Quad City Killers Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Tools of Your Trade
• Setting Up the Game
• Player Turn
  • 3. Attack (cont.)
  • 4. Create a Scene
  • 5. Discard
• Killer Boards
• Prey Cards
  • Police Prey Cards
• Resource Cards
  • 1. Weapon Cards
  • 2. Modifier Cards
  • 3. Scenario Cards
  • 4. Ego Cards
• Tracking
• Ending the Game
• Tips & Tricks
• Solo Play
• Ending a Solo Game

Tools of Your Trade

• Skull Pawns (6)
• Markers (12): Heat markers (gold) and Dexterity markers (red)
• Dice (3)
• Resource Cards (72)
• Prey Cards (72)
• Map / Game Board
• Killer Boards (12)

Setting Up the Game

1. Lay out the map.

2. Shuffle each Deck and place them on the board.

3. Deal each player the cards shown on the setup page: one Killer Board, five Resource Cards, and one Prey Card.

4. Place a Heat Marker in each city at the lowest level.

5. Place a Dexterity Marker on your Killer Board at the first Dexterity spot.

6. Look at your cards.

   Note: Don't show your hand to the others.

7. Each player announces the Defense of their Prey Card, and places it and their Skull Pawn in the appropriate city.

   Note: You can place Tourist (Grey) Prey cards in the city of your choosing.

8. The player with the highest Prey Defense begins the game. In case of a tie, roll to determine who goes first.

   Note: Use all 3 dice for any dice roll!

Player Turn

Take turns clockwise around the map.

Note: Play nice.

Begin each turn by revealing a new Prey Card and placing it in its corresponding city.

Note: Tourists (Grey) Cards can go to any city!

Next, you get 3 Actions (out of 5 possible):

Note: Hunt, Travel, Attack, Create a Scene, and Discard.

1. Hunt: by revealing and placing another Prey Card.

2. Travel: between cities using a dice roll. A non-zero (1+) roll lets you Travel to any city in your current state. A roll of 2 or greater (2+) lets you Travel to any city across the river.

3. Attack: Prey in your city with a combination of:

   • your Dexterity (shown on your Killer Board),
   • Resource Cards (a Modifier card and a Weapon card),
   • a Dice Roll,

   meeting or exceeding the Prey Defense.

Note: When you draw a Prey Card and every space in that city is full, choose one of the current Prey to replace and discard.

3. Attack (cont.)

If your total is greater than or equal to the chosen Prey's Defense, Success! BUMP your Dexterity up 1 space and add the Prey Card to your Collection.

If unsuccessful, place the spent Resource Cards under the Prey and leave them on the board.

Either way, BUMP the Heat in that city, but only once per turn in each city.

Note: Both Bumps are only once per turn!

If you successfully Attack a Prey with Resource cards under it, add those cards to your hand.

Annotated on the page: Heat Scale (pointing to the Heat track in a city).

4. Create a Scene

Using a Scenario Card. Only Resource Cards with an (A) Action icon require an Action to use.

Example pictured: the Scenario card "Out of Body Experience": Trade places with another player and Attack any Prey in that city. If successful, Heat remains the same.

5. Discard

Discard up to two cards from your hand and replace them from the Resource Deck.

End each turn by replenishing your hand to 5 cards. If at any time you have more than 5 cards in your hand, you may not replenish your hand until you have used your excess cards.

Remember: Use all 3 dice for any dice roll!

Killer Boards

Annotated on the page: Name, Mug shot & Bio; Victimology; Dexterity; M.O. Placement.

Your Killer Board holds all the information you need to determine who you are as a bonafide Killer.

• Make particular note of your Victimology. This gives you an Advantage over any Prey with matching Hair or Eye color.

  You get 1+ Advantage for each matching feature.

• Your Dexterity Scale keeps track of your base Advantage. Each time you kill, your Dexterity gets bumped up 1 spot.

  Remember: only once per turn!

• When you declare an M.O., you'll want to place it in the appropriate spot on your Killer Board.

  See Resource Cards section for more details.

Prey Cards

There are 2 basic types of Prey Card: Hometown and Tourist.

Note: Hometown Cards should be played in their matching city. Tourist Cards can be placed in any city.

Their City, State, and ID color let you know where to place them on the board.

To kill a Prey, you'll need to match (or beat) their Prey Defense.

Annotated on the card: City, State; Prey Defense; Notoriety.

Notoriety is your points earned for each successful kill.

If the Victimology on your Killer Board matches either of the Prey's Victimology, you have a +1 Advantage (for each) when attacking them.

Annotated on the card: Matching Victimology.

Police Prey Cards

Police Prey Cards increase all Prey's Defense in that city +1. The added defense goes away once the Police are killed.

Example pictured: the Police Prey card "Werner Brew, Police Psychologist" (Bettendorf, Iowa). Printed on the card: "+1 All other prey in this city."

