Freelancers: A Crossroads Game
Freelancers: A Crossroads Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Freelancers App
- Components
- Character Sheet
- Tokens
- Other Components
- Game Setup
- Beginning Play
- A Location Book Round
- Turning to a New Page
- The Location Book
- Winning and Losing
- Saving Your Game
- Making Skill Checks
- Spending Time
- Threat Token Effects
- Reducing Risk
- Traveling on the Map
- Resolving Other Game Effects
- Treasure Cards
- Story Cards
- Follower Cards
- Breaking Ties
- Cheat Sheet
Freelancers App
Freelancers requires a free web-based app. To use the app, visit freelancersgame.com in your mobile or desktop browser. Whenever the game instructs you to enter a number, type that number into the app. You can also find printable maps and character sheets on the app should you run out.
You don't have to read this rulebook. Launch the app by going to freelancersgame.com and it will teach you as you play.
Components
- 1 Rulebook
- 1 Location Book
- 1 Time Bag
- 2 20-Sided Dice
- 2 12-Sided Dice
- 2 10-Sided Dice
- 2 8-Sided Dice
- 2 6-Sided Dice
- 2 4-Sided Dice
- 1 Lookout Board
- 1 Scout Board
- 1 Medic Board
- 1 Game Master Tile
- 1 Bookkeeper Tile
- 1 Cartographer Tile
- 1 Influencer Board
- 1 Pad of Map Sheets
- 1 Pad of Species Sheets
- 1 Pad of Job Sheets
- 9 Starting Weapon Cards
- 80 Treasure Cards
- 78 Story Cards*
- 20 Follower Cards
- 26 Follower Tokens
- 20 Luck Tokens
- 20 Corruption Tokens
- 20 Stress Tokens
- 7 Wound Tokens
- 8 Risk Tokens
- 7 Supplies Tokens
- 5 Threat Tokens
- 7 Lock Tokens
- 9 Influence Markers
- 9 Character Standees
*DO NOT shuffle these cards.
Dice
The game uses a range of dice: d20, d12, d10, d8, d6, and d4. The d20 is always used for skill checks; the smaller die you add is your bonus die, determined by how many points you have in the relevant skill.
Dial Assembly
Before playing, assemble each of the dials on the Scout and Lookout board as shown in the rulebook.
Character Sheet
There are two parts to a character sheet. Each player will get a species sheet and a job sheet that will together make up their character sheet.
Key elements of a character sheet include:
- Species — printed on the species sheet.
- Job — printed on the job sheet.
- Name — the character name the player invents.
- Story Blanks — fill-in-the-blank prompts about your character.
- Gold Earned — a track of gold symbols; filling it all in earns a title.
- HP — each player starts with 3 HP hearts.
- Titles — earned during the quest and written in the Titles section.
- Skills — Might, Agility, Smarts, Will, and Sense, each with a track of boxes.
- Trinkets Slot — holds up to 2 trinkets.
- Armor Slot — holds 1 armor.
- Follower Slots — hold followers.
- Weapon Slot — holds 1 weapon.
- Camp Actions — actions available at camp.
- Backstory — printed on the back of the job sheet.
- Level Track — a track of XP stars on the back of the job sheet.
- Endings — the endings chart on the character sheet, consulted at game end.
Map Sheet
The map sheet includes a Name, a Key (explaining the icons), Locations, and Paths connecting them. The functions of the different kinds of map icons are intended to be discovered through play. Map icons include: campsite, fortune teller, tavern, event, market, crossroads, dungeon, threat, duel, location page, treasure golem, lawful shrine, and chaotic temple.
Tokens
- Corruption — reduces your effectiveness on skill checks.
- Luck — spent to reroll dice.
- Lock — locks an action so it cannot be chosen.
- Stress — placed on HP hearts to help another player reroll.
- Wound — placed on HP hearts; damages the party.
- Risk — added to risk tracks; represents accumulating danger.
- Threat — resolved when drawn from the time bag.
- Follower — announces a code when drawn from the time bag.
- Supplies — removed from the bag when drawn (a "safe" draw).
Other Components
- Scout Board — manages time, risk, and threat. Contains the Risk Tracks and the Threat Dial.
