High Frontier 4 All: Module 6 – Odyssey Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 6A. Module 6 for the High Frontier Game Universe
• 6A1. Module 6 Components
• 6A2. Module 6 Setup
• 6B. Explorers
  • 6B1. Explorer pawns
  • 6B2. Higher Frontier (the Daniel Boone rule,⁴ modifies O6 Core)
  • 6B3. Explorer Double Operation
  • 6B4. Forming a joint expedition
  • 6B5. Explorer death
  • 6B6. Heroism
• 6C. Explore-Prospect (new Operation replacing Prospect)
  • 6C1. Explore-Prospect requirements
  • 6C2. Explore-Prospect vehicle-assist
  • 6C3. Exploration FINAO (Failure Is Not An Option)
  • 6C4. Draw Exploration Chits
  • 6C5. Choose 1 chit & return others to the container
    • Distribution of chits by milieu [6C5]
  • 6C6. Busting
• 6D. Vehicles
  • 6D1. Vehicle anatomy
  • 6D2. Vehicle types
  • 6D3. Acquiring vehicle cards
  • 6D4. Wrecked vehicle cards (slugs)
  • 6D5. 3D-Printing Vehicle Operation
• 6E. Joint Expeditions
  • 6E1. Gentlemen's agreements
  • 6E2. Command cards
  • 6E3. Partner conduct
  • 6E4. Expedition dissolution
• 6F. Careers
  • 6F1. Career anatomy
  • 6F2. Job qualifications
  • 6F3. Job hunting (new free action after free market)
  • 6F4. Getting promoted
  • 6F5. Getting fired (new consequence of budget cuts event)
  • 6F6. Career abilities
  • 6F7. Career scoring modifiers
• 6G. Endgame & Victory

6A. Module 6 for the High Frontier Game Universe

• a. Number of Players: 1 to 6.
• b. Modules. Can be combined with any Module in the High Frontier 4 All universe. Modules 1 & 2 are mandatory.
• c. Terms being defined are listed in bold, or italicized if defined elsewhere. Capitalized terms are defined in the glossary in the Core rulebook. Capitalized names (e.g. Luna and Mercury) are planetoids, planets, or substars of Size = 6 or larger (big enough to have lander burns, see footnote 10). Blue text indicates rules for Modules.
• d. References. The numerical prefix on a reference (e.g. 1A3 or 2B4c) signifies the Module number.
• e. The Golden Rule. If the text on a card, scenario, tutorial, or variant contradicts these rules, that text prevails. Rules in the Modules supersede those found in Core or the listed Module. If a conflict occurs between Modules, use the publication date as the final arbiter.
• f. Link to a pdf of the Living Rules is found on the last page.

¹ ODYSSEY is a long and eventful journey. The word stems from the Greek poem by Homer, describing the travels of Odysseus during his ten years of wandering after the fall of Troy. The 1968 Kubrick film 2001 – A Space Odyssey has made this word synonymous with space. The Command Module of Apollo 13 was named "Odyssey", accompanied by the Lunar Module named "Aquarius".

² ADDICTION. As on Earth, isolation and frustration often leads to anhedonia (emotional numbness), leading to adaptive or maladaptive coping behaviors. In Greek myth this state was embodied by Oizys, the spirit of misery, and described as erēmía (desolation).

6A1. Module 6 Components

• a. 1 Drawer Box.
• b. 1 Rules Booklet. You are reading it.
• c. 6 explorer pawns (1 in each player color).
• d. 27 vehicle cards (Purple and slug sides).
• e. 7 career cards (Green and purple sides).
• f. 8 command cards. (Two joint expeditions (6Ea) allowed.)
• g. 56 exploration chits (7 of each milieu, in 4 punchout boards).³

Component layout as printed: 8 exploration milieu stacks; 2 expedition decks; 1 career deck; 4 vehicle decks; 6 player pawns. Each card and chit has a flip side.

³ LEIF ERIKSON AWARDS are bestowed by the Exploration Museum in Iceland for achievements in exploration that pushes the boundaries of human knowledge and understanding.

6A2. Module 6 Setup

First decide which Modules you will use. Modules 1 and 2 are mandatory.

Setup is per Core (C), plus setup for Modules used. See 6Gj for solitaire/cooperative.

• a. Explorer. Place the explorer of your color. Start your explorer pawn in your LEO Stack, on top of your Crew Card. [6A2a]
• b. Exploration Chits. Set aside one container for each of the 8 milieus (air, ocean, Push, elevator, Astrobiology, ice, Synodic, and "Unspecialized Site"). A container can be a bag or coffee cup. Each should contain the 7 exploration chits (6F3) of their milieu icon on the Black-Side of the chit.
  • Exploration bags: one of 8 bags (air) shows the air icon. The 7 chits in the "Unspecialized Site" bag have this back. The other 6 bags are ocean, Push, elevator, Astrobiology, ice, and Synodic.
  • If using Module 5: discard the 7 synodic exploration chits out of the game (they interfere with the ET Comet company).
• c. Vehicles begin in 4 decks segregated by support (J): nuclear, burst, exotic, and electric & pulse. The electric and pulse share the same deck. All cards are Purple-Side faceup.
  • Double Support Vehicles. The three sandworm vehicles exceptionally require 2 supports. Place these into the deck according to the first support listed.
  • Starting Aqua is 4 greater since the 4 vehicle decks are patent decks.
• d. Career deck. Place these 7 cards green-side faceup, in a public deck. [6A2d]
  • In a 2-player game discard the pilot & journalist careers (since glory is unfairly available).
• e. Command deck. Place these 8 cards in two 4-card decks, one per joint expedition (6Ea).
• f. Number of Cycles (C1). Place 4 seniority disks (or 3 if using the jump start found in Tool Pack 1, but with no starting Bernal or Factory, and discarding the first seniority disk).

6B. Explorers

You are personally located on the map where your explorer pawn is located, which must be a LEO/Bank Stack, or on a Human Card or vehicle card that is in a Stack. Your explorer pawn may also be next to a Colony dome, to show it is part of that Colony. It can freely transfer to or from any of your colocated Stacks.

Easily missed: Your playmat provides a record of your experiences, discoveries, & glories. Future stars cannot be claimed unless your explorer is there for attendance. [6B1a]

6B1. Explorer pawns

Your pawn is mass = 0 and may be added to any Stack, or may be placed on the map to form its own Stack. However it needs life-support to survive. All life-supports can support any number of explorers.

• a. Human. An explorer counts as a Human for Felony defense, Glitch repair (G7), and as a manned Site during combat (3E2l), but doesn't count against Stack or Colonist limits.
  • Futures (1D1a). To create a Future, it is necessary and sufficient for attendance if your explorer is present. In Odyssey however, if your explorer dies as a result of the Epic Hazard Roll, you are still awarded the Future star.
• b. Life-support. To avoid dying, an explorer needs to be colocated at the start of each Turn on:
  • a LEO/Bank map space;
  • a card with the human icon, including Crew Card or Colonist Cards;
  • a Factory or Colony space (including Anchored Bernals);
  • an Operational vehicle card (even if it has the wrong milieu for the Site);
  • an Operational robonaut.
• c. Carried chits. Your explorer carries a maximum of 1 chit, either glory (L), artifacts (6C5c), or POWs (3D9c). Carry them to the GLORIES spot on your playmat, using rules for ticker tape parade (La).
  • The hubris rule. Unlike Core, only explorers (and not Crew) can carry chits, and must pick up Glory if possible.
  • For greater glory. If you are carrying a glory chit, you may discard it out of the game to accept a new chit.
• d. Implant Operation (Module 4, 4C4). Your explorer may receive augmentation chits (4C3) in the same manner as Colonists.
• e. POW (Module 3 Conflict). If defeated in combat, your colocated explorer must form a joint expedition (6E) as a POW, as indicated by a carried chit (6B1c). You take any command the captain gives you, with no ownership.

