Sine Tempore Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Rules
  • Golden Rule
  • Settlers, Enemies and Characters
• Hero Sheet
• Enemies
• Equipment
  • Equipment Upgrade
• Events and Missions
  • Event Card
  • Mission Card
• Terrains and Resources
  • Terrain Card
  • Resource Card
• Skill Sheets
  • Skill Tree
  • List of Skills
• Dice
• Preparing an Exploration Mission
  • List of Contents
  • Narrative Missions
• Sequence of Play
  • Momentum
    • Glyphs
  • Action Points
    • Activation
    • Order of Activation
    • Time Shift
  • Enemy Activation
    • Reaction
  • Actions
    • Movement (1AP/square)
    • Attack (XAP)
    • Using a Skill (XAP)
    • Using Equipment (XAP)
    • Engage an Adversary Model (1AP)
    • Disengage (1AP)
    • Waiting (XAP)
    • Aim (1AP)
  • Playing the Enemies
  • Threat Value (TV)
  • Perilium
  • Artificial Intelligence
• Combat
  • Attacking with Settlers
  • Defending Against Enemies
  • Wounds
  • Valid Targets
  • Non-Zones
  • Scenic Elements
  • Weapons and Armours
  • Psionics
    • Powers
    • Objects and Psionic Powers
• Status Token
• Sine Tempore Campaign
• Tokens
• Credits

Game Components

• Rulebook
• Plot book
• Map of the spacecraft and Primaevus V
• 4 Heroes sheets
• 4 Skill sheets
• 4 Heroes miniatures: Captain Achab, Security Andromeda 2.0, Psychic Jukas, Medic Alexandra
• 35 Enemy miniatures: 4 Witches, 5 Hunters, 5 Mowers, 10 Spriggans, 10 Kids, 1 Bull-y
• Tokens
• 72 Equipment cards
• 20 Resource cards
• 16 Enemy cards
• 10 Mission cards
• 7 Terrain cards
• 10 Event cards
• 10D6 custom dice
• 4 game tiles
• 6 connection tiles
• 3D scenic elements

Rules

This rulebook contains the instructions on how to play Sine Tempore.

Various optional rules will be inserted in boxes, feel free to use them if you like.

Various tips will be inserted in boxes; these will help you to better manage different parts of the game.

The second part of this rulebook contains instructions on the Sine Tempore Campaign mode. In this mode, you can use advanced rules to manage certain situations, for example the Colony Phase between missions.

Golden Rule

If the rules in the Hero cards or sheets contradict certain parts of this rulebook, the card rules will always have precedence.

Settlers, Enemies and Characters

The descriptions in this rulebook will always refer to the characters managed by the players as the Settlers/Heroes. The term Enemies will be generically used to indicate any adversary of the Settlers, and the term Character to indicate any of the models in the game.

Hero Sheet

All information about the Settlers is provided in their Hero sheets, Skill sheets and Equipment cards. Each Hero is assigned a value for each of their 5 characteristics (Rapidity, Physical, Precision, Mind and Wounds), which combined with their Skills and Equipment defines their role on the battlefield.

• Class symbol: the Hero Class indicates their tactical role during missions. Each Class is characterised by a set of Skills, divided into groups. You can personalise the progress of your Hero by selecting the skill most compatible with your style of play.
• Rapidity (Ra): indicates the Hero's speed, determines the order of activation and the number of Action Points (AP) available to a Hero during their activation.
• Precision (Pr): indicates the ability to take aim with long-range weapons and throw objects. The Pr value determines the base number of dice that a Hero can roll each time they perform one of these actions.
• Physical (Ph): you will use this characteristic when you need to perform an action that requires physical qualities, such as attacking using a close combat weapon, moving an object, defending against an attack. This value determines the base number of dice that a Hero can roll each time they perform one of these actions.
• Mind (Mi): indicates the Settler's intelligence and knowledge and is used to pass all tests required by a mental action. Also indicates the psychic ability of the Hero and is used both to launch psychic powers and resist them.
• Wounds (Wo): indicates the Hero's resilience on the battlefield. When a Hero receives a number of wounds equal to this value, they are placed Out of Action (KO).
• Skill slot: this is the slot where the Skill tokens selected for the Mission by the player are inserted.
• Special Skill: each Hero has their own personal Skill. This Skill is always available and cannot be lost in any way.
• Size: this diagram illustrates the size of the Hero. In Sine Tempore there are 3 different sizes, Small, Medium and Large. Based on the size, certain bonuses and penalties will be awarded in various play situations.

Enemies

This category includes all adversaries encountered by the Settlers during their Missions.

