Leagues of Adventure: Rocket Race Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Contents
• Aim of the Game
• Building Rockets
• A Note about the Game Rules
• Cards & Symbols
• Standard Rules
  • The Cards
  • Game Setup
  • Game Play
    • 1. Draw
    • 2. Bidding
    • 3. Development
    • 4. Launch (Optional)
    • Do it all Again!
    • Playing Event Cards
• Advanced Rules
  • The Cards
  • Scientific Disciplines
  • Game Setup
  • Game Play
  • Turn Sequence in Detail
    • 1. Rocket Launch
    • 2. Scientific Research
    • 3. Event Acquisition
    • 4. Component Acquisition
    • 5. Discard
• Optional Rules
  • Three Stage Moon Trip
  • Workshop Boost
• Sample Cards

Game Contents

• x8 Steering Mechanism cards
• x8 Capsule cards
• x8 Propulsion cards
• x12 Rocket Accessory cards
• x6 Event cards
• x6 Workshop Upgrade cards
• x4 League cards
• x4 Workshop Cards
• x1 Advanced play turn sequence card
• x60 Die-Cut card cog counters
• x2 Six-Sided Dice
• x1 Rules Booklet

Aim of the Game

In Rocket Race players compete to build and launch a moon rocket. You win by being the first to land on the moon! To achieve this each player represents the combined resources of a League of Adventure that has taken up the challenge to construct and launch a moon rocket.

The Leagues of Adventure are gentlemen's clubs, social clubs, scientific societies, and collectives of like-minded individuals striving to achieve various cultural, social, and scientific objectives, as well as earn public recognition for their deeds.

Building Rockets

In order to land on the moon you need to assemble a rocket comprising a Capsule, a Propulsion system, and a Steering mechanism, plus any Accessories you think might help you in your noble quest.

A Note about the Game Rules

This game uses one deck of custom cards but has two sets of rules, a Standard version and an Advanced version, giving you two games in one. Each set of rules is explained separately.

Cards & Symbols

Used in the Standard & Advanced Game:

• Steering Mechanism (Rocket Component)
• Propulsion (Rocket Component)
• Capsule (Rocket Component)
• Accessory (Rocket Component)
• Event

Used in just the Advanced Game:

• Workshop (This card has no symbol)
• Workshop Upgrade
• League
• Electrics (Scientific Discipline)
• Mechanics (Scientific Discipline)
• Chemistry (Scientific Discipline)

Standard Rules

Players: 3-6 Playing Time: 10-20 minutes

The Cards

Two main card types are used in the Standard rules: Components and Events.

Components comprise of Capsule, Propulsion, Steering, and rocket Accessories. Assembling these will produce a vehicle capable of transporting you to the Moon (in theory, at least).

Each Component has a number in the bottom right corner. This is its Reliability rating. The higher the rating, the better your chances of reaching the Moon. Ignore the symbols down the left hand side. They are used only in the Advanced rules.

Events carry specific instructions that help a player or hinder their rivals. Where a conflict between an Event card's text and the rules occurs, the wording on the Event card takes precedence. Once used, Events are discarded from play. Event text prefixed (S) is for the Standard game only and (A) for the Advanced game only.

Game Setup

Discard the four League, four Workshop, six Workshop Upgrade and Turn Sequence card. You don't need them in this version. Shuffle the remaining cards and place the deck face down in the center of the table.

Each player takes ten cog tokens and places them in their build area. These form the player's Resource Pool, which represents a mix of finances, inventors, and laborers available for acquiring Components and arranging Events. As the game unfolds this will decrease and increase (though it can never drop below zero or increase above ten tokens).

Game Play

Determine who goes first. This can be done by the roll of a die (highest wins), bequeathing the right to the youngest player, whoever owns the game, or whoever has the highest noble title, or whatever method the players deem acceptable. That player becomes the active player.

Each turn comprises of four steps. These must be taken in order and consist of:

1. Draw
2. Bidding
3. Development
4. Launch (if possible)

1. Draw

The active player draws one card from the deck and places it face up for all players to see. This card is now the focus for all the players.

