Adrenaline
Adrenaline Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Setup Steps
- Player Setup
- Object of the Game
- Starting the Game
- Run Around
- Grab Stuff
- Shoot People
- Damage and Adrenaline Actions
- Killshot
- Marking a Target
- Overkill
- Diminishing Values
- End of Your Turn
- Sudden Death
- Final Frenzy
- Final Scoring
- Domination Mode
- Turret Mode
- Adding a Bot
- Components
- Characters
Setup Steps
- Choose two sides to make your game board.
- Place 5 to 8 skulls on the killshot track. We recommend 5 skulls for your first game. A normal game uses 8 skulls.
- Shuffle the powerup cards and place them on the game board in a face-down stack.
- Shuffle the weapon cards and place them on the game board in a face-down stack.
- Deal three weapons face up to each spawnpoint.
- Place the point tokens on or near the board.
- Mix the ammo tiles and stack them face down near the game board.
- Deal one ammo tile to each square of the game board that does not have a spawnpoint.
- Choose a starting player. Give him or her the starting player marker.
Your first game has 5 skulls and a sudden death ending. It's a quick way to learn the game, and you get to shoot lots of cool weapons. Don't worry about points too much. Just have fun. The game is balanced for 8 skulls and a final frenzy ending, so once you know how things work, you should try it that way.
The Game Board
The game board is made of two double-sided pieces, which can make 4 different arenas.
- One configuration is good for 3 or 4 players.
- One configuration is good for any number of players. (This board configuration works well for any number of players.)
- One configuration is good for 4 or 5 players.
Board features referred to throughout these rules: the killshot track (with 5 to 8 skulls), squares, rooms, doors, and the red, blue, and yellow spawnpoints.
Player Setup
- Get your stuff. Your figure, your board, your action tile, and your damage tokens are all the same color.
- Take 3 ammo cubes of each ammo color.
- Put 1 ammo cube of each color in your ammo box.
- Make an action-hero comment indicating you are ready to play. "Lock and load!" is traditional, but feel free to improvise.
Object of the Game
The object of the game is to get the most points.
Duh! Of course the object is to get the most points. The cool part is you get points by shooting really big guns!!!
Starting the Game
Players take turns, beginning with the starting player, and continuing around the table clockwise.
Figures will come onto the board one at a time and remain on the board for the rest of the game.
Spawn Location
On your very first turn of the game, you start by determining your spawnpoint:
- Draw 2 powerup cards.
- Choose 1 to keep.
- Reveal the other and put your figure on the spawnpoint with that color.
- Discard the revealed card.
Each powerup card has 3 potential uses: its spawnpoint color, its special effect, and extra ammo.
Tip: Powerups are explained in the Adrenaline Weapons Manual. Before your first game it is absolutely imperative that you read the description of each powerup thoroughly. Failure to fully grasp all the strategic ramifications of this crucial choice may greatly diminish your chances of victory.
Just pick one!
As soon as you are on the board, take a normal turn, as described below.
Your Turn
On your turn, you take 2 actions. You have 3 to choose from:
- Run Around
- Grab Stuff
- Shoot People
Actions can be taken in any order. You can choose the same one twice.
At the end of your turn, you can reload.
In this game, whacking someone with a sledgehammer still counts as "shooting people". Just go with it, okay?
Run Around
Use the Run Around action to move 1, 2, or 3 squares.
Move
A move follows these intuitive rules:
- A move is always from one square to an adjacent square (not diagonally).
- You can move through a door but not through a wall.
See the example on the right.
The rules for moving are not just for the Run Around action. They apply any time you move anyone's figure.
These squares are 1, 2, or 3 moves away from Banshee.
Grab Stuff
Every square has stuff. Use this action to grab it. This action includes a free move. You can either:
- A. Move one square and grab the stuff in that new square.
- B. Or stay and grab the stuff in your current square.
You can't grab stuff and then move as part of the same action.
Once you grab something, it is gone, but new stuff will replace it at the end of your turn.
Grab Ammo
Every square that is not a spawnpoint offers ammo. To grab ammo in your square:
- Remove the ammo tile.
