Dangerous Space: 2024 Year-Long Adventure Set Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Turn Summary
• Goals
• Components
  • Adventure Sheet
• Setup
• Gameplay
  • Roll Phase
  • Threat Phase
  • Explore Phase
    • Movement (Move Gear)
    • Entering New Rooms
    • Effects on Movement
    • Diagonal Blocking
    • Attack (Shoot/Strike)
• Hero Features
  • Health
  • Upgrades
    • Gear
  • Defend Gear
  • Skills
  • Time
• Important Notes
  • Matching Die Rolls
  • Adjacency
  • Die Modification
  • Sacrificing Dice
• Ship Features
  • Missions
    • Mission Types
  • Threats
    • Dangerous Spaces
    • Reaction Checks
    • Defeating Threats
  • Hazards
  • Items (Boosters, Passkeys, and Grenades)
  • Checkpoints
    • Good Dice
    • Sequential Paths
• Icon Reference
  • Hero
  • Ship
  • Threats

Turn Summary

Roll Phase: Roll your dice. Roll all of your Good Dice and Evil Dice.

Threat Phase: Check if active threats attack. If Evil Dice equal or exceed a Threat's attack trigger value, the threat attacks. For example, the Clever Pirate has an attack trigger of a 5+.

Explore Phase: Mark your die rolls to move or attack. You must use all dice.

• Move: Use a die value to mark spaces within Move Gear range. Move Range is measured from a door, checkpoint, or previously marked space to an empty space.
• Attack: Spend a die (of a required value) to attack the threat, then mark the Hit Point that you attacked through. Target threats in range of your Shoot/Strike Gear. Attack Range is measured from a previously marked space to the enemy icon.

Goals

• Reach checkpoints... by forming a non-diagonal, unbroken path to a checkpoint from the starting door or previous checkpoint. If the checkpoint shows a Good Die icon, gain 1 Good Die for the rest of the game. If the path was also sequential, gain 1 Gear or Skill upgrade.
• ...and upgrade your hero.
• Complete the mission and exit to win. Complete a path from the starting door to the exit door to end the game. If you also completed the mission, you win!

In the example for a Rescue Mission, the Survivor must be rescued before exiting the ship.

Components

Components:

• Adventure Sheet (see Diagram 1)
• Rules

Provide Your Own:

• Pen or pencil
• 3 white d6 Good Dice
• 3 black d6 Evil Dice

Adventure Sheet

Diagram 1 callouts: the top half is the Hero Section and the bottom half is the Ship/Mission Section. Each game uses one adventure sheet, which combines a hero with a ship and its mission. Hero Section features are described under Hero Features. Ship/Mission Section features are described under Ship Features.

Setup

1. After choosing your hero and ship, circle the entry door you'll use to board the ship. The other entry doors will not be used, so cross them out.

   Tip: Some rooms are trickier than they appear. Try different entry doors for a different experience!

2. Take the number of Evil Dice shown next to the name of your chosen room.

   Diagram 2 callouts: 1 = Evil Dice, 2 = Entry Door. The Loading Bay example shows a starting dice pool of two dice when starting in the Loading Bay.

3. Add a single Good Die to the Evil Dice to form your dice pool. See Diagram 2.

   Note: Your dice pool may grow with additional Good and Evil Dice as you play, but your number of Evil Dice and Good Dice never goes down throughout the game.

4. Upgrade one piece of Gear (see Upgrades section). You may not upgrade a Skill instead.

Gameplay

Take a series of turns until you win or lose the game.

Roll Phase

At the beginning of each turn, roll all the dice in your dice pool. Then, complete the Threat Phase and Explore Phase in that order.

Threat Phase

The Threats may attack based on your Evil Dice rolls (see Diagram 3). For each activated (see Entering a Room to see how they are activated; the printed cross-reference reads "Entering a Room", and the section is headed "Entering New Rooms" below) and undefeated threat, check its Attack Trigger at the bottom of the sheet (1). If any Evil Die is within its trigger values, it deals its Attack Damage (DMG) to you (2). You may use abilities to modify dice and avoid these attacks. Your Defend Gear may allow you to sacrifice dice to reduce incoming damage (see Defend section). Sacrificed dice may not be activated during the Explore Phase this turn, but will be rerolled next turn. Mark the remaining damage on your hero (see Health section).

