Hostage Negotiator Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Tools of the Trade (Game Components)
• Game Overview
• Object of the Game
• Set Up
  • Illustration of Setup
• Hostage Negotiator Tableau
• Gameplay
  • The Game Turn
  • The Conversation Phase
  • Conversation Card Use
  • Threat Rolls
  • Resolving Conversation Card Effects
  • Ending the Conversation
  • An Example Conversation
  • The Spend Phase
  • The Terror Phase
  • The Pivotal Event and the Last Conversation
• Additional Rules
  • Demands
  • Capture or Eliminate the Abductor
  • Winning the Game
• Career Achievements
  • General
  • Arkayne
  • Donna
  • Edward
• Game Credits
• Quick Reference

Tools of the Trade (Game Components)

Cards

• 3 - Abductor Cards
• 1 - 2nd in Command Card
• 7 - Major Demand Cards
• 4 - Escape Demand Cards
• 21 - Red Terror Cards
• 6 - Gold Pivotal Event Terror Cards
• 22 - Conversation Cards

Bits

• 5 - Custom Dice
• 15 - Yellow Hostage Pieces
• 1 - Red Threat Level Marker
• 1 - Blue Conversation Point Marker

Other

• 1 - Hostage Negotiator Tableau
• 1 - Rulebook (this booklet)

Game Overview

Hostage Negotiator is a solitaire card game. You play the role of a Hostage Negotiator that has the responsibility and burden of negotiating with a hostile Abductor who has taken Hostages and is hell-bent on achieving some unscrupulous goal. Use your wits to adapt to whatever the Abductor or the situation throws your way in order to save the Hostages and win the game!

Object of the Game

Your goal as a Hostage Negotiator is to save the Hostages and have the crisis end with the Abductor's capture or elimination. To win, at least half of the Hostages must escape with their lives AND the Abductor must be captured or eliminated.

The game ends in victory when ALL of the following objectives have been accomplished (in any order):

1. There are no Hostages left in the Hostage Pool
2. At least half of the Hostages were saved
3. The Abductor has been captured or eliminated

You lose immediately if, at any time, ONE of the following is true:

• More than half of the Hostages have been killed
• The Abductor escapes
• You're unable to draw a Terror Card during the Terror Phase

Set Up

1. Remove all of the components from the box.

2. Place the Hostage Negotiator Tableau on the table, leaving space for cards in front of you.

3. Choose an Abductor Card or pick one randomly. For the first game, it is recommended to choose Arkayne. Place the card to the left of the tableau as indicated. Place the 2nd in Command Card underneath the Abductor Card.

4. Find the Major Demand Cards for the Abductor, shuffle them, and place the demands indicated on the Abductor Card face down above the Tableau. Now do the same thing with the Escape Demand Cards. Put all remaining Demand Cards back in the box.

5. Place a number of yellow Hostage pieces in the Hostage Pool area of the Tableau equal to the number shown in the Hostage icon on the Abductor Card.

6. Place the red Threat Marker on the starting Threat Level on the inner dial. The starting Threat Level is indicated in the Threat Level icon on the Abductor Card.

7. Place the blue Conversation Point Marker on the blue phone icon located on the Conversation Point track (outer dial).

8. Take the 6 starting Conversation Cards - indicated by a zero in the blue conversation bubble in the lower right corner of the card - as your starting hand.

9. Take the remaining Conversation Cards and sort them by name into separate piles. Place these piles in two rows face-up in front of you. Order them from low to high based on the cost in the lower right corner of the card. This area of cards is referred to as the Available Area.

10. Shuffle the Red Terror Cards. Take 10 at random, and place them in a pile face down on the table.

11. Shuffle the Gold Pivotal Event Terror Cards. Then take one at random and place it face down beneath the Red Terror Cards. This deck is the Terror Deck.