- Medic Board — manages wounds. Contains the Wound Track.
- Lookout Board — manages enemy dials. Contains the Location Dials.
- Influencer Board — manages influence. Contains the Influence Track.
- Game Master Tile — manages the app.
- Bookkeeper Tile — manages the Location Book.
- Cartographer Tile — manages the map.
- Story Deck — the numerically ordered deck of story cards.
- Starting Weapon Card — each character's starting weapon.
- Character Standee — represents a player when placed on actions.
- Influence Markers — track influence order.
- Time Bag — the cloth bag tokens are drawn from.
Game Setup
We suggest you use the setup in the app instead of following the directions below. To launch the app go to FreelancersGame.com.
To set up a game of Freelancers, do the following:
- Place the location book in the center of the table within reach of everyone. Leave room for it to be opened and laid flat.
- DO NOT shuffle the story card deck. The story cards are in numerical order for ease of searching for specific cards.
- Shuffle the treasure cards and form a face-down treasure deck.
- Shuffle the follower cards and form a face-down deck.
- Place all the luck, stress, lock and corruption tokens in separate piles.
- Each player selects a character standee and collects its matching influence marker and species sheet.
- Give each player a pencil or pen and a job sheet. Each player combines their species sheet with their job sheet by placing them side by side. The two together make up their character sheet.
- Each player then invents a name for their character and writes it on their character sheet. Then they answer the question about their character and fill out the story blanks section.
- Each player retrieves their starting weapon card and places it in their weapon slot at the bottom of their character sheet. Each starting weapon has an illustration of the species that starts with it on its back.
- Assign each of the following roles/responsibilities to the players. If playing with fewer than 7 players, some players will need to take on multiple roles.
Roles
- A. Game Master: Controls the app, including entering numerical codes, reading entries from the app and running the timer. If you haven't already launched the app, go ahead and do it now by going to freelancersgame.com and selecting which quest you want to embark on.
- B. Bookkeeper: In charge of reading out the action resolutions from the location book during the action resolution phase, and in charge of turning to a new page in the location book when the app directs. Be sure to be sitting in a position where it is easy for you to read the text in the location book.
- C. Cartographer: Keeps track of where the party is at on the map and is sometimes asked to mark/draw on the map to indicate knowledge the party has gained about the locations on the map. Collect a blank map sheet that matches your chosen quest.
- D. Medic: Keeps track of the party's wounds. Collect the Medic board and place a wound token on each space of the wound track.
- E. Scout: Keeps track of risk and threat. Collect the Scout board and set the threat dial on it to its start space. Collect the cloth time bag and the following tokens: risk, threat, follower and supplies. Place the risk tokens and follower tokens 1-3 (all yellow) in the bag. Place the 5 threat tokens face down on the spaces of the threat dial in a random order. Make separate piles of the follower and supplies tokens.
- F. Lookout: Keeps track of the location dials that indicate enemy health and other game elements (as will be determined by the location book pages and app). Collect the Lookout board and set all of the dials to 0.
- G. Influencer: Keeps track of influence and takes selfies. Collect the Influencer board and each player's influence marker. Place the influence markers on the influence track in a random order.
Beginning Play
When you launch the app, it will prompt you to choose a quest. It will then ask you if you want help setting up. Once the game is set up, the story will begin. Throughout play, the app will be your game master and guide.
A Location Book Round
After some introductory story, the app will direct players to turn to a page in the location book. While players are on a page in the location book, play will take place over a round (or series of rounds). Each round consists of 3 phases that must be completed in order.
1. Planning Phase
Once you've turned to a page in the location book, immediately begin a round with the planning phase. During this phase players will have a limited amount of time to choose, but not yet resolve, their actions for the round.
At the start of the planning phase, immediately start the round timer by clicking the 'Start Round Timer' button in the app. Then, in order from highest to lowest influence, each player must choose an action by placing their standee on an available action. If the timer runs out before the last player has placed their standee, choose a player to gain 1 stress and then continue selecting actions until all players are finished.
Tip: Players should NOT spend time reading exactly what the actions do before selecting them. Instead, they should use only the names and guide symbols of each action to help them determine which action to choose.