Each undefeated threat attacks at most once per turn; defeated threats never attack. Activated threats in other rooms can still attack you (you cannot simply change rooms to avoid them).

Diagram 3 callouts: 1 = Attack Trigger, 2 = Attack Damage (DMG). The sample roll in the diagram would trigger Vigilant Hunter but not Clever Pirate (which requires 5 or higher on Evil Dice). This would result in 2 damage to the hero per activated and undefeated Vigilant Hunter.

Explore Phase

During this phase you will use your dice to move and attack threats.

One at a time, activate the dice (Good or Evil) in your dice pool. For each die, decide whether to use it to move or attack, and use the die to mark an open space of the ship map as described below. You may use abilities to modify dice and write the modified values instead. You must activate all dice in your pool, including Evil Dice, before ending your turn. After activating all dice, begin the next turn.

If you mark a space that completes a path from the entry door to a checkpoint, or the exit door, finish your turn and then resolve the completed path.

Diagram 4 callouts: 1 = In range: you may mark these spaces. 2 = Out of range: may not be marked because the Move Gear only has a range of 2. 3 = Hindering: may not be marked because Dangerous Spaces must first be marked before you can pass them.

Movement (Move Gear)

Move Gear allows you to move around the ship. Whenever you activate a die with your Move Gear in the Explore Phase, mark its value in one unmarked space within range. Your Move Gear have icons indicating your movement range, defined as the maximum number of spaces counted from any starting space (your entry door, any unlocked checkpoint, or any previously marked space). See Diagram 4.

• Orthogonal: You may move up/down/left/right in a straight line only.
• All Directions: You may move in any direction (up/down/left/right/diagonally) in a straight line only.

You cannot change directions during a single movement.

If your Move Gear is upgraded, use only the highest unlocked level: do not combine the icons of all your unlocked boots (see Upgrades section).

Entering New Rooms

Whenever you mark a space in a new room (including the starting door that you circled), activate all threats in that room (circle them to show that they are active). Note if the room you just entered has more Evil Dice than your dice pool. Each turn, roll Evil Dice equal to the highest number among all rooms you've entered. Corridors (the space between two rooms) are not considered part of any room. See Diagram 5.

Diagram 5 example: the player moves from the Workshop and Quarters (2 Evil Dice) to the Medlab and Mess Hall, but continues to roll 2 Evil Dice. Upon entering Command, the player will now roll 3 Evil Dice for the rest of the game.

Effects on Movement

The following types of spaces affect progress on the ship (see Diagram 6):

• Passable: Plain white spaces are Passable. These spaces may be marked with a die value, and you may move beyond them (if you have enough movement range, you may skip over this space and mark a space beyond it).
• Hindering: Hazards and dangerous spaces are Hindering. You may mark these with a die value, but you may not normally move beyond them. Regardless of your movement range, you must mark a hindering space (and trigger its effects) before moving beyond it.
• Dangerous: These hinder movement (see above) as long as you haven't defeated their connected threat. In addition, marking a Dangerous Space activates the connected threat and triggers a Reaction (see Threats section). If you are already in a connected group of dangerous spaces you may move within it without being hindered.
• Impassable: Many other spaces on the ship are Impassable, including threats, walls, checkpoints, and items. You may not normally mark these with a die value nor move through them. Defeating a threat, obtaining a checkpoint, or collecting an item will enable you to move beyond them like a Passable space, but they may not be marked.

Additional spaces may be made passable by additional rules (see Icon Reference and the rules on your adventure sheet).

Diagram 6 callouts: H = Hindered: may not be marked because Hazards/Dangerous Spaces must first be marked before you can pass it. B = Blocked: may not be marked because Walls are impassable. One hindered space is labelled "You may mark this space because of the range 2 Move Gear."