12. Put the dice on the table within reach.

13. Set aside the excess Hostage pieces.

14. All of the remaining cards may be returned to the box.

Illustration of Setup

The set-up diagram shows where each area of play goes: the Abductor Card and 2nd in Command Card to the left of the Tableau, the Major Demand and Escape Demand Cards face down above the Tableau, spaces for Minor Demands Cards to the right of the Tableau, the Terror Deck and the Terror Card Discard Pile to the far right, the Available Area of Conversation Card piles (including the "0" cost card space) below the Tableau, your starting hand and the dice at the lower left, and the Play Area and Discard Area at the lower right.

Hostage Negotiator Tableau

The Tableau shows critical information you'll need to track during the game.

Some cards require you to roll and compare to the Threat Level. The number equivalent for "S" is 0 and for "K" is 7.

Conversation Points - Some cards add or subtract Conversation Points. Move the blue Conversation Point Marker on the outer Conversation Point Track accordingly. Conversation Points may go above or below the maximum and minimum numbers, though this is rare.

Adjusting the Threat Level - When the Threat Level increases or decreases, move the red Threat Marker on the inner track accordingly. If the marker is on the K and the Threat increases, do not move the marker. Instead, the Abductor kills a Hostage for each level the Threat would have increased. Similarly, if the Threat is on the S and the Threat decreases, do not move the marker. Instead, save a Hostage for each level the Threat would have decreased. Example: The Threat Level is "S". You are able to decrease the Threat by 2. The Threat Marker does not move and you save 2 Hostages by moving the Hostage pieces from the pool to the "Saved" area of the Tableau.

Hostages - The Hostage pieces begin the game in the Hostage Pool. When a Hostage is killed, move one of the hostage pieces from the Hostage Pool into the "Killed" area of the Tableau. Likewise, when a Hostage is saved or released, move one into the "Saved" area. When a card or game effect specifies a Hostage to be killed and there are no Hostages left, flip a Red Terror card into the discard pile (do not resolve any card effects). If there are no Red Terror cards left, ignore this effect.

Gameplay

The game revolves around the conversations between you and the Abductor. Your goal is to use your negotiating skills to influence the Abductor and save the Hostages. You do this by strategically playing cards and making successful dice rolls. At the beginning of each turn, a new conversation begins. This is your chance to influence the Abductor to release the Hostages!

The Game Turn

A game turn in Hostage Negotiator has 3 phases:

1. The Conversation Phase
2. The Spend Phase
3. The Terror Phase

The Conversation Phase

The Conversation Phase is where you play and resolve Conversation Cards from your hand to influence the Abductor's Threat Level, earn Conversation Points, and save Hostages.

Play Conversation Cards by placing them in the play area.

Example of a Conversation Card:

The card back shows the effects if played face down. The card face shows, from top to bottom: the Card Name (in the speech bubble), then three Effects rows - the green row for 2+ successes, the blue row for 1 success, and the red row for 0 successes/failure - then the Flavor Text, and the Cost in the lower right corner.

Conversation Card Use

You may use Conversation Cards in a few different ways:

• Any Conversation Card in your hand may be played face-up to resolve it. Resolving Conversation Cards is done by making a Threat Roll (described below) unless the card says otherwise.

• You may choose to play any Conversation Card from your hand face-down to gain 1 Conversation Point instead of resolving the card normally. Tip! This is a subtle but important skill the best negotiators use to their benefit!

• During a Threat Roll, you may play any 2 Conversation Cards from your hand face-down to convert a 4 into a success. You may do this once for each rolled 4.

Threat Rolls

Most Conversation Cards (and some other cards) require a Threat Roll. Roll the number of dice shown on the tableau corresponding to the current Threat Level. Each result of 5 or higher is considered a success. For each result of a 4, you MAY play 2 Conversation Cards from your hand face-down to make it a success. If none of the dice result in or are converted to a success, the Threat Roll has been failed.

Threat Roll Examples:

Threat Level is 4, roll 2 dice...

