Star Traders Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Components
• Family Game
  • How Star Traders Is Played
  • Stations
    • Building a New Station
  • Setting Up
    • Placing Initial Contracts
    • Building Your First Station(s)
    • Money
  • Movement
  • Contracts & Cargo
    • Picking Up a Cargo
    • Dropping a Cargo
    • Races
    • New Contracts
  • Prestige
  • Trader's Luck
  • Exchanges & Trades
  • Personalities (Optional)
  • Dropping Out
  • Winning the Game
    • Optional Max Prestige Petition
  • Your Imperial Mission
    • Optional Short Ending
• Imperial Game
  • Imperial Trader's Luck Explanations
• Black Hole Game
  • Imperial Stations
    • Black Hole Petition Table
  • Winning the Game (Black Hole)
  • Dropping Out (Black Hole)
• Nova Game
  • The Nova Game Uses
  • How the Game Plays
  • Setting Up the Game
  • Movement
  • Stations & Prestige
  • Cargo
  • Trader's Luck
  • Exchanges and Trades
  • Personalities
  • Winning the Game
• Super Nova Game
  • The Super Nova Game Uses
  • Cargo
  • Trader's Luck
  • Winning the Game
• Designer's Notes
• Key Differences Between the Game Versions
  • Family & Imperial Petition Requirements
  • Black Hole Requirements
  • Personalities (Summary)

Overview

This is actually five games in one, ranging from the Super Nova version for young kids to the multi-hour Black Hole version. The Nova and Super Nova games are for those who aren't ready for the rigor of adult games — and their friends! The Imperial and Black Hole games are for those who want a longer, more challenging game. The Family game is the intermediate version — for many players, it's not too hard, not too simple, not too cutthroat and still fun to play. It is playable by most kids age 13+. These rules begin with the Family game, and then describe the differences in the Imperial version, the Black Hole version, the Nova version and the Super Nova version.

Components

• Galaxy mapboard with 36 worlds connected by hyperdrive jumplines, spaces for the card deck and discards, the triangular Contract Boxes, and the Prestige Meter
• A pile of Imperial $tarBucks
• 108 Trader's Luck / Contract cards, marked N (for Nova), F (for Family) or I (for Imperial) in upper left corner
• 9 double-sided Playmats (6 sides yellow for the Nova game, 6 green for Super Nova, and 6 red for the other versions)
• 20 Personality cards
• 8 plastic ship tokens (6 regular ships, plus black and white ships for color-blind players or when you need an extra ship)
• 16 Cargo markers (8 pairs)
• Station Rings in 6 different colors — 15 for each Trader (the difference between the two sides isn't important unless you're playing the Black Hole game)
• 8 Prestige markers
• 12 four-sided Contract Dice (6 pairs)
• 3 Quarantine markers
• 6 six-sided Action Dice

Family Game

This is the basic version of the rules. Read this section and the Imperial section first, before you play any of the other versions of the game.

How Star Traders Is Played

Your objective is to gain $tarBucks (money), Prestige and stations until you have enough to petition the Emperor. When you successfully petition, you will be given one final mission. Complete that mission and you will be declared the galaxy's new STAR TSAR and win the game!

Traders take turns, going clockwise around the board. You may take up to five actions each turn. Each of these takes one action:

• Jump from one world to another world (usually along a colored jumpline).
• Pick up a cargo if you're at a world where a cargo is available. When you reach its destination, you must deliver it. Note that delivering a cargo does not cost an action.
• Build a new station on a world that does not have one already.
• Conduct local business. If you choose to do nothing else for an action, you may spend that action engaging in local business, earning a $tarBuck.
• Petition the Emperor. If the Emperor grants your petition, you draw an Imperial Mission; if you are the first Trader to complete your Imperial Mission, you are declared the STAR TSAR and win the game! (You may only petition the Emperor once per turn.)

To help you keep track of your actions, place 5 dice in the "Unused Actions" box on your mat at the beginning of your turn. If you might make a jump, roll the die that you have for that action. Each time you complete an action, move a die to your "Used Actions" box.