Diagonal Blocking

Two diagonally adjacent hindering/impassable spaces will block at the point they touch, meaning you cannot pass between them diagonally. If you resolve one of those hindering/impassable spaces (for example, by defeating a threat or collecting an item), you may then move diagonally around the remaining space (see Diagram 7).

Diagram 7 (Diagonal Blocking, Move or Shoot) callouts: Image A shows diagonal blocking. Image B: B = Blocked: may not be marked because the item is unclaimed and the threat is undefeated. Clear = You may mark this space because the item is no longer blocking (it has been collected).

Attack (Shoot/Strike)

Weapons allow you to defeat threats. Like your Move Gear, each weapon has an icon indicating its range measured in a straight line (not diagonal) from any starting space. However, weapons can only mark Hit Points (small circles located around threats; see Diagram 8) that are between previously marked spaces and the threat. You may only attack with die values greater than or equal to the threat's Defense (DEF).

If the above requirements are met, fill in that hit point's circle and discard the die used. If your weapon is upgraded, use only the highest unlocked level: do not combine the icons of all your unlocked weapons (see Upgrades section).

You do not mark the die value when using it for an attack.

Note: Some heroes may have two weapons available. You may use the highest unlocked level of either of them.

• Shoot: A ranged attack, can shoot up to the number shown in a straight line. You must count range (to the threat's space) through a space containing a hit point to mark that hit point.
• Strike: These attacks are at close proximity to the threat and therefore must target an adjacent space.

Diagram 8 (Attack, Shoot/Strike) callouts: Image C: the example illustrates an attack where the hero shoots at range 2 and then marks the hit point circle to indicate the threat has been damaged. Image D: this side does not have a Hit Point and may not be used to attack the threat. Hit Point: may be marked for damage.

Hero Features

The hero portion of each adventure sheet introduces a character, lists their gear and skills, and tracks their health and time remaining in the mission.

Health

You begin with a single unlocked group of health icons. Additional groups may be unlocked from left to right as you play; fill in the circles next to new groups to indicate their unlocked status. See Diagram 9.

Diagram 9 callouts: A = You start the game with this group unlocked. B = When you earn an additional health you gain the left-most group. Fill in the circle to indicate the newly acquired group.

For each 1 damage you take, cross out 1 health point in an unlocked health group on your sheet. If all icons in all unlocked groups are crossed out, you lose the game.

Upgrades

You may have the opportunity to upgrade your gear and skills, typically by forming a sequential path to a new checkpoint (see Checkpoints section).

Gear

You start with all level one gear unlocked, indicated by small filled-in circles in the Gear section. Whenever you upgrade a piece of gear, choose one upgrade in the next level (to the right) and fill in its circle. You may not skip levels, and you may not choose multiple options within a level.

Gear upgrades replace previous levels: you may use only the highest unlocked level of each type of gear. Some Gear will provide one-time use items; these have a mark indicating a single use. Cross them out when used. See Diagram 10.

Diagram 10 callouts: A = You may unlock this level since you have unlocked the level 2. B = You may not unlock this level 2 gear because you cannot unlock two different branches. C = You may not unlock this level 3 gear because you cannot skip a level 2 or jump to a different branch of the tech tree.

Defend Gear

You start with all level one gear unlocked, which allows for a hero to prevent damage by sacrificing dice, rerolling Evil Dice, or other special effects. Additional effects may be gained through upgrades of this section.

Skills

You don't start with any of these special skills, but may gain them over time. Some may be limited to a certain number of uses per turn or over the course of the game. See Diagram 11.

Diagram 11 callouts: When you earn an upgrade you may choose to unlock a Skill (instead of a Gear). If you do, fill in the circle to indicate your hero has this ability for the remainder of the game.

Time

You only have a limited amount of time to reach all checkpoints, complete your mission, and exit the ship. Update the Time track whenever you reach a new checkpoint or Exit Door (see Checkpoints and Exit Door sections). For an example of how Time is tracked see Diagram 16.