• The name indicates the type of Enemy. Some cards refer to single Enemies and others refer to a group; in the latter case the Enemies are activated by the same token on the Momentum. Straight under the name are the traits of each Enemy and the number of Enemies spawned when using the Reinforcement rules. The traits describe the background and distinctive elements of each Enemy. The icon to the left of the name indicates the Enemy Rank (troop, elite, boss and monster).
• Rapidity (Ra): indicates the Enemy's speed, determines the order of activation and the number of Action Points available to an Enemy during their activation.
• Area of control (Ac): the Enemies are always aware of anything that happens within this area. It is used to determine whether there are Heroes that trigger the Enemy's AI.
• Physical defence (Pd): indicates the Enemy's physical defence value; this value is subtracted from any damage caused by physical or long-range attacks.
• Mental defence (Md): indicates the Enemy's mental defence value; this value is subtracted from any damage caused by mental attacks.
• Wounds (Wo): this value indicates each model's ability to survive. When the number of wounds inflicted reaches the value of this characteristic, the Enemy is removed from the battlefield.
• The colour of the card border represents the group to which the Enemy belongs. In the base box you'll find the Primaevi group, identified by the colour red.
• Passive Skills are always to be considered in action, each passive Skill is managed by its own rules.
• Skill: this is where all active Skills or those with a certain relevance to the game are listed. Some Skills are activated only in response to Hero actions. Attack Skills include all stats needed to use them, such as the distance from which they need to be used and the type of damage they incur.

Enemy Ranks: Specific Troop, Specific Elite, Specific Monster, Specific Boss, Generic Troop, Generic Elite, Generic Monster, Generic Boss.

Equipment

In Sine Tempore, the Equipment plays a fundamental role in developing your Heroes. Each Equipment card is divided into different sections, each describing its function.

• The name identifies each Equipment item. Underneath the name, you'll find keywords relative to the type of object; these can be used in certain situations to interact with other Equipment items, or Skills.
• Each Hero can only take with them one weapon, one type of armour and one accessory. If for any reason a Settler gains possession of two objects of the same type, they must decide which to discard before continuing to play.
• Image: describes the Equipment.
• Effect: describes the effect of the Equipment.
• Some Equipment items have windows indicating which energy cells can be used.
• All Equipment items can be upgraded up to level 3. When upgrading, replace the current card with the upgraded card. Each Equipment item starts with an Upgrade level equal to 1.
• Characteristics band: describes the characteristics of the weapon, such as range, rate of fire or attack bonus, which are added to the Settler's corresponding characteristic (e.g., in the case of firearms, the bonus is added to the Pr characteristic). Some Attacks have a "CHAIN" symbol, which indicates the possibility to use Chain Attacks.
• Usage: states who can use the Equipment, some objects are specific to a certain Hero, others are linked to a specific Class, others still are entirely generic.
• Lists the special effects linked to the use of Equipment energy cells.
• Shows the elements needed for an upgrade.

Equipment Upgrade

In Sine Tempore, each Equipment item has 3 card versions, one for each Upgrade level. Once the resources needed to upgrade have been obtained, the existing card can be discarded and replaced with the upgraded card. It is not possible to upgrade an Equipment item directly from level 1 to level 3, without first upgrading to level 2.

Events and Missions

Event Card

These cards are drawn at the start of a Mission and their effect is applicable for its entire duration.

• Event title.
• Rules: describes the rules of the Event. Some Events are resolved at the start of the Mission, with the immediate application of the effects. Other Events have an ongoing effect for the entire duration of the Mission.

Mission Card

In Sine Tempore, each Mission is described in a Mission card. This card contains all information needed to set up and play an Exploration Mission.

• Here you'll find the Mission title, the objective in order to successfully complete the Mission, special rules and additional information on how to play the Mission.
• A diagram indicates how to set up the Momentum at the start of the Mission. You'll find the start and end Mission date, and the initial position of the Activation Token for the Settlers and Enemy groups.
• Indicates how the game boards should be positioned to set up the battlefield, where the Enemies, Terrains and points of interest must be positioned.
• Indicates which and how many Terrains there are on a given game board. If the Terrain is predetermined, the name of the Terrain will be indicated in these sections. Other times the Terrain will be randomly selected; in these cases instructions will be provided on how many Terrain cards to draw from the Terrain deck.
• Lists the Enemies participating in the Mission and the points of interest on the map.

Terrains and Resources

Terrain Card

These cards describe the different Terrains on Primaevus V. They form a Terrain deck and are drawn to randomly select Terrains in missions, when required.

• Some Terrains are shown with a 3D symbol. This means that the Terrain needs to be assembled before being positioned on the game board. A symbol also indicates the number of squares occupied by the scenic element.
• Terrain name.
• Image.
• Instructions on how to position the Terrain. When a Terrain is drawn from the Terrain deck, it can be positioned anywhere on the game board to which it belongs, following these instructions.
• The special Terrain rules, in particular whether or not it blocks the line of sight and/or movement.

Resource Card

These cards are collected during Missions and may represent either energy cells, perishable objects or medipack.

• Resource name.
• Drawing.
• Flavor.

Some Resource cards may represent traps for the Settlers. When drawn from the Resource deck, the effects described in the relevant section are immediately applied.

• Trap name.
• Effect.

Skill Sheets

This sheet will help you manage your Hero's skills. Each Settler is provided with one of these sheets based on their Class. The sheet is double-sided; on one side you'll find a description of all the Class skills and respective icons. On the other side you'll find the evolving tree, which you'll use each time you need to select a new Skill.