- Move the depicted cubes into your ammo box.
- If the tile depicts a powerup card, draw one.
- Discard the tile.
Ammo from this tile goes into ammo box.
Limits on Ammo and Powerups
Your ammo box never holds more than 3 cubes of each color. Excess ammo depicted on the tile is wasted.
Similarly, you can have at most 3 powerups. If a card depicted on the ammo tile would put you over this limit, do not draw it.
From this tile, only 1 red cube can go in. The ammo box holds only 3 of each color.
Grab a Weapon
If you are on a spawnpoint, you can grab a weapon:
- Choose 1 of the spawnpoint's 3 weapons.
- Pay the cost.
- Take it into your hand. It is now loaded.
The cost is depicted in the upper left corner of the card. When you grab the weapon, the top cube is already paid for and you must pay the remainder of the cost. If you cannot pay, you cannot grab the weapon.
Grenade Launcher: When you grab this weapon from a spawnpoint, you pay no cubes. It comes fully loaded.
Railgun: When you grab this weapon, you pay 1 yellow and 1 blue cube. The top yellow cube is already loaded.
Paying an Ammo Cost
To pay an ammo cost, remove the depicted cubes from your player board and set them nearby.
Instead of moving a cube, you can pay all or part of an ammo cost by discarding a powerup card that depicts the required cube.
Weapon Limits
If you already have 3 weapons, you must drop one when you grab the new one. To drop a weapon, put it in the empty space left by the weapon you are grabbing. You can drop a loaded or unloaded weapon. It automatically becomes partially loaded – anyone (including you) can grab it later in the game for the usual cost.
Shoot People
To shoot people:
- Play a weapon card from your hand.
- Specify one or more targets.
- Pay any additional costs.
- Hand out damage and resolve any other relevant effects.
When you play a weapon card place it face up on the table in front of you. It is now unloaded. It will stay there until you reload it, which you may be able to do at the end of your turn.
Your choice of targets is determined by your weapon and the positions of the figures on the board. This is explained in detail in the Adrenaline Weapons Manual. To Shoot People, you need at least one target.
Each weapon has a basic effect that you paid for when you put the card in your hand. Some have optional effects or alternate fire modes, which may have additional costs. You pay an additional cost the same way you paid the cost to put the weapon in your hand – by removing the depicted cube from your ammo box or by discarding a powerup that depicts that cube.
Damage is represented by damage tokens in your color. Give the indicated number of damage tokens to your target. Your target places the tokens on his or her board as shown in the examples on the right. It is possible to give damage to multiple targets with one action.
Yeah! This is the best part! Here's what happens when I give 2 damage to :D-struct-0R ... I give you 2 more damage. Embrace the pain! ... Eat three, :D-struct-0R! ... A few turns later ... Ha! Killshot!
Violet shot :D-struct-0R first. She gets 1 point for first blood. Banshee and Dozer each dealt four damage. Banshee's token is first, so she gets 8 points. Dozer gets 6 points. Violet is third. She gets 4 points. :D-struct-0R's board will get a skull. The next time he is scored, he will be worth fewer points.
Damage and Adrenaline Actions
Your board is divided into 4 zones. If it has 0, 1, or 2 points of damage, you use the normal actions on your turn.
- If your board has 3 or more points of damage, your Grab Stuff action improves. When you use it, you can move up to 2 squares before grabbing.
- If your board has at least 6 damage, your Shoot People action also improves. As part of that action, you can move 1 square before shooting.
You are not required to use the adrenaline action's extra move. Note that it is still not possible to grab-then-move or shoot-then-move with one action.
As with normal actions, it is legal to use the same adrenaline action twice in one turn.
When you get shot, you get faster!
Killshot
The 11th point of damage is the killshot. A board with 11 damage will be scored at the end of the turn. (Which means you might have time to give it a 12th!)
Scoring
At the end of your turn, score all boards that have taken killshots:
First blood! The player who shot that board first gets 1 point.
Damage! The player who has the most damage on that board gets 8 points. The player with the second most gets 6. And so on, as depicted on the board.