Resource Cards

Use these cards individually or together, however you may not use more than one of each per Action.

For example: You may not use 2 Weapons in the same Attack.

There are four types of Resource Card.

1. Weapon Cards

Weapon Cards are used to Attack.

Note: Weapon Cards require an Action.

Note: All Weapon Cards have an Attack Advantage. The types of Advantages are:

• Standard Attack Advantage (a single blood-spatter 1 icon).
• After a Kill, Weapons with an M.O. may be claimed and added to your Killer Board. (Icon: 1 +2 M.O.) Keep and use their additional Advantage to Attack Prey. However, if you fail an Attack, you must discard your M.O.
• Roll 3 dice to determine your Advantage (dice icon).
• Prey Defense is directly affected (shield icon).

Example pictured: the Weapon card "Butter Knife": So much work! But so satisfying!

2. Modifier Cards

Modifier Cards add Advantage points during an Attack. You may use Modifiers by themselves, with Weapons, or against other players.

Note: Only a few Modifier Cards require an Action to use!

Note: Resource Cards that have an (A) Action icon require an Action to use. So using more than one at a time requires multiple Actions! Otherwise, they are free to use.

Example pictured: the Modifier card "Grandma's Urn": The stock alone might kill them! If successful, add this card to your collection for +1 Notoriety. (Text partly obscured by the arrow in the page image.)

3. Scenario Cards

Scenario Cards create situations you can use to Attack Prey or to mess with other players.

Example pictured: the Scenario card "Mulligan": Upon failing an Attack, play this card to gain no Heat and attempt to Kill the same Prey with the same Weapon. (Action icon.)

4. Ego Cards

Ego Cards give you a unique Advantage over the other players when added to your Killer Board (similar to an M.O. Weapon).

You may declare an Ego as your M.O. at any time. You don't need to kill with your Ego before declaring it.

Example pictured: the Ego card "Gatsby": Shall we invite another to the party, old sport? You may flip an additional Prey card at the beginning of your turn. (Once per Turn) (Action icon to declare.)

Tracking

• Dexterity determines your effectiveness when Attacking Prey.

  Your Dexterity bumps up one spot with each successful Attack, but only once per turn!

• Heat tracks the increasing presence of Law Enforcement in each City.

  After the first 3 levels, Heat bumps up the Prey Defense in that city +1 for each additional level.

  Heat bumps up one spot with each attempted Attack in that city, whether or not it's successful. Again, only once per turn!

Ending the Game

When the first player reaches the end of their Dexterity Scale, the game is over.

All Players total their Notoriety Points.

The player with the highest Notoriety wins!

In case of a tie, roll the dice to determine the winner. Or just take it outside. Your call.

Tips & Tricks

• To clarify, 1+ means "one or greater". +1 is "plus one" and is used when totalling your Attack Advantage.
• You do not need to announce where you are Traveling to before rolling the dice.
• No matter how many tasks a Resource card tells you to perform, they all count as one Action.
• You may only hold 1 M.O. or Ego at a time. You must discard your current M.O. or Ego before claiming a new one.
• Ego abilities may be used at any time during your turn, but only once per turn.
• For 5+ players, or just a shorter game, we recommend you begin higher on the Dexterity Scale!

Solo Play

• Set up the board and card decks per usual.

• Choose your Serial Killer card and deal yourself 6 Resource Cards. (Place them face-up.)

• You may Hunt at any time. Police Prey Cards not only increase the Prey Defense in that city, they also cause the Heat to bump one level.

  The added Defense goes away once they are killed, however the Heat remains the same.

• Travel to any city at any time. No roll required.

• Attack Prey as you would in a multi-player game.

  No Actions required. However, if you fail, discard any Resource cards used.

• Weapon, M.O., Modifier, & Ego Cards are all played the same.

• Scenario Cards play against you. Each time you draw a Scenario Card, place it face-up on the board and follow the instructions as if you are another player challenging you.

  Note: discard it after use, no matter the outcome.

• Heat is tracked the same as a Multi-Player game. When the Heat is maxed out in a city, that city is in Lockdown. You may no longer Travel to that city and any of that city's Prey are now treated as Tourists (Grey) cards.

• Dexterity is bumped up with each successful Attack. However, it is bumped down for every unsuccessful Attack. Start your Dexterity at any level you like. The lower you start, the harder it will be to finish.

• Replenish your hand to 6 cards or Discard at any time.

Ending a Solo Game

You win when you reach the end of your Dexterity Scale.

You lose when you fall below your Dexterity Scale, or all cities are in Lockdown.

Total your Notoriety points to see how skilled you are!

• 1–15: Get yourself a day job.
• 11–20: Not bad, for an amateur.
• 30+: Clearly, you're a dyed in the wool killer.

Note: The printed score bands read "1–15" and "11–20" (they overlap), and no band is printed for 21–29. Transcribed as printed.