Compounded: Geiger Expansion Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setting Up the Lab
  • Geiger Counter
  • Research Field
  • Compound Deck
  • Elements & Element Bag
  • Scientist Workbenches
• Sequence of Play
  • Overheating
  • Phase 1: Discovery
  • Phase 2: Study
  • Phase 3: Research
  • Phase 4: Lab
    • Cooling the Lab
    • Contaminated Areas
• States of the Geiger Counter
• New Chemical Reactions
• New Lab Tools
• Two-Player Rules
  • Nobel's Turn Order
• Solo Play
  • Setup Changes
  • Winning the Game
  • Losing the Game
  • Gameplay Changes
  • Special Gameplay Notes
  • Sabotage Card Draw Effects
  • Sabotage Card Experiment Level Effects
  • Tool & Chemical Reaction Changes
  • Adjusting Difficulty Levels
• Variant Module: Famous Scientists
  • Antoine Lavoisier (1743–1794)
  • Marie Curie (1867–1934)

Components

• 3 Starting Compound cards
• 37 Compound cards
• 2 Radiation Leak cards
• 4 Flasks
• 4 Lead Gloves
• 14 Helium tokens
• 5 Workbench extensions
• 5 Polonium elements
• 12 Radium elements
• 8 Lead elements
• 12 Radiation Tokens
• 12 wooden Radiation tokens
• 16 wooden Fire tokens
• 1 Geiger Counter, in 2 separate pieces
• 1 plastic rivet

Note: Before your first play, assemble the 2 separate pieces of the Geiger Counter with the plastic rivet.

Setting Up the Lab

Follow the setup instructions from the base game rulebook, with the following changes and additions. (Setup changes for 2-player games and solo games are in their respective sections in the back of this rulebook.)

Geiger Counter

1. Position the Geiger Counter next to the bottom edge of the Score Track.
2. Set the Geiger Counter dial to 0 (4-5 players) or 1 (3 players).

Research Field

1. Shuffle all 12 Starting Compound cards (9 from the base game, 3 from this expansion) together and deal 9 face up to form part of the 4x4 Research Field.
2. Place the remaining Starting Compound cards in a face-up stack to the right of the Geiger Counter; this is the Coolant Deck.

Compound Deck

1. Remove all of the following (base game) Compound cards, returning them to the box: Ammonia, Calcium Sulfide, Calcium Sulfite, Hydrazine, Nitric Acid, Ozone.
2. Shuffle the remaining Compound cards from the base game together with the expansion's 37 Compound cards and 2 Radiation Leak cards to form the Compound Deck.
3. Deal 7 Compound cards from this deck to fill in the rest of the Research Field.
4. Separate the Compound Deck into 5 roughly equal sections. Shuffle 1 Lab Fire card into each section, then re-stack the sections. Place this final Compound Deck face down to the left of the Geiger Counter.

Elements & Element Bag

1. Do not give each player a Wild Element token. These tokens are not used with the expansion; you can return them to the box.
2. Place all 8 Lead elements off to the side of the Score Track; none of them should be put in the Element Bag.
3. Put all 12 Radium elements in the Element Bag.
4. Put 1 Polonium element in the Element Bag. Place the other Polonium elements on the Score Track on spaces 4, 8, 14, and 20.

Scientist Workbenches

1. Give each player 1 Workbench extension, which is placed next to the right edge of their Workbench. This extension introduces the Decay Track.
2. Each player takes 1 Radium element, then must choose to place it either on their Decay Track or in their Element Storage area.
3. Each player then draws 3 (not 4) random elements from the Element Bag and places them in their Element Storage area. (If Polonium is drawn, put it back and draw again.)

Sequence of Play

This expansion introduces some important changes to how the game is played, which are explained below:

Overheating

Whenever a player draws a Polonium element, or a Radiation Leak card is revealed, check to see if the lab is currently cooled (see Cooling the Lab). If the lab is NOT cooled, carry out the following steps:

1. Increase the Geiger Counter dial by 1 level.
2. Continue drawing any elements needed (if during the Discovery Phase), setting aside any Polonium drawn and returning the Polonium to the Element Bag afterward.
3. Randomly draw a number of elements from the Element Bag equal to the current level of the Geiger Counter dial, and place those elements on the Geiger Counter tray.
4. Add 1 Radiation token to each Radioactive Compound in the Research Field.

If Polonium is drawn from the Element Bag more than once per turn, subsequent draws do not cause overheating. If Polonium is drawn from the Element Bag while the lab is cooled, the player ignores it and completes drawing the elements needed, then returns the Polonium to the Element Bag.

Phase 1: Discovery

At the start of this phase, if the lab is not Cooled the Lead Scientist removes from the Element Bag a number of elements equal to the current level of the Geiger Counter dial, placing these elements on the Geiger Counter tray. The Lead Scientist then draws their elements for the turn, and passes the bag as normal.