Skill Tree

• Indicates Skill sheet Class.
• Used to visibly identify the Skill and respective token. When a Skill is selected for a Mission, the token is inserted in the Hero sheet.
• Each Class has two specialisations. These have no impact on Skill selection, but indicate the field they belong to.
• These Skills represent the evolution of the Base Skills and are not immediately available for learning. To unlock an Advanced Skill, a Hero must first learn the Skill directly linked to them.
• There are two types of Links between Skills: the continuous line indicates that the Advanced Skill is an Evolution of the previous Skill, which it therefore replaces. The dotted line indicates that the Advanced Skill is a Derivation of the previous Skill, which it therefore does not replace. It is simply added to your available Skills.
• Base Skills are immediately available for learning.

List of Skills

• This is where the Skill icon is shown, which is the same as that shown on the front side of this sheet.
• This is where the rules of each Skill are explained. After each description, the Skill type is stated: Base, Evolved or Derived.

Dice

In Sine Tempore, a special dice are used to carry out all play actions: the Action Die (White). The Action Die is used for all characteristic tests. Each side of the Action Die has a combination of symbols that determine the level of success, based on the action undertaken.

Example: Jukas is attempting to strike a Spriggan with his weapon. The number of Action Dice he can roll is calculated by his Ph characteristic (3) and the ATB bonus afforded by his Weapon (2), therefore he can roll 5 Action Dice in total. Each die showing a combination containing the Long-Range attack symbol will inflict a Wound on the Enemy.

The symbols on the Action Die faces are interpreted based on their base function or the effect of a certain Skill or Equipment item.

• Push: This is applied normally for effects involving movement and shifting on the battlefield.
• Interact: This is applied to all actions involving interaction with objects on the battlefield.
• Blood: This is applied to healing effects or to impose certain Statuses.
• Defence: The base effect is to shield against hits.
• Explosion: This is applied normally for additional Weapon and attack effects.
• Long-Range attack: Each symbol of this type inflicts a Wound on an Enemy when attacked using a long-range Weapon.
• Close Combat attack: Each symbol of this type inflicts a Wound on an Enemy when attacked using a close combat Weapon.
• Mind: This is considered a success during tests to determine psionic powers.

When Equipment or a Skill is about to be used, check whether there are any particular rules connected to the symbols, and after rolling the dice apply all the effects, whether negative or positive.

Example: Jukas has rolled the dice to strike his adversary using his weapon, obtaining a Close Combat attack and a Mind symbol. The special Weapon rule allows him to change the type of attack from a physical to a mental one when Mind symbols are rolled. In this case, Jukas manages to elude the adversary's physical defence.

Preparing an Exploration Mission

1. Shuffle the Mission deck and draw a card from the top. Follow the instructions on the card to set up the battlefield.
2. Position the Terrains requested by the Mission. If the map includes random Terrains, mix the Terrain cards (except for the Terrain cards already specified by the Mission) and draw the requested number for each game board. Position the Terrains according to the rules.
3. Prepare the Momentum, positioning the Phase hands (minutes), the Harmonica (hours) and all Activation Tokens as instructed in the Mission card.
4. Draw the Event card and apply the effect. If the card has a continuing effect, place it near the game board as a reminder.
5. Select the 4 Heroes that will participate in the Mission from among those available. Together with the Hero Sheets, prepare the respective Equipment cards, the Skill sheet and all selectable Skill tokens.
6. Each Hero selects their Skills, choosing a maximum of 5 from among those learned. To select a Skill, position the relative token in one of the Skill slots on the Hero sheet.
7. Arrange the tokens, dice and Resource cards in such a way that the players can easily reach them.
8. Read the introductory text and Mission rules on how to manage the Enemies (or Special Enemies if included) and Events. Pay particular attention to the time at which the Events occur.

List of Contents

• Hero Sheets
• Ability Sheets
• Equipment cards
• Tokens (abilities, wounds, effects)
• Enemy cards
• Event cards
• Terrain cards
• Resource cards
• Mission cards
• Momentum
• Custom dice
• Heroes miniatures
• Enemies miniatures
• 3D Scenic elements
• 2D Scenic elements

Narrative Missions

The main Narrative Missions in Sine Tempore are prepared in the exact same way as the Exploration Missions, except for the scene set-up (see point 1). Narrative Missions are described in detail in the Plot book.

Sequence of Play

Momentum

The Momentum is one of the elements on which the Sine Tempore play system is based. You will use it to determine the order of activation of each miniature on the battlefield, to determine the start and end of a Mission and to establish when an Event takes place.

The Momentum is composed of four elements: the dial, the Phase hands, Glyphs and the Harmonica hand. The operating principle of the Momentum is similar to that of a traditional analogue clock. Players must learn how to manage and use it to their advantage to win!

