Smugglers of the Galaxy
Smugglers of the Galaxy Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Smugglers of the Galaxy should include:
- The original 1.0 Rule Book.
- Game Board in two sections.
- 12 Character cards.
- Deck of Planet cards.
- Deck of Destiny cards.
- 6 plastic spaceships.
- 7 planet markers (these are on 2 cards within the decks, and must be cut out).
- Game money in denominations of 1, 5, 20, 100, 500, and 1000 bills (called "credits").
- A pad of spaceship sheets (new 2.0 spaceship sheets are in the back of these Rules 2.0).
- 2 Six-sided Dice.
Other components are the optional Alpha Expansion, and Rules 2.0 (these rules), both of which can be downloaded from www.playusmaximus.com.
Setup
The First Time You Play
You'll need to remove the money and cards from their wrappers. Rubber bands are handy for holding the components together. If you are playing with these 2.0 rules, it would be a good idea to print and cut out the new and improved Spaceship Sheets provided at the back of this document as well. The board comes in two pieces so there is no uneven crease in the center. You can lay these next to one another or simply use a piece of tape on the back (underside) of the board if you like. Next, find the two cards in the deck which feature the seven planet markers (as shown below) and cut them out along the dotted lines.
[Figure omitted: diagram of the seven planet marker pieces numbered 1 to 7 on the two marker cards, with cut lines.]
Each Time You Play
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Lay the game board sections on a flat playing surface next to one another so they line up, with plenty of room on both sides.
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Separate the Destiny Cards and the Planet Cards, and shuffle each deck, placing them face down on the table.
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Lay the money (credits) in separate stacks for each denomination in a convenient place. This will be the Bank.
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Give each player one Spaceship Sheet, 500 credits, and access to a pencil.
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Place all the plastic Spaceship Pieces in the center sector (hexagon) of the game board (Sector G-043).
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Shuffle the Character Cards and deal them out face-down so that each player is given the same number of cards. Randomly leave uneven remainders out of the game. After the Character Cards are dealt, players may choose a Character to play with from among their hand. If they don't mind revealing what they possess, they may trade with one another. Final selections should be kept face down, with the other Character Cards being discarded. Once everyone has made their selection, the cards should be revealed. These are the characters each player will play the role of in the game.
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The Spaceship Sheets should now be filled out. Enter the starting values for each system (Engines, Lightspeed, Lasers, Shields, Cargo Pods, and Hull) as indicated on the Spaceship Sheets. In addition, your character may have special features that affect your sheet. If your character starts with a Bounty, write that amount down on the Spaceship sheet in the proper space. If your character "acts as though" it had more of a system than it really does, write that number in the "Ability/Cards" column. If your character's spaceship begins with a different number of some system, write it in the proper larger space, as though it were the starting value for your spaceship.
Rules 2.0 Note
In most cases, these 2.0 rules can be played with all original components of the game, but with a few exceptions. Note that the character named Greenbeard has changed. In addition to the abilities listed on his card, he also has the following abilities:
- Your spaceship begins with 2 more Lasers than normal.
- Any time you pirate Trade Goods from another player or Merchant Ship and you do not have enough Cargo Pod space to hold them, you may immediately liquidate the excess Trade Goods for 50 credits each.
[Figure omitted: diagram of an example table setup for five players, showing the board sections, player pieces and planet markers, Planet and Destiny Card decks with discard piles, Character Cards, Spaceship sheets, credits, and the Bank.]
- Draw 7 Planet Cards from the deck and lay each one face up, next to the game board, under the numbered spaces on the board's edge. Take the numbered Planet Marker pieces (the ones you cut out) and place them in their proper sector on the game board. The planet cards will say which sector the planets are in. Note that the sector numbers are in order from top left, going down, and then beginning again at the top of the following column to the right.
Example: If you draw planet Earth first, the card will say it is in sector B-070. Place the Earth card face up next to the board under the number 1 on the edge. You would then place the #1 Planet Marker piece on sector B-070 on the game board.
Objective
The objective of Smugglers of the Galaxy is to become the "greatest smuggler in the galaxy." This will go to the player that is able to complete the Koroth Run first. But to be able to complete the Koroth Run, a player will have to have a powerful spaceship and some other advantages that come through play. For more information, see "VIII. Winning the Game".
Turn Sequence
First, determine which player goes first. Each player rolls one die. The player with the highest number goes first and each player follows in clockwise direction. If there is a tie for first place, those players that tied should re-roll. When players take their turn, they should follow these steps...
Note: If you wish to use the Galactic Broker to trade with another player, you must do so at the beginning of your turn, before drawing a Destiny Card. See page 10.
1) Draw Destiny Card
This card is open for all to see. Follow the instructions on the card. Unless the card says otherwise, you may continue to step 2. Note: if you are in a combat, and you either fail to flee or choose not to, this will end your turn. There are several categories of Destiny Cards, as labeled in the black bar at the top of each card.
Equipment Cards. Unless stated otherwise, you may simply take these as your own. A player may have no more than 4 Equipment Cards at any one time. However, he may immediately discard unwanted Equipment Cards to make space if needed. Some Equipment Cards are discarded after use, but unless otherwise stated on the card, you keep it until it is lost, taken, or destroyed.
Friend Cards. These are usually taken for yourself, much like Equipment Cards, except there is no maximum to the number you may have. They cannot normally be taken from you by other players against your will, except through unusual powers or items.
Spaceship Cards. These include pirates, bounty hunters, military ships, merchant ships, and space monsters and anything else that is labeled as such on its card. They may or may not attack you, depending on the circumstances. Once encountered, they are discarded.