Each of these actions (except random jumps and petitioning the Emperor) may be taken more than once in a turn.

You may play a Trader's Luck card whenever it says you can.

At the end of your turn, draw a card. If you now have more than two cards, discard down to two. When you are completely finished with your turn, pass the dice to the next Trader.

Stations

A station is represented by a Station Ring. Each Trader starts the game with at least one station, and can build more. Stations have three important uses:

• Each one has a navigation beacon that makes it easier to travel between worlds — see Station Jumps below, under Movement.
• Stations earn money for their owner when a cargo is delivered — see Station Fee, in Contracts & Cargo.
• They can also earn money if other Traders pay for permission to jump there!
• A certain number of stations are necessary to win — see Winning the Game.

Traders may sell, trade or give away stations any time they agree to do so, no matter whose turn it is.

Sharing a World. Any number of Traders can have their ships at the same world at the same time. However, each world can only have one station — you can't build a second station at a world that already has one.

Building a New Station

Only one station is allowed per world. When your ship moves to a world without a station, you may build one there in your color by paying 5 $tarBucks and placing one of your rings around that world. This takes one action.

You get 1 Prestige each time you build a new station.

Setting Up

• Take a red player mat. If you're playing a Personality, keep the card handy to remember its advantages.
• The Family game uses the 72 cards marked with an "N" (the green cards) or "F" (the blue cards).
• Each Trader gets 10 $tarBucks.
• Each Trader chooses one of the colored ships. Take the 15 Station Rings, 2 Cargo markers and Prestige marker that are the same color as your ship. Put your Cargo markers near the Contracts. Colorblind players and their opponents might choose colors that are more easily distinguishable, and can even select the white or black ship instead of a colored ship. All markers also have a distinct symbol.
• Each Trader starts with 1 Prestige. Put your Prestige marker at "1" on the Prestige Meter on the board (either side up).
• Deal two cards to each Trader. Look at your cards; note that each card has two ends. One end ("Trader's Luck") is used when you draw a card for your hand. The other end ("Contract") is used when the card is drawn to set a new Contract on the board. These two cards are your first Trader's Luck cards.
• Determine first player. Play goes clockwise around the board.
• Personalities (optional). Each Trader selects a Personality to get an advantage throughout the game. Traders may examine all available Personalities before choosing. The last Trader to move is the first to pick a Personality, and so on, in reverse order around the board. Other ways to assign Personalities include dealing one to each player randomly, or only giving them to the less-experienced players, for a boost.

Placing Initial Contracts

Draw as many cards as there are Traders — for instance, four cards if there are four Traders. These are the current Contracts that are ready to be fulfilled at the beginning of the game. The first card drawn is Contract 1, and so forth. Exception: draw 3 Contracts for both 2 and 3 Traders.

Tuck half of each card under the board at its Contract triangle, so that only the Contract half of the card is visible.

Place two Contract Dice (marked with a s or a t) on the mapboard to show where each cargo can be picked up, and where it will be delivered:

• Every world has a two-digit number. The first number identifies its spiral arm (or the Core). The second number identifies a specific world there.
• Place the 1s Contract Die on the board pointing at the world where cargo for the first Contract can be picked up. Place the 1t Contract Die pointing at the world where the first cargo is to be delivered. Do the same with the other Contract Dice.
• Note that each Contract box matches the color of the corresponding Contract Dice. This makes it easier to tell which dice go with which Contract.

Example: the fourth Contract has a pickup at Gibson and a delivery at Cherryh, as indicated by the 4s and 4t Contract Dice.

Building Your First Station(s)

Now, in reverse turn order, determine where each Trader's ship starts, and where your first station is. The five worlds marked with red stars (one in each arm of the galaxy) are starting points. You start on the red-star world of the arm closest to you. No two Traders may start on the same world.

Place one of your Station Rings around your starting world. This is your first station.

6-Trader game. One of the Traders starts at a Core world (marked with a blue star). If you start in the Core, you may wait until the initial Contracts are placed before choosing which specific Core world is your starting world.