The Activation Tokens of all characters that participate in a Mission are positioned on the Momentum. The positioning of these tokens in the various Phase sectors on the dial indicates the order of activation. When the Phase hand reaches a sector occupied by at least one Activation Token, it stops, making that sector "active". All characters with an Activation Token in an active sector must react. When all characters have been activated and the sector is empty, move the Phase hand to the next sector occupied by one or more Activation Tokens, and so on until a Mission is completed.

Players must manage the Momentum by performing the following tasks when necessary:

• When a character declares an action, move their Activation Token forward on the dial by the number of sectors equal to the number of AP spent to perform the action. In the case of Enemies that belong to a group, move the Activation Token after the relative actions have been performed by all models in the group.
• When an active sector is empty, move the Phase hand to the next occupied sector.
• Each time the Phase hand reaches the "Phase 12" sector, move the Harmonica hand forward by one.
• Pay attention to the time of Events stated on the Mission card.

Example: The Medic spends 2AP and moves forward 2 sectors, after the Phase hand she moves until reaching the next occupied sector.

Tip: If you wish, you can choose one of the players and commission him to handle the Momentum entirely.

Glyphs

Inside of some Sectors of the Momentum, there are 3 symbols in different colours. These are used to activate various special powers of the Enemies and Heroes. When an Enemy or Settler starts their activation in a sector with an icon corresponding to that shown on one of their Skills, their special power can be activated. In some cases, the power may have an additional cost in AP.

The Missions include a start and end time expressed by the formula "Harmonica number.Phase number". The two hands of the Momentum must be placed on the numbers indicated. Therefore, if for example the Mission indicates the start time as "2.6", the Harmonica hand must be placed on the "2" and the Phase hand on the "6" (as if it were 2:30 on a normal analogue clock). The same procedure applies when the two hands reach a fixed time for an Event or the end of a Mission.

Action Points

One of the base concepts in Sine Tempore is time. Just like in real life, each action performed by the characters requires a certain period of time to be carried out. For this reason, all actions have a cost in terms of time; this cost is called "Action Points" (AP). The Ra characteristic determines the number of AP available to the characters each time they are activated.

Example: Captain Achab has 5 Ra, therefore, he can use a maximum of 5 Action Points during his activation.

Activation

In Sine Tempore, the characters do not act according to a strict series of turns, but rather according to a dynamic sequence of activations that take into account the passing of time.

A character with an Activation Token in an "active sector" of the Momentum must be activated. If there are multiple tokens in the same sector, the order of activation is determined by the Ra characteristic of characters, from highest to lowest; if Enemies and Heroes have the same Ra value, Enemies will always have priority. If two or more Heroes have the same Ra value, players are free to decide the order of activation.

Order of Activation

In some cases, there may be multiple Enemies with the same Ra in the same active sector. In this case, players are free to decide the order of activation. When an Enemy token has been activated, all Enemies in that group must react before being able to activate a new token.

Example: As you can see, any one sector contains different activation icons. The Doctor (Ra5), the Hunter (Ra5) and the Witch (Ra4). As a general rule, Enemies have priority over the Heroes, so the first to be activated is the Hunting Faun, who has the same Ra as the Doctor. Immediately afterwards, the Settler will act and then the Witch, who has the lowest Ra.

When a character is activated, they have the same number of AP as their Ra. Each time a character declares an action, they spend a certain number of AP and their Activation Token moves in a clockwise direction on the Momentum, by a number of sectors equal to the cost of the declared action. After moving the Activation Token, the character performs the action. If the character still has AP available, they can declare other actions, provided the cost does not exceed the total value of the remaining AP. A character's activation ends immediately after performing the action that consumed the last available AP, or when a player decides to end their activation.

To simplify this delicate part of the game, we suggest you follow the flowchart below and perform the steps in order:

1. Token phase - end the effects of the tokens in the Hero's possession and give the Hero any Skill and Equipment tokens earned.
2. Declare the action that needs to be performed.
3. Move the Activation Token on the Momentum by a number of sectors equal to the number of AP spent to perform the declared action.
4. Carry out the declared action. Do you still have available AP? YES - Return to point 2 or declare the end of the activation. NO - End the activation.

The AP are automatically regenerated at the start of every new activation. As previously stated, the Heroes are not obliged to spend all the AP assigned to them by the Ra characteristic. In any case, unspent AP are lost at the end of the activation.

Time Shift

When a Hero is activated, they are always obliged to spend a number of AP allowing them to reach the first sector occupied by an Enemy Activation Token. This occurs regardless of the type of action performed. If at the end of the Hero's activation their token has not reached or overtaken a sector containing an Enemy Activation Token, the Hero must spend the number of AP needed to reach one. If the Hero does not have enough AP to reach the first sector occupied by the Enemy, they must spend all their remaining AP and move their Activation Token as a consequence.

Example: Achab is in sector 5 and declares he will move 3 squares to take shelter. He will therefore spend 3 AP. After moving the Activation Token to sector 8, and after performing the movement, he declares to perform a Waiting action so as not to lose his position on the battlefield. The first Enemy Activation Token is in sector 10. Achab therefore spends 2 AP to move his token to that of his adversary.