Event Cards. These vary widely, depending on the event. However, there is a type of Event Card which effect planets. One could informally refer to these as "planetary event cards" and they include: Robot Virus, Plague, Famine, War, and Festival. Each one works the same but pertains to a different Trade Good. The card will tell you what to do, but there are some additional points about these...
No planet may have more than one planetary event affecting it at the same time. The first time you draw a planetary event card and randomly determine which planet the event takes place on, roll a die. Then roll again. If you got 'doubles', place the event on planet #7. If not, place it on the planet number you first rolled. If one or more planets already have events, simply roll one die and count, skipping those planets.
If a planetary event is taking place and a player brings more goods than the planetary event requires, the excess amount may not be sold at that planet (even at normal prices). Once the required number of units have been sold there, the planet and the event are immediately discarded. So, the player will need to sell the remainder elsewhere.
2) Move
You can move any direction and number of sectors, up to the number of Lightspeed your spaceship has. You may also choose to move 0 (sit still) and encounter the sector you are in. When moving, you may move in any direction and even double back. Once movement is complete you may proceed to step 3.
3) Encounter Sector
If there is a player and/or a planet occupying the sector in which you end your movement, you may choose to encounter either (but not both). Of course, if a planet or player is not present in the sector, the player will not have that option. If there is nothing to encounter their turn will end after Movement.
If you encounter another player, you may...
a) trade and/or, b) attack
If you encounter a planet you may either...
a) buy cargo b) sell cargo c) upgrade your spaceship, or d) place a Bounty on another player (see page 18)
Once a player completes a turn, the player to his/her left should begin theirs.
Encountering A Sector
Encountering A Planet
If there is a planet in the player's sector, they may choose to encounter it. There are at least four reasons for going to a planet: to buy cargo, to sell cargo, to upgrade your spaceship, or to place a Bounty. On a single turn, you may do one of these three. But before you can do any of them, you must first get past Customs.
Customs
If your Character has a Bounty, or if they are carrying cargo that is illegal on the planet you are trying to encounter, you must roll on the Customs chart before you can encounter the planet. If you do not meet one of these two conditions, then you may pass through without rolling on the chart. Note: if encountering the same planet multiple turns in a row, a new Customs roll is needed each turn (Customs agents and other law enforcement move around on the planet so you must continually avoid them if you are still carrying illegal goods or have a Bounty on your head).
Customs Chart (Starport Size, see planet card)
| Roll | None | Small | Medium | Large | Military |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | - | - | - | - | B |
| 3 | - | - | - | B | F |
| 4 | - | - | B | F | D |
| 5 | - |
- ( - ) No Delay: You pass through customs with no hassle. Continue your turn.
- ( B ) Bounty: You evade customs but were identified later. Add 100 credits to your Bounty and continue your turn.
- ( F ) Fined: You are fined 200 credits. Continue your turn, unless you cannot pay. If so, see ( D ) below.
- ( D ) Detained: All of your cargo is confiscated (not counting Equipment Cards). Your turn ends here.
- ( I ) Imprisoned: All Trade Goods you are carrying are taken and your turn ends here. You must miss your turns as long as you are Imprisoned. Remove 500 credits from your Bounty each turn. When your Bounty reaches zero, you are free and may take a complete turn on the same turn that it reached zero. You must miss at least one full turn regardless of your Bounty. Once free, if you have a minimum Bounty, it will raise back to the minimum. While imprisoned, you may take no actions not specifically allowed while imprisoned. Nor may you be attacked or have credits added to your Bounty.
Escape: You may attempt escape at the beginning of any turn you are Imprisoned. Roll one die and if you roll a 1, you escape, immediately taking your turn as normal. However, you must add 1000 credits to your Bounty. If you fail the attempt, deduct 500 from your Bounty for a turn spent in prison as usual.
Buy/Sell Cargo
Once you encounter the planet, you may choose to either buy or sell one type of Trade Good (Weapons, Medical, Luxuries, Robots, or Food). You cannot buy and sell on the same turn. You also cannot trade in more than one type of cargo on the same turn. Whether you buy or sell, the process is the same.
You may only carry as many units of Trade Goods as you have Cargo Pods at any one time. If you ever lose Cargo Pods and have less than the number of Trade Goods you are carrying, you must choose which Trade Goods to lose until you are carrying no more Trade Goods than you have Cargo Pods.
If you choose to buy or sell Trade Goods, you must declare whether you are buying or selling, and what type of cargo. For example, "I am selling Medical". Then you must roll on the Availability chart...
Availability Chart (Starport Size, see planet card)
| Roll | None | Small | Medium | Large | Military |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 10 |
| 5 | 4 |
Cross your die roll with the size of the Starport on the planet. This is the number that you may buy or sell this turn. If you are buying, you don't have to buy this many, you could buy less, but this is the most available for purchase this turn. If you are selling, this is the most that you can sell on this turn. If you wish to buy or sell more, then you must wait until a future turn to do so.
Next, roll on the Demand Chart to determine the going rate for the cargo you are buying or selling...
Demand Chart (Demand, see planet card)
| Roll | Very Low | Low | Moderate | High | Very High | Illegal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 5 | 25 | 45 | 65 | 100 |
| 2 | 2 | 10 | 30 | 50 | 70 | 120 |
| 3 | 4 | 15 | 35 | 55 | 75 | 140 |
| 4 | 6 | 20 | 40 |
On the planet card you will see the demand rating for the cargo type you are buying or selling. Cross this with the number you roll to find its value at this time. After seeing the value, you may decide whether or not you wish to go through with the purchase or sale. Regardless of what you choose, your turn ends once you have done it or not. If the planet is still here on a future turn, you may decide to try again later, hoping for a better roll. Write the Trade Goods you are carrying on the Cargo space on your Spaceship Sheet.