Phase 2: Study

There are no changes to this phase.

Phase 3: Research

Whenever a player would place 1 element out into the Research Field, they may instead decay a Radium element by 1 level, moving it down 1 space on their Decay Track. A player can only decay each Radium by a maximum of 1 level per turn, but can decay multiple Radium in a turn by foregoing multiple element placements. At no point may 2 Radium occupy the same space on the Decay Track.

When a Radium element reaches level 2 on the Decay Track, it produces Helium. That player then takes 1 Helium token and places it beside their Workbench. Helium is a "wild" element; it can be used in place of any element except Sulfur, Polonium, Radium, or Lead. At the end of the game, each unused Helium token a player has is worth 1 AP.

When a Radium element reaches level 4 of the Decay Track, it is immediately removed from the game. That player then takes a Lead element from the supply (if any remain) and places it in their Element Storage area; if they have no available space, the Lead element is discarded to the Element Bag instead.

A player may use the 3:1 trade to take Polonium from the Element Bag in order to cause the Geiger Counter dial to increase by 1 level — but only if no Polonium was drawn previously that turn. If a player does this, the Polonium is returned to the Element Bag afterward, as normal.

Phase 4: Lab

While refilling the Research Field, remove 1 Radiation token from each Contaminated Area. If there are no tokens remaining on a Contaminated Area, discard the Compound card and refill the empty space as normal.

Cooling the Lab

Before the Lab Key is passed at the end of the Lab Phase, the players have a chance to cool the lab. In reverse score order, each player besides the player who currently has the highest score may place elements from their Workbench onto the top card of the Coolant Deck, known as the Coolant Compound. Each player can place as many elements (including wilds) as they wish on the Coolant Compound. If a player places at least 1 element onto the Coolant Compound, they also place a Claim token on it and then immediately score 1 AP for each element they placed.

Note: When any player reaches a space on the Score Track that contains a Polonium element (placed there during setup), add that Polonium to the Element Bag.

When the Coolant Compound is completed, each player who has a Claim token on the Coolant Compound takes their Claim token back and then may move any Experiment up 1 level. The elements that were placed on the Coolant Compound are moved to the Geiger Counter tray, and the Coolant Compound card is placed on top of the Geiger Counter dial to show that the lab is cooled (i.e., drawing Polonium will not affect the lab for the next turn). Remove the Coolant Compound card from the Geiger Counter dial at the beginning of the next Lab Phase.

Example: Ethan (orange) and Caitlyn (blue) have both contributed elements to complete the Calcium Oxide Coolant Compound. Both players score 1 AP and move an Experiment up 1 level on their Workbenches. The Calcium Oxide card is placed onto the Geiger Counter dial to show that the lab is cooled for the next turn.

Contaminated Areas

As soon as a radioactive Compound has 2 Radiation tokens on it, it becomes unstable. Elements on the Compound scatter to adjacent Compounds (following the rules for exploding Compounds). Once the radioactive Compound is emptied of tokens and elements, flip it upside down in the same spot in the Research Field; this is now a Contaminated Area. Place 2 Radiation tokens onto the upside-down card.

Note: Radioactive Compounds are not affected by Lab Fires.

States of the Geiger Counter

The dial's zones are shown on the printed diagram; the level numbers in brackets below are read from the dial art, which the text does not state.

• Unstable [levels 3 and 4, marked with flame icons] — Lab Fire occurs when the dial reaches each of these levels; this happens even if a Lab Fire occurred previously this round. Extra elements are removed at the start of each subsequent Discovery Phase.
• Safe [levels 1 and 2] — no effect on the lab.
• Meltdown [skull icon] — The game ends at the end of this round!

New Chemical Reactions

• Calcium Nitride — Take any 1 available Lab Tool and add it to your Workbench.
• Lead Sulfide — Decrease the Geiger Counter dial by 1 level. If the dial cannot be decreased, remove 1 Polonium from the Element Bag instead, placing it on the Geiger Counter tray.
• Radium Sulfide — Trigger a Radiation Leak.
• Plumbane — Return all elements from the Geiger Counter tray back to the Element Bag.

New Lab Tools

• Lead Gloves — During the Research Phase, you may discard Lead Gloves to take any 2 elements from the Geiger Counter tray. In turn order, each other player may then choose 1 element from the tray. Any player may discard elements from their Element Storage area to make room for elements chosen this way. Otherwise, the chosen elements are discarded to the Element Bag.
• Flask — At the end of the game, if you have a Flask you will score 1 AP for each unique element on your Workbench. This does not include Helium tokens, Radium on the Decay Track, or elements on a Fire Extinguisher. This is in addition to the 1 AP per 2 elements that you would score normally at the end of the game.

