Space Alert: The New Frontier
Space Alert: The New Frontier Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
Specializations: 20 special action cards, 2 teleport tokens. Specializations take the place of the heroic actions from the basic set. They allow players to perform actions that would be impossible without the specialization. Unlike the heroic action cards, specializations are chosen before the mission begins. Specializations can be improved from level one to level two to level three. Although specializations can be used alone, they work best when integrated with the Experience System expansion.
New Threats: 48 threat cards, 16 oval internal threat tokens, 12 special trajectory tokens, 3 ring-shaped counters. In addition to several new white- and yellow-symboled threat cards, this expansion contains red-symboled threat cards representing a new level of difficulty: the nastiest enemies, the most advanced alien technology, and the most bizarre trans-dimensional anomalies that you have ever encountered. Playing with just the red-symboled threats is a challenge for even the most experienced crew.
Double Actions: 96 action cards, 1 CD with new missions, a second set of trajectory tokens. The new missions have many more threats, but the flight still lasts only 12 turns. The new missions are designed to be used with the new action cards, which allow you to perform two actions per turn instead of one.
Experience System: tablet of explorer's log sheets, achievements sheet. This expansion allows you to connect your missions by taking the role of a character whose skills improve with experience. The rules explain how to use your explorer's log to keep track of your character's level, specializations, and experience. You gain experience from successful missions completed, heroic deeds performed, and unusual situations encountered. You keep your character even if you lose a mission, unless your character refuses to be cloned, in which case Space Alert becomes a high-adrenaline sport.
Crew Badges: 7 badges. A bonus for your crew. These badges identify the captain, communications officer, and other members of the crew, making their roles easily identifiable and more official.
New Threats
This expansion contains 48 new threat cards. You choose difficulty levels as in the basic set. Normal threats and serious threats can have different difficulty levels, but internal and external threats of the same type should have the same difficulty level. When combining levels, you can mix red and yellow together or even mix all of them together. However, we recommend against mixing red and white without yellow because such missions are likely to be much harder or much easier than you want.
There are 16 new white- or yellow-symboled threats. Add these to the corresponding threat decks. The other 32 cards form the red-symboled decks. These are deadly threats for the most experienced crews. You decide how to use them.
In addition to the new threat cards, there are also Fighter and Stealth Fighter cards from the basic set. If you own the first edition of Space Alert, your Stealth Fighter had speed 4. The correct version of this card should be speed 3. In addition, in some boxes of the second edition, there were two Stealth Fighters and no Fighter card included. You can use the two included cards to make your basic game complete and correct. The white common external threat deck should have exactly one Fighter card and exactly one Stealth Fighter card, with speed 3.
New Abilities
The new threats have new abilities that make your missions more complex. Abilities which are common to several threats are described here. These descriptions are divided into three parts. If you are using the white threats, you can just read the first part. If you use the yellow threats, you will have to read the second part as well. To deal with the red threats, you will need to read all three parts.
Certain cards have their own explanations which can be found at the end of this book. You do not have to read the explanations of individual cards beforehand. (It may be more fun to read them during the Resolution Round, when you find out whether the threat actually does what you thought it would.)
White Threats
Carriers. Carriers attack your ship by sending out multiple small fighters. Your interceptors are your best defense.
"Attack reduced by 2 against interceptors" means that if any player is leading the battlebots in the interceptors when the carrier attacks, the value of the attack is reduced by 2. (So an "Attack 2" would be reduced to no damage at all.)
If you are playing with the Variable Range Interceptors rule (explained in the Double Actions expansion) it is possible for the interceptors to be at distance 1, 2, or 3, corresponding to the three ranges of distance for external threats. In this case, the carrier's attack is only reduced if the interceptors are in the same distance range as the carrier or closer.
Plasmatic Ships. A direct hit from a plasmatic weapon ionizes the air supply and incapacitates the crew.
Compute damage from a plasmatic ship in the usual way. However, if none of the damage is absorbed by the shields, the attack has the additional effect of knocking out all players in that zone of the ship.
If at least one point of damage is absorbed by your ship's shields (or by the temporary shield created by the Energy Technician's advanced special action, as explained in the Specializations expansion) then there is no knock-out effect.
Yellow Threats
Phasing. A poorly calibrated hyperspace engine can produce oscillations that cause a vessel to alternate between two realities. Normally, such a phenomenon lasts only a few nanoseconds before one reality asserts itself. However, it seems that the enemy has developed a technology that can regulate these oscillations, turning them into a tactical advantage.
Phasing threats move every turn, but can only be damaged half the time.
When a phasing threat appears, place its token on the Trajectory Board as usual. For most of that turn, it will follow the same rules as any other threat.
When a phasing threat moves for the first time, advance its token and deal with any resulting actions as usual. But then remove the token from the Trajectory Board and place it on the table next to the square that it just moved to. It is now phased out. Until the threat comes back on the trajectory, it is in another reality and nothing can affect it.
Lasers do not target a phased-out external threat. The pulse cannon cannot hit it. Rockets and interceptors ignore it. Nothing can damage it. Other threats' actions and effects cannot affect it. It is as though it has not yet appeared.
Similarly, a phasing internal threat cannot be affected when it is phased out. A phased-out intruder cannot be attacked by battlebots. A phased-out malfunction cannot be repaired. (Instead, the system acts normally, as though there were no malfunction.)
On the next turn, when it is time for the phased-out threat to move, it phases back in. Put it back on the trajectory, move it ahead the usual number of spaces, and deal with any actions it executes. When it is phased in, the threat behaves normally. It can be damaged as usual. After its next movement, it will phase out again.
To help keep things straight, remember this rule: a phasing threat that appears on an odd turn can only be targeted on odd turns; a phasing threat that appears on an even turn can only be targeted on even turns.
Note that the phasing effects are part of the threat's movement. If it is phased in, it phases out immediately after its move (and before the next threat moves). If it is phased out, it phases in just before its next move (but after all earlier threats have moved). This timing can be important when threats interact.
Example: The Scout's action causes all other external threats to immediately advance one square. This will not apply to phased-out threats. The action works differently, however. It is a long-term effect that even applies to threats that did not appear before the Scout's action. Phasing threats will get the Scout's +1 attack bonus whenever they are phased in.
A phasing threat always gets to move. It moves and executes any actions just before it phases out, and it phases back in just in time to move and execute actions on the next turn.
However, a phasing threat's action may depend on whether it could be damaged. Such an action will have two versions. The normal version is for the case when the threat was phased in (and able to be damaged) during the turn. The version in the square brackets is for the case when the threat was phased out (and invulnerable) until just before it moved. Usually, the version in brackets is weaker, because part of the attack happened while the threat was in another reality.
Example: The Phasing Pulser appears at the beginning of turn 3. On this turn it can be hit and damaged as normal. When it moves, it advances 2 squares and then phases off the trajectory. On turn 4, the players cannot hit or damage it.
When threats move again, on turn 4, the Phasing Pulser also gets a turn to move. First it returns to the trajectory, and then it advances 2, passing the square. Because it was phased out for most of the turn, it executes the action in the square brackets: Attack 0. This does no damage.
On turn 5, the Phasing Pulser can be hit. In fact, it will be targetable on every odd-numbered turn. On every even-numbered turn, it will be untargetable. (Note that this means that a laser firing on the Phasing Pulser's zone on an even-numbered turn will target the closest threat that is not the Phasing Pulser.)
If the players don't destroy the Phasing Pulser, it will execute its action on turn 6. (Again, it executes the version in square brackets, but in this case, both versions are the same.) If not destroyed, the Phasing Pulser will execute its action on turn 9.
The card's actions as printed in the example: Phases. Attack 1 [0] on all zones. Attack 1 [1] on all zones. Attack 3 [2] on all zones. (Movement and phasing icons on the card are rendered here as words.)
This will be an Attack 3: Because it is an odd-numbered turn, you know that the Phasing Pulser will be targetable on turn 9, so you ignore the version in square brackets.
Megashields. Some enemies will come roaring down on you under the protection of powerful megashields. Fortunately, these shields will wear down under constant fire.
Threats with megashields have disproportionately high shield points. However, these shields can be reduced. So that you do not need a lot of marker blocks, the shield values are printed on the card. Use a ring-shaped counter to track the threat's shield points by keeping the current value in the counter's window.
When the threat appears, it has the maximum shield points. At the end of the Compute Damage step, reduce the shield points by 1 if the threat was hit at least once (regardless of how many times the threat was hit and even if the hit did no damage). Its shield points cannot go below 0.
Inaccessibility. Some internal threats are hard to find and hard to get to. Dealing with these requires coordination among multiple crew members.
An internal threat's inaccessibility works like an external threat's shield points. As with shield points, inaccessibility is represented by a white number in a green shield.
For each point of inaccessibility, the threat ignores one point of damage that it would otherwise receive this turn. In particular, inaccessibility 1 means that the threat ignores the first point of damage it would receive each turn.
As an example, consider a malfunction with inaccessibility 1. If the players perform only one repair action on it in a given turn, the threat will take no damage (and no red block will be added to the card). If one player uses a heroic repair action to do one extra damage to the threat, the first point of damage will be ignored and the second will add one red block to the card. If three players combine to perform three repair actions, the first will be ignored but the next two will each put a red block on the card.
To damage an intruder with inaccessibility 1, two players with battlebot squads can coordinate. The first robot action in a given turn does no damage, but the second will damage the intruder once.
The main difference between inaccessibility and shield points is that external threats receive damage during the Compute Damage step, but internal threats are damaged during Player Actions. This means that you need to keep track of each point of damage that would have been dealt to an internal threat this turn. Once this amount equals the threat's inaccessibility, any additional damage applied to the threat this turn results in adding red blocks immediately.
Polarized Threats. These ships are coated with a special polarizing material that greatly reduces the effects of laser weapons.
Laser cannons only do half damage against polarized threats. Other weapons (including the pulse cannon) have full effect.
When computing damage done to a polarized threat, add up all damage from laser cannons and divide by two. Round up. Then add in the damage from all other weapons (pulse cannon, rockets, and interceptors). From this total, subtract the threat's shield points. The result is the amount of damage dealt to the threat.
Example: A Polarized Fighter in zone red is under fire from the pulse cannon and both red laser cannons. The light laser cannon is damaged. The heavy laser cannon is operating normally, so the total laser damage is 4 + 1 = 5. Because the fighter is polarized, we divide this by two and round up to 3. Adding 1 point from the pulse cannon gives us a total of 4. The Polarized Fighter has 1 shield point, so it takes 4 - 1 = 3 points of damage, which is not enough to destroy it. If a player had used a heroic action to fire one of the laser cannons, the result would be the same: The total laser damage would be 6, but the polarization would still reduce this to 3. On the other hand, if a player had used a heroic action to fire the pulse cannon, the +1 bonus would have been enough to destroy the Polarized Fighter.
Jumps. Some enemy vessels are equipped with light hyperspace motors that allow them to make short-distance hyperjumps to other trajectories.
If a threat "jumps", that means that its trajectory token can move to a different trajectory. For example, a threat that "jumps left" moves over one trajectory to the left. If it jumps left from the left-most (red) trajectory, it ends up on the right-most (blue) trajectory.