Changing Planets
While there are supposedly thousands of inhabited planets in the Smugglers of the Galaxy universe, big time Smugglers, such as those played by the players, only concern themselves with the most major trade worlds in a sector. These planets each have trading seasons, when it is best for off-worlders to buy or sell large quantities of goods. The planets on the game board represent the most major planets currently at the height of their trade seasons.
Each time a player sells trade goods on a planet (not buy or any other action), that planet should be removed from the board, the planet card discarded, a new planet drawn from the Planet Card deck, and the marker placed in its new proper position. This will have the effect of the map constantly changing as new trade opportunities open up. It will also mean that the quicker smugglers will get to the best runs first.
Spaceship Upgrades
In each of the categories, your spaceship's Systems may be improved. These systems are: Engines, Lightspeed, Shields, Lasers, and Cargo Pods. In each category, your spaceship may increase, up to a maximum rating of 10. However, special items and abilities may allow you to act as though you had more. Write these numbers in the separate "Ability/Card" spaces provided on your spaceship sheet.
In addition to the maximum of 10 in each System, there is also a total maximum. The total points of your Engines, Lightspeed, Shields, Lasers, and Cargo Pods may not exceed 35.
To increase your ratings, you must choose to upgrade your spaceship by paying for level increases at a planet's Starport. First roll on the Availability table as you would for buying or selling Trade Goods. This tells you the maximum number of Systems upgrades you can increase this turn. Upgrades can be made on several different Systems on the same turn, as long as they don't exceed these maximums. Cross the Starport size with the category you are upgrading to find the price of increasing each level of a System on the chart below...
Upgrade Chart (Starport Size, see planet card)
| Category | None | Small | Medium | Large | Military |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engines | n/a | 240 | 120 | 60 | 30 |
| Lightspeed | n/a | 560 | 280 | 140 | 70 |
| Shields | n/a | n/a | 200 | 100 | 50 |
| Lasers | n/a | n/a | 160 | 80 | 40 |
| Cargo Pods |
Example: Your ship has 3 Lightspeed. At a Large Starport, you would have to pay 140 credits to bring it up to a 4. Another 140 would bring it to a 5, and so on.
You'll notice that there is no price listings for Hull. This is because Hull points are not a ship System and represent the overall wear & tear on your spaceship, which is not easily repaired. Over time, all ships give out eventually. However, there are some Destiny Cards and Characters with abilities that allow for the occasional restoration of lost Hull points.
What Your Spaceship Systems Do
Figure: What Your Spaceship Systems Do
Your ship systems represent the performance of your spaceship. They are represented by writing numbers in the relevant spaces on your Spaceship sheet. The maximum rating for any one system is 10 and the maximum of all five systems cannot exceed 35.
Engines. These determine how swiftly your spaceship moves when not traveling at light speeds. They are used in the Maneuver stage in combat and in other situations. The higher your Engines rating, the more likely it is you can flee from opponents or chase them down.
Lightspeed. This rating is how fast your ship moves when traveling at light speeds. It is equal to the maximum number of sectors you may move your piece on the game board each turn.
Shields. While losing a combat can still damage your Hull, your Shields are designed to protect you from pirating, raiding, and system damage, should you lose a combat. They also come in handy for protection against ion storms and asteroids.
Lasers. Your lasers rating determines how deadly you are in a combat with other spaceships. In the Exchange Fire stage of combat, you and your opponent roll a die and add your Lasers to determine who wins.
Cargo Pods. Your Cargo Pods are equal to the maximum number of Trade Goods you can carry at one time (Weapons, Luxuries, Medical, etc.). Even if your Availability roll determines a certain number is available for purchase, you may only buy as many as you have Cargo Pods. Trade Goods can be willfully jettisoned (discarded) from your Cargo Pods at any time except in combat. If your Cargo Pods ever lower (such as being damaged), then you must lose enough Trade Goods so that they are not greater than your Cargo Pods.
(Hull). Hull is not actually a ship system. Hull represents the overall wear & tear on your starship. It cannot be bought at Starports as systems can, and normally can't go above 5. However, there are some lucky Destiny Cards and Character Abilities that may help repair Hull points. Once your Hull reaches 0, your ship is destroyed (see "Destroying Ships").
Encountering A Player
If there is another player in the sector you are in, you may choose to encounter that player. If you choose not to encounter that player, s/he may not choose to encounter you (trade or attack) while it is your turn. However, if you do choose to declare an encounter the player, then both of you have the option to trade and/or attack the other. In any event, you may only encounter one player on your turn, even if more than one other player is in the same sector as yourself.
Trading
If two players decide to trade, then they may give, trade, buy, or sell any amount of credits, Equipment Cards, Trade Goods, or Friend Cards. They may not give or trade levels of spaceship systems, such as Lasers, Shields, Lightspeed, etc. They may not give or trade their Bounties either.
The 'Galactic Broker'
There is a trading option for players whose spaceships are not in the same sector. The Galactic Broker allows for the exchange of goods and services over galactic distances, but for a price. Note that a transaction can only take place at the beginning (before drawing a Destiny Card) of the sender or receiver's turn.
Players may buy, sell, or give credits, Equipment Cards, or Trade Goods to one another without encountering one another and without it affecting anything else they are doing on their turn. This means they can do this trade and still trade with a player by encountering him, or encounter a planet. However, they must pay the Galactic Broker for any money or items sent through the broker (discard those credits to the bank). Either the sender, the receiver, a third party, or some combination thereof may pay the fees, but the transaction doesn't happen unless someone does.