2- and 3-Trader game. Once each Trader has selected a starting world, they each place stations at 2 more starred worlds (2 Traders) or 1 more (3 Traders), going in reverse order. One of the stations will be a Core world. As with the 6-Trader game, you may wait until initial Contracts are placed to pick this specific world.

Take a minute to study the galaxy map to find your most profitable routes and actions at the beginning of the game.

Money

Money in the Galactic Empire is called $tarBucks. Traders may exchange money freely in order to make a deal. You may stack your money, but keep it visible on the table.

Traders start with 10 $tarBucks each. The rest of the money goes in the Imperial Bank. All payments for deliveries come from the Imperial Bank. Payments made to the Emperor or his minions go to the bank.

Movement

During your turn, you can move your ship in "jumps" between worlds. There are three types of jumps — Regular Jumps, Station Jumps and Random Jumps. All three kinds of jump take one action.

Regular Jumps are made along the jumplines marked between worlds on the map, from one world to the next world. The shorter the line (as shown by its color; see the chart below, and the corresponding chart on the board), the easier it is to make the jump. To make a Regular Jump, roll a die and then move along any jumpline out of your current system that your roll allows, to the next station on that line. Note that if you don't get the roll you want, you can roll again, but each roll costs an action, whether or not you use it — if you run out of actions, your turn is over!

Line	Required roll
Orange line	requires a roll of 2 or better.
Red line	requires a roll of 3 or better.
Purple line	requires a roll of 4 or better.
Blue line	requires a roll of 5 or better.
Green line	requires a roll of 6 or better.

Example: The jumpline you want to use is red, so you must roll a 3 or higher to move along that line. If you roll a 3 through 6, you can use that jumpline. If you roll a 1 you can't make a Regular Jump anywhere; if you roll a 2, you may only jump along an orange jumpline, instead (or do something with the action that doesn't require a jump roll).

Station Jumps take an action and are made along a jumpline, just like Regular Jumps — but it doesn't matter what you roll. If there is a station at the other end of the jumpline, and you have permission to use its navigation beacon, there is no minimum roll to make the jump — any roll succeeds! You always have permission to use your own beacons, of course.

If another Trader owns the station at your destination, and does not give permission to use its beacon, you may still jump to that world, but you must roll a die and do it by a Regular Jump. Therefore, you may want to offer payment for the privilege of using that beacon. A well-located station can be worth a lot of $tarBucks!

Random Jumps do not use the jumplines. A Random Jump can take you anywhere in the galaxy! To make a Random Jump, you must have at least one action left in your turn. Roll two dice, one after the other, and move to the world indicated. Example: If you roll a 2 and then a 6, move immediately to world 26 — Wilhelm.

A Random Jump ends your actions for the turn (but you can still deliver a cargo, if you're lucky enough to land at the right world).

Contracts & Cargo

The way to earn $tarBucks and Prestige — and eventually to win the game — is to pick up cargos and deliver them to their destinations … quickly! The first Trader to make the delivery will earn $tarBucks and Prestige. Latecomers earn nothing!

Delivery runs are determined by Contracts. Each Contract shows: where to pick it up, where to deliver it, the Delivery Payoff, the Prestige, the Station Fee, and (on some cards) a Star.

Delivery Payoff. An example card says that Foster (world 34) has a cargo of Minidrags for Schmitz (world 15). The first Trader to pick up this cargo at Foster and deliver it to Schmitz will earn a payoff of 23 $tarBucks from the Imperial Bank.

Station Fee. If there is a station at Schmitz, the Trader who owns the station will earn 11 $tarBucks from the bank as a fee for brokering the cargo there. (If the Trader who makes the delivery also owns the station, that Trader gets all 34 $tarBucks!)

Prestige. You also receive Prestige for each delivery. The Prestige value of each Contract is listed on its card. When you get Prestige, move your counter along the Prestige Meter on the gameboard. You get 4 Prestige for delivering our example Contract.

This is how Payoffs, Prestige and Station Fees are awarded for all Contracts.

Star. This indicates that the Contract is sufficiently challenging for an Imperial Mission; it has no effect until that point. See Your Imperial Mission.