Tie breaker: If multiple players dealt the same amount of damage, break the tie in favor of the player whose damage landed first.
Killshot! Killshots will play a role in final scoring. Take the damage token from the 11th space and put it on the killshot track of the main game board. It replaces the leftmost skull.
Death! Take that skull from the killshot track and put it on the 8 pentagon below the dead board's damage track. The next time that player's board is scored, it will be worth fewer points. Details on the next page.
Overkill? A 12th point of damage counts as overkill. If the board has a 12th damage token, put it on the killshot track on the same space as the killshot token. This plays a role in final scoring. Damage over 12 is wasted.
Revenge mark? Killing is okay, but overkill is just insulting. If you overkill a player, that player will give you a mark representing his or her desire for revenge. Marks and overkill are explained on the following pages.
Double kill? If you deal multiple killshots on your turn, you get 1 extra point. And you are awesome.
(The player board's damage track is marked, from left to right, with first blood, points for damage, killshot, overkill, death, and revenge mark.)
Point Tokens
Your points are represented by tokens you take from the bank. You can make change, if necessary. Point tokens are kept near your board face down.
Death and Respawn
If you receive a killshot, tip your figure over. At the end of the active player's turn:
- Hand out points to everyone who shot you, as explained above.
- Remove all damage (and hand the tokens back).
- Pick up your figure. You are dead.
- Draw one powerup card, even if you already have three.
- Discard one of your powerup cards with no effect and place your figure on the spawnpoint indicated by it. You are alive again.
If you have any marks (see next page) those will remain on your player board. You keep all your weapons and ammo. Loaded weapons remain loaded, and unloaded weapons remain unloaded.
Your damage is reset to zero, so you no longer have access to adrenaline actions. But don't worry. You'll get shot again soon.
Dozer's killshot token will go to the killshot track.
Marking a Target
Some weapons, powerups, and game mechanics allow you to mark other players. This represents a potential for extra damage – because you gain knowledge about your targets, or you track them in some way, or perhaps just because you really really want to hurt them.
When you mark a target, hand the player one of your damage tokens and say, "I mark you!"
A mark is not damage. The player receiving the mark puts the token in the box above his or her damage track.
The next time you take an action that does damage to the marked player, all of your marks are added to the damage track along with the usual damage.
If you deal marks and damage as part of one action, resolve the damage first. This moves all of your old marks onto the damage track. Now add the new marks. They can be triggered only on a later action.
Marks do not count during scoring. They remain on the board even after the player respawns.
Limits on Marks
You can have at most 3 marks on another player's board. Any marks that would exceed this total are wasted.
Note: This means your board can have up to 3 marks from each other player.
:D-struct-0R has respawned. Yay! I can shoot him again! This time I'll use my ZX-2 which deals 1 point of damage and 2 marks. Take that! 2 damage! 1 mark! ... A stray shot from my machine gun deals 1. And the 2 marks become 2 additional damage!
Overkill
The 11th point of damage is the killshot. The 12th is overkill. This is a game about shooting people, so overkill is rewarded. The 12th point of damage counts when determining who did the most damage, and it will go up to the killshot track (on the same space as the killshot) which may be important at the end of the game.
Wasted Damage
Any damage beyond the 12th point is wasted. If you deal damage that would take your opponent beyond overkill, give him or her only enough to reach overkill. If your marks turn into damage that would exceed overkill, your opponent hands you back your excess marks.
Revenge Mark
If you deal overkill, your victim gives you a mark. This is just like a mark from a weapon or powerup.
Diminishing Values
The first time a board is scored, the reward for dealing the most damage is 8, 6, 4, and 2 points. The board receives a skull on the 8. The skull indicates that the board is now worth fewer points.
The second time a board is scored, the reward for most damage is 6, 4, 2, and 1. The board receives a skull on the 6.
The third time, it is worth 4, 2, 1, and 1. And so on.
- Only players who did damage score points.
- Each player who did damage scores at least 1 point.
- Each skull reduces the reward for giving that board the most damage.