Similarly, a threat that "jumps right" will act as follows:
- If it is in zone red, it will jump to zone white.
- If it is in zone white, it will jump to zone blue.
- If it is in zone blue, it will jump to zone red.
When jumps are combined with attack actions, order is important. Consider a threat whose action is "Attack 1. Jumps left. Attack 1." Those two attacks will happen on different trajectories because the threat jumps in between.
The threat's position on its new trajectory is determined by its position on its former trajectory: It maintains the same distance from the ship. (So a threat that is 6 squares away from its action will still be 6 squares away from after it jumps.) If the threat is supposed to jump to a shorter trajectory that does not have a square corresponding to its current distance from the ship, the threat remains on its current trajectory. This does not prevent it from performing any other actions. For example, suppose a threat is executing the action "Jumps left. Attack 1." It will always attack for 1, even if the trajectory on the left is too short for it to jump onto.
Note that the threat advances on its current trajectory before it executes any actions. This means that its actions are determined by the trajectory it advances on, not by the trajectory that it jumps to. Ignore any attack, jump, or other squares that the threat lands on while jumping. The squares on its new trajectory will not cause new threat actions until the threat moves next turn. (So it is possible for such a threat to perform multiple actions, but not on the same turn.)
Threats Spanning All Trajectories. If a threat "spans all three trajectories" that means that any laser cannon can target it. It still has a main trajectory (specified by the soundtrack) along which its token moves. To illustrate this phenomenon, use the two span tokens on the other two trajectories. The span tokens move along with the main (numbered) token so that all three tokens are the same distance from the square on each of their trajectories. Only the token on the main trajectory can trigger attack, jump, and other actions. If a trajectory is shorter than the main trajectory, keep the span token behind the starting space of the short trajectory until the main token's distance is close enough to be represented on the short trajectory as well. Even if the threat is too far away to be represented on the short trajectory, it will still be targeted by lasers firing on that trajectory, if there are no closer threats they can target.
The primary function of the span tokens is to remind you that any laser can hit the threat. As usual, a laser will target the nearest threat in its zone. If a span token is closer than all other tokens on its trajectory, then its threat will be the target of the laser. In case of ties, the threat that appeared earlier (the one with the lower number) is considered to be closer, as usual.
All other weapons work the way they would even if there were no span tokens. The pulse cannon can hit the threat when it is within range, but it only hits it once (so it does 1 damage, not 3). Interceptors treat the threat as a single threat, not as three threats. Rockets target the nearest threat (and in case of ties, the lower-numbered threat is nearer).
If you have two threats spanning all three trajectories, just use the span tokens for the closer of the two.
Threats That Call In Other Threats. With deep space spy probes and hyperspace detection nets spread across every sector of the Galaxy, the enemy has no trouble finding you. Most threats appear with very little warning. Sometimes, however, the threat itself is a warning.
Some threats have an action that "calls in" another threat. The symbol depicts another threat card, which warns you at a glance that the threat has this ability and also informs you what kind of threat it can call in. During the Action Round, if the communications officer or chief of security turns up such a threat, he or she should immediately turn up the card (of the indicated type) that the threat has the potential to call in. This second threat receives no trajectory token at this time. Place it next to the threat that might call it, so that you know the two go together.
During the Resolution Round, if the numbered threat executes the action that "calls in" the second threat, give the second threat the two trajectory tokens marked with the letter α. After all threats have finished moving, put one of the α tokens on the starting space of the trajectory specified by the threat that called it in. A called-in threat does not move on the turn in which it is called in.
If you have a second threat called in this way, use the β tokens to mark it. Use γ for a third such threat, δ for a fourth, and ε for a fifth. When threats move, all numbered threats move first, and then the called-in threats move, in alphabetical order (α, β, γ, δ, ε). You also use this order to break ties when determining which threat gets targeted by one of your ship's weapons.
There are two ways to destroy a threat that could be called in: You can either destroy it in the usual way, after it has been called in; or you can destroy the original threat before it has a chance to call in the new threat. Either way gives you the full points for destroying the threat that could be called in.
If you survive the mission without destroying the called-in threat, then:
- If the called-in threat executed its action, you survived it (and score the lesser point value).
- If your ship jumps into hyperspace when the called-in threat is still on its trajectory, you score no points for the called-in threat.
- If your ship jumps into hyperspace when the numbered threat is still on its trajectory and has not yet called in the secondary threat, you score no points for either threat.
Double Actions
The double action cards (and corresponding missions) are recommended for players who have already survived a few standard missions. The possibilities provided by the double actions make the game much more complex.
The new mission CD in this expansion contains new, longer soundtracks for missions with substantially more threats. These missions will probably not be survivable if you use the basic set's action cards. Instead, you should use the double action cards contained in this expansion.
New Action Cards
Action Round
Like the cards from the basic set, the new action cards have two halves. One half has a single symbol, representing a standard action or movement. The other half has two symbols.
If the action half of the card has two symbols, it can be either two actions, or an action and a movement. If the movement half has two symbols, it can be either two movements, or a movement and an action. If you play a double action card with the doubled side on top, then you do both things. Double action cards give you new possibilities, but using them effectively requires advanced communication skills.
You plan your actions as before, by placing cards face down on the twelve spaces of your Action Board. You choose which half of your card to use by placing the card so that the chosen half is on top.
If you plan a single action, it will work just as in the standard game. If you plan a double action, you will perform both actions sequentially, starting with the upper one.
Note that the back of each card indicates which half is doubled (the half that is shaded purple). If the action half is doubled, then the first of the two symbols will be a button-pushing action. If the movement half is doubled, then the first of the two symbols will be a movement. This gives you some information about face-down cards, but you still don't know if the extra action is a button-pushing action or a movement.
Androids
With androids, players have fewer cards and thus fewer action combinations. If you are using double actions in a game with androids, we recommend the following adjustment:
Each time you have incoming data, your crew also gets one extra action card per android. These extra cards should be divided as evenly as possible.
- In a two-player game with two androids, each player will draw one extra card (for a total of two).
- In a three-player game with one android, one of the players gets one extra card. When doing so, the player should announce it, so that everyone else knows that the extra card has been drawn.
- A game with an extra android is handled similarly.
Setup
Shuffle and deal the double action cards the same way you would the cards from the basic set. Use the basic set's heroic action cards (or the Specializations expansion described later in this rulebook).
Resolution Round
Players perform their actions as in the standard game. If you planned a double action, then you must do both things sequentially. The upper action or movement is performed first.
Unperformable Actions
If one of the symbols represents something you can't do (for example, moving blue when you are already in the blue zone, or executing a battlebot action when you are not leading battlebots) just ignore it. You still perform the other action or movement, if you can.
Note: It is legal to plan an unperformable action. If you need to fire the red zone heavy laser cannon, but don't have a simple Action A, you can play "Action A + move left" or "move left + Action A" to get the same effect. (The movement will be ignored because you are already in the red zone.) Or you could play "Action A + battlebots" even though you have no battlebots. If there is only one block of energy left in the red zone reactor, "Action A + Action B" will fire the cannon, and the Action B will have no effect. But be careful: If you plan "Action B + Action A", then you will first transfer energy to the shields, which will leave you no energy for firing the cannon. The order of the double actions is fixed, and you cannot ignore an action unless the rules of the game make it unperformable.
(Icon note: the card symbols in the printed example are rendered here as words: the red "A" as Action A, the "B" as Action B, the red arrows as movement, and the battlebot figure as battlebots.)
Delays
If something else causes a double action to be delayed, it is moved to the next space of the Action Board, as normal. However, it is possible for a delay to be caused by the double action itself, after it has partly resolved. For example, if you play "gravolift + Action A" after someone else has already used that gravolift this turn, that causes a delay. Or if you play "move left + gravolift" and the move left moves you into a station with Slime, that causes a delay.
If the first half of a double action causes a delay, that half is executed and only the second half is delayed:
- Perform the first thing depicted on the card (the one that causes the delay).
- If the next space of your Action Board has a card, move it one space to the right (along with any others, until you finally get to an empty space) as usual.
- Move the card that causes the delay half a space to the right, so that it sits on the border between the current turn's and the next turn's spaces. This indicates that it is only half done.
- On the next turn, you perform the other half of the double action. (Recall that when a normal action card causes a delay, you do nothing on your next turn.)
If, instead, it is the second half of the double action that causes the delay, then you perform the action on this turn and delay your next turn's action, just as you would with a delay caused by a standard card.
Tripping
Sorry. Veteran space explorers don't trip. If you play with double action cards, then you have to do what the card says, even if you meant to play it differently.
Solo Game with Double Action Cards
If you have the cards sorted and spread out before you begin, then your game becomes much simpler. You have all the combinations in front of you and every android can get precisely the double actions that it needs.
If you want a real challenge, shuffle the cards and leave them stacked face down until you turn on the soundtrack. You still have access to any combination of actions, but finding the right one will keep the pressure on.
Variable Range Interceptors
The interceptors are programmed to stay close to the ship. In theory, this is to keep you from going beyond the point of no return. In practice, the autopilot usually kicks in just as you're maneuvering for the kill.
That's why every pilot's best friend is a screwdriver. Above your head, on the right, you'll find a panel labeled "For access by certified technicians only." Pry this open. Off in one corner, you'll see a little pink switch. Move it to the middle position. Now you can get some work done.
Oh, but I wouldn't recommend moving the pink switch to "OFF". Not unless you want to find out how long your oxygen reserves will last after Ducky jumps home without you.
When you have access to double actions, players on the ship can perform up to two actions per turn. A player leading the interceptors does not have this opportunity because the interceptors can only attack once per turn. However, when playing with these rules, interceptors do get an extra ability: They can move away from the ship to attack threats in a different range.
Moving Away From the Ship
As in the standard rules, you need to be leading a team of battlebots before you can take out the interceptors. When you play Action C in the upper red station, you and your battlebots leave the ship. Place your figure (and the battlebot figure) among the Trajectory Boards in a place corresponding to distance 1. This turn, the interceptors will attack according to the standard rules in the basic set.
As before, you can keep your interceptors outside the ship at their current distance by playing the battlebots action every turn.
However, if you are already out in the interceptors and you play Action C, it moves you farther away from the ship. Move your figures into the next range. Your interceptors only attack threats in that range.
For example, if your interceptors are at distance 2, they will ignore all threats at distance 1 (and all threats at distance 3, as usual). If there is one threat at distance 2, they attack it for 3 points of damage. If there are multiple threats in that range, the interceptors attack all of them for 1 point each.
To maintain your distance from the ship, keep playing the battlebots action every turn. If you play Action C, you will move farther away (from distance 2 to 3, for example). But be careful. If you are already at distance 3 when you play Action C, that triggers the autopilot and you will be dragged back to the ship (as explained below under Ultrafast Return).
To move closer to the ship, leave the space on your Action Board blank. This moves you from distance 3 to 2, or from distance 2 to 1. If you are already at distance 1, playing no action moves you back to the ship, as in the standard rules.
Double Actions in Space
You can only perform one action in space, even if you play a double action.