6B2. Higher Frontier (the Daniel Boone rule,⁴ modifies O6 Core)

At the end of each Sunspot Cycle, the 1st player selects an empty glory spot of a Heliocentric Zone, and places the Seniority Disk there instead of in the assembly (O6). No further explore-prospect ops may be done in this Zone, except for explorers already on a Site. (This rule represents NPC agencies Claiming Sites in an already explored Zone.)

• a. Invitation only. If there are no empty glory spots, bust the Earth Zone.
• b. Explored Site. Sites in a Daniel Boone Zone are considered explored (4A7d).

Tip: Towards the end of a solar cycle, negotiate with the 1st player if your plans are in an explored Zone. [6B2]

⁴ DANIEL BOONE was an American frontiersman who famously complained that it was too crowded when he could see the chimney smoke of a neighbor within 6 miles. It is the nature of pioneers that they push the frontier while others rush into the tamed lands behind them.

6B3. Explorer Double Operation

If you start your Turn with your explorer on a Colony (including an Anchored Bernal), you are allowed 2 Operations instead of 1, if both are Colony Operations (see below). The Colony can be owned by an opponent. If one or more of your engineer Colonists are with you at the Site (2C1d), you may perform one extra Colony Operation.

• a. Colony Operations are Factory-refuel (I5b), ET production (I8), 3D-printing vehicle (6D5), & double-load Freighter (next bullet). Factory-refuel requires a Claim of your color, and ET production requires a cube of your color, unless you have permission per 6E3c or the Law is freedom to roam (modified from O5f).
• b. Surface Operations. An explorer on a Site that is not a Colony also may perform a double Site-refuel (I5a).
• c. Double-load Freighter (new Colony Operation, Module 1). If your explorer starts its Turn colocated with a "factory loading only" Freighter (1B3b) at a Factory, it may spend an Operation to double-load the Freighter. This Freighter has a doubled load-limit for this Factory loading only.⁵

Easily missed: The amount obtained from a single Site Refuel is capped at 14 FTs Aqua or 4 FTs Isotopes per 5A4n (due to Abilities, etc.). Since an Explorer is allowed 2 Site Refuels, this cap is now 28 FTs Aqua or 8 FTs Isotopes. [6B3b]

⁵ DOUBLE-CAPACITY FREIGHTER is not merely one with an enlarged cargo bay. Freighters are rockets, and doubling the payload means doubling the water propellant. The doubled water must be abstracted, since Freighters do not track fuel (to avoid overtaxing the players). How much water would a Freighter need for a typical homeward trip from the asteroid belt to LEO? The delta-v is about 10 km/sec (4 Burns) and a fission steam Freighter has a specific impulse of 230 seconds (2.3 km/sec exit velocity). Using the rocket equation, a payload of Mass = 2 would need 88 tanks of water (mass ratio = 84:1). This is an enormous rocket by High Frontier standards, with the vast majority of its mass being water propellant. Since this Freighter is so thirsty, it can only be loaded at a Factory: water is loaded at the same time as the payload, and only a Factory can supply the necessary water. This much water in a year from a Factory is 13x what the game allows for Factory refuel (88 tanks vs. 7). To double this Freighter's capacity, in other words to carry a payload of 4 instead of 2, would require doubling the water needed (to 177 tanks) and doubling water production per year (to 26x Factory refuel). This is too much for an automated facility, but is assumed to be possible with a Colony managed by an efficient industrialist (the explorer). This water production is plausible, being equivalent to the water needs of a community of 140 people using 135 liters/day.

6B4. Forming a joint expedition

A joint expedition (6E) is collaboration toward a common goal between two colocated individuals, such as a company, marriage, or hitchhiker.⁶ The members of an expedition, called partners, carry command cards (6E2).

• a. Invitation only. On your turn, you may invite a colocated explorer to join your Rocket Stack. Conversely, if on your opponent's Turn they move a Rocket Stack off of the space where you are, you may invite yourself along. If an agreement is reached (6e1), you both become card-carrying partners.
• b. Command cards. The partner contributing the most Dry Mass must be the captain (6E2a), which is permanent until death or unconsciousness (6E3f). The other 3 command cards are then assigned by contribution (6E2b,c,d), but may be reassigned at any time by mutual consent (6E3c). Place your command card(s) by your playmat.
• c. Location. Place your pawn on a life-support card (6B1b) in the Rocket Stack (life-support may be shared). Move desired patent cards or Fuel (with approval from the captain) along with the other cards in the Rocket Stack (they become mutual property of the partners).
• d. Movement. The Rocket Stack, using a Rocket figure of the captain's color, moves on the captain's Turn, see 6E2a.

Example [6B4]: Your opponent is leaving for Mars with her Crew (provides thrust and ISRU 4) plus explorer. You join with a Sail, an Operational vehicle + robonaut, and your explorer. You have the greatest Mass, and become the captain, and the rocket becomes your color. You also get chief engineer and science officer. She gets first mate. The launch is delayed until your Turn.

⁶ ORGANIZATIONS. [Epigraph quotation on organization, omitted.]

6B5. Explorer death

You can die from an instant event (6C4c) or from starting a Turn without life-support (6B1b). If combat leaves you without a vehicle or human for life-support (Module 3), you become a POW (6B1g). If you die but have eureka (6C5), choose an experience. Return remaining chits to the container. Then choose one of these 2 "reckless" options:

• a. Reckless youth. Return your explorer pawn to LEO/your Bank, acting as your heir.
  • Playmat. Flip all your stored glory to their lower DP side. Flip all blue and black & white chits to their 1 DP side, so that they lose their Ability. All flipped exploration chits are considered experiences worth 1 DP.
  • Carried chits. If carrying glory, return to the map (even if this covers a Busted disk per 6B2, which allows the Zone to once again be explored). If carrying an artifact, return it to its milieu container.
  • Career. You lose your career to the top of the career deck (your job is now available).
• b. Reckless elderly. Your pawn remains (as a tombstone). You lose all your remaining Turns.
  • Playmat retains all its chits. Hand cards remain in place.
  • Carried chits. Move both glory and artifacts to your playmat on their high DP side as posthumous honors.
  • Career. Keep your career as a posthumous honor.⁷ It cannot be disputed, challenged, or lost due to firing.

Example [6B5]: You explore-prospect Mars with an explorer, rocket, robonaut, a zeppelin, and supports, but no Crew. The first chit drawn is an EXPLOSION. The Glitch Roll is a "5", which destroys the powerplant for both your vehicle and the robonaut. Lacking life-support, you suffocate. In order to avoid player elimination, you choose reckless youth. You flip the glory and blue chits on your playmat.

⁷ DEATH vs. RETIREMENT. [Epigraph quotation from Homer's Odyssey, Book XI, omitted.]

6B6. Heroism

Heroism chits (Lc) are awarded the same as in Core, but are additionally considered to have an unlock icon on each.

• a. Newbie miscalculation.
• b. Devastating event.
• c. Loss of human life.
• d. Aiding an opponent.

Example [6B6]: It's a 3-player game. You need money for FINAO, and Player White gives you 2 Aqua. You vote to give Player White the "aiding an opponent" heroism, but Player Purple votes against you, and no heroism is given for this good deed.

6C. Explore-Prospect (new Operation replacing Prospect)

This Operation, called explore for short, replaces the prospect operation (I6) in Core. This new Operation is much like the original, except that you need an explorer to do it, and instead of a Size Roll (I6.3) you draw exploration chits from your container (6C4) to determine if the Site is Claimed or Busted. The complete procedure is:

• Requirements (6C1). Bring your explorer and an Operational robonaut⁸ to an unexplored Site with enough Hydration. Instead of the robonaut, you can bring other cards with an ISRU rating (e.g. Crew).
• Vehicle-assist (6C2). Decide if you will use a permissible vehicle to assist your explorer. If you do, the explore-prospect is a free action (does not count as your Turn's Operation).
• Exploration FINAO (6C3). Decide if you want to pay the FINAO price for this (normally 4 Aqua).
• Draw exploration chits (6C4). Perform instant events (kill, Claim, addiction, Glitch Roll, KO).⁹
• Choose 1 drawn chit (6C5) to move to your playmat or explorer, if you have eureka (have drawn at least one discovery). If death or KO, this choice must be the experience that felled you. Return others to the container.
• Bust the Site (6C6) if you did not Claim it and are not KO (knocked out).