2. Bidding

Acquiring a Component or Event card requires a player to bid, just like at an auction. Instead of money, you bid using the cog counters that form your Resource Pool. The active player bids first on the target card, with subsequent bids moving left around the table.

You can bid any amount up to the number of your cog tokens in your current Resource Pool. Subsequent bids must be higher than the previous bid for that card. You don't have to bid on a Component or Event card, but if you pass you cannot rejoin the bidding for that card later.

If everyone declines to bid, the Component or Event card is discarded and a new card is drawn from the deck and bidding begins on the new card, starting with the active player.

Whoever places the last, and therefore highest, bid takes the Component or Event card. The player puts it face up in their build area and places tokens from their Resource Pool equal to the winning bid on the card. That card is now in Development.

Note that you can have multiple types of each Component. You're allowed to prepare several rockets for launch, and any card you win is one denied to your opponents.

Should the deck run out at any time, shuffle all discarded cards to form a new deck.

3. Development

All players remove one cog token from each card in Development except the card that was won during the last bidding phase. Cog tokens are returned to that player's Resource Pool. When the last token is removed from a card it is Complete and ready to be used.

4. Launch (Optional)

Starting with the player who won the last auction and going left around the table, players may now declare that they are ready to launch a rocket (or even multiple rockets).

Pre-Flight Rocket Checks

There are two basic conditions you must meet before you announce your launch.

First, a rocket must contain one Capsule, one Propulsion, and one Steering Component (and only one of each). You may add up to three Accessories of your choice as well. Accessories are not compulsory, but they boost your chances of victory.

Second, all Components must be Complete. You cannot assemble a rocket using Components that are still in Development. You don't have to do this immediately you have the minimum required Components assembled. You can delay launching while you work on other Components.

Assuming you meet those conditions, you are good to launch!

Rocket Launch

All players launching this turn place the various Components that make up their finished rocket to one side so everyone knows exactly what Components are in the rocket. They then add together all the individual Reliability scores to get a Reliability total.

Each player who launched rolls two six-sided dice and adds them together.

If his dice result is equal to or lower than his rocket's Reliability total then that player has successfully landed on the Moon, an event verified by Earth-based telescopes! If that player was the only player who launched a rocket this turn, that player wins!

If the player rolls higher than their rocket's Reliability total then something has gone badly wrong, causing the rocket to land back on Earth. See Rocket Failure below.

Rocket Failure

The player whose rocket failed gathers up all the Component cards used in their moon rocket and shuffles them. The player to their left then picks one at random. That Component suffered a catastrophic malfunction. Discard the failed Component. Failing to reach the Moon isn't the end of your game. You simply continue to obtain rocket Components until you are ready to try another launch.

Natural Fails & Natural Successes

A natural roll of 12 is always a failure, no matter how high the Reliability rating, while a natural roll of 2 is always a success.

Multiple Launches

More than one player might launch a rocket at the same time. If this happens, all the players launching a rocket follow the rules above. Whoever rolls lowest on the dice and rolls equal to or lower than their Reliability rating wins the game.

In the event of a tie, the game is a draw and both players get to share in the prestige heaped on them by a proud Queen Victoria and jubilant public. If you don't like ties, then the players roll again until there is a clear winner.

Do it all Again!

The player who won the last auction now becomes the active player. That player draws the top card of the deck and begins the next bidding phase.

Playing Event Cards

When the last token is removed from an Event in Development, the Event is ready to play as per the instructions. You can turn it face down if you like in the hope your opponents will forget what card it is. Events never form part of moon rockets.

Advanced Rules

Players: 2-4 Playing Time: 20-30 minutes

The Cards

There are five card types in this version of the rules.

Components: These are the same as in the standard game and comprise of four sub-types: Capsule, Propulsion, Steering, and Accessories. Assembling these will produce a vehicle capable of transporting you to the Moon (in theory, at least). Each Component has a number in the bottom right corner. This is its Reliability rating. The higher the rating, the better your chances of reaching the Moon. Down the left are one or more symbols, each with a number. These indicate the scientific research points you must pay to purchase that Component.

