Power Creep: Core Set Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Overview
• Goal of the Game
• Components
• Starting a Page (Non-Campaign)
• Starting a Structure
• Taking a Turn
  • Threat Phase
  • Explore Phase
• Additional Details
  • Character Portion of Sheet (Top Section)
  • Threats
  • Leader
  • Items
  • Crafting Materials
  • Structure Elements
  • Terrain
  • Radiation (Increase / Check)
  • Creep Track
• Completing a Structure
  • Part 1
  • Part 2
• Blueprints
• Campaign Mode
• Winning / Losing
• Icon Reference
• Turn Reference
• Important Notes

Game Overview

Power Creep is set in a post-apocalyptic world that has lost electricity, challenging players to restore their world. Meanwhile a dark force is ever-creeping towards annihilating the human race.

Goal of the Game

The goal of the game is to create a sequential path from door to generator in each of the four structures. To do so, a player will need to defeat threats, acquire items, craft gear and use blueprints to gain access to powerful abilities. You must defeat all leaders to win the game.

Components

• Quest Sheets
• Rules
• Provide your own pen or pencil
• (3) white d6 Good Dice
• (3) black d6 Evil Dice

Starting a Page (Non-Campaign)

If you are playing the campaign mode, see the additional setup rules below. Otherwise, ignore the Location section of the quest sheet as it is only used in the campaign mode.

Starting a Structure

A. Choose a Structure to explore (one of the four buildings). You will remain in this structure until it is completed.

B. Take the number of Good and Evil Dice shown under the chosen structure's name to form your dice pool.

In the example, the Country Store location has 2 Good Dice and 1 Evil Die.

Note: The number of each die type will change as you play different structures. No dice are carried over from structure to structure.

Taking a Turn

1. Dice Phase: Roll all of your Good Dice and Evil Dice.
2. Threat Phase: Check to see if threats attack you.
3. Explore Phase: Gather supplies, fight enemies and restore power to the generator.

Threat Phase

Check all of the threats in the current structure to see if they attack. Threats attack if their Trigger (TRG) number threshold is reached on Evil Dice, or if there are doubles on Evil Dice (Lurking Shadows). Each threat is detailed at the bottom of the page. All living threats in the current structure attack if their trigger is shown on even just one Evil Die. Threat abilities will trigger if their specific conditions are met (even if the threat is not triggered).

Example 2: At least one Evil Die is high enough to trigger ALL undefeated Toxic Raiders in the room AND the Leader. The Toxic Raider deals 1 damage (loss of Health), and the Leader deals an additional 2 damage for a total of 3 Health lost. Note: no matter how many Evil Dice roll the trigger values, each undefeated threat will only attack once per turn.

Explore Phase

One at a time, activate each die (Good or Evil) in your dice pool and write its value in an unmarked white space orthogonally adjacent to a previously marked space, or adjacent to the entry door. After activating a die, discard it. You must activate all dice. Note: Walls between spaces will block adjacency.

Example: The player adds the 5 (which is enough to defeat the threat), then the 4 and 3 (these numbers are building a sequential path, more on page 4 [see Completing a Structure]). They end by adding the 1.

Additional Details

Character Portion of Sheet (Top Section)

1. Health: Health Points (HP): A measure of your hero's health. When threats cause you to lose health, cross off one HP for each point lost. If you lose your last Health Point your hero succumbs to the threat and you lose the game. Extend your hero's Health Points by acquiring Medpack Items. When you do, gain the next block group of health points (left to right, then next row).
2. Blueprints: As a scavenger, you will power completed structures then determine their new use to help you throughout your journeys. Blueprints provide special abilities once a structure has been powered. Your character has a unique signature blueprint at the top that only they can use in completed structures. When you power a structure (see Completing a Structure), you will choose a blueprint to apply to it, and it will provide additional effects that you may use for the remainder of the game (or campaign).
3. Radiation Track: See page 4 for Radiation effects.
4. Explored Locations: These are used for campaign play. See Campaign Mode for additional details.
5. Starting Bonus: This hero starts with these bonus Items/Crafting Materials. They may be used at any time.

Threats

Each game has multiple threats that will impede your progress. You may defeat them to prevent their effects. Specific threats (Leaders) must be defeated in order to complete the game. Each Threat contains:

• Trigger (TRG): This number threshold value or dice combination (on Evil Dice) will cause the threat to attack (triggering the Attack effect).
• Attack (ATK): When this Threat is Triggered, resolve this effect. If this value is a number, decrease your health by this amount. If this shows the creep symbol, advance the creep track by one.
• Defense (DEF): The threshold value you must equal or exceed to deal damage to this enemy (by marking a space next to this threat). Ex. If this Threat has a Defense of 4, you must mark a 4 or higher in a space next to the threat to deal damage.
• Health Points (HP): A measure of the Threat's health. This is the number of times you must successfully deal damage to them (by marking spaces next to the threat equal to or higher than their defense value). Once the threat has been dealt damage equal to their HP, they are defeated. Cross out that specific threat on the structure.
• Ability: Resolve this effect when its conditions are met. The effect is no longer in place when all enemies of this type (in this structure) have been defeated.