Example: If in the previous example the Enemy Activation Token had been in sector 12, Achab would nonetheless have moved to sector 11, given that the Time Shift cannot exceed the maximum AP of a Hero.

Enemy Activation

Enemies with the same name are activated as a group; they are therefore represented on the Momentum by a single Activation Token, which will always be moved by a number of sectors equal to the number of AP available to the Enemy type. Enemy actions must always consider the total AP, which similarly to the Heroes, can never be exceeded.

Enemy activation is divided into 4 phases:

1. Token Phase - As soon as a character is activated, the first step is the Token phase. In this phase, you will need to apply the effects of all Status tokens held by the character and then discard the relative tokens. Certain tokens with longer lasting effects will be described in a dedicated paragraph. The effects are all simultaneous. Afterwards, if the character is a Hero, they will receive all the bonus tokens guaranteed by their Skills or Equipment.
2. Verification of Objectives - Certain Missions assign the Enemies an Objective. If Enemies do not have a predetermined Objective, or if it isn't specified on their card, the Enemies' primary mission will always be to attack the Settlers.
3. Action phase - The Enemy is activated on the battlefield by spending normally until their available AP runs out. Activate the Enemies one at a time. When all have completed their activation, move the group Activation Token by a number of sectors equal to the Ra characteristic of the Enemy type, regardless of the number of AP used by each of them.

Reaction

When a Hero's Activation Token is moved on the Momentum, it may overtake a sector containing an Enemy Activation Token. If this happens, check that the Hero model is found in the AC of one or more models of the Enemy group represented by that token. If an Enemy satisfies this condition, they are immediately activated (reaction) before the Hero performs the action paid for in AP. Only the enemies that can interact with the hero will be activated.

As a consequence of this rule, Enemies with different Activation Tokens may be activated. In this case, casually decide which Group will be activated first. When an Enemy is activated by way of this rule, place an "Acted" token near their miniature. An Enemy that discards this type of token will not act during their activation.

Important: Do not move the Activation Token of an Enemy group activated by this rule.

Actions

During their activation, a character may perform a series of actions for as long as they have AP available. A character can perform different actions or the same action multiple times.

The majority of actions are common to both Enemies and Heroes, having the same cost in AP regardless of who uses them. Other actions however are exclusive to certain characters and normally originate from the use of a Skill or Equipment.

Following is a description of all the base actions that can be performed during a character's activation and their relative cost in AP.

Movement (1AP/square)

In this action, each AP spent allows a character (Hero or Enemy) to move by one square in any direction. Only horizontal or vertical movements are allowed. It is not possible to move in a diagonal direction unless using a Skill or Equipment that specifically allows this type of movement.

A Hero must declare the number of squares by which they intend to move with this action. After moving their Activation Token on the Momentum, they perform the action on the battlefield.

When an Enemy moves toward an objective, they will always follow the shortest possible path and therefore the one that costs the least AP.

Attack (XAP)

This is the attacking action that a character performs with one of their weapons. Depending on the type of weapon used to attack, different rules and AP costs are applied. The rules on how to carry out an attack are explained in the Combat section below.

Using a Skill (XAP)

A Hero can use one of their Skills, resulting from experience earned during previous battles. Each Skill has its own token, which must be inserted in the Hero sheet when the latter is selected for a Mission. The Skill sheet contains the rules for all Skills in the specific Hero Class, as well as their cost in AP. Enemies too can spend AP to activate their Skills. The rules on how to use Enemy Skills are described on their respective cards.

Using Equipment (XAP)

A Hero can use one of their Equipment items. The cost in AP and any special rules are described on their respective cards.

Engage an Adversary Model (1AP)

A character can spend 1 AP to engage an adversary model in close combat. When an enemy attacks, automatically engage the opponent for free. This action can be carried out only by enemies.

Disengage (1AP)

A Hero can disengage themselves from a close combat attack at any time by receiving a free attack from the Enemy they are running from. The enemies disengage without penalty, the heroes cannot make a free attack.

Waiting (XAP)

A character may decide to wait for the best time to act. Characters can keep spending AP until they run out. Move the Activation Token on the Momentum by the same number of sectors as the number of AP spent to wait, without performing any actions on the battlefield. When this action is carried out, the Time Shift rule must always be taken into account. Therefore, always spend a number of AP making it possible to reach the first sector occupied by an Enemy Activation Token.

Aim (1AP)

Each Settler can spend 1 AP to aim before attacking. If a Hero has aimed, they can save one die from among those rolled for the next attack. The face of the rolled die cannot change. It is not possible to modify or re-roll this die using Skills or Equipment. A Settler can aim each time they are activated to save any die from among those rolled or the same one saved during the previous aiming action. Each Settler can aim only once per activation.