After more damage and marks, the board looks like this ... Then on Violet's turn ... Yesss! I use my ZX-2 again. Here's what happens to the marks:
0. Nothing happens to Dozer's mark. 1. One of my old marks becomes overkill. 2. The other old mark is wasted. 3. Two new marks are added. They will still be on the board, with Dozer's mark, after :D-struct-0R respawns.
End of Your Turn
- Reload as many weapons as you want. To reload you must pay the full reload cost – all the cubes depicted in the upper left corner of the card. You may pay this cost with cubes and/or powerup cards.
- Score all player boards that received a killshot. Scoring has already been explained.
- Replace any stuff you took. Replace ammo tiles with new tiles from the ammo stacks. If you empty the stacks, shuffle the discard pile (including any tiles you grabbed this turn) and make new ammo stacks. Replace weapons by drawing from the weapons deck. If the deck is empty, no new weapons will appear for the rest of the game.
Heatseeker: This card's reload cost is 2 red and 1 yellow cube.
Sudden Death
Your first game ends when the last skull is taken. Skip over the Final Frenzy rules and go down to Final Scoring.
Final Frenzy
Sudden death is very ... sudden. A standard game uses a few more rules at the end to balance out the scoring opportunities. This is called final frenzy.
Final frenzy is triggered when the last skull is removed from the killshot track. Everyone gets one more turn, including the player who made the killshot.
Note: If you trigger final frenzy with multiple killshots, put all your killshot and overkill tokens on the killshot track. Don't worry about who gets the final skull token.
Final Frenzy Setup
All players with no damage (including those who were just scored) flip their boards over. They keep marks and ammo, but skulls are set aside. Their boards offer no point for first blood. The reward for damage is 2, 1, 1, 1.
All players flip over their action tiles.
On your last turn you will have ...
Frenetic Actions!
If you take your final turn before the player who started the game, you have 2 actions. Available actions are:
- Move up to 1 square, reload if you want, then shoot.
- Move up to 4 squares.
- Move up to 2 squares and grab something there.
If you are the starting player, or if your final turn comes after the starting player's final turn, you have only 1 action:
- Either move up to 2 squares, reload if you want, and then shoot.
- Or move up to 3 squares and grab something.
Note: You may be wondering what benefit this second option gives you, but it can be useful in the Turret Mode.
Easy Targets
Boards that are killed in final frenzy are flipped over to the 2-1-1-1 side. Killshot and overkill tokens go to the killshot track as usual.
Final Scoring
After the final turn, score all boards that still have damage tokens. Score them as you usually would, except, of course, they don't have killshots. If you are playing with the final frenzy rules, don't forget that flipped boards offer no point for first blood.
Then score the killshot track. The player with the most tokens gets 8 points. The player with second most gets 6, and so on. Break ties in the usual way – the player who got the earlier killshot wins the tie.
Everyone reveals their points. Whoever has the most wins.
Tiebreakers
If players are tied, break the tie in favor of the player who got the higher score on the killshot track. If players who did not get a killshot are tied, they should be mocked for not getting a killshot. Also, they remain tied.
Domination Mode
Okay, so the game I just taught you is the "Deathmatch" version of Adrenaline. But there are other ways to play. Of course, they all involve shooting people.
Overview
In Domination Mode, players try to control the three spawnpoints. Of course, they still earn points for damaging each other.
Setup
Once you have chosen the game board, cover the killshot track with this domination board, and place 8 skulls in the skull box.
(The domination board has spawnpoint tracks, a skull box, and an alternate final frenzy trigger.)
Game Play
Each player's first turn follows the normal rules. Beginning with your second turn and continuing for the rest of the game, you have 2 ways to tag a spawnpoint:
- Damage the spawnpoint.
- End your turn as the only player on the spawnpoint.
Each spawnpoint has its own track on the domination board. When you tag a spawnpoint, put one of your damage tokens on the leftmost empty space of its track.
Damaging a Spawnpoint
You can target spawnpoints as though they were players. If the weapon's effect deals damage, tag the spawnpoint. The spawnpoint gets only 1 token, even if the weapon does more damage. You can damage a spawnpoint only once per turn.
