Space Station Zemo Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Deal
• Your Cast
• How to Play
  • Winning the Game
  • Set Up
  • Activating the Escape Pod
  • Boarding the Escape Pod
  • Who Goes First
  • Every Turn Has Just Two Simple Phases
  • Movement
  • Actions
  • Heavy Metal
  • Health Is Good
  • Bio-Vat
• Some Assembly Required
• Examples of Play
• Zemo Locations

The Deal

Five inhabitants of a doomed space station are competing to activate and board the last remaining escape pod. Each inhabitant must fight and maximize his special abilities to be the lone survivor. Surviving is good: It's almost certain to result in a lucrative book contract, intergalactic TV special and, yes, even groupies. Floyd the Droid loves robot groupies. They turn him on.

Your Cast

• Chuckie the Zombie — Genotype: Mutated Human (Guinea Pigus). Occupation: Test Subject. Exploding Polyps: Chuckie can drop exploding polyps to hamper his foes. He's been pumped so full of chemicals and genetic treatments that his DNA looks like a road map. His musculature and regenerative systems have been enhanced, but his nervous system's shot. He's kinda slow in more ways than one, but he loves a rare steak. Lucky for him there's a lot of fresh meat on the station.
• Floyd the Droid — Genotype: Metallic Silicon Hybrid. Occupation: Repair Robot. Transformer Chassis: Floyd can change his form to balance his need for speed, combat or hauling stuff. Floyd thought there was something suspicious when he was ordered to dust the zoo specimens during a "fire drill." Now that he knows he's been left behind, he's grabbed his toolkit and superglue and is using his bolts to outwit the other nuts on the ship.
• Mush the Abomination — Genotype: Extraterrestrial. Occupation: Lifeform. Der Blinkenteleporten: Mush can randomly teleport around the station instead of moving. All Mush wanted was a peaceful vacation ride through the cosmos. He never would have booked this trip if he had known his metabolic hibernation would be interrupted by some kind of Earthling emergency. Pesky humans.
• Pete the Cook — Genotype: Human. Occupation: Nutritional Engineer, Second Class. Commando Training: Pete is a commando with a specialty in gourmet cooking. He can perform two actions every turn. Aside from being a damned fine chef, Pete's the last remaining human aboard the ship.
• The Rats — Genotype: Muridae Rattus (rodent). Occupation: Vermin. Rat Packs: Rats can split into two counters. Stuck on this scrapheap in space, Ben and his fellow rat bastards have no intention of going down with the ship. The escape pod is designed for one, but the rats figure they can easily cram 30 beady-eyed, twitchy-nosed rodents into the backseat.

How to Play

Amidst buckets of anti-matter and implosion belts, you must escape an exploding space station before anyone else.

BUT—you need to possess a "Pod ATM Card" to win. Setting the codes correctly allows you to enter the Escape Pod. Once there, if you possess the card, you win. Woo hoo!

Winning the Game

The first player to activate and board the escape pod wins. If all characters but one croak, the surviving character wins.

Set Up

1. Shuffle the item cards and slide one under each of the 32 numbered spaces around the edge of the map (see photo for example). Place the four remaining cards to the side. They are considered to be in the Recycling Bin.
2. Choose a character and take its playing pieces and mat.
3. Place your character's health token on the named space on the Health Track.
4. Choose your escape code (see "Activating The Escape Pod" below).
5. Roll two dice and multiply the numbers. The resulting number is the room your character starts in. If you roll two sixes (multiplied to equal 36) you must re-roll.
6. Beginning with the player with the highest health total (usually Chuckie) start play. Whee...

Activating the Escape Pod

Before the game begins, each player secretly writes down one of these 8 three letter codes:

AAA · AAB · ABA · ABB · BBB · BBA · BAB · BAA

You may enter the escape pod whenever the Code Rooms on the map (there are three of them numbered 1-3) are set to the combination you picked. For example, if you picked code AAB, then Code Room 1 would have to be set to "A," Code Room 2 also to "A," and Code Room 3 to "B."

To set a code your character must be in the Code Room at the end of the Movement phase, use an action and roll to see if the attempt succeeds. At start the Code Rooms are not set to either A or B.

Boarding the Escape Pod

Only when you have your codes set correctly are you allowed to enter the Escape Pod space in the center of the map (you can enter it from any of the four surrounding spaces). BUT—and it's a big but—you need to possess a "Pod ATM Card" to win. Setting the codes correctly allows you to enter the Escape Pod. Once there, if you possess the card, you win.

Who Goes First

Each turn the player with the highest health goes first. Second highest health goes second, and so on. Note that the order of play will change as characters lose health and heal. Every player moves before any player performs an action. Players also perform actions in health order.