Example [6C]: You fly to Mars with just your Crew and explorer, taking the Mars glory. You pay 4 Aqua for exploration FINAO. You choose to draw from the ice bag rather than the Atmospheric bag. The 1st chit is an EXPLOSION. Its Glitch Roll is canceled, but the KO ends your exploration. You have no eureka, so you cannot gain the chit as experience. The Site remains unclaimed. All chits are returned to the bag.

Easily missed: In Core, prospect is an uncertain Operation without choices. In Odyssey, explore-prospect is a similarly uncertain Operation with possibly lethal choices. [6C]

Easily missed: You need a robonaut to start your explore-prospect. But you can continue drawing chits even if the robonaut is lost (e.g. EXPLOSION). [6C]

Tip: Since you only draw one chit at a Size = 1 Site, you can Claim it but can't choose any chits, unless you have: (1) 2 or more unlock abilities, (2) a raygun or buggy, or (3) a geologist career. [6C3]

Tip: The chance of drawing 1 discovery and 1 experience (thus allowing you to increase your experience) is about 60%, assuming the bag has 6 or 7 chits. If the Site has one ARTIFACT, you have a 28–34% chance of Claiming the Site (similar to Core). [6C]

¹¹ ALTRUISM. [Author essay on altruism, omitted.]

⁸ ROBONAUTS were conceived as both ore prospecting equipment and water refineries. The missile robonauts use superheated plasma exhaust to melt either mineral samples or ice. The raygun robonauts do the same with beamed energy. The ISRU value of this equipment was based on the power and temperature of the output. Concrete is a great source of water for an ISRU = 1 robonaut, and an ISRU = 0 robonaut can squeeze water from a hydrated stone.

⁹ RANDOMNESS. [Epigraph and author essay on randomness, omitted.]

6C1. Explore-Prospect requirements

In order to perform this Operation, you must have these requirements:

• a. Robonaut with suitable ISRU. As in Core, you need an Operational robonaut with an ISRU rating meeting the Hydration requirement (I6.1 & I6.2).
  • Space Elevator explore (Module 1). If a Site is claimed due to it being on one end of a built Space Elevator (1B9b), the Claim is automatic skipping explore-prospect.
• b. Virgin. As in Core, the Site must not be Claimed or Busted. Its Heliocentric Zone must not be Busted (6B2).
• c. Boots on the ground. Your explorer must be on the surface of the Site. Rayguns may be used when passing through a space Adjacent to a Site, but the explorer must move to its surface by the end of the Turn (6C4b).¹⁰

The milieus and their specialties (6C2a): Astrobiology; Push; Atmospheric (air); Space Elevator; Submarine (ocean); Hydration 4 (ice); Synodic Comet; and Unspecialized Site (no milieu icon, regolith).

¹⁰ WORLDS IN THE EKLUND UNIVERSE. The worst feature of the IAU redefinition of "planet" in 2006 was not its demotion of Pluto and Eris from planets to dwarf planets, but its even more chauvinistic decision to restrict a "planet" to something that orbits Sol. High Frontier and Arrival abandon Sol-centric terms in favor of general definitions. Thus "System Sol" (and not "The Solar System"), "Sol" (and not "The Sun"), "Luna" (and not "The Moon"), "Planet" (and not "exoplanet"). As in Arrival, an asteroid is a celestial body less than 20 milligees (Size 5 and less); a planetoid is 20 to 300 milligees (Sizes 6, 7, 8, & 9). For example, Ceres is 29 milligees, Pluto is 63 milligees, and the big moons of Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune are around 140 milligees. A planet is from 301 to 1500 milligees (Sizes 10 & 11). The planets in High Frontier are Mercury and Mars at 377 milligees, plus Earth and Venus at about 1000 milligees. Beyond this is the radius valley (an observed shortage of exoplanets of Size 12). A substar has more than 1500 milligees at its ocean level yet doesn't have depleted lithium. A star does have depleted lithium, indicating interior lithium fusing.

6C2. Explore-Prospect vehicle-assist

You may bring any number of vehicles for life-support, but only one permissible vehicle type can assist the exploration.

• a. Choose milieu. If the Site has multiple milieus (i.e. multiple icons), choose one of them to explore-prospect.
• b. Permissible Vehicle is a colocated Operational vehicle with a specialty icon (6D1f) that matches your choice of milieu, see 6D2. A sandworm is a permissible vehicle only for a Site with no milieu icons.
  • Free explore. If your Stack has a permissible vehicle, your explore-prospect does not cost an Operation.
  • Synodic milieu. There is no permissible vehicle for this milieu, so only spacesuit exploration is allowed.

Easily missed: If a Site has more than one milieu icon, you choose one of them. If it has no icon, you must choose the sandworm regolith bag. [6C2b]

Example [6C2c]: You bring a torch to Comet Halley, allowing you to explore-prospect its ice assisted by your vehicle (free operation). Alternatively, you could explore its Astrobiology or its Synodic with your spacesuit (costs an Operation).

Easily missed: If you have no vehicle to absorb kill events, & no FINAO, you die at the first kill event (6C4c). [6C2c]

• c. Spacesuit exploration is an explore-prospect without a permissible vehicle.
• d. Multiple explorers. If multiple explorers are present during an explore-prospect, and the phasing player's explorer dies or is KO, another explorer there (e.g. an expedition 6E) may continue to explore using the chits already drawn. This opportunist might cause immediate events from further chit draws, and may take a chit per 6C5.
  • Vehicle borrowing. Each explorer may use their opponent's assisting vehicle (if any).

6C3. Exploration FINAO (Failure Is Not An Option)

Before drawing the first chit of an exploration, you may choose to pay Failure Is Not An Option (H7e). You can only do this once per explore-prospect, at the normal cost. Exploration FINAO automatically negates the first kill or Glitch Roll instant event (6C4c). Its chit can still be chosen (6C5a) for experience.

• **a. Altruism FINAO programmer.**¹¹ You may pay for the exploration FINAO of an opponent on their Turn, before they draw chits, even without permission. You may ask for "aiding an opponent" heroism vote (Lc). [6C3a]
• b. Pilot's Ability (6F6f). Exploration FINAO is applied to the first kill even if this is nullified by being a pilot.
• c. Module 5 (5B3e). A customer must pay the FINAO Company price to receive FINAO for exploration. This does not claim a malf. If you pay double the company price (FINAO deluxe price), the company service allows you to choose whether or not to negate the effects of an experience, as it arises, to a maximum of one per exploration.

Easily missed: Instant events that can be canceled by exploration FINAO are magenta-colored as a reminder. [6C3]

Easily missed: You cannot interrupt drawing chits for another Operation. [6C4]

6C4. Draw Exploration Chits

Each milieu starts with 7 exploration chits. These chits start in a coffee cup or other container suitable for random draws. You may also skip the container and shuffle them on the table facedown. Start by drawing 1 chit at random from your container. Draw chits one at a time, looking at each chit before deciding whether to draw the next.