Types of Actions
- Unlimited Action: Any number of players may choose this action.
- Limited Action: Once 1 player chooses this action it is no longer available to other players during that round.
- Locked Action: Locked actions cannot be chosen. Actions are locked by placing a lock token over that action when directed by a game effect.
- Required Actions: Required actions MUST be chosen by exactly 1 player. If 1 or more required actions are still available before the last player(s) have chosen an action for the round, those players must choose a required action.
2. Action Phase
During this phase each player will resolve the action of their standee. Actions are resolved in numerical order.
First, all players who chose action 1 resolve that action one at a time in order from most influence to least influence. After all players who chose action 1 have resolved the action, the players who chose action 2 resolve that action in influence order and so on until all chosen actions have been resolved.
To resolve an action, follow the instructions listed for that action. After a player has resolved their action, they remove their standee from the page.
3. End of Round Phase
Enter the number listed under the current page's Round End section into the app. Listen to or read the story and follow the instructions provided by the app.
Turning to a New Page
When turning to a new page in the location book, first remove all tokens from the current page.
Once you've turned to the new page, do NOT pause to review all of the action resolution text on the new page. Instead, go immediately into a new round by starting the planning phase (starting the timer and selecting actions in influence order).
Note: If directed to "begin a new round on this page," immediately go into a new round without removing tokens.
The Location Book
Each location entry in the location book includes:
- Location Name
- Location Features
- Action Name
- Guide Symbols
- Action Type
- Resolution Order
- Action Effect
- End of Round Entry
Winning and Losing
There are 3 ways the game can end:
- Party Too Wounded: If enough wound tokens have been removed from the wound track on the Medic board to reveal the Game Over space, the party has become too wounded to carry on, every player loses. Enter the code listed on the Medic board into the app.
- Party Disbands: If the threat dial ever reaches the Game Over space, the quest has become too daunting, the party disbands and every player loses. Enter the code listed on the Lookout board into the app.
- Quest Goal Reached: If an entry states that the players have completed the quest, then the game is over. The more experience (XP) each player has gained during the quest, the better their personal ending will be. Starting with the player with the highest influence and proceeding clockwise, each player reads out their full name—including all of the titles they've earned during the quest—and then consults the Endings chart on their character sheet and reads their indicated ending. The player with the most titles may write their character's full name—including all of their titles—on the Pipes of the Hub page included in the back of the rulebook, never to be forgotten. If you need this game to have a winner, it's them.
Saving Your Game
At multiple times throughout a quest, players will be given the option to save the game and return to it later or continue on.
When saving the game, each player will need to fill in the Saved Game information on the back of their species sheet. A player will also need to fill the Saved Game information on the back of the map sheet.
When you want to return to a saved game, open the app (by going to freelancersgame.com) and follow the instructions provided there.
Making Skill Checks
When a player is directed to make a skill check, that player must follow these steps in order:
- Collect the d20 and your bonus die for the skill being checked (points are awarded during play. If you have no points in the skill being checked, roll only the d20).
- Roll the collected dice and add their results together.
- Add to that any other modifiers you have for that skill (usually granted by treasure, story and follower cards).
- Consult the text associated with the skill check and resolve the option corresponding to your total.
The five skills are Might, Agility, Smarts, Will, and Sense.
Corruption Tokens (skill checks)
If you have 1 or more corruption tokens, do not roll your bonus die when making a skill check. After resolving that skill check, discard 1 of your corruption tokens.
Luck Tokens (skill checks)
If you have 1 or more luck tokens, after rolling a die or dice for a skill check, you may discard a luck token to reroll 1 die. You may do this multiple times on a single skill check.
Help from a Friend (stress)
After rolling a die or dice for a skill check, you may request aid from the other players. Any other player may gain 1 stress to aid you in your skill check. If they do so, you may reroll 1 die. Players may do this multiple times on a single skill check.
Note: A player cannot gain stress to reroll a die during their own skill checks.
Spending Time
When a game effect causes the players (or a player) to spend 1 time, the Scout must draw a random token from the time bag and resolve it.