For example, if you leave the ship using a double action that begins with Action C, the second part of the double action will be ignored because the first part took you into space. On the other hand, you can fire the cannon and then go into space by playing Action A followed by Action C. (But note that playing a blue movement followed by Action C would move you to zone white, where your action would bump the screensaver instead of taking you into space.)
Once you leave the spaceship, you move your interceptors farther away by playing Action C, or by playing a double action that has Action C as one of its parts. Similarly, if you want to stay at your current distance, you need to play the battlebots action, but not a double action that includes a movement or Action C. The actions "Action C + battlebots" or "battlebots + Action C" will have the same effect as just playing Action C.
If you are in space, and you play an action that does not include Action C or the battlebots action, then it is delayed, just as in the standard rules. This delay replaces the planned action with an empty space, which moves you closer to the ship (or back into the ship if you were at distance 1).
Summary (as printed): Move from distance 1 to 2, or from 2 to 3 (from 3, this is an ultrafast return); maintain current distance (the battlebots action, or Action C combined with the battlebots action, but not with a movement); no action moves from 3 to 2, from 2 to 1, or from 1 back to the ship; anything else is delayed, and the result for that turn is a "no action".
Ultrafast Return
If the interceptors try to move farther away than maximum range (distance 3) or if the ship prepares to jump to hyperspace, the autopilot takes over and immediately returns the interceptors to the ship.
In the standard rules, you never even felt it, because you were at distance 1 when the ship jumped to hyperspace. However, if you are at distance 2 or 3 when the ship prepares to jump, or if you are at distance 3 and play Action C, your interceptors will execute an ultrafast return, which is not at all pleasant: The excessive acceleration will knock you out and disable your battlebots.
At distance 3, instead of playing Action C and suffering an ultrafast return, it is much better to go back in stages, by playing no actions. First, this means you can keep attacking as you return. Second, it means that when you finally get back to the ship, you and your battlebots will still be functional. (Of course, at the end of the mission, an ultrafast return won't affect your survival, but it will decrease your score.)
New Missions
The CD in this expansion comes with more difficult missions designed for use with the double action cards. There are only six soundtracks, but each is longer than a standard mission. You get a bit more time than the standard ten minutes because you will have to plan and think through the actions that veteran space explorers would do automatically.
Publisher's Note: This expansion contains no scenario cards for the individual missions. Our survey suggests that only a small percentage of space explorers use these cards, so we decided to reduce the cost of the expansion by leaving these cards out. We apologize to those who rely on the cards, but we would like to point out that you can find a printable version of the scenario cards for the new missions on our website.
New Trajectory Tokens
The new missions have more threats – so many more that sometimes you might have an external and internal threat appear at the same time. To handle these situations, this expansion includes a new set of trajectory tokens, numbered 1 to 8.
During setup, give one set of tokens to the communications officer and the other set to the chief of security, so that external and internal threats each have their own set.
During the Resolution Round, threats move in the usual order, according to their numbers. If two threats have the same number, the external threat moves before the internal threat.
Easier Missions (1 and 2)
We recommend missions 1 and 2 for your first games with double action cards. They have fewer threats than a standard double actions mission, but they give you the same amount of time to figure out how to use your double actions effectively.
These missions are not simple. Don't feel bad if your ship blows up a few times before you figure out what is going on.
Standard Missions (3 through 6)
The other four soundtracks have missions as difficult as those experienced by veteran space explorers on the New Frontier.
More Missions
At www.czechgames.com, you can find all these soundtracks in mp3 format, as well as other missions of various difficulty.
Specializations
"Aboard ship, unauthorized equipment is strictly prohibited." Yeah, that was the regulation, but mission control was never too strict about it. When you're sending a crew off into the Deep, sometimes you look the other way, you know what I mean? Every crew brought a few little extras along, even ours. Yoshiko kept her lucky robohamster in the pocket of her jumpsuit. Sergei never went anywhere without his antique palmtop computer. And Jonathan kept a short steel pipe up his sleeve. He said it was the right tool for any job.
Today the regulation reads: "Aboard ship, unauthorized equipment is not recommended."
The Specializations expansion allows your crew to perform certain non-standard actions during the mission. Specializations can be used with the Experience System expansion or without it. This section of the rulebook begins with the rules that are common to both variants of play and then presents the rules for using Specializations without the Experience System. This section finishes with descriptions of each specialization.
Rules for integrating the Specializations expansion into the Experience System are given in the Experience System section.
How to Use Specializations
This expansion contains 10 specializations. Each has two special action cards: basic and advanced. A special action card allows you to plan a special action.
The basic card has only one option. The advanced card has two: the light half has the same action as the basic card and the dark half has a more advanced action. When playing the advanced card, you choose which action you want to take by turning the card so that the chosen action is on top (just as you do with any other action card).
Setup
Each player can have only one specialization per mission. The crew should coordinate so that their specializations work well together. It is not possible for two players to have the same specialization on the same mission. The exact rules for choosing specializations depend on whether you are using the Experience System. Either see below under "Using Specializations Without the Experience System" or look in the "Experience System" section.
The cards for your chosen specialization depend on your level:
- If you are at level 1 in the specialization, you just take the basic card.
- If you are at level 2 in the specialization, you just take the advanced card.
- If you are at level 3 in the specialization, you take both cards. (You have only one specialization, but you can use it twice.)
If you are the Teleporter, you also take the two teleport tokens.
When using the Specializations expansion, you do not use heroic action cards. Deal a normal action card in its place. (A "normal" action card is either a card from the deck in the basic set, or a card from the double actions deck, depending on if you are using the Double Actions expansion.) So in a four- or five-player game, each player will have 5 normal action cards for each phase, no heroic action card, and 1 or 2 special action cards.
For example, in a three-player game with one android, you would normally deal the android a heroic action card. In this expansion, you deal one extra action card to the player chosen by the captain. The rule from the basic set is that each player gets 6 action cards per phase in a three-player game. So in this expansion, the chosen player will have 7 action cards for his or her first phase (none of which will be heroic actions) plus his or her special action card.
In a two player game with two androids, each player will have 10 cards for the first phase (one more than usual), and 6 for other two phases.
Androids
If you are playing with androids, you will choose one specialization for each of them (according to rules that depend on whether you are using the Experience System). Put their special action cards by their Action Boards, face up.
In the Specializations expansion, each heroic action card that would be dealt to an android (under the rules in the basic set) is replaced by a normal action card dealt to a player in the first phase. If the cards cannot be distributed evenly, the captain decides who will have one extra card.
Action Round
In the Action Round you have, in addition to your action cards, one or two cards corresponding to your specialization. Special action cards are non-transferrable. You cannot give them to another player during a data transfer, and you cannot use your specialization in an android's plan. However, androids have their own specializations, which you can plan for them (according to rules that depend on whether you are using the Experience System).
Special action cards are played like other action cards. Place the card face down on your Action Board to specify the turn in which you want to use it. If it is an advanced card, you must choose between the two possible actions and orient the card so that the chosen action is on top.
The Medic and Special Ops have special actions that can, under certain circumstances, be combined with another action card played on the same turn. But in general, you cannot play a special action card and another action card on the same turn.
As with any action card, you can move or take back your special action card at any time before you are done with that phase. Each special action card can be used only once during the mission. That means a first-level specialist will be able to use only the basic action, and only once. A second-level specialist can use either the basic action or the advanced action. A third-level specialist has two cards. The one card can only be used for the basic action, and the other card can be used for either action.
Resolution Round
Special action cards are revealed and the special actions are performed according to the same rules as for action cards. A detailed description of each special action can be found below. If a special action card is used incorrectly, it has no effect.
Note that the Medic's special actions go out of order, before the captain. (See the Medic description below.) When not playing a special action, however, the Medic goes in the usual order.
Using Specializations Without the Experience System
The following rules allow you to use the various levels of specialization without using the Experience System.
Your First Mission
For your crew's first mission, make a deck of the basic special action cards and shuffle it. Deal each player (and android) two cards from this deck. Each player chooses one card to keep and puts the other into a discard pile. Players should discuss and coordinate their choices. If playing with androids, players also choose one of the two specializations for each android in the same way. (If you can't agree, the chief of security makes the final decision.)
Each player and each android will have one first-level specialization.
Subsequent Missions
If your first mission was successful and you want to play again, then make a set of available specializations by taking all the basic cards that were not chosen for the first mission (the ones you discarded, as well as any that were not dealt) and placing them face up where everyone can see them. Now you have a choice: either exchange your specialization for one of the available ones; or keep your specialization and increase its level.
If you choose to go from first to second level, then set the basic special action card aside and take the advanced card instead. (You do not put your basic card with the others because your specialization is not available to the other players.) If you complete that mission, you can choose to go to third level (and play with both cards in your specialization) or you can change specializations (by setting aside the advanced card and exchanging the basic card with one from the set of available specializations).
It is not possible to go beyond third level. You either keep the same specialization at third level, or you exchange it for a new one. Whenever you get a new specialization, it starts at first level.
You can coordinate your decision with the other players and even work out deals where one player makes a specialization available and another player takes it. Androids have the same options as players, and their decisions are made by the group.
If you get a new player in the middle of your gaming session, he or she gets to choose a specialization from those available. If a player has to leave your crew, his or her specialization becomes available, and the replacement android (if necessary) gets one of the available specializations at first level.
An unsuccessful mission brings your crew (and their androids) to an end. Put all the basic special action cards back in a deck and go back to the rules for your first mission.
Specialization Descriptions
Rocketeer
If you poke around in the circuitry behind some of those big buttons, you can probably figure out how to launch the rockets from a different station. That's an old trick. Yoshiko came up with a new one: She uses a crescent wrench to jam the rocket catch so that two rockets slide into the launch tube at once. She says that launching both of them safely is just a matter of timing ... and that I shouldn't try it myself.
Basic. Launch one rocket, regardless of your current location. If there are no rockets left, or if someone else already launched a rocket this turn, this action has no effect.
If rockets cannot be launched because of a malfunction in the lower blue station, this counts as a repair action played in the lower blue station. However, this action is not allowed to deal the final point of damage to the malfunction and destroy it – in that case, it has no effect.
Advanced. If you are in the lower blue station, launch 2 rockets with a combined strength of 5.
The pair of rockets travel together as though they were one rocket. On the next turn, they choose the same target according to the usual rules. Their combined strength is 5 (not 6). If someone else already launched a rocket this turn, this action has no effect.
If there are fewer than 2 rockets left, if the rockets are currently disabled by a malfunction, or if you are not in the lower blue station, this action has the same effect as the other action printed on the card (shown as an icon in the source). So you can use this advanced special action in place of an action card, e.g., when you need to bump the screen saver or activate battlebots.
Data Analyst
On a mission, most of us are just trying to save our lives. I know a few who also worry about the ship. But Sergei is the only person I know who is interested in the actual mission – mapping the sector. He found a way to link his palmtop to the ship's computer so that he can start analyzing the data while the sensors are still collecting it.
Basic. Perform computer maintenance, even if you are not on the bridge. Score one bonus point if you complete the mission.
If someone else has already performed computer maintenance this phase, or if this is not one of the phase's first two turns, this action has no effect (except to give you one bonus point).