The Tractor Beam and the Vortex Cannon can tag a spawnpoint, but only if you can see it. Weapons that damage everyone on a square or in a room also tag spawnpoints. The T.H.O.R. can target a spawnpoint as the first, second, or third target, but it can't chain from the spawnpoint to another target. (The spawnpoint grounds the T.H.O.R.'s lightning bolt.)
Ending on a Spawnpoint
If you end your turn as the only player on a spawnpoint, you tag it, even if you have already tagged it once this turn by damaging it.
Spawnpoint Strikes Back
If you end your turn on a spawnpoint, it deals 1 damage to you, even if you are not the only player there. Give yourself this damage in your color. When your board is scored, this damage will count as though it were damage from another player. Those points will not go to any player – they will stay in the bank. If a spawnpoint gives you a killshot at the end of your turn, your board is scored, but you cannot count it toward a double kill.
Killshots and Overkill
Score player boards as usual, except that killshots and overkill do not go into the skull box. Killshots are not tracked. If you deal overkill, however, put that token on the spawnpoint track of your choice. It will count in final scoring.
Final Frenzy
Final frenzy triggers when the last skull is taken from the skull box or when two spawnpoint tracks each have at least 8 damage tokens. (The 8th space is marked with a fist, but a track with 8 can still get more.)
Final Scoring
Spawnpoint tracks are scored only at the end of the game. Score each separately. The player with the most tokens gets 8 points, second most gets 6 points, then 4, 2, and 1. If there is a tie, all tied players get the reward. For example, if two players are tied for first, they will both get 8, but the next player is third and will get 4.
Turret Mode
In this mode the arena shoots back! It's only for experts. Like me.
Overview
Players try to control turrets, which can shoot other players.
Setup
Cover the killshot track with the turret board and place 8 skulls in the skull box.
(The turret board has ammo spaces and a skull box.)
Ammo
Do not deal ammo tiles to the game board. Instead, a choice of 5 ammo tiles will be offered on the turret board. Deal 1 ammo tile face up to each ammo space. At the end of each player's turn, replace any tiles taken with new ones from the stack.
Turret Squares
Squares that offer ammo now have turrets as well.
Grab Ammo
Grabbing ammo works as usual, except you choose a tile from the turret board. You still are not allowed to grab ammo twice from the same square in one turn.
Commandeering a Turret
When you grab ammo on a turret square, you can choose to not take one of the ammo cubes or powerup cards and commandeer the turret instead. (This applies even to a cube or card that you would not be able to take because you already have 3.)
When you commandeer a turret, place your damage token on the turret. If someone else's token is already there, put it on your board as a mark (unless you already have 3 in that color).
Entering a Turret Square
When you enter a square with someone else's turret, that player gives you 1 damage. This applies even when someone else moves you. If an action includes multiple moves, each one can trigger a turret.
Turret damage does not cause marks to turn into damage. It cannot be augmented by a Targeting Scope powerup. You can't use a Tagback Grenade against it.
Leaving a turret square or starting a turn on one has no effect. When you use a Teleporter you trigger only the turret you land on (if that square has a turret).
Weirdness
Yes, you can be killed on your own turn. If your first action kills you, you still take your second action and reload before scoring your board. Hey, it's Adrenaline!
If two or more opponents' boards receive killshots during your turn, you get the 1-point bonus for double kill, regardless of who gets credit for the killshot. But if you get yourself killed, you can't count that toward a double kill. (Nice try, though.)
Skulls
Score player boards as usual, except that killshots and overkill are not tracked. Final frenzy triggers when the last skull is taken, as usual.
Final Scoring
Players get points for controlling turrets at the end of the game. The player with the most turrets gets 8 points, the second player gets 6, then 4, 2, and 1. Break ties according to play order in favor of the player whose final turn came earlier.
Adding a Bot
3-Player Games
In a game with fewer targets, some weapons become weaker. You can add targets to a 3-player game in Domination Mode, as described on the preceding page. Or you can add a bot.
Note: You can add a bot to a 4-player game, too.