Every Turn Has Just Two Simple Phases

1. Movement
2. Actions

Movement

Going in order from the player with the highest health to the player with the lowest, each player may move. Roll 2D6 (two six-sided dice) and add or subtract your character's movement modifier. The result is the maximum number of squares you may move; you can opt to move less.

• You do not have to move.
• You may not enter or move through a hallway space occupied by another character.
• Any number of characters may occupy the same room space.
• You may enter or even move through a room occupied by another player.

Actions

After all players have moved, each performs one action (Pete may perform two), again in order from highest health to lowest. Here are your options:

• Pick: Pick up the card(s) in your current location.
• Fight: If you're next to another player you can fight.
• Shoot: If you have a shooting weapon, you can shoot it.
• Duck: If you're being shot with a shooting weapon and you don't have one to shoot back, you can duck.
• Push: Named rooms have buttons; push 'em and things happen. See the Locations Chart (on page 6).
• Heal: If you're in the Bio-Vat you can heal.
• Special: Chuckie, The Rats and Floyd can use their special ability.

If another player starts a Fight with you or Shoots at you and you haven't taken your action yet, you can take your action now to either fight back or Duck.

Pick. Examine the cards in this room. If any are Traps, reveal them to all players and follow the instructions on the card. Unless they say otherwise, Traps are removed from the game after they take effect. You can either pick up items or leave them where you found them.

Fight. This is regular hand-to-hand boxing-type fighting. You must be in a space next to another player or in the same room to Fight. You may fight from a hallway into a room and vice versa.

Fights are resolved as follows:

1. Each player who chooses the Fight action may reveal one melee weapon (initiating player shows his first).
2. Then each player rolls 2D6 and adds his combat modifier (plus weapon modifier if applicable).
3. Compare results. Whoever's modified roll is highest wins. The loser loses health equal to the difference between his roll and the winning roll. The winner can now choose to end the fight or go again. If he chooses to go again, repeat steps 2 and 3.

If during combat a character's health goes below one, he immediately croaks and goes to the Bio-Vat. The surviving player gets to take one item of his choice from the croaking player.

If one player chooses to Fight and his opponent chooses not to (because he wants to do a different action), the fighting player does full damage but the fight ends after one round.

Shoot. You can't shoot unless you possess an item that says it's a shooting weapon. If you have one, its card will state up to how many spaces away it can shoot. You can never shoot at a character in an adjacent space, 'cause that's Fighting range. Unless an item says otherwise, you must shoot in a straight line (traced as you would move). This means no shooting around corners. You may shoot into rooms, providing you don't shoot through a wall. You can shoot through doors; they're considered open. You can shoot through the Escape Pod.

To resolve Shooting combat, roll the number of dice specified on your weapon. If your opponent has a shooting weapon and chooses to fire it, he rolls the appropriate number of dice as well. Whoever rolls lower loses health equal to the difference.

Unlike Fighting, Shooting is a one shot deal. There's only one round and the winner cannot choose to shoot again this turn.

Duck. If someone is firing at you with a shooting weapon and you don't have one to shoot back with, you may Duck and reduce the damage you take by 1D6.

Push. All the named rooms have buttons in them. You may push some of them by rolling 1D6. Look on the Room Chart to see what happens. You will need to do this in the Code Rooms to set the escape codes successfully.

Heavy Metal

Each player may only carry a limited number of items. Each item has a weight point on it (the number in the Anvil). At the end of your Action phase you must put down items if the total weight of your items is greater than your capacity (usually five). If you are not in a room, put excess items in the nearest room. If you move while carrying more than your capacity, you're cheating. Everybody hates a cheater.

Item card anatomy (example: Gadzooka!): Name; Type (e.g. "Shooting Weapon. When you fire Gadzooka! you move backwards (away from your opponent) a number of spaces equal to your Damage Roll. If you hit a wall, you take 1D6 Damage."); Damage (2D6); Weight (8); Range (2).

Health Is Good

The Health Track monitors your health total and determines the order in which each player takes his turn. Starting health levels are written on the track.

Whenever your character takes damage due to traps, combat, etc., move your health token down the appropriate number of spaces. If you reach zero health your character croaks (in the "kicks the bucket" sense, not the toad sense) and goes to the Bio-Vat to heal.

Only one player's health counter can occupy any single space on the track. Whenever your health gain or loss would result in your health counter landing on an occupied space, skip that space and keep going until your token reaches an empty space.