If computer maintenance cannot be performed because of a malfunction in the upper white station, this counts as a repair action played in the upper white station. However, this action is not allowed to deal the final point of damage to the malfunction – in that case, the repair has no effect. In all cases, this action scores you one bonus point.
Note that a third-level analyst could use this action twice on a mission, scoring 2 bonus points for the crew.
Advanced. If you are in the lower white station, perform a visual confirmation that counts as three players.
This makes it possible to over-reach the scale printed on the Mission Steps Board. Possible point values are as follows:
- alone: 3 points
- with one other player: 5 points
- with two other players: 7 points
- with three other players: 9 points
- with four other players: 11 points
If visual confirmation is currently disabled by a malfunction or if you are not in the lower white station, this action has the same effect as the other action printed on the card (shown as an icon in the source). So you can use this advanced special action in place of an action card, e.g., when you need to activate the battlebots or launch a rocket.
Energy Technician
Because Ducky's energy transmission conduits are exposed, it wasn't long before the technical types started experimenting to see what they could do with a length of cable and a pair of energy clamps. Those who didn't blow up their ships learned how to work miracles.
Basic. Recharge the central reactor, even if you are not in its station. Discard one fuel capsule and fill the central reactor to capacity, just as you would normally. If there are no more fuel capsules, this action has no effect.
If the reactor cannot be recharged because of a malfunction in the lower white station, this counts as a repair action played in the lower white station. However, this action is not allowed to deal the final point of damage to the malfunction – in that case, it has no effect.
Note: It is possible for this action to deal a point of damage (not the last) to Power System Overload, and then trigger the threat's bonus damage effect, even if the bonus damage destroys the threat.
Advanced. If you are on the upper deck, the ship gets a temporary shield for this turn only. It has strength 2 in your current zone and strength 1 in the other two zones.
The temporary shield only absorbs damage from attacks this turn. It is as though the ship's shields had extra energy blocks. When your ship takes damage, these temporary shield points absorb the damage first. The remaining damage is applied to the real shields and then to the ship as normal. The imaginary blocks in the temporary shield disappear at the end of the turn, whether they are used or not.
The temporary shield does not count toward the shields' maximum capacities. It does not affect any shield recharge actions.
This special action works even if one (or more) of the shields is affected by a malfunction.
If you use this advanced special action on the lower deck, it has no effect.
Pulse Gunner
The pulse cannon is under-rated. I have to admit that no one in my crew really knows how to get the most out of it. Sure, we use it once in a while, but we don't have much artistry.
Basic. If you are in a station with a non-malfunctioning laser cannon, you fire that cannon and the pulse cannon simultaneously.
The two cannons are linked. Each requires a block of energy, as usual. If one of them cannot fire (because its reactor has no energy, because another player has already fired it this turn, or because the pulse cannon has a malfunction) then neither one fires and this action has no effect.
If you are in the lower white station, or if the laser cannon in your station has a malfunction, this action has the same effect as Action A. So you can use this special action card, e.g., in place of an action card when you need to fire the pulse cannon normally or repair a malfunctioning weapon.
Advanced. If you are in the lower white station, fire the pulse cannon with extra effect.
The extra effect is illustrated on the action card. An undamaged pulse cannon will do two damage (instead of one) to targets at distance 1 and 2. In addition, it will do one point of damage to targets at distance 3. It uses energy as normal. If there is no energy in the central reactor or if someone else has already fired the pulse cannon this turn, the special action will have no effect.
If you use this action to fire a damaged pulse cannon, it will do two damage (instead of one) to targets at distance 1. In addition, it will do one point of damage to targets at distance 2.
If the pulse cannon is currently disabled by a malfunction or if you are not in the lower white station, this action has the same effect as Action A. So you can use this advanced special action to fire a laser cannon or to repair a malfunction.
Medic
Yeah, we call them "medics", but there really isn't any time for medicine on a mission. Either you blow up or you jump back to the base where they can get you to a real doctor. Our medics just do what it takes to complete the mission, and they don't worry too much about a person's long-term health.
The Medic's basic and advanced special actions both follow these two exceptions to the usual rules:
- The special action can be combined with a single move action (move left, move right, or gravolift). This means you can put two cards on the same space of your Action Board – the Medic's special action card and an action card with a single movement on top. You can also play the special action card by itself. However, you cannot combine the special action card with the action half of an action card or with a double action (not even one with two moves). You cannot combine both special action cards on the same turn. If you play the special action with any card other than a single move, the special action is ignored.
- On a turn in which you play your special action, you go first, before the captain. If all you planned was the special action, you do that. If you planned a movement as well, you move first and then perform the action in the resulting station. A Medic in a hurry is the only player who can beat the captain to the lift.
Basic. You give all players in your station a stimulant. If they have planned Action A, Action B, or the battlebots action for this turn, treat it as the corresponding heroic action (from the basic set). Players who have planned Action C, movement, no action, or a special action (even one that has the same effect as a normal action) are not affected by the stimulant.
When applied to a player who has planned a double action, the stimulant only affects his or her first action. The source gives two examples with icons: in one double action the first symbol would be made heroic and the second would not, and in the reversed order the stimulant would have no effect.
The stimulant is applied at the moment you perform the action, and only the players in your station at that time are affected.
Advanced. You trigger a phase-inducing injury inhibitor. For this turn, no one in your station can be knocked out.
Only players with you are protected. A player who leaves your station can be knocked out in another station. On the other hand, a player who enters your station this turn acquires the protection. If you change stations (because of teleportation), the effect ceases in your old station and now applies to your new station instead.
The protection also applies to you. It does not protect battlebots from being disabled.
In addition, your use of this advanced special action gives your crew a penalty of -1 point when computing your score for this mission. This penalty applies even if no one in your station was actually in danger of being knocked out.
Teleporter
Kowalski brought the translocation devices back from a tech expo on New Dubai. He offered to sell us a couple, but I said our crew could get by without any over-hyped high-tech gadgetry. Kowalski started working on Sergei then, but Sergei just shook his head and said, "We don't need any." Turns out that Sergei had already bought a set via mail order.
If you are the Teleporter, you get two teleport tokens. At the beginning of the Action Round, these should be on the table in front of you.
During any data transfer, you can give these tokens to any two players, including yourself. You don't need the players' consent or cooperation. Just put the tokens on the table in front of them. You can also give away a card and receive cards as usual during a data transfer, but you have to get everything done before the computer beeps.
At the end of the transfer, you must take back any teleport token that is not on the table, unambiguously in front of a player. No other player can move the teleport tokens. If you change your mind about where you want the tokens, you can move them during another data transfer, but you cannot move them at any other time.
Basic. The player with one teleport token immediately places his or her figure in the same station as the player with the other teleport token.
This does not count as movement. It ignores all obstacles, including damaged or occupied gravolifts, impassable doors, and any effects that normally trigger when a player enters or leaves a station.
The teleportation occurs when the Teleporter performs the special action. The player being teleported performs his or her action at the usual time, which may be before or after the teleport, depending on play order.
If both tokens are in front of the same player, or if both players marked with tokens are already in the same station, or if either of those players is in space with the interceptors, this action has no effect.
Note that the teleportation effect does not depend upon who had the tokens when you were planning your actions; it depends on where the tokens are at the end of the Action Round. A third-level Teleporter can perform this basic action twice, but the teleportation will involve the same two players both times, because the tokens cannot be moved during the Resolution Round.
Advanced. If you perform this action in the red or blue zone, move your figure to the opposite zone on the opposite deck. For example, if you are in the lower blue station, this action moves you to the upper red station.
This does not count as movement. It ignores all obstacles, including damaged or occupied gravolifts, impassable doors, and any effects that normally trigger when a player enters or leaves a station.
If you are in the white zone, this action has no effect.
Hypernavigator
I met her at Marvin's Bar, where we were holding the wake for old McMarty's crew. She was sitting by herself, staring into her glass, murmuring, "Why didn't she jump?"
The Hypernavigator knows how to access the ship's hyperspace engine and override the programmed flight sequence.
Basic. If you are on the lower deck, you cause your ship to make a small, defensive hyperjump: When threats move this turn, they advance one less square than normal.
This applies to external threats and internal threats. Threats with speed 1 will not advance at all this turn.
If you are on the upper deck, this action has no effect.
Advanced. If you perform this action on turn 10 or 11 in the lower white station, your ship makes an early jump to hyperspace: If this is turn 11, skip turn 12; if this is turn 10, skip turns 11 and 12.
You play out the rest of the current turn as normal and then skip to the 13th turn – the one where threats move but you don't. (During this last turn, rockets from the previous turn might deal damage and interceptors will return to the ship. It's just like the usual last turn, except that it happens early.) Then the ship jumps to hyperspace.
If you play this card before turn 10 or on turn 12, or if you play it in any other station, it has no effect.
Special Ops
I cannot say that I liked Norm at first sight. Our launch had been delayed because the crew before us had run into some trouble. But Norm, he cleaned his gun, checked his equipment, polished his boots, and then just sat there staring straight ahead. For five hours.
Basic. You spend this turn preparing: The next time you execute Action A, Action B, or the battlebots action, it works like a heroic action (from the basic set).
The preparation applies to the next time you play one of the specified actions, even if it is part of a double action. Between the preparation and the action it affects, there may be any number of movements, Action C actions, or empty actions. The preparation does not affect them and it is not canceled by them.
Effects that cause an action to work like a heroic action are not cumulative. For example, if a third-level Special Ops uses two basic special actions to concentrate on an action that also gets support from the Medic's basic special action, the result is still just a heroic action. Only one effect applies, and the other two are wasted. (They do not carry over to the next action.)
Advanced. This action is combined with another action card played on the same turn. You concentrate on that action: It cannot be delayed directly, effects triggered earlier in the turn do not apply to it, it ignores obstacles to movement, and it does not trigger any effects against you. The second card is protected by this advanced special action.
- If your action for this turn would be delayed directly (e.g., because of a threat's attack or failure to maintain the computer) you ignore the delay. However, if it is another turn's action that is delayed, that indirect delay may cause you to move this pair of cards to the next space on your Action Board.
- You ignore any effects that might be triggered by players who play before you this turn (such as the change of decks triggered by damaging the Space-Time Vortex, and the knock-out effect triggered by the final repair to an Overheated Reactor). However, you can still get the benefit of either of the Medic's special actions.
- Your action ignores any obstacles to movement. (So you can use a broken gravolift without a delay. You can pass through a door that has been sealed because of a Breached Airlock.)
- You ignore any side effects the action would normally have on you. (So you will not cause yourself to be knocked out. Your movement cannot cause you to be attached to the Parasite or poisoned by the Ninja's drones this turn.) In particular, your action does not delay you. (So you can use an occupied gravolift without delaying your next action. If your action moves you into a room with Slime, you ignore the Slime's delay effect.)
The protection only applies to you. Your battlebots can still be disabled by your action (even by actions that would normally knock you out, such as destroying the Seeker or invoking ultrafast return with interceptors). If you find yourself in space with disabled battlebots (from attacking the Behemoth with interceptors) you immediately return to the upper red station. Your action may have side effects on other players. (For example, if you use a working gravolift, that will cause a delay for anyone who attempts to use it later in the turn.)
