casha and Gordon Calleja

Special Thanks: A heartfelt thank you to all our backers for making this project possible and to our families for their patience and enthusiasm throughout.

© 2019 Mighty Boards. All Rights Reserved.

Icon Glossary

Character Cards: Shooting, Melee, Strength, Speed, Mind, Morale, Health, Starting XP.

Character Boards: Morale Bar, Health Bar, Fatigue Bar, Experience Bar, Recoverable, Follower, Discard / Exhaust, Boost Cube, Broadcast Token, Challenge Card, Heavy Item, Ranged Weapon, Melee Weapon, Equipment.

Journey Board: Player Count, Round, Broadcast, Event, Mutants Encroaching!, Starting Zone, Victory Points, First Player Bonus.

Actions: Camp, Map, Forage, Trek, Move / March.

Missions: Victory Points, Mission Progress, City Terrain, Forest Terrain, Rural Terrain, Mountain Terrain.

Solo Mode: Mutant Threat Level, Fortress Space, Incompatible Skill.

Card Types: Events, Minor Mutations, Major Mutations, Ranged Weapons, Melee Weapons, Equipment, Followers, Landmarks, Mission Objectives, Enemies (Level 1), Enemies (Level 2), Recon Objectives, Challenges, Discard / Exhaust.

Challenges and Encounters: Shot, Damage, Attack, Block, Mind Stat, Speed Stat, Boost Cube, Red Cube, Experience Points, Kill Reward, Range, Spent Ammo, Positive Attack Value, Negative Attack Value, Story.

Skills: XP Cost, Social Skill (Team Versus Mode), Incompatible Skill (Solo Mode).

Mutations: Visible Mutation.

Stats

Your stats represent your character's relative strengths and weaknesses. Each of your stats has a numerical value, ranging from 1–5.

Your stats affect the composition of your challenge deck and skill deck. Here are the five stats and what they represent in the game:

• Shooting represents your character's ability in ranged combat.
• Melee represents your character's ability in hand-to-hand combat.
• Strength represents your character's physical toughness.
• Speed represents your character's quickness to act and react.
• Mind represents your character's mental fortitude, knowledge, and wit.

Character Board Anatomy

1. Ready Area: These spaces contain your renewable resources when they are ready for you to use. Once you use them, they are moved to the exhausted area.
2. Exhausted Area: These spaces contain your renewable resources when they are exhausted. Once you recover them, they are returned to the ready area.
3. Token Slots: These slots contain your consumable resources. Each type of token has its own slot. Once you use them, they are discarded back to the supply.
4. Health Bar: The green peg shows your current health, and the black peg shows your maximum health. When you lose health or recover health, the green peg moves accordingly.
5. Morale Bar: The yellow peg shows your current morale, and the black peg shows your maximum morale. When you lose morale or recover morale, the yellow peg moves accordingly.
6. Fatigue Bar: The orange peg shows your fatigue. When you suffer fatigue, the orange peg moves forward and you must apply the negative effects indicated by the new hole. When you recover fatigue, the orange peg moves backward.
7. Experience Bar: The black peg shows your experience points (XP). When you gain XP, the black peg moves forward. If your XP exceeds 10, use the second black peg. If your XP exceeds 20, take a 20+ XP token.
8. Inventory Slots: Along the bottom of your character board is your inventory. When you gain an item, you must place it in an inventory slot. When you gain a heavy item, you must place it in a heavy inventory slot.
9. Equipped Slots: Weapons placed in these two slots can be used during combat encounters. When you are not engaged in combat, you may swap weapons between your equipped slots and your inventory slots as you wish.