Fallout: Atomic Bonds
Fallout: Atomic Bonds Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Expansion Overview
The Fallout: Atomic Bonds Cooperative Upgrade Pack allows players to convert all of the competitive scenarios from Fallout: The Board Game and the Fallout: New California expansion into cooperative scenarios. During a cooperative scenario, the survivors work together to complete a scenario-specific objective.
Additionally, this expansion contains modifications that survivors can use to enhance their weapons and items, mutations that can both help and hinder those who suffer too many rads, and an assist die so survivors can aid each other during fights.
Components
- 14 Mutation Cards
- 14 Modification Cards
- 1 Assist Die
- 12 Goal Cards
- 8 Activation Cards
- 12 Workshop Upgrade Cards
- 1 Double-sided Power Token
- 8 C.A.M.P. Tokens
- 5 Double-sided Scenario Sheets
Setup
To set up a game using the Fallout: Atomic Bonds Cooperative Upgrade Pack, perform the setup steps on page 2 of the Fallout base game Rules Reference. Then perform the following steps in order:
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Choose Loyal Faction: Choose one of the factions presented on a scenario sheet to be the loyal faction. Then, replace that scenario sheet with the identically named scenario sheet from this expansion, placing it in the play area with the loyal faction's side faceup. Then place the new double-sided power token with the non-loyal faction's power symbol faceup on the topmost space of the power track. The power tokens from the base game are not used.
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Create New Decks: Shuffle the modification, mutation, workshop upgrade, and goal cards into separate decks and place them facedown in the play area. Then, shuffle the activation deck and place it to the right side of the first player. Return the agenda deck from the base game to the game box; it is not used.
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Reveal Goal Cards: Reveal four goal cards from the top of the goal deck and place them faceup in the play area.
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Place C.A.M.P. Token: Place one C.A.M.P. token on the "Crossroads Camp" space of the starting map tile. Place all other C.A.M.P. tokens in a pile to the side of the play area.
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Prepare Mutations: Deal one mutation card facedown from the top of the mutation deck to each survivor. Each survivor places their mutation card in the mutation slot (marked with the mutation icon) on the right side of their survivor board. A survivor's mutation remains facedown and they cannot look at it until it is revealed during the game.
Playing the Game
To play a game with the Fallout: Atomic Bonds Cooperative Upgrade Pack, follow the rules presented in the Fallout base game Rules Reference in conjunction with the rules in this section.
Factions
When setting up a game using this expansion, survivors as a group choose one of the scenario's factions to be the loyal faction. The loyal faction helps the survivors during their time in the wasteland. Because the loyal faction is not represented on the power track, if a quest reward would advance that faction's power token, the survivors resolve the "+" effect for that faction on the scenario sheet instead. These effects typically provide the survivors with XP, caps, or C.A.M.P. tokens.
[Figure: Loyal Faction Advancement Rewards, an excerpt of a scenario sheet.]
The non-loyal faction on the scenario sheet is the opposing faction. This faction advances on the power track when it is activated at the end of a round, which is described later. If it reaches the final space on the track, the game ends and the survivors lose.
Activation Cards
Activation cards replace agenda cards and are used to activate enemies and the opposing faction. And the end of the round, after all survivors have taken their turns, the first player reveals the top card of the activation deck and performs the following steps:
[Figure: Activation Card.]
1. Activate Enemies
Each activation card indicates two of the five standard enemy types to activate, top to bottom, following the rules for activation present in the Fallout base game Rules Reference.
2. Activate Opposing Faction
Some activation cards also include star or shield icons. After activating enemies, if the card has a faction icon that matches the loyal faction, the survivors ignore that icon. However, if the card has a faction icon that matches the opposing faction, the survivors activate that faction's enemies and advance the opposing faction's power token by once space.
[Figure: Opposing Faction Activation, an excerpt of a scenario sheet.]
Additionally, the survivors check to see how many enemies of the opposing faction are already on the map and resolve the "Activation" effect on the scenario sheet that matches that number.
3. Choose First Player
The first player can choose to remain first player or choose another survivor to become the first player. If a new first player is chosen, that player places the activation deck and its discard pile to the right of their play area.
Ending the Game
The survivors either win together by completing the "Victory" conditions presented on the scenario sheet or they lose together when the opposing faction's power token reaches the last space on the power track.