The protection only lasts until you complete the protected action. You are not protected from the effects of player or threat actions that happen later in the turn.
The protection applies to the entire protected card, so if you use it on a double action, both parts are protected.
If you are a third-level Special Ops, you can combine this action with the basic action, protecting your preparation. You are also allowed to protect an action that has been prepared by your basic special action.
Squad Leader
Sometimes this job just gets too intense. For all of us. Sometimes all it takes is one little thing to start everyone yelling at each other. When the air is so thick you can almost chew it, I get out of there and go visit the battlebots. They just stand there, all in a row, waiting quietly for their time to come. Yeah, battlebots calm me down.
Basic. If you are leading an activated battlebot squad, they repair one point of damage to the ship in this zone. If you are leading a squad of disabled battlebots, they are re-activated.
If the battlebots are standing up and with you, then you remove one damage tile from your zone and shuffle it back into that zone's stack of damage tiles. You do not get to choose which tile is repaired. The battlebots will repair any damaged weapon system (and if both are damaged, they give priority to the one in your current station). If those are not damaged, they repair the gravolift. If that is not damaged either, they repair the energy systems (giving priority to the shield or reactor, depending on which one is in your current station). If the zone has only structural damage, they will repair that.
If the battlebots are with you, but lying down, they make no repairs. Your action stands them up again, and they are now ready to fight. This allows you to re-activate your battlebots even when you aren't in one of the battlebot stations or when the stations are malfunctioning.
If you are not leading a battlebot squad, or if you are leading an activated battlebot squad in a zone of the ship that has no damage, this action has no effect.
Advanced. If you are leading an activated battlebot squad and if you are not in the lower blue station, you move to the upper red station and then leave the ship in the interceptors.
This is not quite a regular movement and not quite a teleport. Your movement does not occupy the gravolift. You ignore any obstacles that would normally delay you, such as occupied or damaged gravolifts and Slime. However, if the doors between you and the red zone are sealed by a Breached Airlock, then you only move as close to the upper red station as you can without passing through sealed doors. (For example, this would move you from the lower white station to the bridge if the red doors were sealed.)
If you meet the requirements for movement, but the interceptors are not available (someone else is outside the ship, or the interceptors are disabled by a malfunction) then you still do the movement, but you do not leave the ship. (If the interceptors are malfunctioning, this action can move you to the upper red station, but it does not count as a repair action.)
If you are not leading a battlebot squad, if your battlebot squad is disabled, or if you are in the lower blue station, this action has no effect.
If you are already in the interceptors when you perform this action, it has the same effect as the heroic battlebot action shown on the card. You remain in space and the interceptors have a +1 bonus to attack strength.
Mechanic
I used to be the grease monkey, but once Norm got his own command, I had to concentrate more on battlebots and combat. I stopped bringing my toolbox along, and for a while, we didn't have any mechanic at all. We were all surprised when Yoshiko decided to take the job.
Basic. If you are in the central lower station, you prepare the pulse cannon so that the next time it is used, it will have +1 range. If you are in any other station, you prepare the laser cannon so that the next time it is used, it will have +1 strength.
Put a red block on the cannon to remind everyone that it has been prepared. The next time someone fires it (either later this turn or on a later turn) it will get a bonus. The bonus only applies to the next attempt to fire the cannon (including an attempt to fire it using the Pulse Gunner's basic special action). Once the cannon is fired, remove the marker block. The marker block should also be removed if the cannon fails to fire because of lack of energy or if the cannon is disabled by a malfunction.
A prepared laser gets +1 strength. This bonus can be combined with a specialization that makes an action A heroic to give a total bonus of +2.
A prepared pulse cannon gets +1 range. That means that it targets all threats in all three zones. If this bonus is combined with the Pulse Gunner's advanced special action or with a specialization that makes firing the pulse cannon heroic, the pulse cannon will target all three zones with a strength of 2.
If the pulse cannon is damaged, the effect of the preparation is to make it work like an undamaged pulse cannon.
If the cannon at your station is disabled by a malfunction, this action has no effect.
Advanced. You perform a repair action (Action A, Action B, or Action C) that does two points of damage to a malfunction in your current station.
If there is a malfunction in your current location, this action does two points of damage to it. If only one point of damage is required to destroy the malfunction, the second point is ignored. If there are multiple malfunctions in your location, the repair applies only to the one with the lowest numbered token. In case of ties, the repair applies only to the first malfunction in alphabetical order (the source shows the three malfunction names as icons here).
If there is no malfunction in your current station, this action has no effect.
Experience System
Back when I was still a fledger myself, I dated a girl called Hellcat. She was a crack pilot, a martial artist, a dead-eye gunner ... and she kept a diary.
The Experience System allows the story of your heroic exploits to span more than one mission or one gaming session. You take on the role of a space explorer ready to risk his or her life for the Space Exploration Service.
Your explorer begins as an inexperienced neophyte – a fledger fresh from the Academy. You and your fellow players will decide how difficult to make your explorers' missions. These missions – at least the successful ones – will be recorded in your explorer's log, where you keep track of your explorer's skills and experience. Over time, your explorer (or, more likely, a subsequent clone) will become a hardened veteran who needs not fear even the most difficult mission.
The Experience System will raise the stakes of every mission. For the players, it is just a game, but the explorers are fighting for their virtual lives.
Warning: Not even the Space Exploration Service would send out recruits with no training at all. Your explorers have certainly graduated from Space Exploration 101, the training program presented in the handbook from the basic set. Players should have at least as much experience as the characters they play. Those who are new to the game should be given a chance to learn from the simulated missions in the basic set before you include them in missions using the Experience System.
Note: The Experience System should not be used without the Specializations expansion. See the section on Specializations in this rulebook.
Explorer's Log
You record information about your explorer character on a double-sided explorer's log sheet.
Creating a new explorer character is very simple: Just take a new explorer's log sheet and write your explorer's name in the space provided. (You can make up a name for your character, or you can use your own name. It's up to you.)
The explorer's log sheet has spaces for: name; cloning consent checkbox; levels; achievements; list of successful missions; experience points; specializations; and space for counting clones.
You can leave everything else blank for now. Your explorer has completed no missions, so he or she has no experience, no specializations, and no achievements. Note that on the front page, the "Level 0" designation comes pre-circled for your convenience. "Level" refers to the sum of all your character's special skills. It will grow as your character gains experience from completed missions.
Actually, there is one more thing: the little box labeled "I consent to be cloned." New recruits are asked to thoroughly read the informational brochure before giving consent to be cloned, and so you should read and understand the Experience System rules before you decide whether you want to check this box.
Sending Your Explorers on Missions
The Experience System can be applied to any of the various ways to play – single missions or campaigns, standard actions or double actions, with androids or without, even solo missions.
The Experience System cannot be applied to simulations and advanced simulations from the basic set. You have to play according to the full rules, and your explorers have to go into real danger.
However, the Experience System always uses the Specializations expansion.
If you feel your crew is not prepared to face standard missions from the mission CD but you want to play with the Experience System anyway, you can download easier missions from www.czechgames.com. Easier double actions missions can also be found on the CD included with this set, tracks 1 and 2.
Before your flight, all players must agree on the difficulty level of the mission or campaign. Unlike the Space Exploration Service, you shouldn't push people into taking on assignments they don't want.
Setup for the First Missions
Newly created explorers have no specializations. Even so, you use the specialization rules, which means that you get a normal action card instead of a heroic action card.
This makes your first missions a bit more difficult, because you don't get a special action card until you have flown enough missions to get to level 1. Choose a difficulty level that you think you can handle even without special or heroic actions.
Note: If your newly created explorer is joining a crew of higher level explorers, the other players can use their specializations (but you can't use specializations because you don't have any yet).
On the Missions
Play the mission as normal, according to the difficulty level and expansions you chose. The Experience System comes into play after the mission is over. What you do next depends on whether the mission was successful or unsuccessful.
Unsuccessful Mission
This is the bad case. Your explorers did not come back and their ship was lost.
What happens after that depends on whether your "I consent to be cloned" box is checked.
An explorer who has consented to cloning undergoes a complete mental scan before each mission or campaign. (This means that you can't consent to be cloned in the middle of a mission or campaign.) If Ducky's black box is the only thing to return from the mission, a clone is awakened and the explorer's mind is downloaded into the clone's brain. The clone has the body, mind, memories, and experiences of the explorer before he or she set off on the fateful mission. Of course, the clone remembers nothing of the mission because the clone was not there.
Your (cloned) explorer gains no experience from the mission, so you make no changes to the Explorer's Log – unless you would like to make a little mark on the bottom line of the back page to keep track of which clone you are currently using.
If you didn't check the "consent to be cloned" box before the mission, then an unsuccessful mission means your explorer has been lost. Forever. You can cross out, rip up, or simply throw away your explorer's log. (Or, if you are frugal, you can just erase everything.) For your next mission, you will need to make a completely new explorer ... and maybe think about whether you want to check the box this time.
Successful Mission
If your mission is successful, your explorers return. Each gets a certain number of experience points based on special achievements and the mission's score.
Experience points accumulate. After a few missions, your explorer will have enough to advance to the next level. Each time your explorer gains one level, he or she also gains one level in a chosen specialization. See Mission Rewards and Campaign Rewards for details.
Later Missions and Campaigns
As soon as your explorer reaches level 1 (which could happen after even one successful mission) your explorer learns his or her first specialization. At higher levels, your explorer will know several specializations at several levels. This information is recorded in the lower part of the front page of your explorer's log.
Before each mission (if your explorer is at level 1 or higher) you choose one of your explorer's specializations for him or her to use on the mission. In addition to higher levels of specialization, veteran explorers will have more choices, which will make it easier for them to complement the others in the crew.
Specializations for Androids
Each android can have one specialization. When choosing a specialization for an android, players must choose one that is known to at least one of their explorers. The android gets this specialization at the same level as the explorer who knows it best. Put the appropriate special action card (or cards) near the android's Action Board.
Although all players can plan an android's normal actions, the basic special action can only be planned by a player whose explorer knows that specialization. The advanced special action can only be planned by a player whose explorer has that specialization at second or third level.
When playing with androids, it helps to be skilled at various specializations – especially in the solo game where you can program up to four androids and give each of them one of your specializations. When low level players are playing with androids, it may happen that one or more androids get no specialization at all.
Solo Missions and Campaigns
Solo missions and campaigns can also be a part of your explorer's career. Although the rules in the basic set are written as though you are playing four androids, you should consider your explorer to be the captain, with three android helpers. Game play is the same, but the consequences of the mission apply: For your explorer, the mission is life-or-death (-or-clone).
Mission Rewards
The first two columns are for the date and a brief mission description. This description can be whatever you want, but we recommend at least marking it with an M to show that it was a single mission and not a campaign.
- Achievements marked with a 2+ are advanced goals that your explorer is not allowed to achieve until he or she reaches at least level 2. (Levels are explained below.) Those marked with 5+ are expert goals that your explorer is not allowed to achieve until he or she reaches at least level 5. Most of these achievements have criteria that are out-of-reach for a new crew, and a novice explorer would not be able to achieve them anyway, unless he or she was on a mission with more experienced explorers.