Result	Successes
5, 6	2 successes
2, 6	1 success
1, 4 (+ 2 Conversation Cards played face-down)	1 success
1, 4	failure

TIP! The chances of your success greatly depend on the temperament of the Abductor, which is measured by the Threat Level. As you calm the Abductor, you gain more dice for Threat Rolls. Conversely, failures could result in angering the Abductor, allowing you fewer dice to roll.

Additional Rules for Threat Rolls:

• Some card effects modify the number of dice you roll.
• You will always roll at least 1 and at most 5 dice.
• If more than 2 successes are rolled, treat it as 2 successes.

Resolving Conversation Card Effects

Conversation Cards have 3 potential outcomes: 2+ Successes, 1 Success, or Failure. Resolve the effects of the card in order from left to right according to the outcome of the Threat Roll. Common effects are denoted by symbols. The effects can be positive or negative.

• Conversation Point icon (speech bubble, e.g. +1) - Add (+) or subtract (-) the specified amount of Conversation Points. Move the Conversation Marker accordingly on the tableau.

• Threat Level icon (dial, e.g. -1) - Increase (+) or decrease (-) the Threat Level by the specified amount. Move the Threat Marker accordingly on the Tableau.

• Dice icon - Increase (+) or decrease (-) the number of dice you may roll by the number of dice icons shown. Apply this effect for the duration indicated.

• Green Hostage icon - The Abductor releases a Hostage for each of these icons. Move the Hostage piece(s) to the Saved area on the tableau.

• Red Hostage icon - The Abductor kills a Hostage for each of these icons. Move the Hostage piece(s) to the Killed area on the Tableau.

• Crossed-out speech bubble icon - No more Conversation Cards may be played and the Conversation Phase ends. Proceed to the Spend Phase.

Ending the Conversation

If you do not wish to play another Conversation Card or are unable to play one, the Conversation ends. Additionally, some Conversations end before you want them to based on Conversation Card results.

TIP! Do not be afraid to end the conversation while you still have some cards in your hand. Sometimes those cards will be of much greater use in the next conversation.

An Example Conversation

You are a few turns into the game. The Threat Level is currently at 2. This means you roll 2 dice when making a Threat Roll. With 3 Conversation Cards in your hand and the Conversation Point Marker on zero, you begin the Conversation Phase...

First, you play Keep cool in an attempt to decrease the Threat Level, which would allow you to roll an additional die on for the next card. You roll the dice...

Result: 1, 4 - No successes

Since you still have 2 Conversation Cards in your hand, you could play them face-down to turn the 4 into a success, but you decide against it and lose 1 CP.

Next, you play Just stay calm to again try to lower the Threat Level. You roll the dice...

Result: 5, 6 - 2 successes!

You decrease the Threat Level by 2 and move the Threat Market to the "S", the lowest possible Threat Level! Now you get to roll 3 dice for Threat Rolls!

Finally, you play your last card, Small Talk, to gain some Conversation Points. You like your odds now that you're rolling 3 dice. You roll the dice...

Result: 5, 6, 6 - 3 successes!

Even though you rolled 3 successes, only 2 are needed to achieve the best outcome. You increase your Conversation Points by 3, leaving you with 2 to spend. Since you have no cards left to play, the Conversation Phase ends.

The Spend Phase

The Spend Phase is your chance to spend your Conversation Points. Do the following in this order:

1. You may spend Conversation Points earned this turn to purchase Conversation Cards from the Available Area. Move the Conversation Point Marker down accordingly and put the purchased cards into your hand.

   • You may NOT purchase cards played during the Conversation Phase.
   • You may NOT purchase a card if paying the cost would result in moving the Conversation Point Marker below the blue phone (zero) on the track.
   • You may purchase multiple cards if your Conversation Points allow, but you may NEVER have more than 10 cards in your hand (hitting this is rare).

2. Reset Conversation Points to 0 - unused or negative points do NOT carry over to the next turn.

3. Lastly, place all Conversation Cards played during this turn back into the Available Area with other cards of the same name. This includes the zero cost cards which may all be placed in the same stack since they are free to purchase from the Available Area.