- Credits sent: 10%
- Equipment Cards, Friend Cards, Contracts, or other cards: 50 credits each
- Trade Goods: 5 credits each
Attacking A Player
Even if trading occurs, either player may choose to attack the other just before, during, or just after trading. Threats and extortion are also allowed. For example, a player may tell another, "Give me all your cargo or I will attack you" and the like. The other player of course has the option to comply or call the possible bluff. Once one player states they are attacking another, combat ensues. (see VII. Combat).
Lies and betrayal are also legal within the rules. For example, a player may threaten to attack unless something is handed over then, once it is, attack anyway. In another example, a player may promise to do something on a future turn in exchange for payment, and then decide never to deliver.
But remember that once a player, on their turn, declares an encounter with another player, both of them then have either option. Therefore, for example, a player may tell another player currently in their turn, "I will trade with you if you come land on me." and then once the player moves his/her spaceship there and declares an encounter, the other player can refuse to trade and even attack instead!
If both of you are finished with trading and/or combat, then your turn ends.
Combat
Throughout the game, you may often have to (or want to) engage in space combat. Sometimes it may be with another player, and other times it may be with Spaceship Cards you draw from the Destiny Card deck. In the case of a combat involving only one player, the player to your left should roll the die for the enemy spaceship. If a combat happens, follow these steps...
What About Ties? In all cases of ties, unless other rules or cards specifically say so, players should reroll until the tie is resolved, with all modifiers and conditions applying to those rerolls.
1) Maneuver
Each spaceship rolls a die and adds the number of Engines it has. The spaceship with the highest number may choose to Flee or Attack. If you Flee a combat on your turn, you may continue your turn as normal. However, if you attack without fleeing, or you are attacked and don't flee, or you are fled from, then your turn ends once the combat is over.
2) Exchange Fire
Each spaceship must roll a die, and add the number of Lasers it has to its roll. The ship with the higher total scores a hit on the other and is victorious. The ship hit must lose 1 Hull point. If this brings the ship to 0 Hull points, then it is destroyed (see "Destroying Ships" below). Unless the Card says otherwise, non-player spaceships all have 1 Hull point and are destroyed upon receiving a hit. If not destroyed, then player ships may suffer additional consequences (see next step).
If the defeated player has a Bounty, then players that cause damage to their Hull may collect ¼ of that player's Bounty for each Hull point damaged, and the player damaged may reduce his Bounty accordingly.
3) Shield Breach
If a player is victorious over a ship on a card, this step is skipped and the combat simply ends. However, player spaceships that lost the Exchange Fire step must now roll 2 dice to see if their Shields are breached. If the total rolled is greater than the spaceship's number of Shields, then the Shields have been breached. If the total is equal to or less than the number of Shields, then the combat ends. Note that a roll of 12 always means the Shields are breached, regardless of the actual number of Shields the spaceship has.
If the Shields have been breached, the victor of the Exchange Fire step has three options: he may (a) cause additional damage to his victim's ship, (b) raid the ship for equipment, or (c) pirate the ship. If the victor is a non-player ship, such as those found on Destiny Cards, then it will always choose to cause additional damage. Unless explicitly stated on the card, those ships will never raid or pirate (including even the Pirate cards).
a) Additional Damage
If this option is chosen, the defeated player suffers 2 damage to one of his/her ship systems. To determine which ship system is struck, roll one die on the following chart. Zero is the minimum number a Spaceship may have of a system, regardless of damage. Any excess damage has no effect. Either way, the combat then ends...
Damage Chart
| Roll | System |
|---|---|
| 1 | Engines |
| 2 | Lightspeed |
| 3 | Shields |
| 4 | Lasers |
| 5 | Cargo Pods |
| 6 | (victor's choice) |
(nonplayer rerolls)
The defeated player must lose 2 units of the system rolled. Note that when a player to your left is rolling for a non-player spaceship (those on the Destiny Cards), and rolls a 6 on the Additional Damage chart, they do not get to choose the system hit as they normally would if rolling for themselves. In this case they must reroll.
If you cause damage to another ship's Cargo Pods and they are carrying Trade Goods, they must make sure they are not carrying more Trade Goods than they have Cargo Pods. In such a case, the damaged player must choose which Trade Goods are to be destroyed until the number is brought down to the number of Cargo Pods s/he has.
b) Equipment Raid
If this option is chosen, the victorious player may choose to take one Equipment Card of his choice from the defeated player. The victorious player must have room to hold the Equipment card (players may have no more than four Equipment Cards at one time), but may choose to discard other Equipment Cards immediately if space needs to be made.
c) Pirate the Ship
If this option is chosen, the victorious player may take up to 4 Trade Goods being held in the defeated player's Cargo Pods. Of course, the victorious player must have room to hold the pirated Trade Goods in his own Cargo Pods, but may immediately jettison any Trade Goods needed to make room.
Example Combat
Susan decides to attack Joe. Both roll dice to Maneuver. Joe has 4 Engines and rolls a 3, so his number is 7 (4+3=7). Susan's ship is slower with 3 Engines, but she gets lucky and rolls a 5, giving her a number of 8 (3+5=8). Susan gets the choice to Flee or attack and she chooses to follow through and attack. Now both ships Exchange Fire. Susan has 7 Lasers and rolls a 2, for a total of 9. Joe has 5 Lasers but rolls a 6, giving him a total of 11. Joe therefore lands a hit on Susan. Susan loses one Hull point immediately. Now Susan rolls 2 dice and gets a 7. Since this number is greater than her Shields of 4, those Shields have been breached. Joe doesn't want any of Susan's Equipment Cards and she is not currently carrying any Trade Goods, so he chooses to inflict Additional Damage. He rolls on the Damage Chart, getting a 4. Susan must therefore lose 2 points of Lasers (bringing her to 5 Lasers) in addition to the Hull point she lost earlier. The combat is over.