Some selected achievements are explained in detail below.
Mission Experience
Record each successful mission in your explorer's log.
You get experience points based on your score for the mission. (Scoring missions is explained in the handbook from the basic set.) You get a base of 2 experience points for completing the mission, plus 1 point of experience for every 10 points of mission score:
| Mission Score | up to 9 | 10–19 | 20–29 | etc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exp. Points | 2 | 3 | 4 | etc. |
This is also summarized on your explorer's log sheet.
Achievements
Your explorer also gets experience points for accomplishing something new. The back of your explorer's log has a list of achievements. Full explanations can be found on the achievement sheet. Look through the achievements to see if your successful mission fulfilled any of the requirements. The following rules apply:
- Your explorer can only score points for the achievement once during his or her career. Check the box when you score your points.
- Achievements are grouped into several categories. Your explorer cannot get points from two achievements in the same category on one mission. If your mission met the criteria of multiple achievements in the same category, you must choose one to check off and ignore the rest. (They remain available as achievements for later missions.) This limitation does not apply to the Addict category (described below).
If your explorer attains an achievement, check the box on the explorer's log. Sum up all the points earned from achievements on this mission (but no more than one achievement from each category) and record them next to your mission points. For example, if your mission is worth 4 points and you get 3 points from achievements, record this as "4 + 3".
Experience Points and Levels
Much of the front side of your explorer's log is used for recording experience points.
The label "Level 0" is circled because your explorer begins at this level. Next to the label are 8 empty boxes. Check one box for each point of experience you earned (from the mission score and from achievements). On subsequent missions, you will check more boxes in the same way.
Once the first eight boxes are checked, your explorer goes up to level 1. Circle the "Level 1" label, and if there are any extra experience points, keep checking boxes in the new row until you have checked one box for each point of experience earned. When you have filled all the boxes in the second row, circle "Level 2". And so on. Each level requires more experience points than did the one before, and soon the boxes for one level occupy multiple rows.
"Level 30" is the highest you can go. This would indicate an extraordinarily long career. Nevertheless, if your explorer does reach this level, you can still keep track of experience in the margin, and your explorer can still try for available achievements. However, your explorer's level will not get any higher.
Gaining and Improving Specializations
Each time your explorer gains one level of experience, he or she also gains one level of specialization. When your explorer gets to level 1, choose your first specialization. At level 2, choose a second.
You can choose any specialization you want, but it is best to coordinate with your fellow players. (It is legal for two players to have the same specialization, but they can't both use it on the same mission.) For your chosen specialization, mark the first box on the explorer's log to indicate that your explorer knows that skill at level 1.
When your explorer reaches level 3, and at each higher level, you can decide whether to choose a new specialization (at level 1) or to increase a level 1 specialization to level 2. You increase the level by checking another box. Once your explorer reaches level 6, you also have the option of increasing a level 2 specialization to level 3. Please note level 2 and 3 boxes have symbols depicted to remind you the minimum level when you can check the box.
Note two things:
- At each new level, you check exactly one new specialization box.
- Your explorer's level is always equal to the total number of checked specialization boxes.
Hardcore Explorers
A "hardcore explorer" is one who has not consented to be cloned. Research conducted by the Academy has shown that hardcore explorers learn faster than those who have been cloned – possibly because a hardcore explorer never gets a second chance to avoid a fatal mistake.
Note that some of the experience point boxes are marked with a dot. If you don't check the "consent to be cloned" box, then you skip over these marked boxes when checking off experience points.
This allows your explorer to advance more rapidly to higher levels. Keep in mind, though, that it only takes one failed mission to end your hardcore explorer's career (and log sheet).
A hardcore explorer can change his or her mind and consent to cloning at any time – except during a mission or campaign. You have to check the "consent to be cloned" box before the mission or campaign begins.
Once the box is checked, your explorer is no longer "hardcore": Your explorer can't be destroyed by an unsuccessful mission, and you no longer skip over marked experience point boxes. However, you do not have to go back to check marked boxes previously skipped. (A marked box counts as "previously skipped" only if you have checked an unmarked box that comes after it.)
Once the box is checked, it cannot be un-checked. You cannot go back to being a hardcore explorer.
Campaign Rewards
A campaign consists of up to 3 missions in a row, as explained in the Rulebook from the basic set. Between these missions, the ship is only partially repaired, and the score is computed only at the end of the campaign. Because you have the option to end a campaign early, it may consist of one, two, or three missions.
There is no mental scan between the missions of a campaign. If your ship is destroyed on any of the missions, the entire campaign fails and your explorers get no experience points for it. Hardcore explorers will be destroyed with the ship.
It is not possible to consent to cloning during a campaign. You have to check the box before the first mission begins if you want to protect your explorer from being destroyed with the ship.
If your ship is not destroyed, your campaign is successful (even if you decided to quit after one or two missions). The entire campaign gets recorded in your explorer's log as though it were a single mission. We recommend using the notation C1/3, C2/3, or C3/3 to denote the campaign and the number of missions completed before you decided to quit.
Note: The Space Exploration Service does not send fledgers on campaigns. All explorers should be at least at level 2 before they go on one.
Experience Points for a Campaign
You get 2, 6, or 12 experience points for a campaign (depending on whether you completed one, two, or three missions) plus 1 experience point for every ten points of score (as you do for a single mission). Note that even if you decide to quit before completing the full campaign, you still count the campaign as successful and you still get a score from it.
Before you start, you can agree to a campaign longer than three missions. Such a campaign earns you 2 points for the first mission, 4 points for each middle mission, and 6 points for the last mission. So a five-mission campaign would earn you 2, 6, 10, 14, or 20 points, depending on when you decided to quit.
Achievements in a Campaign
Achievements in a campaign work the same way they do for a single mission. You can only get one achievement per category on a campaign. (An achievement that depends on a single mission can be counted if you achieve it on any of the missions during the campaign.) Keep track of your achievements after each mission, but don't check any boxes until the campaign is over: You aren't allowed to score two achievements from the same category, and you won't score anything at all if your ship blows up.
Achievements from the "Missions" category can be fulfilled on any mission of a campaign (but even if you fly three missions, you can still only choose one achievement from this category). Achievements from the "Full Campaigns" category can only be scored if you completed all the missions. If you quit early, it is a successful campaign, but not a full campaign.
The Experienced Explorer
As your explorer gains levels, it becomes more and more difficult to reach the next one. And after a while, a new level doesn't matter so much, because you already have access to all your favorite specializations.
But levels can be about more than specializations. If your group likes role-playing, then your character's level should start to show in his or her behavior. Lower-level characters should look up to seasoned veterans. And when you get a fledger on board your ship, you can decide how your experienced explorer will react.
It's your game and your characters. You can tell the stories however you like.
Achievement Categories
The achievement sheet has a list of all the achievements and a description of each. The format corresponds to the brief list on your explorer's log sheet.
Achievements are meant to be a nice bonus, not the point of the game. Don't let them get in the way of having fun.
Achievements are grouped into categories. Although it is possible to score points from multiple achievements on a single mission or campaign, you cannot score points from multiple achievements in the same category. All the achievements you score on a mission or campaign must be from different categories. The Addiction category is the exception to this rule.
Missions
You can fulfill the requirements of an achievement in the Missions category only on a mission with a standard threat count.* Other missions of equal or greater difficulty (e.g., from our website) also count.
If you are playing without double actions, all full missions from the basic set qualify for this category. If you are playing with double actions, only tracks 3 to 6 of the double actions CD qualify (except that Double Trouble can be achieved even with track 1 or 2). Note: You can still get experience and achievements in other categories from easier missions, especially if you feel your crew is not ready for the standard threat count.
The first column in the Missions category is for achievements with criteria that can be met on any full mission, with or without double actions. (D'Artagnan Missing requires a special configuration – a three-player game without androids.)
The second column has achievements with criteria that can only be met on missions with double actions.
The third column only applies to "perfect missions" – those which end with no penalties for damage, knocked-out explorers, or disabled battlebots. (But using a special action card that gives you a penalty does not mar the perfection of the mission.) Some of these can be achieved on missions with standard or double action cards, and some require you to be using double action cards.
As you can see, you will frequently find yourself choosing among several achievements. For example, if you complete a perfect four-player mission with double actions, you meet the criteria for Perfect Double, Not Even a Scratch, Double Quartet, Fantastic Four, and Double Trouble.
If an achievement has a difficulty requirement for the threats, you can meet that requirement even on a mission with more difficult threats.
Order of difficulty, from nastiest to easiest (the printed page shows this as a diagram of threat tokens):
- Red.
- Yellow and red.
- Either yellow alone, or white, yellow and red together.
- White and yellow.
- White alone.
(Yellow threats alone are considered to be different from the full set of all colors mixed together. Neither is more difficult than the other, but they are not equal.)
Example: If you complete a mission with double actions and all (white, yellow, and red) threat cards, you meet the requirements for Double Random. But you could check the box for Scrambled Alert or Double Scramble instead. However, you could not check the box for Double Yellow, because a mission with yellow threats is not easier than a mission with all threat cards.
If your serious and normal threats have different difficulty levels, then the combined difficulty of the threats is the lower of the two.
*The threat count of a mission soundtrack can be measured by adding the number of normal threats to twice the number of serious threats. The missions from the basic set have a threat count of 7 (or 8 for five players). The full missions for double action cards have a threat count of 10 (or 12 for five players).
Full Campaigns
Although a campaign counts as "successful" even if you decide to quit after one or two missions, it does not qualify for the "Full Campaigns" category unless you complete all the missions.
To qualify for this category, all the missions have to have at least the standard threat count (see Missions category above).
If you agree to do so before you start, you can go on a campaign consisting of more than three missions, but it will not count as a full campaign unless you complete them all. (The Transgalactic Tour achievement can only be completed with such an extended campaign.)
Criteria such as double action cards must be met by all missions of the campaign. If a campaign has different threat difficulties on different missions, then the threat difficulty of the entire campaign is equal to the lowest of them. As with missions, a campaign of higher difficulty also meets the difficulty requirements for a campaign with lower difficulty.
A perfect campaign is one that ends with no damage, no knocked-out explorers, and no disabled battlebots. Damage that was repaired between missions does not prevent the campaign from being "perfect". Similarly, it can still be perfect even if a knocked-out explorer had to be revived or a disabled battlebot squad had to be repaired. Note, however, that these repairs only take place between missions. There is no repair time after the final mission of the campaign.
Note: We have intentionally left out rewards for campaigns with double actions and only a single threat color. There aren't enough cards for such a campaign, and it's less interesting when you see the same cards on subsequent missions. Of course, you can still play such campaigns and use them to fulfill the requirements for other achievements.
Social Skillz
This category is a different kettle of fish. Instead of focusing on the success of the mission, it is concerned with roles and the nature of the crew. The first column is for personal achievements. Praise for your skills should be spontaneous. Don't go fishing for compliments, and don't trade compliments just so you can all check a box. If worst comes to worst, there's one box in that column that you can check even if no one else agrees with you.