Events: These cards carry specific instructions that help a player or hinder his rivals. Where a conflict between an Event card's text and the rules occurs, the wording on the Event card takes precedence. Once used, Events are discarded from play. Event text prefixed (S) is for the Standard game only and (A) for the Advanced game only.

Leagues: These are the Leagues of Adventure striving to build a space worthy rocket. Each League has skill levels of 1, 2, or 3 in the three scientific disciplines.

Workshop: Every discerning League needs a Workshop in which to build its rocket. One Workshop is very much like another, so you won't find any differences in these cards. The numbered tracks are your research points in the three scientific disciplines. Research points can never drop below zero or increase above 4.

Workshop Upgrades: To give your League an edge you can add Workshop Upgrades. It takes you away from your main objective, but this might pay off in the long run. Workshop Upgrades boost your League's scientific skill rating, making it easier for you to gain research points.

Scientific Disciplines

Rocket Components and Workshop Upgrades are acquired by researching the correct scientific discipline or a combination of the disciplines. There are three scientific disciplines to research: Electrics, Mechanics, and Chemistry.

All Components, Accessories, and Workshop Upgrades have a scientific research cost to them. Players spend research points generated in their Workshops to acquire the various cards.

Game Setup

This version uses all the cards.

Each player chooses a League card, takes a Workshop card and places these in front of them in their player area. Any spare Leagues or Workshop cards are discarded from the game. Place the Turn Sequence card face up on the table as a reminder of what the active player can do during their turn.

All other cards are shuffled together to form one deck and placed centrally.

Each player requires 3 cog tokens to represent the changing research levels on their Workshop cards during the game. All players begin with zero Workshop research points in each of the three disciplines.

Deal 5 cards face up in a row. There must be five cards face up at all times. As soon as any card is picked up during play it must be replaced immediately.

Your play area should look like the diagram on page 15. The diagram shows, for each player, a League card, a Workshop card, Research Tokens, and a Rocket Build Area, with the Deck and the five face-up cards placed centrally between the players.

Game Play

Decide which player starts the game. This could be the oldest or who owns the game, or just roll the dice. The highest result on the dice allows that player to go first.

During his turn, a player has several actions he can perform. A player can choose one from actions 1, 2 or 3 and one from actions 4 or 5 each turn. The turn sequence is as follows:

1. Launch (not going to happen on the first turn!) OR
2. Scientific Research OR
3. Event Acquisition THEN
4. Component Acquisition OR
5. Discard (only if no cards were taken during the active player's turn)

Once a player has finished his turn, play continues clockwise, with each player completing a full turn sequence until a rocket is launched successfully to the Moon. The player who achieves that goal is declared the winner.

Turn Sequence in Detail

1. Rocket Launch

The launch, rocket failure, and natural roll rules for the Advanced game are exactly the same as the standard game. See the Standard Rules section above (Rocket Launch, Rocket Failure, Natural Fails & Natural Successes, and Multiple Launches).

2. Scientific Research

Acquiring rocket Components in the Advanced game is very different to the bidding system as used in the Standard game. Each League card shows the three different science disciplines: Electrics, Mechanics, and Chemistry. The numbers found next to each of the science disciplines on the League cards represent that League's basic skill level for each discipline. Players must perform scientific research to enable the acquisition of Components for their rocket. An active player who did not launch a rocket this turn may conduct Scientific Research.

A player who elects to perform Scientific Research during his turn gets one free research point in any science discipline they choose. They must record any increase (or decrease) in research by moving the appropriate cog token along the track on their Workshop card.

Scientific Breakthrough

A player choosing to perform Scientific Research may also benefit from a Scientific Breakthrough. In order to achieve this momentous breakthrough, the active player rolls one six-sided die. They then compare the result to each skill value on the League's card plus any Workshop Upgrades they have in play. The player gains one additional research point in the corresponding track on their Workshop card for each scientific skill the die result is equal to or lower.