Sample threats shown on the sheet:

• Night Horde (TRG 5+, ATK 1, DEF 4, HP 1). Dice Phase: For each '1' you roll on an Evil Die, you must reduce a Good Die by 1 if possible.
• Leader (TRG 5+, ATK 2, DEF 5, HP 2). Dice Phase: For each '2' you roll on an Evil Die, you must reduce a Good Die by 2 if possible.
• Lurking Shadows (TRG: doubles on Evil Dice, ATK: creep track +1, DEF -, HP -). Increase the creep track after completing a structure or when Lurking Shadows trigger.

Leader

Some threats are considered leaders. They have boosted stats and abilities. You must defeat all leaders to win the game.

Items

Items will help you along the way. They are immediately gained when you mark two spaces next to the item with the same value. Circle them to show you have gained them. Cross them out when you use them.

• Medpack: Gain the next unclaimed health group on your character sheet. Health groups must be unlocked in order, row by row and left to right. Mark with an X to show it has been gained.
• Food: Cross out to reroll a die. This can be at any phase of the game.

Crafting Materials

Crafting Materials help you craft Gear. Immediately gain a material when you mark two spaces next to it with the same value. Immediately cross out the material icon on the structure to show you gained it. Then, immediately fill in any single matching icon on the crafting side of the page to apply it to that Gear.

When all Crafting Materials for a Gear have been filled in, you now have that Gear. Mark its checkbox. You can use its effect from now on, as often as you would like.

Some Gear that you have crafted will have additional use costs. These are often spending a die, as if you used it to mark a space. Discard that die to use the Gear effect. The effect will show the color of dice required, and a value (if required).

Gear on the sheet:

• Hatchet: Add 1 to a die, that you are marking next to a Threat.
• Hammer: Subtract 1 from a die, that you are marking next to an Item/Crafting Material.
• Armor: Ignore 1 damage from a Threat's Attack (ATK). (Use: Good Die of 4+.)
• Radiation Suit: Skip the Radiation Increase and Check when marking a Radiation space. (Use: Good Die of 4+.)
• Shotgun: You may skip over 1 empty space (in a straight line) when marking next to a threat. Cannot skip over terrain.

Structure Elements

Within each structure are a variety of elements that will impact your gameplay.

• Entry Door: This is where you start each structure. Your first die placement must be orthogonally adjacent to the Entry Door.
• Power Generator: Your goal for each structure is to create a sequential path from the Entry Door to the Power Generator. (See "Completing a Structure" for details on a sequential path).

Terrain

Terrain determines the makeup of each structure.

• Wall (Impassable): If a wall is between two spaces, you may not mark the space on the other side of a wall, unless you have a path to it without any walls in between. In the example the player cannot reach the spaces marked with an X yet because of the wall separating the spaces.
• Radiation: When marking a space with radiation, immediately Increase Radiation and perform a Radiation Check (then resume your turn).

Radiation (Increase / Check)

When you mark a radiation icon on a structure space, you trigger a Radiation Increase and Radiation Check.

Radiation Increase: When you are instructed to perform a Radiation Increase first find the first unchecked box (starting from the top of the Radiation Chart) then mark that box.

Radiation Check: Roll a used die. Compare the result to the Radiation Chart. If the result matches one of the Radiation Chart levels that has been checked, resolve the effect listed. If it doesn't match, take no effect.

In the example the player has marked a second radiation icon and must now mark the checkbox. Then the player rolls the die they just used to mark the space; the result is a '3'. Since the row of the Radiation track is not yet marked, the hero takes no loss of health.

Creep Track

At night the darkness creeps. After you complete a structure with a sequential path, increase the track by the highest number in your path. If the path was NOT sequential, increase the track by 7 spaces. Threats and other effects may also impact the creep track. The track will indicate any effects that will occur as a result of the increases.

In the example a sequential path was created with the highest number in the path being a '4'. This requires the Creep Track to be increased by 4 boxes.

Creep track effects on the sheet:

• Traitor Strikes: A neighbor has duplicitous motivations. Lose 2 Health.
• Hot Spot!: Exposed Tanker is leaking. Roll a Radiation check for each Radiation level currently marked.
• Dark Consumes: The settlement is lost. You lose!

Completing a Structure

Part 1

A structure is completed immediately when you form a path of orthogonally connected marked spaces from the Entry Door to the Power Generator. If each value marked on this path is within 1 of the previous value (equal, +1, -1), the path is considered "sequential."

Sequential path examples:

• 1 2 1 2 3 4: Sequential
• 3 3 3 3 3: Sequential
• 2 1 5 2 3: Not sequential

Note: sequential paths may turn, but cannot be diagonal.

Part 2

If you created a Sequential Path: You've powered this structure. Apply a blueprint to it (See Blueprints).

• Next, increase the creep track by the highest number in your sequential path. Apply any Creep Track effects.

If you DID NOT create a Sequential Path: The structure is lost.

• Cross out the structure. You will not gain any additional effects from this structure.
• Next, you must increase the creep track by 7. Apply any Creep Track effects.