Devotion and Promiscuity (from the second column) can be checked after the mission that first meets the criteria, or on a later mission that same day.
To get the Chronicler or Master Chronicler achievement, you will first need to become familiar with www.boardgamegeek.com. "Thumbs up" is an award that readers of the website can give to your article. If you decide to try for a Chronicler achievement, don't check any other boxes in the Social Skillz category. Write up your report, and if you get the required number of thumbs up, you can check the box. If you can't write a report in English, write it in your own language and reduce the thumbs up requirement by half.
The third column is concerned with the make-up of your crew. But don't throw somebody out just so you can recruit someone who matches the achievement criterion. These achievements are supposed to be a fun way to record what happened, not the main goal of the game.
Close Calls
This is a category for particularly nasty experiences. Don't forget, however, that you only score achievements for missions that your ship survives.
Note that some of these experiences are personal – they happen to an individual explorer, not to the entire crew. No player's explorer gets points for a personal experience that happened only to an android. On a solo mission, for example, you get credit for such an achievement only if it happens to the captain (the one who is "you").
Hot Shots
This is a category for impressive individual efforts. For example, you can score the Troubleshooter achievement only if your explorer personally dealt 6 damage to internal threats. (On a solo mission, you can only get credit in the Hot Shots category for what the captain does.) Some of these achievements require a judgment call from your crewmates, and these cannot be achieved on a solo mission. When judging a crewmate, be kind, but don't give credit for pointless moves and actions that were performed solely for the purpose of earning this reward.
Oh, and you really shouldn't try too hard to be a Lazy Bum.
Expert Know-How
This category has two achievements for each specialization. The lesser achievement is for using the specialization's basic action and the greater achievement is for using the specialization's advanced action. These achievements require the judgment of your fellow players, so they are not possible to achieve on a solo mission.
You meet the requirements of this category if you found a really good use for your basic or advanced special action during the mission. Point this out to the other players. If they agree that it was truly useful (and without it, things would have gone badly or been more complicated) then you can check the corresponding box. If there was an easy way to accomplish the same thing without using your special action, then it does not qualify (for example, if you maintain the computer remotely when you or someone else had time to do it from the bridge; or if you use a +1 damage bonus to destroy a threat that could have been finished off anyway before it had a chance to attack the ship). The final judgment is up to your group. If they don't think your action qualifies, don't worry about it. Each box can only be checked once, and maybe next time you'll have a chance to do something even more impressive.
Addiction
The achievements in this category are not based on any particular mission, but rather on accumulation of missions and achievements. You can check these boxes as soon as you meet the criteria. This is the only category in which it is possible to get multiple achievements at the same time. This category also holds the only achievement that you can earn for unsuccessful missions (Is it still me?).
Crew Badges
This set also includes seven crew badges as a bonus accessory. You can use them to designate the official functions of your crew members.
Why are there more badges than crew members? Because we know that different crews divide the shipboard duties in different ways. We hope this set of badges will allow you to choose the titles that best suit your style of play.
A list of the badges follows. Of course, you can rename and give a different function to any badge. It is your crew and your game.
- Captain. Some crews need a strong leader to keep everything organized. Some don't. But every crew needs to know which player goes first.
- Communications Officer. This role is described in the handbook from the basic set. The communications officer is responsible for processing and relaying all the information that comes from the computer. In most crews, the communications officer is the one who keeps track of external threats. She or he also checks to be sure the chief of security is keeping track of the internal threats.
- Chief of Security. The chief of security keeps track of the internal threats. An experienced chief of security will be able to tell where intruders will be on any given turn and be able to remind crewmates of the ways the internal threats might interfere with their plans.
- Tactical Officer. In the handbook, the tactical officer's role comes into play during the Resolution Round. In some crews, however, the tactical officer also keeps the crew synchronized during the Action Round and updates the game board to show the current situation.
- Chief Engineer. In some crews, one person is in charge of tracking all the energy. The chief engineer makes sure the blocks represent the current energy situation and warns players when their reactors are about to be emptied.
- Lieutenant. On a complex mission, some captains need a hand – someone to consult with, someone to double check that all threats are being handled, someone to remind the captain that even captains need to place cards on their Action Boards.
- Science Officer. Somebody has to count up the score at the end of every mission and write an entry in the ship's log. Is it the same person every time? If so, you can use the title of science officer to recognize that he or she truly values the data collected by your mission.
Appendix
Notes on Specific Cards
This section contains notes to clarify the rules for specific cards. The New Threats section earlier in this rulebook explains new game mechanics, including:
- Carriers. Damage is reduced when interceptors are in space.
- Plasmatic ships. Damage knocks out all players in the zone unless some of it is absorbed by shields.
- Phasing threats. These move every turn, but can only be targeted every other turn.
- Megashields. Threat's shield points get reduced when under fire.
- Polarized ships. Attack strength of lasers is halved against them.
- Inaccessibility. Acts like shield points for internal threats.
- Jumps. External threat can jump from one trajectory to another.
- Spans all trajectories. External threat can be targeted by any zone's laser cannons.
- Calls in other threats. Threat calls in a new threat as one of its actions.
See the New Threats section for details on these mechanics.
External Threats
Spinning Saucer. If the Spinning Saucer is hit by a rocket (regardless of whether any damage gets through its shields) put a black block on the line of the card. If the threat reaches the square of its trajectory, the black block reminds you that it performs no action. All other rules for a survived threat apply.
Megashield Destroyer. As with all destroyers, the rule "Double damage that gets through shields" applies to damage from the destroyer's attack that gets through your ship's shields, not to the damage that your ship does to the destroyer.
Plasmatic Needleship. A heavy laser cannon will ignore this ship, instead targeting the next closest threat on its trajectory (the same as with the Scout from the basic set).
Sealed Capsule. If the Sealed Capsule has 0 or 1 damage when it executes its action, put a white block next to the speed of the internal threat card that it calls in. This block reminds you that the internal threat has a permanent bonus of +1 to its speed.
Energy Snake, Energy Dragon. The pulse cannon rule works the same way as it does for Energy Cloud or Maelstrom from the basic game. The threat is slowed down only on turns when it takes damage. On turns when it takes no damage (either because it was not targeted or because no damage made it through its shields) it has full speed, even if it was slowed down by damage on a previous turn.
When performing its X and Y attacks, the threat also heals one point of damage for each point of its attack that was absorbed by your ship's shields (including a temporary shield created by an Energy Technician's advanced special action).
The Z action is not an attack. It deals damage that cannot be absorbed by shields, as an internal threat would. The amount of damage is based on the amount of energy in the zone's reactor. The Energy Snake deals 1 damage plus 1 more for each green block in its zone's reactor. The Energy Dragon deals damage similarly, except that this calculation is made separately for each zone. No energy in the ship's reactors is depleted by this action.
Dimension Spider. Even if the Dimension Spider does not reach the Z square of its trajectory during the last Threat Actions step (just before your ship jumps to hyperspace) it will still perform its Z action. In this case, if the action didn't destroy your ship, consider the Dimension Spider to be a "survived" threat (because it performed its Z action) and give the card to the communications officer.
The Dimension Spider can also perform its Z action in the usual way. The only way to avoid its Z action is to destroy it (or to get blown up by something else earlier).
Mother Swarm. This works like the Swarm from the basic game, except that it is possible to do up to 2 points of damage to it per turn.
Transmitter Satellite. If the Transmitter Satellite is at distance 3, all weapons systems ignore it. (Even variable range interceptors at distance 3 or an enhanced shot from the pulse cannon will ignore it.)
When it executes its Y action, all internal threats immediately move ahead 1 square. They move in order, according to their trajectory tokens. A threat that advances onto an X, Y, or Z square will perform its action immediately. (Note that some of these threats may also have a regular movement later in the Threat Actions step, after the Transmitter Satellite's action is resolved.)
Planetoid. The Planetoid's attacks work the same way as asteroids' attacks do, as explained in the rules from the basic set.
The Planetoid's speed increases by 1 at the end of each Threat Actions step. On the turn it appears, it will have speed 1. On the next turn, it will have speed 2. And so on. Use a ring-shaped counter to mark its current speed.
Internal Threats
A note about movement. Some internal threats (Parasite, Breached Airlock, Ninja, and Slime from the basic set) obstruct or react to movement. These do not apply to teleportation, which can be caused by the Teleporter's special action or by the internal threat Space-Time Vortex.
Heroic movement actions and the Squad Leader's advanced special action allow you to pass through multiple stations of the ship. These do not trigger internal threat effects in stations that you pass through, but they can trigger such effects in the station that you end your move in. These movements are also affected by sealed doors, as explained in the notes on Breached Airlock, below.
A note about weapon malfunctions. In the basic set, weapons systems could not malfunction. With these new threats, you will sometimes also need to use the malfunction repair tokens included in this set.
If you are playing with the heroic action cards from the basic set, then the +1 heroic action (shown on the cards as an action with a +1 symbol) can be used to do an extra point of damage when repairing a malfunction, analogous to the heroic repair action described in the rules from the basic set.
If you are playing with the Specializations expansion, you will have no heroic action cards, but some special actions may cause your repair action (Action A or Action B) to become heroic. Action C never becomes heroic.
Central Laser Jam, Lateral Laser Jam. The repair action that assigns the final point of damage to the malfunction consumes 1 energy from the reactor in the same zone. If there is no energy there to consume, the final point of damage is not assigned and the malfunction is not destroyed. (If a repair action assigns more than one point of damage, all of them except the one that would destroy the malfunction are assigned.)
The location of the Lateral Laser Jam depends on the turn in which it appears. If it appears on an odd turn (i.e., if it has an odd-numbered token, or if it was called in by another threat's action on an odd turn) it will be in the upper red station. If it appears on an even turn, it will be in the upper blue station.
Power Pack Overload. The X action has the combined effect of the X actions of both Slimes from the basic set. The extra damage repair rule is the same as the rule for Battlebot Uprising from the basic set.
Pulse Cannon Short Circuit. Note that the pulse cannon causes damage by executing "attacks". These are like an external threat's attack, and your ship's shields do apply.
An additional effect of this malfunction is to cause the pulse cannon to attack your ship every time the central heavy laser cannon is fired. This effect does not require extra energy. If the central heavy laser cannon fails to fire (because of a malfunction or because the central reactor is out of energy) then this pulse cannon backfire attack also fails. However, if the central heavy laser cannon does fire but hits no target (because there is no targetable threat on its trajectory) then the pulse cannon backfire still hits your ship.
This backfire effect does not persist. If the Pulse Cannon Short Circuit survives to perform its Z action, the pulse cannon remains inoperable for the rest of the game (as usual) but firing the central heavy laser cannon will no longer trigger the malfunction's attack.
Reversed Shields. This threat alters the way your shields function, but not until it executes an action. When it first appears, your shields continue to work normally (except that you can't transfer energy to the shields because of the B malfunction).
Once Reversed Shields execute their X action, your shields cease to protect your ship. Attacks ignore your shields, and energy in your shields is not reduced.