F & N. The letter in the upper-left corner of the Contract area indicates which set of cards it belongs to. Use the 72 cards marked with an "N" or an "F" for the Family game. Don't use the 36 "I" cards.

VIP Contract. Contract #1 is always a VIP Contract. You get two bonus Prestige for fulfilling this Contract in which the Emperor is particularly interested. If our example Contract were a VIP Contract, you would receive 6 Prestige (the base 4 plus a bonus 2) for delivering it.

Picking Up a Cargo

You may pick up a cargo at the world specified on the Contract. Or, if your ship is at the same world as another Trader, either of you may give or sell a cargo to the other one. Picking up a cargo costs one action. (Getting or giving a cargo any other way doesn't cost an action.)

To show that you have picked up a cargo, place one of your cargo markers on the Contract box (on the board) for the appropriate Contract card. Don't move the Contract Die from the world! Any number of Traders may pick up the same cargo — but only the first to deliver it will get paid!

You may carry up to two different cargos at any one time. You can't carry two identical cargos unless there are two current Contracts calling for that cargo.

You cannot pick up a cargo for which there is no current Contract. You must abandon a cargo if there is no longer a current Contract for it. You can shift a cargo from one Contract to another if two Contracts call for the same cargo (but only in your turn, or after one of the Contracts has been fulfilled — you can't shift a cargo at the last second of another Trader's turn, to avoid losing a race). You can also shift a cargo from an expired Contract to its replacement Contract (if someone else fulfilled the expired Contract) if the two Contracts have the same cargo. Shifting from one Contract to another doesn't cost an action.

Dropping a Cargo

There are three ways to drop a cargo:

• Deliver it to the destination on the Contract before anyone else. If you do this, you receive the payoff listed on the card, and increase your Prestige. When you are the first to arrive at a world with a cargo on a Contract that it has requested, you must make delivery immediately, before you do anything else (but you must wait till it's your turn, if you arrive while someone else is taking a turn). You can't move past, build a station first or keep the cargo on board — the Emperor would be very unhappy at the delay!
• Abandon it. You can drop a cargo during your turn, wherever you are on the board, just to get rid of it. And it is automatically discarded when another Trader fulfills the Contract (unless the replacement Contract is for the same cargo, or there is another current Contract that calls for the same cargo). In particular, you cannot drop a cargo during someone else's turn, to prevent another Trader from getting bonus Prestige for beating you in a race.
• Sell or trade it to another Trader, with that Trader's agreement. The two of you must be at the same world to transfer it from ship to ship.

Dropping a cargo, however you do it, doesn't cost an action.

Races

When two Traders both pick up cargo for the same Contract, they are in a race to deliver it. When you win a race by making delivery first, you get 1 extra Prestige for every other Trader who has the cargo for that Contract!

New Contracts

When a delivery is made, discard the old Contract and draw another card to replace it. Remove all Cargo markers for the fulfilled Contract. Move the old Contract Dice on the board to the worlds shown on the new Contract.

TIP: To save time when you make a delivery, pick up your completed Contract card. While you (and the station owner) are getting your payoff from the bank and moving your Prestige marker up, another Trader can draw the new Contract and move the Contract Dice, so everyone can see what the new Contract is and make their plans.

Prestige

Prestige is a measure of your status with the Powers That Be. Your Prestige is used to influence the Emperor when you petition him. You can earn Prestige in several ways:

• You get 1 Prestige for each new station that you build. (You don't get Prestige for stealing a station, since you aren't building a new station.)
• You get 1 to 4 Prestige for each cargo you successfully deliver. (If it's a VIP cargo, you receive +2 bonus Prestige.) If you win a race to deliver cargo, you get 1 extra Prestige for each Trader you beat!
• You may gain or lose Prestige through Trader's Luck.

Traders may not buy, sell or trade Prestige between themselves. However, some Trader's Luck cards will let you affect your own Prestige, or the Prestige of others. You can buy, sell or trade these cards, or agree to use them for other Traders' benefit. Or you can save them to sabotage your rivals' attempts to petition …

Prestige may not go below 1, or above 30.