Bio-Vat

Dead characters go here for regrowth. You can only enter the Bio-Vat if your health level reaches zero. Once in the Bio-Vat you may roll two dice during each Action phase and gain that many health levels. In the Bio-Vat you can never gain more health than your starting level. You may leave the Bio-Vat during any Movement phase after your health level is greater than zero. Once you enter the Bio-Vat, use the back side of your health track marker to indicate that you've been "regrown." You can use the Bio-Vat multiple times, but once all characters have been regrown (performed the Heal action at least once) the Bio-Vat shuts down and characters may no longer use it. If they croak, they stay croaked (they're out of the game). Characters in the Bio-Vat when this triggers are unaffected and may heal normally.

Some Assembly Required

To get your copy of Space Station Zemo ready to play, we suggest you:

1. The PDFs are designed to be printed on 8.5" x 11" 100# bright white card stock, single (Board and Character Stand Ups) and double sided (Cards and Tokens) and 8.5" x 11" bright white paper single sided (Rules).
2. Cut out the card stock items using the card backs as the cutting guide. Tokens may be cut out as circles or hexagons depending on your cutting skill. Assemble the Board.
3. Cut and assemble the Character Stand Ups. To assemble each Stand Up, cut on dashed lines, score and fold on the solid lines. First glue the two image sections together and weight or clamp so that they dry flat. Then fold and glue the bottom so the piece forms a "T" shape. The character's name should be seen on the bottom of each Token.
4. Steal a pair of dice for each player out of some crappy old games you don't play anymore.

Examples of Play

Movement. You're Pete the Cook and you're in the kitchen ('natch) at the beginning of the turn. You have a health of 18, which is higher than everyone else's, so you get to move first. You roll two dice (a 3 and a 4) and add your movement modifier (+0) and therefore may move up to seven spaces (3+4=7). You can move 0, 1, 2, 3... up to 7, but you can't go through a non-room space occupied by another character.

Fighting. Mush is down to just 6 health and is moving last. It decides to use its special ability to teleport to a room instead of moving. Mush rolls a 6 and a 2 and ends up in room 12 (6 x 2=12), the same room Chuckie happens to be in. Since Chuckie's already moved, he can't leave. Chuckie and Mush both declare "Fight" for their actions. Mush reveals that he has the melee weapon Lite Saber, giving him a +2 bonus. In the ensuing combat Chuckie rolls two dice and gets a combined 7, to which he adds his combat modifier of +2 for a total attack of 9. Mush only manages to roll a 3, to which he adds his combat modifier of +2 for a total of 5. Chuckie wins the fight and Mush must lower his health level by 4 (9-5=4). Mush is now at just 2 health. Since Chuckie won the fight he chooses to fight again. This time Chuckie rolls snake eyes for a total strength of 4 (1+1=2 plus his combat modifier of 2 equals 4). Mush rolls another 5, for a total of 7 (since he has a +2 combat modifier). Chuckie is hit for 3 points (7-4=3). Since Mush won this round of combat he chooses not to continue and the Fight ends for this turn.

Pushing. Floyd is in Code Room 3, which is currently set to "A." Since his code is "B," he takes an action to change it. He rolls a 3 on a 1D6 and consults the Room Chart. A 3 is a failure and the code remains on "A."

Shooting. Pete has managed to find the Slingshot item, while The Rats possess the Machete Launcher. Both are in a hallway, four spaces apart. Pete's health is 14 so he chooses his action first and declares "Shoot." The Rats, at 9 health, declare actions after Pete, and since they have a powerful item also choose "Shoot." Pete decides to use the Plutonium Rod in his Slingshot and therefore does 3D6 damage. The Rats are carrying the most powerful ranged weapon in the game and will do 4D6 damage. Once the two sides roll their damage the lower amount is subtracted from the higher amount and the loser takes the difference in damage. Say the Rats rolled the worst possible roll, four 1s (total 4) and Pete rolled three 2s for a total of 6, the rats would take the difference, 2, in damage (6-4=2). No matter who took damage, the winner cannot choose to continue Shooting combat.

Sample Turn. It's Pete's turn to move. He rolls an 11 (since his movement modifier is 0, he can move 11). Pete's been bragging that he fears nothing, and to prove his point he moves 11 spaces right onto Chuckie's polyp. The polyp explodes for 1D6 damage (Chuckie rolls a 1 and Pete moves his Health marker down one space on the Health Track). During the Action Phase, Chuckie, who has a higher Health total has to pick his action first and since he doesn't have a ranged weapon and fears Pete is up to something, chooses to "Duck." Pete, it turns out, has the Gadzooka and chooses to Shoot. The Gadzooka does 2D6 damage and Pete rolls a 9. Chuckie Ducks for 1D6 rolling a 4. Chuckie moves his Health token down five spaces on the Health Track (9-4=5). Shooting combat is only one round and so Pete and Chuckie are done for this turn.