Once Reversed Shields execute their Y action, your shields are reversed. Whenever any zone's shield is hit, add all the energy in that zone's shield to the damage of the attack and discard all of that shield's energy blocks to the bank. This counts as an attack in which none of the damage was absorbed by shields. (So a plasmatic weapon's knock-out effect would apply, for example.)
Reversed Shields have no effect on the temporary shield created by the Energy Technician's advanced special action. If your ship has such a temporary shield, apply its effect first. If any damage gets through, it is treated as described above.
If this malfunction is not destroyed before it executes its Z action, then the Y effect (or the X effect if the trajectory has no Y square) persists until the end of the mission.
This threat is one of the few cases where it is more effective to work on it alone. If only one player plays a repair action on it during a turn, the malfunction receives an extra red block at the end of the Player Actions step (even if the lone repair person dealt more than one point of damage to it).
Breached Airlock. The Breached Airlock's X action is to seal the doors between the red and white zones. Until the threat is destroyed, players and intruders cannot move between the two zones. This also applies to heroic movement and to the Squad Leader's advanced special action: The player moves as close to the target station as possible but cannot pass through any sealed doors.
The Breached Airlock's Y action also seals the doors between the white and blue zones. Gravolifts are not affected by the Breached Airlock.
If the malfunction is not destroyed before it executes its Z action, the sealed doors persist until the end of the mission.
Exceptions: Sealed doors do not hinder teleportation, which includes the Teleporter's special actions and the Siren's teleportation. Special Ops's advanced special action can enable him or her to pass through a sealed door. And Slimes are somehow able to breed even through a sealed door.
Phasing Anomaly. The Phasing Anomaly disrupts the ship's optics as its X, first Y, and second Y actions. Put a token (marked with a yellow exclamation symbol) on the table above the disrupted zone's heavy laser cannon. A zone with disrupted optics has blind laser cannons. This means that its light and heavy laser cannons cannot target anything (not even a threat that spans all three trajectories) unless a player is in space in the interceptors during the Compute Damage step or unless a player performed visual confirmation that turn. This effect applies even when the Anomaly is phased out. Lasers with disrupted optics still consume energy when fired, even on turns when they cannot target anything.
If the Phasing Anomaly executes its Z action, the disrupted optics effect persists until the end of the mission.
Disrupted optics only apply to laser cannons. They do not affect interceptors, rockets, or the pulse cannon.
Because this threat is phasing, it is still possible to perform computer maintenance on turns when it is phased out. Once it executes its Z action, however, it no longer phases and it is no longer possible to perform computer maintenance on any turn. (The token remains on the board, just as it does for any malfunction that you fail to repair.)
Space-Time Vortex. When any damage is dealt to the Space-Time Vortex, players change decks immediately. This means that the actions of those who play after the one who dealt the damage are performed in their new stations. This teleportation effect is triggered even by the repair action that destroys the threat.
A player who deals damage to this threat as the first half of a double action will execute the second half in his or her new station. However, heroic or special actions that enable a player to do more than one point of damage to the threat with a single action only trigger a single deck-change effect.
As its X action, the Space-Time Vortex delays each player's next action. Make the empty space and slide the cards down as normal. If your most recent turn's action was "no action", this will work just like a standard delay; but if your most recent turn had a planned action, move that card (or cards) onto the empty space. Your plan for your most recent turn will be repeated, just as though you had played it twice, even if it is a special action card that you could not play twice.
The deck change effect and the Y action's zone swap are teleportation. These effects do not use gravolifts. They cannot be obstructed by sealed doors (from Breached Airlock). They do not trigger effects (such as a Slime's delay or a Ninja's poison) that happen when you enter or leave a station.
Space-Time Vortex does not teleport internal threats.
When the Space-Time Vortex executes its Z action, draw a new internal threat (normal, not serious). Execute all of the new threat's actions immediately. (Note that it may execute 0, 1, or 2 Y actions, depending on the internal threat's position on the Trajectory Board.) Then discard it. You get no points for this extra internal threat.
Driller. On the Driller's X and Y actions, it compares all three zones of the ship and moves closer to the most damaged zone. For example, a driller in the blue zone will move to the white zone if either the red zone or the white zone is the most damaged; it will stay in the blue zone only if the blue zone is the most damaged.
If two (or all three) zones tie for the most damaged, the driller will move to (or stay in) the white zone.
The Driller does not change decks.
Shambler. Note that the Shambler's X action is to move right if any player is in its current location. The presence or absence of a player in the potential destination station does not affect the Shambler's movement.
Phasing Mine Layer. Use a red cube to mark a mine laid by the Phasing Mine Layer. There may be more than one mine in a station.
If the Phasing Mine Layer is destroyed, remove the mines without effect.
If the Phasing Mine Layer performs its Z action, each zone is dealt 2 damage for each red cube and the cubes are removed.
Ninja. When the Ninja appears, put a Ninja marker (the yellow exclamation token) in the upper blue and lower white stations. Any player who starts or ends his or her movement in these stations (even with a heroic action) gets poisoned.
The poison effect is not triggered by:
- Players who pass through these stations in one turn (using double movement or using a heroic movement that does not start or end in a marked station).
- Players who are teleported to or from these stations.
- Special Ops on a turn when his or her movement is protected by the advanced Special Ops action.
- Players who do not move, or whose attempt to move results in no change of station.
Mark a poisoned player by putting one green block on his or her Action Board.
When the Ninja is destroyed, remove the Ninja markers to indicate that no more players can be poisoned. However, if any player is already poisoned, the poison will still have its effect. Leave the Ninja's numbered token on the Trajectory Board. It will continue to advance (with the same speed) during the Threat Actions step. The destroyed Ninja will not perform any actions, but when the trajectory token reaches the Z square, all poisoned players will be knocked out. If the ship jumps to hyperspace before this, then nothing happens. Either way, the Ninja counts as a destroyed threat and the card goes to the captain at the end of the Resolution Round.
If the Ninja is not destroyed, its Z action has the full effect. All poisoned players are knocked out and the Ninja markers are removed. In addition, the Ninja launches all remaining rockets. These strike the red zone and do damage like an external threat's "Attack 2" for each rocket. This means that the red zone's shield is able to reduce the damage of these attacks.
Rabid Beast. On its X and Y actions, the Rabid Beast infects all players in its current location before it moves. Give each infected player a red block on his or her Action Board. (A player can only be infected once.)
If the Rabid Beast is destroyed, the infection will still have its effect. Leave the Rabid Beast's numbered token on the Trajectory Board. It will continue to advance (with the same speed) during the Threat Actions step. The destroyed Rabid Beast will not perform any actions, but when the trajectory token reaches the Z square, all infected players go temporarily insane and deal 2 damage to their current zones (except for players who have been knocked out or who are in space in the interceptors). If the ship jumps to hyperspace before this, then nothing happens. Either way, the Rabid Beast counts as a destroyed threat and the card goes to the captain at the end of the Resolution Round.
If the Rabid Beast is not destroyed, its Z action will have the full effect. In addition to the damage caused by infected players, the Rabid Beast will deal 4 damage to its current zone.
Once the infected players perform their part of the Rabid Beast's Z action, the infection has no further effect. Return the red cubes to the bank.
Siren. The Siren will teleport as soon as it is hit. This means that it can be hit again that same turn by a player waiting in the station that it teleports to (if the player in the destination station plays after the one who scored the first hit).
On the Siren's X action, look at every station that has exactly one player: Those players are knocked out. On its Y action, look at every station that has more than one player: Those players are knocked out.
None of the Siren's actions affect a player in space leading the interceptors.
Cyber Gremlin. When the Cyber Gremlin sabotages "all systems here", give its current station all three malfunction tokens (the source shows them as three malfunction-token icons). Each is considered an internal threat with 1 hit point. These malfunctions do not disappear if the Cyber Gremlin is destroyed. However, they can still be repaired. And they can be repaired even if the Cyber Gremlin has executed its action.
The Cyber Gremlin's effect may cause a station to have multiple malfunctions on the same system. When determining which gets repaired first, the Gremlin's malfunctions have the same trajectory token number as the Gremlin.
Unless you destroy the Cyber Gremlin, all players will be knocked out when the ship jumps to hyperspace. Even if it has already executed its Z action, the Gremlin is still "hiding" aboard your ship so that it can perform this final knock-out effect. (But you do get points for surviving a Gremlin that executes its action.) Of course, since the mission is over, this will not affect the success of your mission. It will only hurt your score (and possibly, your pride).
Parasite. When this threat appears, put its oval intruder token on the Ship Board outside the ship. The Parasite will attach to the first player to move. This effect applies to any player performing a movement action that results in a change of stations, including movement by heroic action or by the Squad Leader's advanced special action. It does not apply to teleportation or to a movement protected by Special Ops's advanced special action. Order of play is important.
Once the Parasite is attached to a player, put its token under the player's figure. The Parasite moves with the player. On its X, Y, and Z actions, it forces its host to perform the indicated actions. (If the Parasite is not yet attached to a host when it is time for it to execute an X, Y, or Z action, the action has no effect.)
The host cannot destroy the Parasite, but any other player leading an active battlebot squad can do so in the usual way: Play the battlebots action in the same station as the Parasite (and the host). This knocks out the host and disables the battlebot squad. Until the Parasite has a host, it cannot be damaged.
If something else knocks out the host or if the Parasite reaches the Z square, then the Parasite has no further effect and counts as a survived threat.
Summary of Expansions
This set contains many expansions that you can add to your game in several combinations. This summary can help you remember some key rules of each expansion:
New Threats
- Be sure to give a brief explanation of the new mechanics to players who have not seen them before.
- Add the new white and yellow threat cards to the respective decks.
- Red threat cards can be used alone, with yellow threats, or with white and yellow threats to add extra danger to your missions.
Double Action Cards
- These replace the action cards from the basic set.
- Use the new soundtracks when playing with the double actions deck.
- Use the rules for Variable Range Interceptors.
- When playing with androids, your crew gets one extra card per android during "incoming data".
- Use the second set of threat tokens to track internal threats.
Specializations
- Do not use heroic action cards from the basic set. Deal a normal action card instead.
- When playing with androids, your crew gets one extra card per android during setup.
- Each player (and android) gets one specialization with one or two special action cards.
- Each player can choose only one specialization on a mission. The rules for choosing depend on whether you are using the Experience System expansion or not.
- When not using the Experience System, choose specializations for the androids the same way you do for players. Any player can plan an android's special action.
- When using the Experience System, androids only get specializations that a human explorer has learned. Only explorers who have learned that specialization may plan that android's special action.
Experience System
- The Experience System cannot be used without the Specializations expansion. However, on your first mission, you do not get any special action cards or heroic action cards.
- Training missions and simulations do not count toward the Experience System.
- Unsuccessful missions or campaigns do not count toward the Experience System.
- Hardcore explorers get experience faster, but they can die. A hardcore explorer can consent to cloning before any mission or campaign. Once consent is given, it is not possible to become a hardcore explorer again.
- Only one achievement in each category is allowed per mission or campaign. (The Addiction category is the only exception.) There are level requirements for some achievements.
- At each new level, you can improve one specialization or learn a new one. There are level requirements for higher levels of specializations.
Badges
- Use them however you like, and have fun.