Important Notes

Matching Die Rolls

If an effect mentions a specific Evil Dice result and any Evil Die has that value, the effect is triggered. For example, if an effect is triggered by a 6 and you roll 4 and 6 on Evil Dice, the effect triggers. If multiple dice roll 6, the effect would only trigger once.

Adjacency

Two spaces are adjacent if they touch sides orthogonally: top to bottom or left to right.

Die Modification

Dice rolls may not be modified to be lower than 1 or higher than 6. If an effect would cause a result to be lower than a 1 it instead becomes a 1. Likewise, if a result would be higher than a 6, it instead becomes a 6.

Sacrificing Dice

When you discard or sacrifice a die, take an unactivated die and set it aside for that turn. That die cannot be used that turn (for example, to mark a space in the ship or to pay for an ability).

Ship Features

In addition to a map, the ship portion of each adventure sheet includes the mission to complete and the threats onboard.

Missions

Each ship has a mission that adds a special goal shown at the bottom right. You must complete the mission in addition to the basic requirements of reaching the checkpoints and exiting the ship. See Mission Types.

Mission Types

• Eliminate: Defeat the boss threat to win.
• Commandeer: Enter the code in Code Interface spaces in the ship to win. To obtain the code, you must activate all 4 levers, each of which will provide a digit for the code.
• Retrieve the Data: Collect the databits and connect them from the entry door to the exit door to win. You must connect a sequential path from the Entry Door to all Databits, and finally to the Exit. Databits are collected by having identical numbers marked on two adjacent sides.
• Rescue: Rescue all survivors before time runs out to win. To rescue a survivor you must mark two spaces next to them with matching numbers before they are killed (as shown on the space marked on Time track).

Diagram 12 callouts (Threats): A = Threat name. B = Attack Trigger. C = Damage. D = Defense. E = Hit Points. F = React Trigger. G = Special Ability.

Threats

Each ship is inhabited by two or more types of threats, shown at the bottom of the sheet. Each threat is activated when you enter its room, mark a value in any of its dangerous spaces, or attack it. (Note: some abilities, effects, and dangerous spaces may cause a threat to become active in rooms you have not visited yet!) See Diagram 12.

Active threats are dangerous until they are defeated. During the Threat Phase they may deal damage if their attack trigger is triggered. They also have special abilities that activate at this time unless stated otherwise. And finally they will react when you mark their dangerous spaces. Circle each threat when you activate it, and cross it out if you defeat it. See Diagram 13.

Dangerous Spaces

Each threat monitors a number of connected spaces known as dangerous spaces. Whenever you mark a value in a dangerous space, the connected threat will activate if inactive, and it will react unless previously defeated (see below).

Reaction Checks

Whenever you mark a dangerous space of an undefeated threat, immediately reroll the die activated to mark the space (do nothing if you have already defeated the threat). If the result is within its reaction values, it deals 1 damage to you. The rerolled die is still considered to have been activated (you may not use it again this turn). See Diagram 13.

Reminder: Reactions always deal 1 damage even if the threat has a higher DMG stat.

Diagram 13 callouts: By marking A, the threat B now makes a reaction check. Reroll the die used for this space and if it results in a 4 or higher (the React Trigger of the Clever Pirate shown above) take 1 damage. Threat C does not React after being defeated even if you mark one of its dangerous spaces.

Defeating Threats

You defeat a threat by marking all of its Hit Points. Cross out defeated threats. They will no longer attack during the Threat Phase, trigger any of their effects, or react to their dangerous spaces. The defeated threat's dangerous spaces will no longer hinder movement.

Boss Weakspot: When attacking bosses, you may only attack them when you have a die showing this value in your pool. The die may be the same as the die you are using to attack. If the die is no longer in your pool you may not attack this threat.

Hazards

Hazards hinder movement (see Movement) and trigger a special effect when marked. Each hazard functions differently; see the Icon Reference and rules on your adventure sheet for more information.

Items (Boosters, Passkeys, and Grenades)

To gain an Item, mark two spaces adjacent to it with a matching pair of numbers. Circle items you gain. To use an item, at any time, cross it out and resolve its effect (see the Icon Reference and rules on your adventure sheet). See Diagram 14.