Playing the Enemies

Sine Tempore is a completely cooperative game. Therefore, players must also take on the role of their adversaries. The Sine Tempore playing system makes the Enemies highly autonomous. Therefore, in the majority of cases players only need to follow the instructions provided by their Artificial Intelligence (AI) and move the Enemy miniatures on the battlefield. However, during the different games, situations may arise whereby the players need to make decisions on behalf of the Enemies. When this happens, follow these simple rules:

1. Artificial intelligence - The Enemy Objective set by the Mission takes priority over everything else. Therefore, when you need to make a decision on an Enemy's behalf, always have them act in a way that helps them achieve their mission.
2. Be mean! - No fairy-tale would be so without Enemies able to stand up to the Heroes, able to complicate things for them and stay one step ahead. Sine Tempore is no exception to this rule, so if you need to make a decision on behalf of the Enemies, always do so to the benefit of the Enemies and to the disadvantage of the Heroes.

This rule must be applied in all dubious situations.

Threat Value (TV)

Mission Objectives, Heroes and some game elements have a Threat Value (hereafter TV). The TV indicates the priority afforded to an Objective by the Enemies; the higher the TV value, the greater the priority. Sine Tempore Artificial Intelligence uses this value to determine which actions the Enemies perform during their activation.

The TV can be fixed or variable: Objectives with a fixed value are indicated in the Mission sheet, those with a variable value (normally that of Heroes) are updated through the "Perilium".

If there are special action rules that influence the TV of a Hero, these will be described directly in the Missions.

Perilium

At the start of the game, each Hero receives a Perilium. This dial will be used during the Missions to keep the Threat Value (TV) of a Hero under control. Each time a Hero performs an action that raises their TV, shift the dial hand forward a number of clicks equal to the TV of the action. If an action is performed that lowers the TV, shift the dial hand in the opposite direction.

Following is a list of actions that influence the Perilium:

• Wound an Enemy: +1 TV
• Kill an Enemy: +1 TV
• Heal a Hero: +1 TV
• Hero Out of Action: -2 TV

Other actions (described in the Mission text) or Skills may influence the TV.

Artificial Intelligence

In Sine Tempore, Enemies are managed by an Artificial Intelligence system, which determines their actions during their activation. In certain Missions (normally campaign ones) an Objective is assigned to each group of Enemies. Each Enemy must pursue their Mission until a Hero has accumulated a TV value enabling them to become a priority target. The Mission Objective always has a TV that must be compared with the TV indicated by the Perilium of each Hero, so as to determine the Enemy actions during their activation.

Each Enemy also has an "Area of Control" specified on their Enemy card. This characteristic too is used to check whether a Hero can interfere with the Objectives of an Enemy.

During the Verification phase of Enemy Objectives, first check to see whether any Heroes are inside the Enemy Ac. If there is at least one Hero inside the Ac, compare the TV of their Mission with the TV indicated in the Hero's Perilium. If the Hero's TV is lower than the Mission TV, the Enemy ignores the Hero. If the value is equal or higher, the Enemy considers the Hero to be a threat and acts with the aim of attacking them. The Enemy therefore temporarily abandons their Mission to eliminate the threat represented by the Hero.

If there is more than one Hero in the Enemy Ac, follow the order of priorities below to determine who will become the Enemy Objective. If the value is equal, use the subsequent option.

1. Hero or Mission with the highest TV; if equal, the Mission always takes precedence.
2. Closest Hero.
3. Hero casually selected.

If an Enemy does not have a Mission and there are no Heroes inside their Ac, they will behave normally, i.e., always attacking the closest Hero or the Hero with the highest TV if there are two Heroes at an equal distance from the acting Enemy.

Example: In this image, the Enemy must make their move and attack if they have enough AP. The Artificial Intelligence will aim for the Hero with the highest TV. The Gynoid has TV3 and the Psychic has TV8, therefore even if the Gynoid is closest, the Enemy will attack the Psychic.

Combat

Models can attack in different ways in Sine Tempore, using close combat weapons, firearms or psychic powers. Each type of attack has its own specific features.

An attack normally costs 3AP, but the game includes Weapons and Skills that may have a different cost. The cost in AP of each attack is stated on the relative card.

When an Explorer comes up against an Enemy, two different situations are possible: the Hero either attacks or defends themselves against the adversary model. Players must follow the instructions in the "Attacking with Settlers" or "Defending against Enemies" paragraphs, based on the circumstances. Enemies are managed by the game's Artificial Intelligence (AI) during battles.

Attacking with Settlers

In Sine Tempore, attacks are made by rolling a number of dice equal to the sum of the Weapon's attack bonus (ATB) and the characteristic requested by the type of attack (always indicated on the Weapon or in the Skill description).

The results need to be compared with the Weapon stats to establish how many Wounds will be inflicted on the target. Certain icons may trigger secondary effects. These are reported in the description of the attacker's Weapons, or in some cases in the Skills on the Enemy cards.

Example: Jukas moves toward Kid, then attacks with his energy Weapon, which has an ATB of 2 and wounds with the Long-Range attack symbol, the Psionic has a physical value of 3 and therefore attacks with a total of 5 dice.

Example: He rolls for the attack and obtains two Mind symbols, which trigger the Weapon's secondary effect, transforming the hit from a physical to a mental one. This allows Jukas to avoid the majority of the adversaries' defence tactics.