Destroying Ships
Combat is over once steps 1-3 are played. If your spaceship still has Hull points, then it is still intact. However, if you have just lost your last Hull point, then your ship has been completely destroyed. You lose your ship, all levels of upgrades, all Equipment Cards, and all trade goods you were carrying, since they are all destroyed as well. However you yourself will be able to survive in an escape pod. You will also keep all of your credits, and your Bounty (unless your ship was destroyed by a Bounty Hunter card or a player who collects your Bounty). Players that completely destroy another player's ship may collect all of their remaining Bounty.
For each Friend card you have, roll one die. On a roll of 1-3 they too have escaped with you, otherwise they are discarded.
If your ship is destroyed, you may instantly fly to the nearest planet on the board in your escape pod (you may choose if there is a tie for nearest planet). Your space trader insurance company will then provide you with a spiffy new ship but with only the standard starting number of Systems. At that point, if you have less than 500 credits, you will also be given enough to bring you up to 500. If this happened on your turn, your turn ends there.
Non-player spaceships on Destiny Cards all have one Hull point, and so are destroyed if beaten in combat, and placed on the discard pile.
Fighting Non-Player Spaceships
The Non-Player spaceships you will encounter on the Destiny Cards come in several varieties. Among them are: Military Ships, Pirates, Merchant Ships, Bounty Hunters, and Space Monsters. Although the player to your left will roll the die for them, the player must play them as below. All directions on the cards supercede general descriptions given here...
Choice when winning the Maneuver Stage in Combat
| Spaceship type | If Attacking | If Being Attacked |
|---|---|---|
| Military Ships | continue | continue |
| Pirates | continue | flee |
| Merchant Ships | (never attack) | flee |
| Bounty Hunters | continue | flee |
| Space Monsters | continue | continue |
Military Ships
These will not attack you outright. If you have no Bounty and are not carrying any goods that are illegal on a planet in your sector or an adjacent one, then you may go unharmed. But if either of these two conditions are met, then you must roll on the Customs chart as though you were at a planet with a Military Starport. You must then accept the results unless you wish to combat the ship.
If you do combat the ship and you either win or flee, you may avoid the results of the Customs roll, but you must add 500 credits to your Bounty. If you lose the combat, you will automatically be Imprisoned in your current sector (see the Customs chart for information on Imprisonment).
Pirates
Pirates will attack you unless you surrender all the Trade Goods in your Cargo Pods. If you have no Trade Goods (or if they are all hidden in special Smuggling Pods) then the pirates will not attack you, although you may choose to attack them for the Bounty. If you beat the pirates you may receive payment. If they beat you, they will not take your Trade Goods, but you will suffer a Hull point of damage and possibly additional damage as usual.
Merchant Ships
Merchant ships will never attack you, although you may choose to attack them. If you do, they will always choose "flee" if they win the Maneuver step in combat. If you destroy a Merchant Ship (make it lose a Hull point) then you gain the Trade Goods listed on the card. However, if you choose to attack a Merchant ship you must add to your Bounty, as listed on the card.
Bounty Hunters
Bounty Hunters will only attack you if your Bounty is equal to or greater than their minimum amount, as listed on the card. If your ship is destroyed by a Bounty Hunter (if you lose your last Hull point in this combat) then your Bounty is reduced to zero. If a Bounty Hunter does not attack you, you may still choose to attack it. Bounty hunters will choose "flee" if they win the Maneuver step in combat, if you were the one attacking. If damaged by a Bounty Hunter card, do not change your Bounty, unless your spaceship is completely destroyed by it. In that case you must lower your Bounty to zero or its minimum if you have one.
Space Monsters
Space Monsters will always attack and will always choose "attack" if they win the Maneuver step in combat, unless the card specifically says otherwise.
Winning the Game
The winner of the game will be the player that is able to complete the "Koroth Run" first. Here is how it is done...
The Koroth Run
Koroth is very powerful and well-known planet in the galaxy, that is brutally subjugating its people. There is an underground resistance movement brewing, but they need weapons to fight their oppressors. Unfortunately, ordinary Weapons will not work because the Koroth tyranny has placed a network of security drones in orbit which instantly deactivate any weapons other than their own. However, the planet Brix, on the other side of the galaxy, has developed a new type of weapon that can operate even under the Koroth security drones. To complete the Koroth Run, you must purchase these special Brix Weapons, transport them to Koroth, smuggle them past Customs, and sell them to the resistance movement. To be of any use to them, they must have 6 units in one shipment, and no less.
The Smuggle
Brix and Koroth both have a Military Starport. If you have a Bounty, you will have to roll on the Customs chart at Brix, but because Brix weapons are illegal on Koroth, everyone will have to roll at Customs on Koroth, even those without Bounties. Brix always sells the Brix Weapons for 500 credits each, and will always have 10 available to anyone who wants to buy them (5000 credits for all 10, 3000 credits for 6). Although the game will be over once past customs, for those keeping track of income, the Brix Weapons can be sold on Koroth for 1000 credits each. They will never buy less than 6 at Koroth.