Diagram 14 callouts: By marking two adjacent spaces with identical numbers, the player gains the Focus Booster and circles it.

• Grenade: Use to gain one attack of Range 5, Attack 5. When used, mark off any second hit point on that threat.
• Aggression Booster: Use to increase a die value by 2.
• Agility Booster: Use to ignore one marked space in your sequential path when calculating Time at a checkpoint or exit.
• Passkey: Use to activate a die to mark a Locked Door.
• Health Booster: When you gain this item, immediately cross it out and unlock your next group of health icons.
• Focus Booster: Use to increase or decrease a die value by 1.

Checkpoints

You unlock checkpoints whenever you connect them to your entry door or any previous checkpoint with a path of orthogonally connected marked spaces. Checkpoints are unlocked at the end of a turn when any such path is completed. See Diagram 15. Circle the new checkpoint, and check the following:

Diagram 15: Checkpoints (numbered values are shown on the diagram).

Good Dice

If the new checkpoint contains a die icon, add an additional Good Die to your die pool at the beginning of the next turn (keep it for the rest of the game).

Sequential Paths

If each value marked on the path is within 1 of the previous value (equal, +1, -1), the path is considered "sequential." See Diagram 16.

Diagram 16 callouts: 1 = The first checkpoint was unlocked when the path was completed from the door to the checkpoint. 2 = The second checkpoint was unlocked when the path was completed from a previous checkpoint to the new checkpoint.

If you created a sequential path:

• Time: Find the highest number in the path and mark that many boxes in the Time track of your hero sheet. If the path leads to a previous checkpoint, stop there (do not search all the way back to the entry door).
• Upgrades: If your path was sequential, gain a new upgrade (see Upgrades).

If you created a non-sequential path:

• Time: Mark 6 boxes in the Time track of your hero sheet.
• Upgrades: You do not gain any upgrades for completing a non-sequential path. (Note: Good Dice are not upgrades and are gained automatically on completing a path to a critical checkpoint.)

When connecting from checkpoint to checkpoint, you may continue your path from any side of an unlocked checkpoint. The checkpoint is considered part of your path towards the exit door (see Exit Door section).

This same rule applies for databits (see the Missions section). You can continue the path from any side, and the databit is considered part of your path.

Any path that includes a checkpoint or databit is not broken by the checkpoint or databit; the path simply skips over the icon, continuing from a marked space on the other side of the icon. If you are trying to make a sequential path, those numbers on either side need to be sequential.

Note: You may not ignore a non-sequential path and try to make a sequential path later. Once the path is formed, it is evaluated at the end of that turn.

Diagram 16 examples: In the 1st sequential path shown above your time result would be a '4' and you would mark four time boxes. In the 2nd sequential path your time result would be a '3' and you would mark three time boxes. In the 3rd sequential path your time result would be a '3' and you would mark three time boxes. This is still sequential as checkpoints and databits are considered part of the path; the numbers on both sides are looked at to determine if it is sequential. In the 4th path shown above (not sequential) your time result would be a '6' because your path was not sequential and you would mark 6 time boxes!

Diagram 16 note: sequential paths may turn, but cannot be diagonal.

Exit Door (Ending the Game)

You exit the ship and the game ends at the end of the turn where you form a path of orthogonally connected marked spaces from the entry door to the exit door. This path may take multiple branches, but as long as there is a continuous path from the entry door to the exit door, it is considered complete. Remember to mark additional time spent for the final segment of the path to the exit door.

Winning/Losing the Game

If you finish the mission, unlock every checkpoint, and complete a path to the exit door before running out of time, you win! Your final score is your remaining time.

You lose the game if any of the following occur:

• You run out of health.
• You run out of time.
• You exit the ship without completing the mission.
• You exit the ship without unlocking every checkpoint.
• You fail to exit the ship.