Defending Against Enemies

Each Enemy has its own attack scheme, which indicates the type of attack, whether mental, physical or long-range.

The Settlers roll a number of dice corresponding to the relative characteristic, plus any bonuses afforded by Skills and Equipment. For each icon that corresponds to those of the Enemy attack scheme, one Wound is cancelled. For each icon not cancelled, the Hero receives a Wound. In addition, each icon that inflicts a Wound may activate a secondary effect as described on the Enemy card. Every attack must be individually defended, and any extra defences will be lost between attacks.

Enemies can perform two types of attacks: physical or psionic ones. If the attack is physical or long-range, Heroes will defend themselves using their Ph feature; otherwise, if the attack is mental, Heroes will have to defend themselves using their Mi feature. Equipment providing bonus defense dice will define the kind of defense that can be used.

Example: Achab's Mirmidon Armor provides +2 Ph to block physical attacks, so this bonus can't be used to defend against mental attacks.

Example: The Witch is attacking Achab, who must obtain at least one success with his Mental defence in order to defend against the hit. The Captain rolls the dice and obtains one success, and therefore can only defend against one hit. The secondary effect of the Witch attack will stun the Captain if the latter is inflicted with at least one Wound.

Wounds

When a Hero collects a number of Wound tokens equal to their Wound value, they are placed Out of Action. An Out of Action Hero is placed belly up in the square where they are found. Each time an Out of Action Hero needs to be activated, they draw a Serious Wound card. Out of Action Heroes cannot be targeted by Enemies. Out of Action Heroes reduce their Threat value on the Perilium by 2.

When an Enemy collects a number of Wound tokens equal to their Wound value, they are removed from play. Out of Play Enemies are removed from the game only after applying any secondary effects afforded by the Skills and Equipment. An Out of Play Enemy leaves a loot token in their place.

Valid Targets

A target is considered valid when two requirements are met: distance and line of sight. The distance implies the number of squares separating the two models; all Weapons and some Skills have a Range (RNG) value, which must be compared with the distance separating the active model and the target. The distance can be calculated only in a horizontal and vertical direction.

The line of sight must be determined using the centre of one side of the square occupied by the active model (to make it simple, each side of a square has an empty segment from which to trace the imaginary line) and the centre of one side of the square occupied by the target model. If the imaginary line that passes between the two squares is not blocked by a Scenic Element obstructing the line of sight (read the Terrain card to check whether a Terrain has this characteristic), by a square occupied by an adversary model or by a Non Zone, the attacker can attempt to strike the target.

Non-Zones

Non-Zones are all those areas outside of the game board; if the line of sight leaves the game board, it is considered interrupted. Moreover, models can never exit the game board unless they are eliminated or for special effects.

Scenic Elements

In Sine Tempore, there are different types of Scenic Elements:

• Light Shield - These can be knocked down and offer protection to the target found inside. To knock down a Light Shield, it must be targeted and hit by the number of Wounds indicated on the card of reference. If a Settler is attacking an Enemy behind a Light Shield, they will roll one less attack die. If an Enemy is attacking a Settler behind a Light Shield, the Settler can re-roll a defence die.
• Solid Shield – These cannot be knocked down and offer protection to the target found inside. If a Settler is attacking an Enemy behind a Solid Shield, they will roll one less attack die. If an Enemy is attacking a Settler behind a Solid Shield, the Settler can re-roll a defence die.
• Light Defence – This is a large shield that completely obstructs the line of sight. Models inside cannot be hit. To knock down a Light Defence, it must be targeted and hit by the number of Wounds indicated on the card of reference.
• Solid Defence – This is a large shield that completely obstructs the line of sight. Models inside cannot be hit and the shield cannot be knocked down.

Weapons and Armours

All Explorer Weapons have a specific card containing the profile of icons that inflict Wounds, the range of attack, the cost in Action Points and any secondary effects. One Weapon can have more than one attack profile. In this case, before attacking, the Hero must choose which one to use. Each attack profile can have secondary effects that are activated with specific icons, with combinations of icons or if the Activation Token of the model using the attack is found in a specific sector of the Momentum.

Settler Armour adds dice to the total number of defence dice and can activate secondary effects, just like the Weapons.

Psionics

In Sine Tempore, there are very particular characters able to see and handle currents of pure energy, visible to their eyes alone. Thanks to this characteristic, they are able to modify the state of matter and use it to their liking. Psionics are highly feared individuals in the spaceship crews, who often go crazy as a result of the enormous power they collect.

Powers

Each Psionic has access to special Skills that correspond to mental powers. The rules on how to use psychic powers differ slightly with respect to normal Skills. To activate a power, the character must obtain the same type and number of icons indicated by the corresponding Skill.

Example: if when the dice are rolled, the result corresponds, the power is activated and the effects are applied. Some powers have additional icons that increase the efficacy of the power.

Example: in this case by obtaining an extra icon with respect to the cost of the roll, the power inflicts 2 additional Wounds.