Two-Player Rules

Follow the 2-player rules from the base game and all of the expansion's rules, with the following changes and additions:

1. Set the Geiger Counter dial to level 2.
2. Position the Nobel Lab extension (i.e., the back of a normal Workbench extension) above the Nobel Board. Then, place Nobel's 1 Radium on the first space of the Decay Track.

The Lead Scientist can decay the Radium on Nobel's Decay Track, in lieu of 1 element placement. For every level that Radium is decayed, Nobel scores 1 AP. When the Radium on Nobel's Decay Track reaches level 4, the newly created Lead element is immediately placed in the Element Bag and the Geiger Counter dial is decreased by 1 level. When there are 12 elements on the Geiger Counter tray, return all 12 elements to the Element Bag and trigger a Radiation Leak.

Nobel's Turn Order

• Discover — Plays as usual. Trading is 1:1, only once per player, and only occurs if the Lead Scientist initiates it.
• Research — Nobel can only place on unclaimed compounds. He must place his limit, if possible. If Nobel completes a compound, he marks it to score.
• Lab — Plays as usual.

Nobel's actions are always last.

Solo Play

Both you and the amoral Saboteur are out to find new uses for Radium, and the Saboteur will use nefarious means to beat you to the punch. He will set Lab Fires, cause Radiation Leaks, steal your work, and do anything else he can. If the Saboteur gets through his deck before you complete 3 Compounds, he publishes the research and steals the credit!

Setup Changes

The printed heading for this section reads "Follow the 2-player rules from the base game and all of the expansion's rules"; the setup steps that follow (Saboteur and Scientist decks, Lab Partner Compounds) are the solo setup, as the solo intro and the "Setup Changes (continued)" page make clear.

Follow the 2-player rules from the base game and all of the expansion's rules, with the following changes and additions:

Extra Polonium — Place 2 Polonium (instead of 1) in the Element Bag.

Separate the Compounds — Remove from the game any Compound card with a Flask Lab Tool. Set aside the Lab Partner Compounds for now. Then separate the rest of the Compound cards into the following piles: (1) Lab Fires and Radiation Leaks, (2) Starting Compounds, (3) Compounds with Lead, (4) Compounds with Radium, (5) remaining Compounds with Lab Tools or Chemical Reactions, and (6) the remaining standard Compounds.

Research Field — Remove Nitroglycerin from the Lab Partner Compounds. Shuffle the remaining Lab Partner Compounds cards and deal 5 into a face-down stack. Remove the remaining Lab Partner Compounds from the game. Turn the top card of the stack face up. Surrounding this stack, place 6 random Starting Compounds face down. Then place 1 random Starting Compound face up on top of each of those 6 face-down Starting Compounds.

The Scientist Deck (18x) — Add the following cards into a single stack:

• 10 cards (1 of each type) from the Lab Tools/Chemical Reactions pile
• 1 Lab Fire card
• 7 random standard Compound cards

Shuffle these 18 cards into a single face-down deck.

The Saboteur Deck (25x) — Add the following cards into a single stack:

• 10 cards (1 of each type) from the Lab Tools/Chemical Reactions pile
• 3 cards (1 of each type) from the Compounds with Lead pile
• 3 cards (1 of each type) from the Compounds with Radium pile
• 4 Lab Fire cards
• 2 Radiation Leak cards

Shuffle these 22 cards into a single face-down deck, then place 3 random standard Compounds face down on top to complete the deck.

Winning the Game

You win immediately when you complete 3 Lab Partner Compounds.

Losing the Game

You lose immediately when any of the following occurs:

• the Saboteur maxes all 3 of his Experiment levels
• the Saboteur Deck is empty when the Saboteur needs to draw a card
• the Saboteur destroys enough Lab Partner Compounds that it is impossible for you to complete 3 of them

Gameplay Changes

You control both your own Workbench and Nobel's. You will have access to 35 Compounds during the solo game: 6 face-up Starting Compounds, 6 face-down Starting Compounds, 5 Lab Partner Compounds, and the 18 Compounds in the Scientist Deck.

Phase 1: Discovery — Remove a number of elements from the Element Bag equal to the current level of the Geiger Counter dial and place them on the Geiger Counter tray. Then draw elements for your Workbench, according to your current Discovery Experiment level. Then draw elements for Nobel, according to Nobel's current Discovery Experiment level.

Phase 2: Study — This phase is skipped during solo play.

Phase 3: Research — You may place elements on any Compound in the Research Field from both your Workbench and Nobel's, according to the Research Experiment level on the corresponding Workbench. You may also decay Radium by 1 level on the Decay Track, as normal. You may also use 1 of Nobel's allowed element placements to decay Radium by 1 level.