• a. Exploration chit anatomy. There are two kinds: discoveries (blue) and experiences (black & white). The top half shows what happens if drawn; the lower half shows their Abilities and DP if on your playmat.
  • Front & Back. [6C4a] The front (used to interpret exploration results) is either blue (a discovery) or black & white (an experience). The back (showing the milieu & reduced DP) is black; see illustration 6A2e.
  • DP & Unlock requirement (front side) of the discovery or experience. See 6C5a.
  • Instant Events (front side). See 6C4c.
  • Abilities (front side). Active if chosen and placed in your playmat, see 6C5b.
  • Unlock Ability (front side), shown by the unlock icon, see 6C5b.
  • Milieu (back side). Use these icons to sort the chits into their proper container during setup.
  • DP Number (both sides). The number of discovery points counted toward your victory if on your playmat.
• b. Maximum Number of Chits drawn. You may stop drawing at any time, but must stop drawing when either the number of chits drawn = the Site's Size or when you die or are KO. This maximum can be larger if:
  • Size Roll Abilities. If you have an Ability that improves your success in a Size Roll (e.g. buggy prospecting I.6b, blink telescope, etc.), you may draw one extra exploration chit.
  • *Raygun.*¹² If during your movement, your Operational raygun robonaut (I.6a) was Adjacent to at least 2 Sites (including Busted) that meet its Hydration requirement (I6.2), you may draw one extra exploration chit that turn. However, to explore a Site your explorer must move to its surface at the end of your movement.

Example [6C4b] (Karin): Your rocket with an ISRU = 2 raygun flies through the Karin Cluster barycenter, rolling for the Yarkovsky swarm, and lands on Karin a. Since this barycenter has 3 Sites (Karin a, b, c) that meet your Hydration requirement, you are allowed to draw up to 2 chits total during your explore-prospect of Karin a (Size = 1). Unfortunately, you bust Karin a. On your next Turn, you move through the barycenter (again rolling for the Hazard), and land on Karin b. This allows its exploration, also drawing 2 chits.

Example [6C4b] (Raygun): You have a raygun with a re-roll ability (Lorentz-propelled microprobe). Your raygun explorations draw 2 extra chits: 1 for moving through a barycenter, & 1 for its Ability.

¹² RAYGUN PROSPECTING irradiates the surface of an airless world from space with a laser. This sublimates its material and the resulting plume of ejecta can be analyzed by spectroscopy (see footnote 18, 6D2). The game assumes that only one of the world's surveyed by laser abrasion is promising, and the explorer lands on that one to start a mine.

• c. Instant Events. If an event is listed on a drawn chit, apply it before drawing the next chit:
  • Kill. The fatality is either an assisting vehicle (6C2) or (if the vehicle is missing or a slug) you. If the vehicle is killed, flip it to its slug side. Otherwise, your explorer dies and you must stop drawing chits (another explorer or partner at the Site may continue drawing chits, see 6C2d). Choose a death option (6B5a,b) to see the fate of your pawn. If you have eureka, you gain the experience that killed you.
  • Addiction. Select one of your black & white chits on your playmat (if any) to shuffle back into its container.¹³
  • KO. Your explorer is knocked-out, ending your explore-prospect this Turn. If you have eureka (6C5), choose the KO experience, then see 6C6b. If there is another explorer present (e.g. a joint expedition), see 6C2d.
  • Claim. Add a Claim disk to the Site if none is present. May continue exploring. The Claim persists if you die.
  • Glitch Roll (modified from the glossary). Roll one die (1d6) and apply it to all Stacks colocated with the explorer. All cards which have a rad-hardness (B2j) exactly equal to the die roll (if any) suffer involuntary decommission. If a heavy radiator is glitched, instead of Decommission rotate it to its light Orientation.
  • Coolant Loss (found only on Push sites). Decommission all radiators in the Stack.

Note: You still claim even if your robonaut is killed during the exploration. [6C4c]

Example [6C4c]: It's the final solar cycle, and you have brought a buggy robonaut, refinery and Colonist in order to explore-prospect Triton. The buggy allows you to choose the milhalani plumes, with a subsurface ocean, and fortunately you are assisted by a sub with an electric powerplant. The first chit = BARREN. You don't want to stop because eureka (6C5) prevents you from choosing this chit. The 2nd chit is a COLLISION, forcing you to return an experience in your playmat, and sinking the sub. But you brashly keep exploring in just your spacesuit. The 3rd chit = LEAK, which places a Claim on the Site but kills your explorer. With no eureka, you can't choose a chit. You choose to die as a reckless elderly, keeping your score but taking you out of the game.

Example [6C4]: You are prospecting Hertha (Size = 3). You have no permissible vehicle, and no money for exploration FINAO. The Site has no milieu, so you must use the regolith bag, still with all 7 chits. Your first chit = CAVERN, which needs 2 unlocks, but you only have 1. There are 2 discoveries, 2 Kill experience, and 2 KO experience left in the bag. You are a medic and are immune to KO. Even so, drawing a 2nd chit is risky: you have a 1/3 chance of a discovery that you can't unlock, a 1/3 chance of instant death, and a 1/3 chance of a harmless KO which you can choose for your playmat. The 2nd chit is a useless discovery. Because Hertha is Size = 3, you are allowed one more draw. Should you risk it? You draw an EXPLOSION, which kills your Crew but your robonaut provides life-support. As a medic, you ignore the KO. Hertha is busted, but you can choose the EXPLOSION to add to your experience.

¹³ SUBSTANCE ABUSE. [Author essay on addiction risk for explorers, omitted.]

6C5. Choose 1 chit & return others to the container

In order to choose a chit for your playmat, you must fulfill eureka: at least 1 blue chit (discovery) has been revealed. If so, move a maximum of 1 chit to your playmat (to 2 playmats if 6E). If you suffered death or KO, the chit chosen must be a black & white chit. Otherwise, choose either a black & white chit or an unlocked blue chit, and return the rest.

Tip: All the milieus have 4 experiences & 3 discoveries, except synodic (4 discoveries) and ocean (2 discoveries). Each time you remove an experience from a milieu, the milieu becomes a safer environment to make discoveries, both for you and your opponents. [6C5b]

• **a. Discovery.**¹⁴ To choose a blue chit, it must be unlocked. If so, add it to your playmat with its highest DP side faceup to indicate your elevated score.
  • Unlocked Discoveries. If a chit has 2 to 4 black lock icons, there must be at least that many unlock Abilities (unlock icon) on your playmat to apply towards unlocking it. Each heroism (6B6) counts as an unlock.
  • Claim & Industrialize. If listed, these Operations can be performed. To industrialize, you must have an Operational refinery and robonaut to Decommission. If you have a Crew or Colonist, you can also colonize.
• b. Gain Experience. If you choose a black & white chit, add it to your playmat faceup to show your new Ability:
  • Insight (expanded Ability of 4B4f). This Ability, found on BARREN and also in Module 4, allows you to direct research (once per Turn free action). When announcing a research auction (I2) or job hunting (6F3), you may first choose one patent deck or the career deck and move its top card to the bottom of its deck. Then choose the top card of any patent or career deck. This Ability is inactive during research grants (O5e).
  • Bailout (duplicate of 4B4f). This Ability grants immunity from budget cuts (K2f). This is negotiable (N7).
  • Unlock (new Ability). If you are conscious and have any unlock Abilities (unlock icon), you can apply them to unlock a discovery. These Abilities come from chits on your playmat, or from the geologist career (6F6c).
  • If exploration FINAO paid and it canceled an experience, that black & white chit can still be chosen.
  • If you suffer reckless youth death (6B5a) and you have eureka, choose the killing experience but flip it facedown.
• c. Artifact. If you choose this blue chit, add it to your explorer with its 1 DP side faceup to be carried like a glory chit back to Bank/LEO/Lab, where it will be flipped to its 5 DP side. You can also industrialize your Claim (with a robonaut & refinery).

Example [6C5c]: Your 1st chit is an ARTIFACT. You have 4 unlocks in your playmat, just enough to unlock the ARTIFACT. Since you have drawn the 1 blue chit needed for eureka, you decide to stop and to add it to your explorer.

Easily missed: If you are killed or KO, and you have eureka, you can claim the kill or KO chit. [6C5]

¹⁴ DISCOVERIES. [Epigraph and author essay on scientific discovery, omitted. Odyssey is a game of discoveries, and the eureka rule means no personal progress without revealing at least one potential discovery!]