Trader's Luck

These cards are used to give you an advantage or to interfere with other Traders. You may show them to your opponents, but you don't have to. Sometimes you'll want to hold a card for the perfect time to use it. Sometimes you'll want to play a card as soon as you can, to harass an opponent and let you draw another card more quickly!

Different cards can be played at different times. Each card tells when you can play it, usually in the italic text at the top of the card. The non-italic text below the card's title is generally addressed to the Trader(s) affected by it. After a Trader's Luck card is played and dealt with, discard it. Playing a Trader's Luck card doesn't cost an action (unless it says so).

Draw a card at the end of your turn. If you now have extra cards, discard them. (You may not play a card until you've discarded down to two cards.) You may never have more than two cards in your hand at the end of your turn. You may never have more than three cards in your hand at any other time.

Cards may be freely given away, traded or sold, even during another Trader's turn, subject to the hand limits just described.

Calamity! cards are to be played on your opponents — you can't play one on yourself unless there is a specific exception on the card. The Trader on whom you play a Calamity must play "Avoid a Calamity" (see below) or suffer the Calamity described below its title. A Calamity always takes effect immediately.

Avoid a Calamity! If another Trader plays a Calamity on you, and you have an "Avoid a Calamity" card (or can get one from another Trader quickly), you may play it immediately. The Calamity then has no effect, and both cards are discarded. You cannot wait till later to play an "Avoid a Calamity" on the Calamity you just got — it must be played immediately.

If a card is not marked as a Calamity, it cannot be countered with an "Avoid a Calamity" card.

Other Traders can offer to play an "Avoid a Calamity" for you, but you are not required to accept it — a few Calamity cards can actually be beneficial in the right circumstances.

Between Turns. There is a very brief period of time between the end of one Trader's turn and the beginning of the next Trader's turn. This time is allowed even if the next Trader rushes to start the next turn. "Between turn" cards and "not currently taking a turn" cards may be played at this time.

Delivering Cargos. A few Trader's Luck cards make it possible to reach your delivery world when it isn't your turn. However, you can only deliver a cargo during your turn.

Zap. A Zap doesn't need to be played until a Trader announces how a die will be used. For example, you may play a Zap when a Trader announces that the roll (a 6) will be used for a green jump, rather than when the die is initially rolled. If a roll is Zapped so that a longer jump isn't possible, the roll may still be used to make any allowable shorter jump.

Imperial Envoy. You don't simply pick up your ship and move it to the destination in one jump; you travel using normal jumps (Regular and Station Jumps; even a Random Jump if you wish). You may play a card to aid yourself ("Zap," "Stargate," etc.) but you're not required to.

Example card: this Trader's Luck card tells you that you can play it on any Trader not currently taking a turn. It can even be played immediately after you draw it, on the next Trader (but only after you've discarded any extra cards you now have). It is a Calamity card. When you play it, the Trader that you gave it to applies what it says below the title — losing one action next turn — unless that Trader plays an "Avoid a Calamity" card immediately.

Exchanges & Trades

$tarBucks, stations and cards may be sold, traded, given or discarded at any time. Prestige may never be sold, traded or given away to another Trader. Cargo may be traded if both Traders are at the same world, and you may discard a cargo, but only during your turn or when its Contract ends.

Traders may make any deals they like, as long as they do not violate the written rules of the game. You don't have to keep your promises, but remember — if you're too shifty, nobody will make any more deals with you!

Personalities (Optional)

All Star Traders are smart, talented people. Each Personality has specific abilities that can help you in the game. See the Personality cards for each Trader's special abilities. (There is also a brief summary at the end of this rulebook.)

You can give each Trader a Personality randomly, or let each player (in reverse turn order) pick a Personality. If you're drawing randomly, use only half the cards (the 10 with figures on the left, or the 10 with figures on the right, or the 10 guys, or the 10 gals), but then you can select from between the two available cards after you've drawn a random Personality, if you wish.

Alternatively, Personality cards can help balance play, if you give them only to the less experienced Traders in the game.