Zemo Locations

Airlock. During the game the Airlock may be activated (i.e. opened). If this happens it will suck players toward it before the Movement phase. Roll 2D6 and move each character that number of spaces toward the airlock. Players are sucked in order of health total, from highest to lowest. Movement is along the shortest route and players can be sucked out of and through rooms. If another player blocks your path, you stop next to that player. If a player is sucked into the airlock space and still has movement points left he is sucked into space and croaks (reduced to zero health points). One of his cards (randomly chosen) is sent to the Recycling Bin and the Airlock is immediately closed (no one else is sucked out).

Code Rooms. You may spend your action to roll 1D6:

• 1-3: Nothing happens.
• 4-6: You may set the code letter in this room to A or B.

Security Field. This colored area, which separates the Brig and the Armory from the rest of the map, can only be crossed if your unmodified movement dice roll is even. If your unmodified total is odd, you may not move through the field.

X-Ray Zone. When crossing through one of these spaces, you must reveal your cards to all other players.

7. Reactor Room. While in this room, you lose 1 health at the beginning of your Action phase.

11. Security. You may spend your action to roll 1D6:

• 1: You've tripped the alarm! You are teleported to the Brig (room 13).
• 2-4: You may look at any one player's hand.
• 5-6: If the Airlock is open, shut it. If the Airlock is closed, open it.

13. The Brig. You can enter The Brig, but you cannot leave (unless you can teleport). Luckily one of the former inhabitants dug an escape tunnel. You may spend your action to roll 1D6:

• 1-3: A big, heavy bulkhead lands on top of you. Take 1D6 damage and try again next turn.
• 4-6: You escape from the Brig. You may put your piece in the hallway space with the tunnel.

17. The Armory. You may spend your action to take any one weapon card from the Recycling Bin and add it to your hand. You must show the weapon card you choose to all players.

21. Vending Machines. You may spend your action to try your luck at the vending machines. Roll 1D6:

• 1: The security camera caught you trying to stick your arm up the machine. You are teleported to the Brig (room 13).
• 2: You get a rubber bug.
• 3: You get a Babel Fish.
• 4: You get a Tricordrazine Gumball (place a Gumball Token on your Character Card). You may eat the gumball (discard the Token) during melee combat to add +2 to your combat total.
• 5: You get a good, steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee. You gain 1D6 health. (This health gain can take you above your maximum.)
• 6: You get a Secret Decoder Ring (place a Secret Decoder Ring Token on your Character Card). The next time you activate a room function you may add or subtract one from your die roll.

22. Lavatory. You may spend your action to discard any number of cards from your hand. Reveal the cards you wish to dump to all players and put them in the Recycling Bin.

23. Lost and Found. You may spend your action to roll 1D6:

• 1-2: Nothing. Damn thing doesn't work.
• 3-5: Shuffle the cards from the Recycling Bin and add a random one to your hand. You may not examine the cards before choosing.
• 6: Choose any one card in the Recycling Bin and add it to your hand.

25. Casino. You may spend your action to choose a card in your hand to wager and roll two dice. If you roll seven or less, you lose. The card you wagered is sent to the Recycling Bin. If you roll eight or higher, you keep your card and you get a card at random from the Recycling Bin.

26. The Zemo Zoo. Lots of nifty looking creatures running around. During your Action phase (before you take your action), you must roll 1D6:

• 1: The Heeby-Geeby Rhino decides to gore you. Lose 1D6 health.
• 2: The Vast Gormogon seeks your company. Lose this Action phase and your next turn.
• 3: The Terrestrial Marmoset eyes you curiously.
• 4: The Symbiotic Technoplant likes you—no, really likes you. Technoplant wraps itself around you and provides 5-health armor (place 5 Symbiotic Technoplant Tokens on your Character Card, remove one for each space you would normally move down the Health Track).
• 5: The Phosphorescent Brainhugger leeches on to your head. Look at any one unrevealed item anywhere in the station.
• 6: Whoops! You let the Betagoola Death Spores loose. They're hungry. Target player of your choice loses 1D6 health.

29. Kitchen. You may spend your action to gain 1D6 health points (up to your maximum). Pete the Cook gains +2 to all combat rolls while in the Kitchen.

32. Command Control. You may spend your action to adjust the Climate Control. Roll 1D6:

• 1: Nothing. You pushed the wrong button.
• 2-3: Low gravity. Each character gets an extra movement die. This overrides double gravity.
• 4-5: Double gravity. Each character gets only one movement die. Characters can forego their Action phase to receive full movement. This overrides low gravity.
• 6: Deactivate life support. Each player loses one health at the start of each turn.

Any character in this room may spend his action to reset the controls back to normal. No die roll is [the sentence is cut off in the printable version].