Tip: EXPLOSION is the most dangerous event. It is 2x as likely in the ice milieu, simulating iceflash explosions.¹⁶ [6C6b]

Tip: Unless you are an oceanographer, elevator and ocean are the hardest places to gain experience (48% after drawing 2 chits). [6C5]

Tip: The best milieu for making a Claim is ocean (71% after drawing 2 chits). The worst milieus are elevator & sandworm (29%). [6C6a]

Distribution of chits by milieu [6C5]

• Atmospheric (air): Artifact×1, Ore Vein×1, Aquifer×1, Barren×1, Collision×1, Leak×1, Explosion×1
• Ocean (subsurface): Artifact×1, Ore Vein×1, Barren×1, Collision×1, Leak×2, Explosion×1 (easiest to Claim)
• Astrobiology: Artifact×1, Cavern×1, Aquifer×1, Barren×1, Collision×1, Leak×1, Explosion×1
• Ice (Hydration = 4): Artifact×1, Cavern×1, Aquifer×1, Barren×1, Leak×1, Explosion×2 (only 2 unlocks & tied with Synodic as most explosive)
• Push Site: Ore Vein×1, Cavern×1, Aquifer×1, Collision×1, Leak×2, Overheat×1 (no artifacts)
• Elevator Site: Ore Vein×1, Cavern×1, Barren×2, Collision×1, Leak×1, Explosion×1 (most unproductive)
• **Synodic Site:**¹⁵ Artifact×1, Ore Vein×1, Cavern×1, Aquifer×1, Leak×1, Explosion×2 (most eureka, but only 1 unlock & no permissible vehicles)
• Sandworm (Unspecialized Site): Ore Vein×2, Cavern×1, Barren×1, Collision×1, Leak×1, Explosion×1 (sandworms need 2 supports)

Note: A LEAK = an experience with a CLAIM. [6C5]

¹⁵ SYNODIC CYCLE is the time for a Site to return to the same position relative to Sol, as observed from Earth. Synodic Sites have an eccentric orbit and on the map have a red, blue, or yellow border (see Synodic Comet Site in the Core glossary).

¹⁶ ICEFLASH is the explosive transition from amorphous to crystalline ice. Ice that forms beyond the snow line tend to be amorphous, and becomes dangerously unstable if brought within the snow line (such as in a cometary orbit).

6C6. Busting

After you explore-prospect, there are 3 possible Site outcomes:

• a. Claimed. Place a Claim disk if Claimed by an instant event (6C4c) or by taking an unlocked discovery chit. A Factory and Colony are also possible if specified. No further exploration is possible.
  • If Zone is Busted because of Daniel Boone (6B2), a Claim disk cannot be placed.

Example [6C6a]: You explore-prospect a large Site and have 4 unlocks, enough to unlock an ARTIFACT (6C5c). Choosing this discovery adds its chit to your explorer, places a Claim disk, and allows a free industrialization op.

• b. Neither Claimed nor Busted. If you suffered KO (6C4c), then the Site is unchanged and may be explore-prospected again.
• c. Busted. If it wasn't claimed and there was no KO, or if you do not have any more Claim disks, place a red Busted disk on the Site. No further exploration is possible.

Easily missed: Unlike Core, both buggy and raygun prospecting only explore/prospect a single Site, and thus may only claim or bust a single Site. [6C6c]

6D. Vehicles

These are patent cards. They start setup into 4 columns (6A2b) that are considered patent decks. They are auctioned, held in the Hand (and add to Hand Limit), boosted, free marketed, carried as Cargo (mass = 1), and inspired as other patent cards. They have no ISRU and cannot be used to replace the robonaut during the Hydration requirement.

• Vehicle assistance. During explore-prospect, you may be assisted by a vehicle if it is Operational and permitted (i.e. matching to the Site's milieu icon: Atmospheric, Push, etc.). If the vehicle suffers a kill during exploration, it becomes a non-operational slug.
• Free Market Sales. The Purple-side of cards cannot be sold, see 1A5d. However Vehicle cards in the Hand or on the map may be converted into a slug, and sold as if they were White-Side cards (I3a).
• The Martian. An Operational vehicle that is permissible at the destination Site can (1/turn) move a Stack of maximum Wet Mass = 5 (including itself) anywhere on a buggy road. Compare with the martian (H9b).¹⁷

Tip: Assuming a vehicle, your chances of earning 2 unlocks (enough to discover AQUIFERS) is 48% after 6 explore-prospect attempts and 72% after 9 attempts. These percentages are halved if you don't use FINAO. [6D]

6D1. Vehicle anatomy

To perform an exploration, you need both an explorer pawn and a vehicle card in the Stack on the Site. The vehicle must be Operational (the Stack must have its listed support, either a reactor or generator, and the supports of its supports, etc.), and the icon of its specialization (lower right corner) must appear in the Site.

Parts of a vehicle card (see the printed example [6D1]):

• a. Purple-Side Name including its powerplant.
• b. Mass (always = 1).
• c. Radiation-Hardness (5 for nuclear, 3 for exotic, and 4 otherwise. The slug is rad-hard = 6).
• d. Supports (either a generator and its Operational supports, or a reactor and its Operational supports.) Each sandworm requires 2 supports.
• e. Spectral Type. A new vehicle can be ET produced at an M Factory.
• f. Silhouette & Specialty icon (what worlds it is allowed to explore). See 6C1 for a list of specialty icons plus corresponding milieus. If a Site has no milieu icons, only the sandworm regolith is permissible.
• g. Thrust Triangle. Vehicles have a liquid fuel chemical rocket (thrust = 12, fuel consumption = 8) if Operational.
• h. Slug Side. This is a non-operational slug of metal, see 6D5 for repairing it via 3D-print.
• i. Preview shows the powerplant and the milieu of the other side of the card.

¹⁷ VEHICULAR CARGO. A highway-rated diesel truck and trailer carries 40 tonnes (1 Mass) maximum. Assuming a highway was built, one can imagine a convoy of 5 rigs carrying a Mass = 5 Stack. If its speed was just 5 km/hr, it could encircle an Earth-sized planet in a year.

6D2. Vehicle types

There are 26 vehicle cards, each 2-sided with a vehicle and a slug side. Each card is a unique combination of its specialization and its support. Each is Mass = 1. The 7 vehicle specializations are:

• a. Zeppelin. Exotic, nuclear, burst, or electric power. Can explore Atmospheric Sites (10 Sites).
• b. Sub. Exotic, nuclear, burst, or electric power. Can explore ocean Sites (subsurface oceans, 18 Sites).
• c. Mole. Exotic, nuclear, burst, or electric power. Can explore Push Sites (15 Sites).
• d. Lifter. Exotic, nuclear, burst, or pulse power. Can explore Sites where a Space Elevator is either built or can be constructed (8 Sites).
• **e. Spectro.**¹⁸ Exotic, nuclear, burst, or pulse power. Can explore Astrobiology Sites (62 Sites).
• f. Torch. Exotic, nuclear, burst, or electric power. Can explore Sites with Hydration = 4 (the torch melts caves into the ice).¹⁹ There are 86 Sites with Hydration = 4.
• g. Sandworm. These 3 vehicles each require a double support, either nuclear & pulse, pulse & burst, or electric & exotic. May only explore unspecialized sites (Sites with none of the milieu icons).²⁰ There are 79 such Sites.

Easily missed: If a Site has no milieu icons, it may only be explored by spacesuit or sandworm assist. [6D2g]

¹⁸ SPECTROMETRY measures surveyed material by identifying its spectral components. [Epigraph and product note on the L3VIN instrument, omitted.]

¹⁹ SNOW LINE is the minimum distance from Sol in which water ice does not immediately sublimate in direct sunlight, about 5 AU. In the game, this is the Jupiter (F) Zone and beyond. These worlds are mainly ice-covered. [Remaining science commentary and quotation, omitted.]

²⁰ SANDWORM is a mobile refinery capable of processing hundreds of tonnes of regolith (the dust and broken rock found on most airless worlds) each hour to extract volatiles and helium 3. Volatiles are added to the regolith by space weathering, the irradiation of solar wind ions. [Remaining product example and quotation, omitted.]