Play Example: Fiona starts her turn with one point in her Mechanics total. She elects to perform Scientific Research this turn.

She automatically gains one free point to assign how she wishes. She chooses to increase her Chemistry. She now makes her Scientific Breakthrough roll by rolling one die. The result is a 2.

She first compares this to her Electrics skill plus any Workshop Upgrades. Her Electrics skill is a 3 and she has a +1 Electrics Workshop Upgrade, giving her a total skill of 4. Since the die result is lower than her skill, she gains one additional Electrics research point in her Workshop.

She then compares it to her Mechanics skill plus any Workshop Upgrades. That skill is only a 1 and she has no Mechanics Workshop Upgrade, so she makes no breakthrough.

Finally she compares the die result to her Chemistry plus any Workshop Upgrades. Her Chemistry skill is a 2 and she has no Chemistry Workshop Upgrades. As the die roll is equal to this she gains one additional Chemistry research point in her Workshop.

If she had rolled a one on the die she would have gained a Workshop point in every discipline.

3. Event Acquisition

The active player may pick up an Event card if they did not launch a rocket or perform Scientific Research. Taking time to sabotage your opponent is fun, but you cannot research your rocket at the same time. Event cards are chosen from any among the five face up cards in the center of the game area. If no Event cards are face up, then you cannot select one.

You must draw a new card to replace the Event you just picked up.

Place the Event face down next to your League. You can play the Event as indicated on the individual cards.

4. Component Acquisition

The active player may acquire Components to add to their rocket build area. In order to acquire Components, the active player simply spends the science research points gathered and recorded on their Workshop card. You can buy as many Components as you want during your turn, so long as you have the science research points to pay for them.

The scientific cost of the Component card is shown on the left hand side. Some Components have a cost from just one science discipline, while others require a combination from multiple disciplines. As you use up your research points buying Components you must move the appropriate marker along the track of your Workshop card to show your new science totals.

As soon as you buy a Component card you must replace it. If you can afford it, you can buy the card you just turned over!

5. Discard

If the active player has not picked up any cards during their turn they may now choose and discard one of the five face up cards.

Optional Rules

Three Stage Moon Trip

These rules can be used with either the Standard or Advanced Rules. With this optional ending reaching the Moon is no longer a matter of a single Reliability roll. Space out three tokens on the table. These represent stages required for a successful Moon landing: the Launch, the Flight, and the Landing respectively.

Flight Sequence

When you are ready to launch, place your assembled rocket by the Launch token and make a Reliability roll. If you succeed, move your rocket to the Flight token.

After the next bidding phase ends (Standard rules) or at the start of your next turn (Advanced rules) you make a second Reliability roll. Success moves the rocket to the Landing stage. Note that this does not preclude you from performing Scientific Research or Event Acquisition in the Advanced rules. Your rocket is in the hands of its brave lunarnaut, allowing your League to concentrate on other things, such as preparing a second rocket in case the first one fails!

After the next bidding phase concludes (Standard) or on your next turn (Advanced), you make a third and final Reliability roll to determine whether you have landed safely on the Moon.

If any of the three Reliability rolls fails, the rocket crashes back to Earth as normal.

Event Cards

The Emergency Toolkit and Saboteur Event cards are still one-use cards. They may affect any one flight stage chosen by the person playing the card, but not all three, and not just the Launch phase as written on the card.

Workshop Boost

This rule is for use with the Advanced rules only and speeds up play.

Instead of starting with zero research points in their Workshop, each player begins with research points equal to each of his League's three scientific skills. This means it is possible to purchase more advanced Components earlier on, rather than waiting to build up your Workshop's research points through Scientific Research.

The Society of Aeronauts, for example, begins with 1 point in Electrics, 2 points in Mechanics, and 3 points in Chemistry in his Workshop. The Daedalus Society would start play with 2 research points in each scientific discipline.

Sample Cards

The final pages of the booklet show sample card images (League, Steering Mechanism, Propulsion, Capsule, Accessory, Event, and Workshop Upgrade). These are card artwork and are not transcribed here.