Why buy more than 6 Brix Weapons? You only need to deliver them 6 in one load to win the game, but if you carry 10 you insure against at least one pirate attack from another player (they can only take up to 4 Trade Goods in one combat). The choice is yours.
Turn Limit
But there is a catch. The job must be done in 2 turns. Once you purchase the Brix Weapons, you must sell them no less than 6 Brix Weapons on Koroth, no more than two turns later. If you take longer, the Koroth tyranny will have time to update their drones to the new weapons and you will fail. If this happens, the Brix Weapons you are carrying will become ordinary Weapons and you may still sell them on a different planet as though they were regular weapons, but you will not get nearly what you paid for them. To try the run again, a new set of Brix Weapons must be purchased.
Bribery
Although Koroth is a brutal dictatorship, they are also a corrupt one. Therefore, for each 1000 credits you pay just before making your Customs roll at Koroth, you may get an additional die to roll, choosing which to use.
The first player to successfully complete the Koroth Run will earn their place as the Greatest Smuggler in the Galaxy (and win the game).
Other Notes
Space Anomalies
You'll notice on the game board there are several sectors with unusual graphics in them. There are three types of space anomalies on the game board: nebulae, black holes, and wormholes. An anomaly cannot be encountered more than once per turn, and only one anomaly can be encountered on a turn.
[Figure omitted: the board's nebula, black hole and wormhole sector graphics.]
Nebulae. Nebula sectors affect two things: movement and shields. Any ship entering a sector must end its movement for the turn there. On the following turn movement will resume as usual. These sectors are usually easy to go around, but it may cause longer travel time than if one could simply travel through without stopping. In addition, any spaceship in a Nebula will act as though it had 0 Shields (but still gets Shield modifiers from special Cards and Abilities). When leaving the Nebula, that spaceship's Shields will return to normal.
Black Hole. Black Holes do not provide any danger to ships in or passing through their sectors if they do not wish to encounter them. However, it is possible to use Black Holes to increase one's movement for a single turn. If passing through a sector with a Black Hole, a ship may choose to "skim the ergosphere" of the massive object. This creates a lightspeed slingshot effect that catapults the spaceship onward. But, in skimming the ergosphere, there is a danger that a ship may fall into the event horizon of the black hole, never to return. In this case, go by the same rules as if your ship was destroyed in combat (see VIII. COMBAT). To skim the ergosphere of a Black Hole, move into the sector, then roll one die. On a roll of a "1" you have miscalculated and your ship is destroyed. Otherwise, continue your movement, tripling the remainder. Only one Black Hole can be skimmed per turn. For example, suppose Joe had 7 Lightspeed. He moves 3, entering a sector with a Black Hole. Then he rolls the die and does not get a "1". Joe's remaining movement of 4 is tripled, so he may move an additional 12 sectors this turn. Obviously, if Joe had entered the Black Hole sector on his 7th move, it would not be worth it to skim the ergosphere, since his remaining movement would be 0 (and tripling 0 is still 0).
Wormhole. Anyone may choose to enter a wormhole when in a sector with one. If they do, they roll one die and teleport to the sector with the wormhole carrying the number they rolled. If they roll a "6", then the spaceship remains off the board, lost in hyperspace. On their following turn, the player must roll again, and will then come out the corresponding wormhole (unless a 6 is again rolled in which case they miss their turn and must roll again next turn, and so on). While lost in hyperspace, a player may draw no cards, spend no credits, take no other actions, and may not attack or be attacked by others. Unlike Imprisonment, such players may however have their Bounties added to by others.
A Player may only travel through a Wormhole once per turn. Traveling through a Wormhole does not, in itself, count as a move. For example, if you had a Light speed of 5, you could move two sectors, go through a Wormhole to the other Wormhole sector, and then continue on with three more moves. If players are caught in hyperspace (rolled a 6), then, on the following turn when they roll to see where they come out, they begin a whole turn from the sector in which they emerge. In other words, they immediately draw a Destiny Card and so on.
Bounties
Some Characters begin the game with a Bounty, which means that amount should be written in the appropriate space on the Spaceship Sheet. Your Bounty represents the price on your head. As you do certain shady things, it will rise. The higher your Bounty, the more likely it is the tougher Bounty Hunters will attack you. It also makes Military Ships more likely to hassle you. In addition, anyone with a Bounty must roll on the Customs Chart each turn they visit a planet, even if they are not carrying illegal trade goods.
Any player causing a Hull point of damage to your ship may collect ¼ of your Bounty, which is reduced by the same amount. If your ship is completely destroyed (0 Hull), the player to do this may collect all of your remaining Bounty.
If you spend time Imprisoned your Bounty will lower (see Customs Chart). Your Bounty will drop to zero, or its minimum, if your ship is destroyed by a Bounty Hunter (a type of Destiny Card) or if a Player destroys your ship and collects the Bounty. You may not 'pay off' your own Bounty – they don't want your money, they want you.
Lastly, players that do not themselves have Bounties, may place a price on another player's head. To do this, a player must first encounter a planet (and pass Customs if normally necessary). Once there, s/he may pay money to the Bank and that amount will be added to the player's Bounty they designate. The minimum amount that may be added to a player's Bounty at one time is 500 credits. Players may not do anything else at the planet on this turn and their turn ends after placing the Bounty. Once placed, the paying player may not remove the credits later (unless, of course, they are collecting the full bounty for having destroyed that player's spaceship).
Stranded Ships
If your Lightspeed ever drops to zero, it means you are incapable of moving on the game board. If this occurs, on the next turn you would normally move, you may "send out a distress signal". Your ship will then be towed to the nearest planet (you choose if a tie for nearest). There you will be outfitted with 1 Lightspeed. In addition, you must pay a fine of 1000 credits. However, you will never be left with less than 100 credits for paying this fine. This is the only thing you may do on this turn, and the turn ends once the towing and paying is completed.