Phase 4: Lab — At the start of each Lab Phase, the top card of the Saboteur Deck is revealed and any effect is applied. The corresponding Experiment level on the Sabotage card is raised according to that Compound's chemical state. Any completed Compounds in the Research Field are removed, and any Lab Tool or Chemical Reactions are resolved as normal (exceptions are noted below and on the Sabotage card). If you completed a Lab Partner Compound, it is placed in front of you to count toward the overall win condition. Each empty space in the Research Field is then refilled with a new Compound card, either from the face-down starting Compounds, face-down Lab Partner Compounds, or from the Scientist Deck.

Special Gameplay Notes

• If at any time the Geiger Counter tray has 12 elements, return those elements to the Element Bag and immediately resolve a Radiation Leak.
• When you create Lead (or when Nobel does), you may discard the Lead to decrease the Geiger Counter dial by 1 level.
• When you complete a Compound, you may raise the appropriate Experiment level on either your Workbench or Nobel's.
• Fire Extinguishers cannot be used.

Sabotage Card Draw Effects

• Lab Fire / Volatile Chemical Reaction: Place 1 Fire token on each Compound, flammable Compounds first, then non-flammable Compounds.
• Radiation Leak / Radium Sulfide: Place Radiation tokens as appropriate, then resolve a Radiation Leak.
• Lead Compound: Add 1 Lead to the Element Bag.
• Lab Tools: Consult the Sabotage card. All other tools are discarded.
• Chemical Reactions: Resolved as normal, with exception noted on the Sabotage card.

Sabotage Card Experiment Level Effects

When any Experiment reaches this level, draw and resolve 1 additional card from the Saboteur Deck.

The three captions on the Sabotage card's Experiment tracks, read left to right, are: "Resolve a Volatile Chemical Reaction" (under the blue track, flame icon), "Draw 2 additional cards from the Saboteur Deck" (under the orange track, "+2" icon), and "Resolve a Radiation Leak" (under the green track, radiation icon). The printed text does not state the level number for these icons; they sit on the first row of each track.

Tool & Chemical Reaction Changes

The Sabotage card carries these changes to the Lab Tools and Chemical Reactions:

• Saboteur: Scientist discards 1 Lab Tool of his/her choice.
• Saboteur: Discard 1 Radium Element from the Scientist's Decay Track. Must be the Furthest along.
• Saboteur: Draw Elements equal to the Scientist's Discovery Experiment and add them to the Geiger Counter.
• Scientist: Discard to skip Saboteur's turn. Saboteur: Take an additional turn after the Scientist's next Lab Phase.
• Scientist: Discard any 1 Compound. Saboteur: The highest valued Flammable Compound explodes.

The printed card shows an icon beside each entry; the icons are not named in the printed text. Each entry is listed in the order it appears on the card.

WARNING: For solo lab work only. Not for use with more than 1 scientist.

Adjusting Difficulty Levels

Difficulty level can be adjusted as desired by following these rules:

Easy Mode: During setup, set the Geiger Counter dial to level 1, and put only 1 Polonium element in the Element Bag. When the Geiger Counter level is decreased, return all elements from the Geiger Counter tray to the Element Bag; this does not trigger a Radiation Leak.

Challenging Mode: During setup, put 3 Polonium elements in the Element Bag.

Legendary Mode: During setup, put 3 Polonium elements in the Element Bag. When there are 12 elements on the Geiger Counter tray, a Radiation Leak is triggered, but the elements are not returned to the Element Bag. Elements may only be returned to the Element Bag when Lead Gloves are used or when a Plumbane chemical reaction is triggered. You lose if there are no more elements in the Element Bag.

Variant Module: Famous Scientists

This module, featuring 10 Famous Scientist cards, can be added in games with 2+ players.

At the start of the game, shuffle the Famous Scientist cards and deal 1 to each player, face up. Alternatively, create a draft row by dealing a number of face-up cards equal to the number of players plus 1; then, in reverse player order, each player chooses 1 card from the row.

Each Famous Scientist card provides its owner with special abilities or effects that alter gameplay or end-game scoring.

Note: If you wish to use the Famous Scientist module in conjunction with the base game, simply remove the Famous Scientist cards with the radiation symbol.

Antoine Lavoisier (1743–1794)

Known as the Father of Modern Chemistry, Lavoisier created the metric system and named Hydrogen and Oxygen.

Scientific Influence: At the start of the game, set your Discovery Experiment level to 3. Lead Scientist gets +1 Discovery until the end of the turn.

Marie Curie (1867–1934)

In 1898 Marie Curie discovered Radium and Polonium, and in 1911 received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for these discoveries.

Scientific Influence: During each Discovery Phase, you score 2AP if you discover Polonium or Radium. If you discover Polonium, it yields no effect on the Geiger Counter.

The manual shows only these two Famous Scientist cards; the text of the other eight cards is not printed in it.