Then assess the Structures:

• If you have not completed all structures, return to the first step of the gameplay.
• If you complete your last structure the game ends (see Winning / Losing).

Blueprints

Blueprints allow you to use previously completed structures in new ways. When you complete a sequential path, designate this structure to a Blueprint effect (choose from your character's Blueprint list). Choose any blueprint at the top of your page and mark its letter in the structure's empty blueprint icon. Going forward, you may use this blueprint ability from this completed structure for the rest of the game/campaign.

Note: You may only have one active blueprint of each type at any time. To add one that you already have, cross out the entire structure with this blueprint type. You may now add the new one.

In the example, the player chooses to designate this structure's blueprint as a Safehouse, adding an 'S' to the blueprint icon.

Blueprints on the sheet:

• A, Armory: Circle two adjacent equal numbers, to combine two dice together (The result cannot exceed a 6). You must mark this die next to a Threat.
• N, Nursery: Circle a number with a lower number adjacent to it to get an extra reroll from a Food item.
• S, Safehouse: Circle 2 adjacent numbers whose sum equals an Evil Die. Discard that die before Threats attack. You cannot discard the last Evil Die.
• Y, Youth Center: Circle a 1 or 2. Reduce a die by that amount (after Threat Phase).

Campaign Mode

A year in the life of our hero. Take your hero through 4 sheets with the same year (example: play Uptown 2086, East 'Burg 2086, City Center 2086 and The Docks 2086 in any order). Try to survive as the power creeps around you.

You will start a new sheet with each stage of the campaign, but can use any active blueprint structures from previous sheets. Your character will reset, but when playing the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th sheet you will fill in the location section at the top, marking off each location that has already been played.

Each marked off location has a bonus Crafting Material and Health bonus. They may be used at any time.

In the example, the player is starting their 3rd sheet (Uptown) and marks the two previously completed locations, gaining the bonus rewards for each.

The Power Creeps: Fill in Good Die icons on your structures to make them Evil Dice. You must fill in 1 icon for each location/sheet you've already completed (example: if you've played 2 previous sheets, you will fill in any two Good Die icons on the current sheet). A filled in Good Die is now an Evil Die. No structure may have more than 3 Evil Dice.

Note: When playing a campaign you may use all previous sheets for their active blueprints. The same rule applies that you may only have one active blueprint of each type. Gear, Health, Radiation, Items, and Creep Track will all reset on the new sheet.

Winning / Losing

You win the game:

• if you complete all structures and defeat all leaders with one or more Health remaining AND the Creep Track does not cause you to lose

You lose the game:

• if you run out of health
• a Creep Track effect causes you to lose
• if you complete a structure with any undefeated leaders remaining

Icon Reference

• Good Die
• Cost, 1 Good Die: Discard this die to pay the cost of using this effect.
• Cost, 1 Good Die of value 4 or higher: Discard this die to pay the cost of using this effect.
• Evil Die
• Radiation: When marking this space your hero must Increase Radiation and make a Radiation Check.
• Wall: Walls are impassable. You may not mark an adjacent space if separated by a wall.
• Scrap, Water, Fuel, Tool material
• Medpack item: When you gain this item immediately cross it out and add a new Health group to your hero.
• Food item: Circle this item when you gain it. You may cross it out to re-roll a die.
• Blank Blueprint: When you complete a structure with a sequential path, fill this icon in with a Blueprint letter to indicate which effect will be applied to this structure.
• Doubles on Evil Dice: If you roll two or more matching Evil Dice this effect triggers.
• Creep Track +1: Increase the Creep Track by 1 and resolve any effect icon that you mark as a result.

Turn Reference

1. Dice Phase: Roll all Good and Evil Dice shown on this structure.
2. Threat Phase: Check to see if undefeated Threats in this structure are triggered. If any one Evil Die equals or exceeds a Threat's Trigger (TRG) it is activated (it deals damage equal to its Attack value (ATK)).
   • Notes: If multiple dice would cause a Threat to trigger, it only triggers once each turn. If there are more than one triggered Threats of the same type in a structure they ALL attack.
3. Explore Phase: Mark your die rolls to move through the structure (and to attack, collect Items/Materials).

Important Notes

• Ability Use: Abilities may be used when stated and may be used multiple times if the requirements are met.
• Matching Die Rolls: If an effect mentions a specific Evil Dice result and any Evil Die has that value, the effect is triggered. For example, if an effect is triggered by a 6 and you roll 4 and 6 on Evil Dice, the effect triggers. If multiple dice roll 6, the effect would only trigger once.
• Adjacency: Two spaces are adjacent if they touch sides orthogonally: top to bottom or left to right.
• 'Next to': A space is 'next to' a Threat/Item/Material if it touches the icon.
• Die Modification: Dice rolls may not be modified to be lower than 1 or higher than 6. If an effect would cause a result to be lower than a 1 it instead becomes a 1. If a result would be higher than a 6, it instead becomes a 6.
• Spending/Sacrificing Dice: When you discard or sacrifice a die, take an unactivated die and set it aside for that turn. That die cannot be used that turn (for example to mark a space in the structure or to pay for an ability).