Risk Tokens
If the Scout draws a risk token, they must add it to its matching risk track. If the token has the "draw again" icon on it, after resolving that risk token, the Scout must draw and resolve an additional token.
When a risk token gets placed on the last empty space of a risk track, filling that track, the Scout must raise the threat level. To raise the threat level, turn the threat dial clockwise to the next level on the dial, add the threat token on the new level to the time bag, and return all tokens on both risk tracks to the time bag.
Threat
Threat represents the potential danger ahead of the players, which the game uses in a variety of ways, always prompted by the app. Threat is determined by the current value on the threat dial plus the number of players.
If the threat dial ever reaches the Game Over space, the quest has become too daunting, the party disbands and every player immediately loses. Enter the code listed on the last space of the threat dial into the app.
Wound Tokens
If the Scout draws a wound token, they treat it as a risk token. The Scout chooses which risk track to add it to. When a risk track fills up, any wound tokens on the risk tracks are returned to the time bag along with all of the risk tokens.
Follower Tokens
If the Scout draws a follower token, they announce the code on the back of that token and the Game Master enters the code into the app.
Supplies Tokens
When a game effect causes a player to gain 1 or more supplies (e.g. Supplies +1) the Scout adds that many supplies tokens to the time bag. When the Scout draws a supplies token from the bag, they remove it from the bag (as indicated by the "discard when drawn" icon). No other effect happens. (You've avoided drawing a negative effect.)
Threat Tokens
If the Scout draws a threat token they resolve the effect indicated on that token (see below).
Threat Token Effects
- All players that are able lose 1 luck token. Then this threat token is removed from the bag.
- All players gain 1 corruption. Then this threat token is removed from the bag.
- Treat this as a risk token that can be added to either risk track when drawn from the time bag.
- Treat this as a risk token.
- Treat this as a risk token.
Reducing Risk
When a player is directed to reduce risk (e.g. Risk -1) that player may choose any token on either risk track and return it to the time bag.
Traveling on the Map
When the app instructs the players to travel on the map, the players do the following in order:
- Consult the map sheet and collectively decide where they will go next by selecting a path that connects their current location to a new location.
- Spend 1 time.
- The Cartographer then crosses out the party's current location, draws a line along the selected path, and circles the party's new location.
- The Game Master then taps the location button on the app that matches your new location. Listen to or read the story and follow the instructions provided by the app.
Backtracking
The party may select a path that they have already traveled previously, to an already visited (crossed out) location. When traveling to a crossed out location, players must still spend 1 time but they do not visit that location again. The Game Master does NOT tap the location button on the app. Instead, the party must immediately travel on the map again.
Resolving Other Game Effects
HP, Stress & Wounds
Each player starts the game with 3 HP.
When a player gains 1 or more stress, they take that number of stress tokens from the supply and place them on available HP hearts. A player cannot willingly take on stress to gain an effect if they do not have enough available HP hearts to place that stress on.
When a player gains 1 or more wounds, the Medic removes that number of wound tokens from the wound track and gives them to that player. The player places each of those wound tokens on one of their available HP hearts (an HP heart is not available if it already has a token on it). If that player does not have enough available HP hearts to place all of those wound tokens, any wound tokens that couldn't be placed are added to the time bag.
If all of the wound tokens are removed from the wound track, the party has become too injured to carry on and every player immediately loses. Enter the code listed on the last space of the wound track into the app.
When the game instructs a player to heal 1 or more HP, that player chooses to discard 1 stress token back to the supply or return 1 wound token back to the wound track for each HP healed (or as many as are able).
Gaining Skill Points
When a player gains a skill point (example: Will +1), that player fills in the left-most unfilled box for that skill on their player sheet. If that box has an XP star or a gold, that player also gains those rewards as instructed below.
Note: A player does not gain a skill if all of that skill's available boxes are already filled in.
Gaining Experience Points (XP)
Each player has a level track on the back of their character job sheet. The more XP stars a player is able to fill in on their level track during a game, the better an adventurer they are.
When a player gains XP (e.g. XP +1) that player fills in the next star (from top to bottom) on their level track. If the star the player filled in has a game effect, the player immediately resolves that effect.