6D3. Acquiring vehicle cards

These cards are patent cards, and thus auctioned per I2. Once auctioned, both the card and the top card of its support patent deck go into your Hand.

• a. Move a vehicle to the map by the boost (I4, but comes with a free print per 6D5a) or 3D-print (6D5) Operations.
• b. ET Production. If you have a vehicle in your Hand or on the map, you can ET produce it (on its Purple-Side) at an M Factory. Thus your ET production Operation (I8) includes a free 3D-print to move your vehicle patent to the Factory.²¹
• c. Selling. A vehicle, whether on the map or in your Hand, is sold on the free market as a white card, to the bottom of its patent deck, or traded among players. If traded, choose whether it stays on the map, or goes into the buyer's Hand.
• d. Conflict (Module 3). A vehicle suffering overload or zap (3E2d,f) is Decommissioned to your Hand.

Example [6D3b]: Printing a slug from your Hand by 3D-printing.

Example [6D3]: You pay an Aqua to boost the torch slug from your Hand to LEO. You pay 2 more Aqua to boost its generator and a solar sail. You use your free 3D-print to flip the vehicle to its Purple-Side. You load everything plus your recently deceased explorer into your Rocket Stack with a Dry Mass = 3. It's season red, so you spend 8 more Aqua as fuel for your torch as a chemical rocket, then for your movement spend all your Fuel to move through the cycler Burn into the VAB. Your thrust of 13 means you rocket through the radiation without destroying your generator. On your next Turn, you plan on switching your Activated Thrust Triangle to your sail, and flying to the icy Site where you left your equipment behind. Your Operational vehicle provides life-support.

6D4. Wrecked vehicle cards (slugs)

A vehicle on its Purple-Side is wrecked during any kind of involuntary Hazard (e.g. kill or Glitch instant events, Hazards, Belt Rolls, etc.). This flips it to its slug side. Its owner may then choose to Decommission it into their Hand.

• Slugs are invulnerable to Hazards, combat, etc. They may be flipped to their vehicle side only by 3D-print (6D5).

If playing Module 3: vehicles are superb kamikazes. The lifter has a rad-hard = 8, and is a gun. [6D3b]

²¹ ET PRODUCTION combines 4 production phases. The production cycle for all four lasts an Earth year: (1) The robonaut integral to the Factory excavates and pulverizes ISRU ores. (2) The pulverized ores are melted down and purified by the refinery into slugs of several useful materials. (3) The slugs are 3D-printed into component parts. (4) The parts are assembled by Humans or Robots into the final ET product.

6D5. 3D-Printing Vehicle Operation

If you have 2 vehicles (Purple or slug sides) anywhere (in a Stack or in your Hand), as an Operation you may swap them. The Stack vehicle can be on either side. (This represents melting down one device to print another device that you have a patent for.)²² This is a Colony Operation (6B3a), so it can be part of a double operation.

Easily missed: A card not in your Hand can be Decommissioned to your Hand in order to 3D-print. [6D5]

• a. Operations that include a free 3D-Print. If you boost a slug, or ET Produce (6D3b) a slug, you may 3D-print the slug as a free action. Either flip it, or replace its card with any vehicle in any of your Stacks or in your Hand. (This represents using a 3D-printer to build a vehicle that you have a patent for.)
  • Example [6D5a] (3D-print): You hold a nuclear mole in your Hand, and a pulse lifter on your Stack on Io. For your Operation, you swap the two cards. (This reflects that in shape-shifting, it is the Mass that is important.) The card in your Stack might not be Operational.
• b. Melting a vehicle into equipment (inventor). If your career is an inventor (6F6d), and you have an Operational vehicle on the map colocated with your explorer and an M card in your Hand (of mass = 0 or 1), a 3D-print swaps the two cards, with the Black-Side faceup on the patent.
• c. Melting equipment into a vehicle (inventor). If you are an inventor (6F6d) colocated with an M card in a Stack (Mass = 1 or more) and a vehicle in your Hand, a 3D-print swaps the two cards. See example 6F4 to view the inventor card and its Ability.
• d. Glitch Trigger. 3D-print is a Glitch Trigger (glossary).

Easily missed: An inventor provides a way to print a Black-Side card without a Factory. This card can be sold for considerable profit. However, you cannot convert one M card into another M card. [6D5b]

Example [6D5]: Your Operation is to boost a nuclear sub and a generator from your Hand. As your free 3D-print, you could flip it to its vehicle side, but it would not be Operational without a nuclear reactor. But you have an electric mole at an Outpost, and you choose to swap this card with your nuclear sub as your 3D-print. This represents melting down the slug and 3D-printing it into a mole vehicle.

²² 3D-PRINT. An Odyssey slug consists of a 20 tonne ingot of plastic and nickel-based superalloys, plus the 20 tonne 3D printer itself. This mass does not include the electric or pneumatic power source, or the ultimate solar or nuclear powerplant. The printer uses powder bed fusion techniques, in a manner similar to ET production except that the source of mass is the slug instead of mined and refined ore. If you crash the finished vehicle, its printer is unharmed and its slug of metal is recoverable. [Quotation omitted.]

6E. Joint Expeditions

Joint expeditions are formed per 6B4. There can be 2 expeditions (alpha & zeta).²³ Each must have at least 2 partners, or else it dissolves. Each partner must hold at least one command card (so 4 partners maximum per expedition). The advantages of being in a joint expedition include:

• Teamwork. The Abilities of all partners (who are present and not KO) are available to all Operations of the expedition, except only you can use your unlock abilities (6C5b).
• Joint property. Any partner, on their Turn, may perform any Operation using cards in the Rocket Stack. Only the captain can use their movement to move the Stack with a thrust Triangle, however.²⁴
• Bonus chit. 2 chits instead of 1 must be chosen during 6C5 (subject to eureka & unlock). The captain decides who gets this chit, but no more than 1 chit may be taken by each of the 2 explorers doing the exploring.
• Costs for boosting, fueling, and equipping a joint expedition are as negotiated.
• FINAO costs are the responsibility of the player whose Turn it is, who can negotiate (6E3c) among partners.

Warning: The many agreements needed for a joint expedition will slow the game down. [6E1]

²³ EXPEDITION ZETTA is an interstellar boardgame designed in 2018. [Remaining trivia about the game's planetary generator, omitted.]

²⁴ JOINT PROPERTY. [Author essay quotation on private property, omitted.]

6E1. Gentlemen's agreements

Since the partners of a joint expedition have differing goals, at any time one partner may ask for a statement of expedition objectives from the others. Such agreements may involve payments (6E3c), but promises for future Turns are non-binding.²⁵

Example [6E1]: You invite Player White to join in a joint expedition as first mate/chief engineer. She replies, "I will join, but only if I am allowed to keep my Project Orion patent if I resign, and if I am paid 6 Aqua if Project Orion is Decommissioned during industrialization." You reply, "OK, but you must assign to me any glory attained during the expedition." And you shake hands on this non-binding agreement.

²⁵ EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT. [Author essay on employment, omitted.]

6E2. Command cards

If a joint expedition is formed, distribute all 4 of its command cards to the colocated players as follows (a player may end up with multiple cards):

• a. Captain (contributing the greatest total Dry Mass). Color of Rocket Figure. Decides which colocated cards may join the expedition. After each explore-prospect, chooses which partner on the Site gets the bonus chit (if any, see 6E).
  • The Cards & Fuel of a joint operation are stored on the captain's playmat and Fuel Strip. This Rocket Stack moves on the captain's Turn to destinations of his/her choice.²⁶
• b. Chief Engineer (contributing the lowest fuel consumption Thrust Triangle). Assigns the expedition's Glory.
• c. First Mate (assigned by the captain to anyone else, since the captain can never be the first mate).
  • Leadership transfer. If the captain is killed or KO, the first mate and the captain swap cards.
• d. Science Officer (greatest Mass robonauts + refineries). Color of Claims & Factories produced by the expedition. Third in command. If the current explorer suffers KO, may order a partner to keep exploring (with at least 1 chit).