Icon Reference

Hero

Move

• Move Orthogonal: Move (count spaces) in straight lines orthogonally without changing directions, up to the range of your Move Gear.
• Move Orthogonal / Diagonal: Move (count spaces) in straight lines orthogonally or diagonally without changing directions, up to the range of your Move Gear.
• Quiet: Threats do not react when moving into Dangerous Spaces.
• Move Precision: Modify a die (by the value shown) that you are about to mark for movement (once per turn).

Shoot

• Shoot: A ranged attack, can shoot up to the number shown in a straight line.
• Reload: Reroll up to this many Good Dice.
• Ammo: Reroll an activated Good Die and reuse it this turn (once per turn).
• Stun: Reroll an activated Evil Die and reuse it this turn (once per turn).
• Attack Precision: Modify a die (by the value shown) that you are about to mark for an attack (once per turn).
• Explosive: Activate a die of value 5+ to shoot a wall within weapon gear range. Circle that space. You may now mark that space when moving.
• Guided: If you hit a threat's hit point you may attack again and mark off the hit point on the direct opposite side.

Strike

• Strike: These attacks are at close proximity to the threat and therefore must target an adjacent space.
• Silent: May only be used in a space touching a Hit Point. Requires a Good Die to be used for the attack. The threat's defense is -1.

Defend

• Shield: Sacrifice a die with the value shown on the icon to reduce incoming damage by 1.
• Leech: Sacrifice a die with the value shown on the icon to reduce incoming damage by 1; add the sacrificed die's value to a different die. If the total would be over 6, the result is 6.
• Alert: Reroll an Evil Die before the Threat Phase.
• Cloak: Ignore the first time you mark a space that would cause a threat to react (useable once per threat). Put a line under the threat to indicate.
• Agile: Decrease all reaction check rolls by the listed amount.
• Dodge: When a threat fails their reaction check, you may mark the same value that you marked in a space adjacent to the dangerous space you just marked.

Range

• Range: The number of spaces you can shoot in a straight line.

Items

• Health Booster: When you gain this item, immediately cross it out and unlock your next group of health icons.
• Aggression Booster: Use to increase a die value by 2.
• Agility Booster: Use to ignore one marked space in your sequential path when calculating Time at a checkpoint or exit.
• Focus Booster: Use to increase or decrease a die value by 1.
• Grenade: Use to gain one attack of Range 5, Attack 5. When used, mark off any second hit point on that threat.
• Passkey: Use this item and activate a die to mark a Locked Door.

Hazards

• Poisonous Gas: Take 1 damage if you mark this space with an even number.
• Booby Trap: You cannot place an Evil Die here. If you do, take 1 damage.
• Decompression: Remove 1 unused die. If you can't, take 1 damage.
• Fire: Reduce all of your remaining dice by 1. If you cannot reduce any, take 1 damage.

Ship

• Wall: This impassable space may not be marked.
• Corridor: This passable space may be marked. It joins two rooms together but is not considered part of any room.
• Dangerous Spaces: This hindering space may be marked. When marked, activate the connected threat, and it makes a reaction check. If you've already defeated the threat, this space loses its 'dangerous space' trait.
• Entry Door: Choose one of these to be your character's starting point in the ship.
• Exit Door: When you form a path to this space, end the game at the end of the turn (not immediately).
• Locked Door: Normally impassable, but made passable with a Passkey.
• Checkpoint: Complete a sequential path to this space to gain 1 upgrade.
• Critical Checkpoint: Complete a path to this space to gain 1 Good Die. Additionally, gain 1 upgrade if the path was sequential.

Mission

• Survivor: Collected by 2 adjacent spaces with matching numbers.
• Lever: Activated by 2 adjacent spaces with matching numbers. Then, place that number into one of the 4 code interface spaces on the Mission section of the sheet.
• Databit: Collected by 2 adjacent spaces with matching numbers.
• Code Interface Space: The numbers marked on these spaces must match the numbers on the Mission section of the sheet.

Threats

• Evil Die: The number of Evil Dice to roll in this room. If you've visited a room with more Evil Dice, you must roll that number instead.
• React Icon: If you activate a die to mark a space in this threat's dangerous space, reroll that die to see if the threat deals 1 damage to you by comparing the reroll value against that threat's React value.