In the Skill description, you will also find the Oblivion cost that the Psionic needs to pay after launching the power. The Oblivion points indicate a virtual loss of mental sanity. If by paying this price the Psionic is left with 0 Mind points, the player must draw a card from the "Delirium" deck. The player draws an extra card for each extra Oblivion point.

The Psionic does not actually lose points in their Mind characteristic, rather they are only virtually detracted. Position the Oblivion tokens to remember the condition of the Psionic and their objects. This means that each time the Psionic uses a power, they will roll the number of dice corresponding to their initial Mind value, plus any bonuses granted by Skills and Equipment, without taking into account the Oblivion tokens.

Each Psionic can "meditate" to remove Oblivion tokens. A player may decide to invest Action Points to meditate. Each Action Point spent this way will remove one Oblivion token. A Psionic can meditate multiple times during their activation until their Action Points run out.

Objects and Psionic Powers

Many objects help the Psionic to increase their available Mind points or speed up their recovery. A player may freely choose where to position the Oblivion tokens, on different objects or even from their own (on the Hero sheet). Oblivion points assigned to objects cannot be eliminated through meditation unless otherwise specified by the object.

Status Token

In Sine Tempore, characters can have different Statuses. Many objects assign Status tokens to Heroes or Enemies, for example Poison or Stunned. Certain objects guarantee Status tokens, for example Re-roll or Extra Dice tokens. Status tokens must be positioned on the Hero sheet if they depend on one of their Skills, or on the Equipment if they depend on one of these.

Unless otherwise specified, a Status can be assigned only once to each model. If a model loses a Status token, they can earn it again during the course of the Mission.

Normally, many Statuses are automatically eliminated at the start of a model's activation, for example Stunned. Others need a dice roll to determine whether the effect of the Status ceases, for example Fire, or whether the Status is applicable to the model until it is cancelled by a Skill, for example Poison. More details on each Status can be found at the end of this manual.

Sine Tempore Campaign

Once the Heroes reach the planet they intend to settle, they will need to set up base camp and begin exploring to conquer new territories.

Mission management follows a spider chart, and each Mission unlocks all the respectively linked Missions. Each Mission successfully completed unlocks the relative territory on the map. Each unlocked territory guarantees certain Resources to the Settlers during the Colony Phase, the managerial part of the game.

When the Settlers unlock a certain number of territories, they can access the Narrative Missions, which allow advancement in the main plot.

Narrative Missions have a more complex set-up and often assign special Objectives to Enemies. For this reason, they are described in detail in the "Plot book".

Tokens

• Stunned: if an Enemy is stunned, they collect this token. During their activation, they lose 2 AP and then discard the token. A stunned Hero moves their Activation Token forward by 2 sectors on the Momentum.
• Hindered: a model with this token must spend 2 AP to move 1 square during their next activation, then discard this token.
• Poison: a Hero with a Poison token always rolls 1 die less for any actions. A Hero that attacks a poisoned Enemy can re-roll 1 die to strike. A Poison token can only be discarded by a Skill that removes it.
• Brain Damage: a model wounded with Brain Damage makes their first move casually, then discards this token. Assign this token to a character to remember that they are a victim of the Skill.
• Soul Breaker: an Enemy wounded by this attack is managed by the Hero during their next activation, then discards this token. Assign this token to an Enemy to remember that they are a victim of a Hero's Skill.
• Contagion: a character with this token assigns a Poison token to all models that enter into base contact with the character. Assign this token to an Enemy to remember that they are a victim of a Hero's Skill. The Infection token has a maintenance cost.
• 1 AP: a Hero with this token earns 1 AP during their next activation, then discards this token.
• 2 AP: a Hero with this token earns 2 AP during their next activation, then discards this token.
• Vigorous: a Hero with this token earns 1 Ph for defence rolls during their next activation, then discards this token.
• Resistance: a Hero with this token earns 2 Ph for defence rolls during their next activation, then discards this token.
• Strength: a Hero with this token earns 2 Ph for attack in close combat rolls during their next activation, then discards this token.
• Psionic Shell: a Hero with this token earns 2 Mi for defence rolls against mental attacks during their next activation, then discards this token.
• Slow down: a model with this token consumes 2 AP to move 1 square during their next activation, then discards this token.
• Speed up: a model with this token consumes 1AP when attacking during their next activation, then discards this token.
• Nail down: a model wounded by a Nail down token cannot perform any movement actions during their next activation, but can nonetheless attack or defend, then discards this token.
• Bleed: a model with this token receives 1 Wo at the end of their activation, then discards this token.

Credits

• A game by: Andrea Colletti
• Development team: Andrea Colletti, Luca Bernardini and Josè Alejandro Lupico
• Barca Art director: Andrea Colletti
• Illustration & Concept artist: Giovanni Pirrotta
• Cover: Antonio De Luca
• Graphic design: Josè Alejandro Lupico Barca
• Lead 3D sculptor: Fernando Armentano
• VFX artist: Paolo Scippo
• Social media manager: Marco Presentino
• Administration - Production - Fulfillment: Vincenzo Piscitelli
• Advertising: Vincenzo Piscitelli
• English translator: Luisa Marzullo