Goals
Each scenario's victory condition requires the survivors to complete goals, which are placed in the play area during setup. Survivors can complete a goal immediately when the condition specified on the goal card is satisfied. When a goal is completed, the survivors flip that goal facedown.
[Figure: Goal Card.]
If there are two identical goals, the condition on each of those goals must be completed independently. For example, if the survivors have two goals that each require the survivors to have 3 workshop upgrades, they must have 6 workshop upgrades total. Additionally, if a goal is completed and the number of required goals has already been reached, retreat the opposing faction's power token by two spaces.
Additional Rules
This section contains additional rules that survivors must understand to play the game.
Assisting
A survivor can assist during a fight if they are either in the same space as the survivor who is fighting or if they have a ranged (pistol icon) weapon and are in a space adjacent to the survivor who is fighting.
[Figure: 1 Assist Die.]
To assist, a survivor rolls the assist die. Any hits on the assist die are combined with the hits from the other V.A.T.S. dice results. The assisting survivor can use traits and abilities (such as their equipped weapon) to reroll the assist die and affect the fight in other ways as if they were fighting.
If an enemy is killed while a survivor is being assisted, the assisting survivor gains one XP. But, assisting is not without risk. The assisting survivor suffers an amount of damage equal to the enemy's level for each black circle icon showing on the assist die. Only one survivor can assist per fight.
C.A.M.P. Tokens
Each game begins with a C.A.M.P. token on the "Crossroads Camp" map tile. During the game, various effects cause the survivors to gain additional C.A.M.P. tokens, which survivors can place elsewhere on the map to create a fast-travel network.
[Figure: C.A.M.P. Token.]
If the survivors gain a C.A.M.P. token, they take one from the supply and place it near their scenario sheet. When a survivor performs a camp action, if they are in a named space, they can take a C.A.M.P. token they have gained that is not already on the map and place it in their space. That space is now available as a fast-travel destination.
Fast Travel Action
During a survivor's turn, as long as there are no faceup enemies in their space or an adjacent space, a survivor can perform a fast-travel action as one of their two actions. To perform a fast-travel action, a survivor places their figure on any space that contains a C.A.M.P. token.
Killed
If a survivor is killed, advance the opposing faction's power track by one space.
Modifications
Modifications provide enhanced capability to weapons and apparel. When a survivor is shopping, they can use one or more of their shop actions to draw an equal number of cards from the modification deck. Then, they can take one card of their choice from among those they drew, discarding the remaining cards.
[Figure: Junkie's Modification card, "Modification - Weapon": "During a fight, if you are Addicted, generate 2 rerolls."]
When a survivor acquires a modification, they can attach it to one of their assets that has a matching icon. For example, a survivor can attach the "Junkie's" modification to a weapon because they both have the hand icon.
Each asset can have one modification attached to it. A survivor can replace an existing modification with a new one, but they must discard the modification that is being replaced—they cannot move it to a different asset. If an asset is discarded, the modification attached to it is also discarded.
Modifications attached to assets in a survivor's inventory do not count against their inventory limit.
Mutations
Mutations provide survivors with both positive and negative abilities after they have reached five rads. If a survivor's green peg reaches the fifth hole on their survivor board track, they immediately activate their mutation by flipping it faceup and reading it aloud. The abilities described on their mutation are in effect for the duration of the game, even if that survivor recovers rads so that they are below five.
[Figure: Mutation card, "Adrenal Reaction". POSITIVE: "When you perform a fight action, inflict 1 additional hit." NEGATIVE: "Your HP maximum is reduced by 4."]
Workshop Upgrades
Quests may reward survivors with workshop upgrades. If a survivor gains a workshop upgrade, represented by the workshop upgrade icon (formerly the agenda icon), they draw a workshop upgrade card from the top of the workshop upgrade deck and follow its instructions. Many workshop upgrades provide survivors with an immediate, single-use benefit, though some provide a persistent effect.
[Figure: Workshop Upgrade card, "Tinker's Workbench": "Gain 1 "Junk" card from the loot deck or discard pile for each Workbench upgrade in play (including this one). Then, shuffle the discard pile into the loot deck."]
After a survivor resolves a workshop upgrade card, they place it near the scenario sheet. Some effects may reference the number of workshop upgrades the survivors have gained.