Zero Cost Cards

Unless doing so would put you over the hand limit, you may ALWAYS purchase any and all zero cost cards from the Available Area, because doing so does not require you to spend Conversation Points. You may purchase zero cost cards even if the Conversation Point Marker is on a value below zero.

Reminder: Cards played this turn are NOT available for purchase.

Purchase cards from the Available Area using your Conversation Points! Place purchased cards in your hand of cards. You may take ALL the zero cost cards, but must respect the hand limit! Move cards played this turn back to the Available Area AFTER all purchases are complete.

The Terror Phase

Draw the top card of the Terror Deck and resolve it per the instructions and symbols on the card. If there is no card to draw, all remaining Hostages are killed, the Abductor escapes, and you lose the game. The Terror Cards represent the Abductor's actions and/or events that happen in the minutes or hours between conversations.

Some Terror Cards have a secondary effect at the bottom. This effect must be resolved after the main card effect IF there is at least one unrevealed (face-down) Demand. If all Demands have been revealed (the cards are face-up) then ignore the secondary effect.

Example Terror Card: The card face shows the Card Name at the top, the Effects in the middle, and the Secondary effects in the box at the bottom.

Terror Cards and Threat Rolls

Some Terror Cards specifically require a Threat Roll. You MAY use Conversation Cards that impact these rolls, including converting a 4 to a success as described on pg. 7.

The Pivotal Event and the Last Conversation

The last card of the Terror Deck is a Gold Pivotal Event. This climactic event will make winning the game more difficult or, on occasion, easier. After resolving the Gold Pivotal Event Terror Card you will have one last conversation with the Abductor. This is your last chance to save the rest of the Hostages and eliminate or capture the Abductor.

IMPORTANT!!! In the last conversation (after the Pivotal Event), you may spend Conversation Points to purchase cards from the Available Area DURING the Conversation Phase. The cards acquired may then be used from your hand immediately. This reflects a last ditch effort to come through and save the day!

Additional Rules

Demands

There are 3 types of Demands: Major, Minor, and Escape.

Major and Escape Demand Cards begin the game face-down because the demand has not yet been communicated. You may use the "Listen to demands" Conversation Cards to listen to the demands of the Abductor. Once revealed, flip the Demand face up. These types of demands remain in play until the Abductor leaves play.

Minor Demand Cards are revealed from the Terror Deck and remain in play until conceded.

You may concede a face-up Demand Card during any Conversation Phase by spending the appropriate Conversation Points to influence the Crisis Commander to allow the concession. When a Demand is conceded, apply the benefit first and the penalty second. When a Major Demand is conceded, it stays in play and is rotated 90 degrees to the right. Major Demand penalties continue until the Abductor is captured or eliminated. No Demand may be conceded more than once.

A Demand Card face shows the Card Name at the top, the CP Cost (if any) to concede, the Effects, and the Penalty for conceding along the bottom.

Minor Demands generally have no Conversation Point (CP) cost to concede. Unlike Major Demands, Minor Demands are discarded to the Terror Deck discard pile after the effects and penalty are resolved.

Capture or Eliminate the Abductor

In addition to saving the Hostages, you need to capture or eliminate the Abductor so that he or she can never again terrorize the innocent.

Capture the Abductor

When you capture the Abductor, the game ends in victory! You can capture the Abductor when there are no more Hostages to be saved. The next time you would save a Hostage, the Abductor surrenders and is captured instead. The only exception is that this does not apply during the Terror Phase. Any game effect that would cause the Abductor to be captured during the Terror Phase should be ignored.

Eliminate the Abductor

You may eliminate the Abductor during the Conversation Phase with a card that allows you to do so, such as "Sniper, take the shot!" or "All units get in there NOW!". If there are no Hostages left in the pool when the Abductor is eliminated, the game ends in victory!

If there are still Hostages in the pool when the Abductor is eliminated, remove the Abductor and ALL Demand Cards from play. The 2nd in Command Card should now be visible in the Abductor area to the left of the tableau. Demands may not be conceded, and any penalties from previously conceded Demands no longer apply. Any new Minor Demands drawn from the Terror Deck should be immediately discarded with no effect.