Alternate Rules
Some players may prefer a shorter or longer game. If you find that the game is not as long or short as you prefer, simply raise or lower the cost of Brix Weapons. Or, you might try starting the game with all players having more levels of ship systems or more credits than the norm.
A time-limited game is another option. At the beginning of play, agree on a time to stop. Once that time is reached, if no one has completed the Koroth Run, the player with the most credits in hand wins. Before counting, you may want to keep track of the first player to take a turn, and finish out the round so that all players had the same number of turns.
Another option might be to dispense with the Koroth Run, and play a "last spaceship standing" where the goal is to destroy all the other players' spaceships. In this version, players whose ships are destroyed would be out of the game.
Many other alternatives, such as most kills, first income of x amount, and so on are possible with the Smugglers flexible system. Feel free to make whatever house rules suit you. Just make sure that all players are fully aware of any changes and fully agree with them before the game begins. No rule should be changed unless all players agree, especially once game play has begun.
Time Saving Tips
Figure: Time Saving Tips
You'll find that the game will move a lot quicker as you become more familiar with the rules and content on the cards. Here are some tips that also help to speed up the game...
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When setting up, don't let one person place all of the planet markers - make sure others help in finding the sectors.
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Once a player has finished all rolls and actions, let the next player begin their turn while s/he completes upgrading, counting, calculating, and handling markers.
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When a card presents a chart or a die roll that you must make, take the roll before reading all of the results (if you don't roll a 3 for example, there's no reason to read the line for that result).
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While it's not your turn, you should be looking over the planets and their demand ratings, and planning your next move. This way, when it is your turn you will be ready to act.
Clarifications
Crime Lord Offers
When a player first draws a Crime Lord Offer card, the first thing that should be done is to draw a Planet Card from the deck. The player can then accept or decline the offer. If the player declines, they may continue their turn as normal, discarding both cards. But if the player accepts, they keep both cards and their turn ends there (it is assumed they are spending this turn taking on the crime lords cargo). On their following turn, they must deliver the goods to the planet they drew. If that same number of goods are not delivered by the end of that turn, they have failed in their task and the money they would have received for any undelivered cargo is instead added to their Bounty. The goods can still be sold elsewhere by the usual process if the player still has them and wishes to.
Contract bidding
In the cases of bidding for Contract Cards, players are required to bid in increments no smaller than 10 credits per bid (but can go higher if they choose). Once a player "passes", they may not re-enter the bidding.
Imprisonment Isolation
The rules state that while imprisoned you may not take any actions not specifically allowed while in combat, you may not have a bounty added to you, and you may not be attacked. The idea is to keep in the spirit of the rules and in this case "attack" should mean any sort of use of offensive abilities at all against the imprisoned person. In other words, they're in prison and you can't mess with them. It also means that the imprisoned character may not bid, trade, or use their special abilities with or on anyone else either, unless that ability specifically says that it may be used while imprisoned.
Cloaking Field Equipment Card
When you attempt to use your Cloaking Field before combat, you first roll one die as per the card instructions to see if the Field operates effectively. If it is a failure, then you proceed with a full combat as if you never had the card (all three stages of combat as normal). If it is a success, then you may do as the card allows.
Mikk Staygo's Friend Taking Ability
Mikk Staygo should only be allowed to attempt to take one Friend Card per turn.
Equipment Burnout for the Engineer
The Rune Reydar Character Card says that he cannot lose Equipment Cards unless they are taken from him in battle or otherwise stolen. There is another exception to this, which includes Equipment which is consumed after use. This includes the Psionic Worm and the Space Missile. They are not protected by Rune's powers because they do not technically "burn out" or do anything that a good engineer can prevent with his skill. They are Equipment Cards that are designed to be used once and discarded.
Helpful Strategies
The publisher's strategy sidebar, reproduced from the Helpful Strategies box at the end of the rules.
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It's usually best to upgrade your spaceship as soon as possible. This will enhance your survival and increase your profit potential. Speed and Cargo Pods are often most important in the beginning. Be careful to leave yourself with enough money for Trade Goods later.
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If you can help it, never spend all of your money at once, leaving yourself with no money. You may think you'll earn it back quickly with that full load of Trade Goods, but if pirates or something else hits them, you'll be left with nothing to reinvest in.
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Take careful note of the special abilities of your character. Some characters are best off doing legitimate trade, others are better dealing in illegal goods, and others are best at combat. Play in a way that makes the best use of those advantages.
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When buying/selling Trade Goods, you'll want to "buy low and sell high". Look for planets that have opposite demands for the same Trade Good. But also look for those that are close - time is money.
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By far, the biggest bucks can be made by looking out for Crime Lord Offers, Contracts, and special events that increase the price of items (such as Plague for example). Getting the jump over other players on these events is essential.
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If you've already got a Bounty, you may as well deal in illegal goods where possible. You'd have to roll Customs anyway and illegal goods offer more profit. Just be sure not to visit the larger sized Starports too often, as you'll be more likely to be caught there.
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If you're good at combat, you may think you've got the upper hand, but be careful about making too many enemies among the other players - they may team up on you!
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When making the Koroth Run especially, it's best to try and get your hands on Friend and Equipment Cards that help with your die roll at Customs. Remember too that each thousand credits you bribe Koroth gets you an extra die to roll as well. Bribery only works at Koroth.