There are many ways for players to gain XP, but the most common way is by gaining skills. Each time a player fills in a skill box that contains an XP star they also fill in a star on their level track.
Gaining Gold
When a player gains 1 or more gold that player fills in 1 gold symbol on the Gold Earned section of their player sheet for each gold gained. If there is an icon present on that gold symbol, the player resolves it by gaining 1 of whatever that symbol represents. A player that fills in all of their gold gains the title displayed below their Gold Earned section.
Gaining Titles
When a player is instructed to gain a title, they write that title on one of the blanks in the Titles section of their character sheet and circle the kind of title it represents (lawful or chaotic).
When a player gains their 4th title, they also gain 1 XP. They gain 1 XP again when they gain an 8th title.
Note: Once a player has a title, no other player can have that same title. A player cannot have the same title more than once.
Gaining/Losing Influence
When a game effect causes a player to gain or lose 1 or more influence (e.g. Influence +2) the Influencer must move that player's influence marker higher or lower on the influence track accordingly, shifting other players' markers to make room. Influence markers should never share spaces or have empty spaces between them. If a player who was already at the top of the influence track would gain influence, that player instead discards 1 corruption token, if able.
Gaining/Losing Luck
When a player gains 1 or more luck that player takes 1 luck token from the supply for each luck gained. When a player loses 1 or more luck, that player discards 1 luck token back to the supply for each luck lost (or as many as able).
A player can discard a luck after they roll for a skill check to reroll one of the dice they rolled for that check.
Gaining/Losing Corruption
When a player gains 1 or more corruption that player takes 1 corruption token from the supply for each corruption gained. When a player loses corruption, that player discards 1 corruption token back to the supply for each corruption lost (or as many as able).
A player that has 1 or more corruption tokens cannot roll their bonus die when making skill checks (but may still add skill modifiers). After a corrupted player resolves a skill check, they discard 1 of their corruption tokens.
Gaining/Losing Followers
When a player gains a follower that player draws a card from the follower deck and slots it into one of their follower slots at the bottom of their character sheet. The Scout then finds the matching follower token and adds it to the time bag.
If both of a player's follower slots are filled when they would gain a follower, they may draw a card from the follower deck and either discard the drawn follower or discard one of the followers they already have to gain the drawn follower. If the newly drawn follower is discarded, its token is not added to the time bag.
When a player loses a follower (e.g. Follower -1) that player must choose one of their followers (if they have any) and discard it next to the follower deck (forming, or adding to, the follower discard pile).
Note: If a follower is discarded while its token is in the time bag, its token stays in the time bag and its code is still entered when its token is drawn.
Treasure Cards
When a player gains 1 or more treasure that player draws and puts into play 1 treasure card for each treasure gained. If the treasure deck runs out of cards, shuffle its discard pile to form a new deck. Treasure cards are played face up and have an effect that benefits the player that gained them.
Treasure can also sometimes be gained by stealing from another player, as directed by the app or a game effect.
When a player loses a treasure (e.g. Treasure -1) that player must choose one of their treasures (if they have any) and discard it next to the deck it came from (either the treasure or story deck).
Some card effects start with a bolded "Discard" keyword. A player who has such a card equipped may discard it to resolve the listed effect. A bolded discard effect cannot be triggered while another effect is being resolved, e.g. while making a skill check, spending time, or gaining or spending a resource. Discard effects only resolve when players discard specifically for that effect. When a player discards for any other reason (e.g. resolving a treasure -1 effect or discarding a treasure you don't have an available slot for), do not resolve the discard effects.
There are 4 kinds of treasure: Trinkets, Armor, Weapons and Weapon Augments.
Trinkets
Each player has 2 trinket slots. When a player gains a trinket, they equip it to their trinkets slot on the side of their character sheet. If a player already has 2 trinkets equipped and they gain another trinket, they must either discard 1 of their equipped trinkets and equip the new one, or discard the new trinket.
Many trinkets, as well as other kinds of treasure and followers, grant a player skill modifiers. A player does NOT fill in a box on their player sheet when gaining a treasure with skill icons on it. These modifiers are added to skill check results after rolling.