Easily missed: There must be at least 2 card-holding partners of a joint expedition. The captain and the first mate can never hold each other's card. [6E2c]

Easily missed: If there is a KO, the science officer can order someone to continue the exploration, even against their will. If the science officer is KO, she retains her command and still can order someone to explore. [6E2d]

Example [6E2]: A joint expedition consists of the captain, the first mate/chief engineer, and the science officer. On the captain's Turn, she moves her Rocket to an unexplored Site. She decides not to explore-prospect herself (since she can assign the bonus chit for herself, why not let others do the dangerous work?). On the next Turn the player is the science officer. Since there is a permissible vehicle, he explores without expending his Operation. He is broke and unable to convince the others to pay exploration FINAO. He starts drawing, and the first is an EXPLOSION, with a KO that knocks himself out, and a Glitch Roll that destroys the nuclear support for the thruster, robonaut, and vehicle (the first mate's Crew is the only thing keeping all 3 explorers alive). Before losing consciousness, the science officer orders the captain to continue the exploration. She draws an AQUIFER, and then decides to stop drawing. Because the unlock abilities of the downed explorer don't count, the AQUIFER is locked and can't be chosen, so there is no bonus chit. The only chit awarded is the EXPLOSION, which must be awarded to the downed science officer, who drew the chit.

²⁶ CAPTAIN. [Comparison to the Interstellar game, omitted.]

6E3. Partner conduct

• **a. Read the Waiver.**²⁷ Until the Site is Claimed/Busted, the partner whose Turn it is may explore-prospect.
• b. Felonies are not allowed to be committed by a partner of a joint expedition (regardless if the victim is a partner).
• c. Negotiations. At any time, all partners of a joint expedition (if present) may trade, sell, or donate any Aqua, command cards (but a living & conscious captain may not be given away), discoveries, experience, carried chits (6B1e), or patent cards in the Rocket Stack. The colors of Claims, Factories, and Colonies may be negotiated when they are first established among partners. After the expedition has departed, evaluate "rainbow" facilities as follows:
  • Factory refuel. With a Claim of your color and a Factory of any color, you dictate who can use it to refuel.
  • ET production & factory assist liftoff. With a Factory of your color, you dictate who can use it.
  • Promotion. With a Colony of your color, you dictate who can use it for promotion.
  • Partners of a joint expedition cannot be denied any Operations or Stack Cards by other partners.
• d. Industrialize & Colonize. If the Site is claimed, a partner may use their Operation to Decommission cards at the Site (regardless of ownership) to make a Factory. The color of the Factory is determined by the science officer.
  • Colonization. The industrializing partner may also colonize, using any available Crew or Colonist. If a Crew is used, the dome color must match the Crew. If a Colonist is used, the dome color is that of the Colonist, even if the player of this color is in the game or not.
  • ET Production & Factory Fuel. Any cards or Fuel produced by the Factory go to the captain's playmat (but ownership in case of retirement or dissolution is per 6E4a).

Easily missed: Once you have a command card, you can only lose it by negotiation, resignation, or dissolution. [6E3d]

• e. Voluntary Decommission is not allowed unless you are the owner and have permission from the captain. A Decommissioned card goes into the Hand of its owner.
• f. KO or Death. If it's the captain, the first mate and captain permanently swap cards. If you die reckless youth, you retain partnership (but cannot negotiate until your heir arrives). If you die reckless elderly, you lose your commands.
  • KO or Death during an expedition explore-prospect. The victim must take the bonus chit, which must be the experience that killed or KO him. The backup explorer must choose from what remains.
  • Death & Partnership. If you die young (6B5a), you retain partnership but can't perform expedition Operations until your heir arrives. If you die elderly, you lose partnership and lose all your command cards.

²⁷ JOINT EXPEDITION LIABILITY WAIVER. [Quoted waiver text from the printed footnote, omitted.]

6E4. Expedition dissolution

If the Rocket Stack loses its Rocket Figure (i.e. there are no Operational cards with Thrust Triangles), at the end of the Turn return all command cards to the Pool, and other cards to their owners (outpost or indicate ownership as necessary).

• a. Ownership. If the joint expedition is dissolved, its Stack cards become Outposts of their respective owners:
  • Thruster, generator, & reactor patent cards & Fuel. Chief Engineer is owner.
  • Robonaut & refinery patent cards. Science Officer is owner.
  • Vehicle Cards. First Mate is owner.
  • Crew & Colonist Cards. Each Crew is owned by its color. Each Colonist is owned by its assigned Bernal.
  • Other patent cards (e.g. radiators). Captain is owner. He must donate cards over his maximum to others.

Example [6E4a]: You are the first mate/chief engineer partner of expedition zeta on Triton. The captain explored first, and successfully claimed the Site. The science officer designated the Claim to be in her color. You whined to the captain that you would resign unless given the bonus chit, and he agreed for 2 Aqua. You choose an AQUIFER, since you have 2 unlocks. Now it's your turn, and you choose to industrialize, which Decommissions the refinery and robonaut owned by the science officer (you are a partner, so she cannot deny this Operation, but she does decide that the Factory is in her own color). There is an industrialist present, so this does not cost your Operation. You choose to also Colonize, Decommissioning the captain's Crew. The Colony is in the Captain's color. For your Operation, you ET produce a new thruster, using the science officer's Factory. On the science officer's turn, she gets a double-Colony Operation, and does Factory refuel and another ET production. On the captain's Turn, he also gets 2 Colony Operations, and for movement uses Factory-assist to speed the expedition towards the next Site to explore.

• b. Involuntary loss of Rocket. If the Thrust Triangle becomes non-operational (e.g. solar flare), and there are no Operational Thrust Triangles available (e.g. no Crew Cards or Vehicles), the Rocket Figure goes to the captain's Pool and the Stack becomes an Outpost. All cards and Fuel go to their owners (every man for himself).
  • Reformation. The joint expedition can be reestablished (6B4a) if a Thrust Triangle arrives or is restored.
• c. Voluntary resignation. At the end of the Turn after any industrialization/colonize, you may resign, taking any cards that you own (but cannot take any life-support that causes death). You have use of the Factory during this Turn.
  • Quit. You may also exit at the beginning of your Turn, taking cards with you with the captain's permission.
  • Expedition dissolution. If you quit or resign and only one partner remains, the joint expedition is dissolved.
  • Amicable dissolution. The partners may mutually agree to separate, each taking property as agreed upon.
  • Loss of Command. As long as you are a partner, you travel with the expedition. If you resign, quit, or die elderly, surrender your command cards to the captain (or to the first mate if you are the captain).

6F. Careers

Easily missed: Careers aren't patents and never go into your Hand. [6F]

These 7 cards form their own career deck (6A2c). They are not patents, but are inspired as if they were patents. If you gain a career, store its card beside your playmat. Store your discovery and experience chits in the circles on your career. You are allowed only one career at a time.

• Negotiations. Unlike vehicle and (among partners) command cards, career cards can't be traded/sold.

6F1. Career anatomy

The 7 careers are psychologist, medic, geologist, inventor, oceanographer, pilot, and journalist. Each has a novice (green) and expert (purple) side.

• a. Name & Novice/expert.
• b. Qualifications (6F2). Each career has two.
• c. Career Ability (6F6).
• d. Qualification multiplier (6F7a). Career objective (6F7b) is also listed.
• e. Tophat Ability (6F4b).

Example [6F2]: The geologist card is at the top of the career deck. You have 2 Claims, but your opponent has 1 ore veins worth 3 DP. If you do a free market op to take this career, your opponent could challenge and steal your job.