Appendix A: What's New
This appendix is a quick reference to what's changed in Rules 2.0 for experienced players. There is no need for new players to read this appendix, as rules in this book are complete and whole for the standard game, and all one needs to know to play. Our rationale for each change is in italics and parentheses.
1) Koroth Run
500 for each Brix weapon. Only need to deliver 6 in ONE load. Any Brix weapon sold to Koroth must have been bought no more than two turns ago. See page 16.
(Total cost lowered to shorten game time, and number of weapons lowered to limit the ability of player pirating to foil the run, which was happening too frequently in high-player games. Although Greenbeard can still foil the run, as well as several other possibilities, but simple pirating won't if a player chooses to buy 10 Brix Weapons.)
2) Upgrading Limitations
Roll Availability to see the maximum number of systems upgrades you can purchase in a turn at one time when upgrading. See page 9.
(Upgrades were happening a little too quickly. This rule also evens out some of Mikk Staygo's purchasing power in the first turn.)
3) Equipment Maximum
No more than 4 Equipment Cards at any one time. Unwanted Equipment cards must be discarded before the turn continues. See page 4.
(This should help mitigate extreme buildup of Cards for some players, and put unused Equipment Cards back in the deck, to be drawn by other players later on.)
4) Greenbeard
Any trade goods that Greenbeard could normally pirate, but which he has no cargo space for, he may liquidate immediately for 50 credits each. If he is able to, however, he must take on the pirated cargo in his cargo pods. His spaceship starts with 2 more lasers than normal. See page 3.
(This should help make things a little less hard for Greenbeard, and allow him to get better use out of his pirating ability.)
5) Bounty collection
When attacking a player with a bounty, the attacker may collect ¼ of the target's bounty for each hull point damaged (all remaining bounty is collected for destruction if the last hull point is taken). If the attacker agrees, however, the defender may surrender after the attack is declared and BEFORE combat, and be imprisoned in that sector. In such a case, no combat happens and the attacker gets the full bounty. See page 18.
(This should encourage more bounty hunting on characters with bounties, which wasn't happening very often before.)
6) Upgrading Maximums
The total of all five systems (lightspeed, engines, lasers, shields, cargo pods) cannot exceed 35. This replaces the previous rule regarding the total of the first four systems in Alpha Expansion. See page 9.
(Causes players to have to choose what sort of ship they will have, which is more interesting than everyone ending up with all tens.)
7) Sharon Rex as original Card says
Alpha Expansion "considered standard" rule about triple bounty collection for Sharon Rex is no longer in effect. Use her as the card says (double Bounty collection). She does get double on the ¼ for each hull point damaged as per rule #5, while the victim's bounty drops by only ¼.
(This rule was originally to encourage more bounty hunting, but with the new bounty hunting rules in #5 this is no longer necessary.)
8) New Combat Rules
Once the Maneuver and Exchange Fire stages are completed, the ship that lost the combat loses 1 hull point automatically.
On the Additional Damage stage (now called "Shield Breach"), the defeated player must roll 2 dice. If the number rolled is equal to or less than his/her Shields, then nothing else happens and the combat ends. If the number is greater than Shields, then additional damage may be sustained.
If the victim would normally have taken Additional Damage, and the victorious player so chooses, then s/he may choose to pirate or raid instead of delivering Additional Damage. This means that s/he has the choice of taking one Equipment Card, or taking up to 4 Trade Goods. See page 11.
(Changing Shields to a roll independent of the aggressor's shields gives more of an incentive to have some Shields, even if only a low level. This, plus the fact that Shields must now be breached to pirate, should make Shields more useful and nebula spaces more significant. Trade goods vulnerable to pirating were raised from 3-4 to further encourage pirating among players, which was a little too rare. Lastly, hull points are always lost when losing a battle now. This should increase the number of times hull points become dangerously low for players, which was also too rare before.)
9) Galactic Broker
Players may buy, sell, or give credits, Equipment Cards, or Trade Goods to one another without encountering one another and without it affecting anything else they are doing on their turn. However, they must pay the Galactic Broker for any money or items sent through the broker (discard those credits to the bank). Either the sender, the receiver, a third party, or some combination thereof may pay the fees, but the transaction doesn't happen unless someone does. Note that a transaction can only take place at the beginning (before drawing a Destiny Card) of the sender or receiver's turn. See page 10.
- Credits sent: 10%
- Equipment Cards, Friend Cards, Contracts, or other cards: 50 credits each
- Trade Goods: 5 credits each
(This should increase player interaction and possibilities, which should be more fun. In addition, the ability of players to deal more freely and frequently with one another will also mitigate randomness a little more.)
10) Crime Lord Offers
Previous editions have clarified the Crime Lord offers to allow two moves (the turn on which it was drawn, and delivery required by the end of the following turn). This has been changed such that when a player accepts a crime lord offer their turn ends immediately. They then have their following turn to deliver the cargo only. See page 20.
(Changing the procedures for Crime Lord Offers makes them more difficult since the player only gets one movement to deliver them, and therefore less common. In addition, by ending the player's turn after accepting the offer, it gives other players a chance to intervene and perhaps pirate the goods, thus foiling the attempt. This tends to increase player interaction and solve the previous dilemma of Crime Lord offers being completed a little more frequently than they were meant to.)
2.0 Spaceship Sheet
The PDF's final page is the printable 2.0 Spaceship Sheet, a blank record form (four sheets per page) with boxes for Bounty, Cargo, the Engines, Lightspeed, Shields, Lasers and Cargo Pods systems with their starting values and the 35 Max total, Hull, and an "Ability/Cards" column. It carries no rules text.