Armor
Each player has 1 armor slot. Gaining armor works like gaining trinkets, except it is equipped to a player's armor slot along the bottom of their character sheet and a player can have only 1 armor at a time.
Armor sometimes provides players with extra HP slots. When a player gains a wound or stress, they may place it on an empty HP slot on their armor. When a player heals HP, they may heal it off of their armor. If an armor card with wounds and/or stress on it is discarded, the wounds are returned to the wound track on the medic board and the stress is discarded.
Weapons
Each player has 1 weapon slot. Gaining a weapon works like gaining trinkets and armor.
Sometimes the game will instruct a player to make a weapon check. A weapon check is a type of skill check and is resolved the same way as a skill check (rolling d20 + a bonus die, etc.) except the bonus die a player rolls for a weapon check is determined by their weapon. If a player would need to make a weapon check and they have no weapon, they only roll the d20 and no bonus die for that check.
Weapon Traits
Some weapons have a trait icon below their name. These icons usually have no effect until the game specifies otherwise.
Weapon Augments
When a player gains a weapon augment, if that player has a weapon, they may either discard that augment without effect or attach it to their weapon. A weapon has the bonuses and traits shown along the top bar of any augments attached to it.
If a player gains a weapon augment and they have no weapon to attach it to, they slot the augment into their weapon slot. If a player gains a weapon when they have a weapon augment(s) in their weapon slot, they put the weapon into their weapon slot and attach the augment(s) to that weapon.
A weapon augment can be discarded for its discard effect, if it is not attached to a weapon. When an augment is attached to a weapon, it cannot be discarded for its discard effect.
There is no limit to the number of augments a weapon can have attached to it. If a weapon is discarded, all augments attached to that weapon are also discarded (but their discard effects are not triggered).
Trading Treasure
While players are at a trading post on the map, they may freely trade treasure cards amongst one another. Players cannot trade treasure cards at any other time.
When an armor card is traded to another player, any stress or wounds on that armor stay on it. When a weapon is traded to another player, any augments attached to it stay attached to it.
Treasure Card Anatomy
A treasure card may include: Name, Effect, Skill Modifier, Trait, Extra HP, Trinket type, Armor type, Weapon type, Weapon Augment, Weapon Modifier, and a Card Reference Number.
Story Cards
Story cards are a group of cards that include treasure cards (trinkets, weapons, armor, augments) and follower cards. Story cards all have the same storybook back and all have a number in the lower right hand corner on the front of them. The story card deck is never shuffled. When story cards are put back into the story deck, they should be put back in numerical order.
Some game effects will direct a player to gain a specific story card and will provide that story card's number so that it can be easily found in the numerically ordered story deck. If a game effect directs a player to gain a story card that another player already has, they steal it from that player.
Follower Cards
A follower card includes a Name, an Effect, and a Card Reference Number. Followers grant ongoing effects to the player who has them slotted.
Breaking Ties
If two or more players are ever tied for the purposes of evaluating a game effect, break the tie in influence order, with the higher influence player having the higher result.
When the group has to make a joint decision (like where to go next on the map), if the group can't agree, take the decision to a vote. The player with the highest influence breaks ties in a vote.
Cheat Sheet
- Treasure: Gear that gets equipped to your character. Limited by the slots on your character sheets.
- Corruption: When you make your next skill check, do not use your bonus die, then discard 1 corruption.
- Luck: Discard after rolling for a skill check to reroll 1 of your dice.
- Stress: Place in 1 of your character HP slots to allow another player to reroll 1 of their dice after they rolled for a skill check.
- Wound: Fills up 1 of your character's HP slots. If all your HP slots are filled, it goes into the time bag. If you use all of the wound tokens, your party loses.
- Lawful Title: A lawful reputation means your character is considered logical or helpful. Likely following some sort of code.
- Chaotic Title: A chaotic reputation means your character is considered unpredictable or selfish. Interested in their own whims.
- Draw Again: Draw another token from the bag.
- Discard When Drawn: Do not return this token to the bag.
- Weapon Augment: May be permanently attached to your weapon to improve it.
- Weapon Traits: When specified, offers a bonus to weapon checks.