Tip: If in a joint expedition, getting a new career is a good time to restructure it by buying or swapping command cards. [6F2]

6F2. Job qualifications

Each career lists two qualifications. These ratings are used if you challenge or are challenged in your career. They are also used in final scoring for your career (if you are an expert, 6Gc). The qualifications are:

• a. Experience (oceanographer, pilot, medic). The number of black/white chits on your playmat/present career.
• b. Discoveries (geologist, inventor, oceanographer, journalist). The DP value of blue chits on your playmat/present career.
• c. Glory (pilot, journalist). The VP value of all your glory chits on your explorer, playmat, or present career.
• d. Claims (geologist) is the number of Claim disks of your color on the map.
• e. Factories (inventor) is the number of Factory cubes of your color on the map.
• f. Colonies (psychologist, medic) is the number of Colony domes of your color on the map.
• g. Bernals (psychologist) is the number of Bernals (Anchored or unanchored) of your color on the map.

6F3. Job hunting (new free action after free market)

If you sell cards in a free market operation (I3), as a free action you may take the top card of the career deck, and ask the others if they wish to challenge. Alternatively, this free action may be to challenge the career of any other player.

• a. Insight. With this Ability (6C5b), you may move the top career to the bottom and take the one now on top.
• b. Challenge. If an opponent obtains a career, you are allowed to challenge it (even though it is not your Turn). If an opponent has a career, you may challenge it with your job hunting free action.
  • The challenger wins if they have more qualifications (6F2) than the job-holder. If the challenger or job-holder is an expert, multiply their qualifications by the relevant multiplier (6F7a) listed on their career card.
  • If there are multiple challenge winners, the 1st player (O6b) decides how to break the tie.

Example [6F3b]: You have an ore vein (3 DP) and a Factory. You sell a card on the market, and then challenge an inventor who has no discoveries and only 2 Factories. You take his card.

• c. One career limit. If you gain a career (e.g. win a challenge) but already have a career, place your old career Green-Side up on top of the career deck.
• d. Abilities. If you obtain a job, its listed career Ability is available immediately (6F1c, 6F6).

Easily missed: A new career always starts as a novice. [6F3d]

6F4. Getting promoted

Each career card is double-sided: novice (Green-Side)²⁸ and expert (Purple-Side). An expert is immune to budget cuts, provides the tophat Ability (6F4b), and uses a multiplier of qualifications during challenges and scoring (6Gc).

• a. Job Promotion. If you are a novice and increase one of the two qualifications (6F2) of your career, flip your career to its Purple-Side.
• b. Tophat Ability (copied from 4B2e). A Stack with your explorer safely enters 1 Hazard per Turn without paying FINAO. Tophat cannot be used for exploration FINAO (6C3).
• c. Promotion Operation. See 1A5 or 2A3 for promotion of Freighters, GW thrusters, Bernals, and Colonists.

Example [6F4]: You are a novice inventor and you gain a new discovery during exploration. You immediately promote (flip card) to expert.

Tip: If you have a promoted career, you should try for the following command cards when joining a joint expedition (6E):

• Captain if you are in a career that values experience or discoveries (geologist, inventor, pilot, journalist, medic, or especially oceanographer).
• Chief engineer if you are a pilot or journalist (you get more Glory).
• First mate if you are a psychologist or medic (you get more Colonies).
• Science officer if you are a geologist or inventor (you get more Claims/Factories).

Note: All expert careers include the tophat icon [6F4b]

²⁸ GREENHORN. [Etymology note on the term "green", omitted.]

6F5. Getting fired (new consequence of budget cuts event)

During budget cuts (K2f), all novice jobs are discarded to the career deck (but no impact to expert jobs!). Those immune to budget cuts (e.g. bailout 6C5b) are safe. Shuffle the career deck if more than one gets fired.

• a. Experiences & discoveries are not lost if you lose your job (e.g. getting fired or challenged).

6F6. Career abilities

Each career lists one Ability, which is the same for novice and expert. These Abilities are:

• a. Must ignore addiction instant events (psychologist). See 6C4c.
• b. Must ignore KO instant events (medic). See 6C4c.
• c. Needs only 1 unlock instead of 3 to unlock ORE VEINS (geologist). See 6C5a.
• d. May 3D-print a Black-Side M card into Operational vehicle & vice versa (inventor). See 6D5b & c.
• e. Always has eureka in the ocean & elevator milieus (oceanographer). See 6C5c.
• f. Must ignore both events in a collision (pilot). Acts independently from exploration FINAO. See 6C4c.
• g. Any 3 drawn chits count as eureka (journalist). See 6C5b.

6F7. Career scoring modifiers

The expert side of each career lists a multiplier and an objective, used during challenges (6F3b) & scoring (6Gc).

• a. Career Multiplier. Each of your two qualifications are worth the DP indicated, and this number is multiplied by the multiplier for during a challenge, or as the final addition to your score.
• b. Career Objective. You must have achieved the listed objective to be able to multiply your score. If you did not, the multiplier is 1x and you add the DP indicated by your two qualifications to your score.
  • Objectives include promoted cards (6F4c), ET Bernals (Bernals not in a Home Orbit, 2B3), and Space Elevators (1B9).
  • Snow line. The oceanographer & medic multipliers use the snow line (Jupiter (F) Zone or beyond).

Example [6F7]: You finish the game as an expert oceanographer. Furthermore, you have met your "4X" objective by building a space elevator at Saturn aerostat-prometheus. Your qualifications are 5 experiences plus 7 DP of discoveries = 12 DP. Multiplying this by 4 gives you 48 DPs added to your final score. You can use 5 x 4 = 20 experiences to challenge a pilot's career.

6G. Endgame & Victory

Odyssey ends when the number of cycles set per M1 are ended.²⁹ The game also ends once all players have suffered reckless elderly death (6B5b). The winner has the most discovery points (DP) when the game ends.³⁰

• a. Exploration chits are stored on the playmat and are worth their faceup value of DP. All flipped exploration chits are considered experiences = 1 DP. Artifacts = 1 DP if carried, and 5 DP otherwise.
• b. Artifacts, Glory, Heroism, & Future Stars give the same amount of DP as their faceup VP level.
• c. Careers. Your career scores DP equal to the number of qualification tokens (6F2). For experts, multiply this by the multiplier (6F7a) listed on the career card, according to the objective (6F7b) achieved.³¹

Easily missed: A GEO space elevator can be a space elevator or a promoted Bernal objective. [6Gc]

• d. Victory. The player with the most DPs is the winner. Note that Odyssey supersedes the victory conditions of Core and all Modules, and VPs are not counted.
• e. Political scoring (Module 0). Receive DP equal to the VP of the political scoring in the Active Law (O7).
• f. Starshot endgame. Odyssey can also end with an Ad astra exit (1D1b) or a Exodus exit (4D3g), in which case you cannot win unless your pawn is onboard the starship.
• g. Bribe (Module 3) is plus 3 DP for each black token (3B1).
• h. Default chit (Module 4) is minus 3 DP (4B6). The contracts do not count toward DP scoring.
• i. Malf chit (Module 5) is plus 4 DP for each (5A5).
• j. Cooperative/Solitaire Odyssey. The players cooperatively win if there are no explorer deaths. Additionally, in a 4-cycle game every player must achieve at least 18 DP, and in a 7-cycle game every player must achieve 40 DP and more than half must achieve their career objective (6F7b).

Example [6G]: You end the game as an expert journalist with 2 aquifers (on playmat), 5 experiences (on playmat), 1 artifact (carried by your explorer), 1 "devastating event" heroism chit, and 1 futures star (7 VP). Your qualifications are 2 + 0, multiplied by 2 since you possess an artifact. Your score is: 2 + 5 + 1 + 2 + 7 + 4 = 21 DP.

²⁹ ODYSSEUS RECOUNTS HIS JOURNEY. [Epigraph quotation from Homer's Odyssey, Book IX, omitted.]

³⁰ ENDGAME. [Epigraph quotation from Homer's Odyssey, Book X, omitted.]

³¹ MULTIPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE. [Quotation on the division of labor, omitted.]