The 2nd in Command is far less reasonable and will kill one Hostage for every point of Threat Level increase, but he will NEVER kill the last Hostage in the pool. The 2nd in Command may not be eliminated, but he will immediately surrender when there are no Hostages remaining in the pool.

2nd in Command Card - Special Rules: Replaces the Abductor card IF the Abductor is eliminated AND hostages still remain in the Hostage Pool. One Hostage killed per Threat Level increase. The 2nd in Command may not be eliminated. He surrenders immediately when there are no hostages in the Hostage Pool.

Winning the Game

You win if at any point there are no Hostages left in the Hostage Pool, you have saved at least half of the Hostages, and the Abductor has been captured or eliminated.

Career Achievements

Challenge yourself to complete these tasks!

Successful Negotiations — 10 / 25 / 50 / 100

General

• Consecutive victories against all 3 Abductors
• Save a Hostage while Threat is on "K"
• Eliminate the Abductor by the end of turn 3
• Win a game after conceding an Escape Demand
• Save 5 or more Hostages in one turn
• Decrease Threat by 4 or more in one turn (includes saves)
• Win a game in 5 turns or less
• Play zero cards during a Conversation Phase
• Win the turn before the Pivotal Event

Arkayne

• Win with zero casualties
• Win without conceding any Demands (including Minor Demands)
• Get 5 dice to roll for at least one Threat Roll
• Win without revealing at least one Demand
• Eliminate Arkayne with 2+ Hostages still in the Hostage Pool

Donna

• Win with the Threat Marker on the "S"
• Win in a game where Donna takes additional Hostages
• Reveal both Demands in the first turn
• Roll two doubles in the same Threat Roll ("4+ dice required")
• Achieve two sixes by rerolling a die

Edward

• Win by conceding Medical Care
• Win by eliminating Edward after the Pivotal Event
• Play 6 Conversation Cards facedown in one turn
• Win a game where Threat reached "6" during the game

Game Credits

• Game Design and Development — A.J Porfirio
• Illustrations and Graphic Design — Kristi Kirisberg
• Lead Playtester — Mikolaj Laczynski

Platinum Playtesters: Albert Hernandez, Jeff Kight, Chris And Suzanne Zinsli, Chris Hansen

Gold Playtesters: Chevee Dodd, Jason Slingerland, Mike Mullins

Silver Playtesters: Grant Rodiiek, Matt Worden, Steve Barker, Tom Gurganus, Patrick Robles, Jay Treat, TC Petty III, Daniel Solis

Quick Reference

You WIN by completing ALL of these objectives:

1. No Hostages in Hostage Pool
2. At least half of Hostages saved
3. Abductor captured or eliminated

You lose immediately if ONE of these occurs:

• More than half the Hostages have been killed
• The Abductor escapes
• You're unable to draw a Terror Card during the Terror Phase

The Game Turn

1. Conversation Phase - play and resolve Conversation Cards
2. Spend Phase - spend points to buy Conversation Cards
3. Terror Phase - draw and resolve a Terror Card

Threat Roll

Roll dice indicated by the current Threat Level. Each result on the right equals one success. A die result of 5 (or higher) equals one success; a die result of 4 plus 2 Conversation Cards played face-down equals one success.

Card Outcomes

Conversation Cards have 3 possible outcomes: 2+ Successes, 1 Success, or Failure. You may also play a Conversation Card face-down for +1 Conversation Point.

Card Effects

• Conversation Point icon - Increase (+) or decrease (-) Conversation Points
• Threat Level icon - Increase (+) or decrease (-) Threat Level
• Dice icon - Increase (+) or decrease (-) the number of dice you may roll
• Green Hostage icon - The Abductor releases a Hostage for each of these icons
• Red Hostage icon - The Abductor kills a Hostage for each of these icons
• Crossed-out speech bubble icon - No more Conversation Cards may be played