Setup
Choose a figure to represent the bot. You will need its player board and damage tokens. It will not use ammo cubes or an action tile. Give the bot card to the second player.
Spawnpoint
After looking at powerups, but before spawning, the starting player chooses any of the three spawnpoints and places the bot's figure there.
Game Play
The bot does not get a turn. It acts only on players' turns, beginning on the turn of the second player. It is shot and scored as though it were a player.
Along with your usual 2 actions, you must also take a bot action. The 3 actions can be taken in any order.
Bot Action
- Move the bot one square, if you want.
- Then, if the bot has any legal targets, you must choose 1 to be shot.
Legal targets are any figures the bot can see, but not you and not the bot. (In Domination Mode, the bot can also target spawnpoints it can see.)
The shot does 1 damage. Give the damage in the bot's color. If the bot has both adrenaline actions unlocked, the shot also gives 1 mark.
Bot Card
The bot card reminds you that you have a bot action. Keep it in your hand until you use your bot action, then pass it on to the next player. It does not count as a weapon or powerup.
Powerups
In general, powerups that work on you cannot be used by the bot, but powerups that work on other players can be used on the bot.
- Targeting Scope cannot add 1 damage to the bot action.
- Teleporter cannot be used to move the bot.
- Newton can be used to move the bot – even before your bot action.
- Tagback Grenade gives a mark to the bot if played in response to damage from the bot action.
Scoring
The bot's damage counts like any player's damage. You can even keep track of the bot's points, if you want, although it might be embarrassing if it beats you. The bot's board is scored like any player's board.
If multiple boards have killshots at the end of your turn, you get the 1-point bonus for double kill, regardless of who gets credit for the killshots.
Other Modes
The bot can be used with both modes. If you can add a bot to Domination Mode, you will have a target-rich environment.
Adding a bot to Turret Mode is probably the most complicated way to play Adrenaline. It will go more smoothly if everyone knows Turret Mode really well.
Components
- 1 game board consisting of 2 double-sided pieces — Gives 4 possible setups.
- 1 double-sided board for 2 different modes — Not used in standard Deathmatch setup.
- 1 bot card — Not used in standard setup.
- 36 ammo tiles — Ammo tiles do not run out. When the last tile is turned up, shuffle all discarded tiles to make a new stack.
- A large number of point tokens — If you run out, check under the table. You should have more than enough.
- 1 starting player marker
- 21 weapon cards — The weapons deck may run out during play. (But don't forget that if you grab a fourth weapon, you have to drop one.)
- 24 powerup cards — Powerups do not run out during play. When the last card is drawn, shuffle all discarded powerups to make a new deck.
(Weapon cards shown include the Grenade Launcher, Lock Rifle, and Sledgehammer. Powerup cards shown include the Targeting Scope, Tagback Grenade, and Newton.)
Player Components
The game has components for 5 players. Each player gets:
- 1 player board
- 1 action tile
- 1 figure — Your figure should not run out during play. If it somehow escapes, capture it and put it back in the arena.
- 20 damage tokens — If you run out of these, you are doing awesome damage! Use coins or some other suitable substitute until you get some of your tokens returned to you.
- 3 ammo cubes in each ammo color — You are not allowed more than 3 of each color. If the player sitting next to you is missing cubes, count your own cubes and return any you took.
Characters
:D-STRUCT-0R — favorite beverage: 5W-30; hobbies: tennis, bowling, sheet-metal origami; favorite board game: Robo Rally; beloved pet: a cordless drill
BANSHEE — home planet: unknown; guilty pleasure: karaoke; perfect date: a long walk by the ocean – or in the ocean; siblings: 900 sisters all the same age
DOZER — background: paramilitary covert ops; specialty: hurting people; other interests: breaking stuff; testosterone level: high
VIOLET — profession: shooting instructor; nail polish: always perfect; favorite snack: chips and salsa; favorite weapon: anything that goes Boom!
SPROG — origins: claims to be from Texas; disposition: surly; turn-ons: crickets, flat rocks, and heat lamps; turn-offs: lotion commercials that say "dry, scaly skin" like it's a bad thing