Dropping Out

If you drop out of the game, all your money goes back to the bank, and your ship is removed from play. Your stations are auctioned off one at a time to the highest bidder, in numerical order (from 11, 12 … to 65, 66).

Since there are now fewer Traders in the game, the next time the bottom Contract is fulfilled, do not replace it (so that the number of Contracts stays the same as the number of Traders). For example, if one Trader drops out of a five-Trader game, don't replace Contract #5 when it is fulfilled. (Exception: keep three Contracts for a two-Trader game.)

Winning the Game

The winner of the game is the Trader who successfully petitions the Emperor for an Imperial Mission and then completes that mission before anyone else completes their mission.

Petitioning the Emperor costs an action, and you may not take any more actions (this turn) after a successful petition. (You may continue your turn if you fail.) To petition, you must have at least:

• 50 $tarBucks
• 15 Prestige and
• a certain number of stations:

Traders	Stations
2	8
3	7
4	6
5	5
6	4

Pay the 50 $tarBucks and roll one die. Your Prestige bonus adds to your roll — if your Prestige is in the red area, add +1 to your roll; if it's in the gold area, add +2. In addition, any Traders (including you) may use an appropriate Trader's Luck card to change your Prestige before you roll, or a "Zap!" Trader's Luck card to change your die roll after you roll.

If the final result is a 5 or better, the Emperor grants your petition and you are assigned an Imperial Mission! See Your Imperial Mission, below. If not, your petition is denied and you must keep trying.

Being snubbed costs you Prestige. The first time your petition is denied, you lose 5 Prestige. Subsequent petitions cost 20 $tarBucks each, and failing costs you 3 Prestige each time.

Optional Max Prestige Petition

If everyone agrees, anyone who petitions with 30 Prestige is automatically granted a success. (The Trader must still have enough stations and pay the required fee.)

Your Imperial Mission

When you successfully petition the Emperor, you haven't won yet! He grants you an Imperial Mission, so you can show how good you really are. Discard any cargos you have on board and turn up the top card in the deck. If it has a star in the payoff area (see the sample Contract above), place it in front of you. This Contract is your Imperial Mission. (If the card doesn't have a star, it isn't challenging enough for an Imperial Mission. Discard it and draw again. Keep drawing until you get a Contract with a star.)

Flip your two cargo markers to the sides with black stars and place them on the board, the "Pick Up" marker next to the world with your cargo and the "Deliver" marker next to the destination world.

You may take no more actions this turn. Beginning in your next turn, you start trying to pick up the specified cargo and deliver it to its destination. When you pick it up, place the "Pick Up" marker on the Contract card to indicate that you have it. No other Trader may fulfill that Contract — it's just for you. When you reach your destination and deliver your cargo, you become the STAR TSAR, and you win!

But it won't be easy. Your rivals will do their best to stop you. And while one Trader is trying to complete an Imperial Mission, any or all of the other Traders may also petition for their own missions. It's possible for all Traders to be on Imperial Missions at once.

Good luck, Trader. Hot jets!

Optional Short Ending

If everyone agrees, you can end the game with the first successful petition — the Emperor can declare that person the STAR TSAR without any Imperial Missions.

Imperial Game

The Imperial game is for players who want a more cutthroat and complex game than the Family game. It includes the red "I" cards. Most of the red cards add more strategy and/or conflict to gameplay. The Imperial game also tends to take longer — while the Family game takes about 90 minutes, the Imperial game takes closer to two hours.

The Imperial game uses the Family game rules and pieces, with the following changes and additions:

• Use all 108 cards and the Quarantine markers.

Imperial Trader's Luck Explanations

A Glitch in the System. You may even play this on your own Imperial Mission if you don't like it. A new Imperial Mission must still have a star (see Your Imperial Mission).

Quarantine. If you play this, put a Quarantine marker on the world you choose. Traders on the quarantined world, or arriving while the marker is there, are stuck until the marker is removed — they may not move away. However, they don't lose any turns. They can still build or steal a station, conduct local business, draw cards and so forth, while quarantined. Quarantines affect the playing Trader just as much as they affect other Traders.

Roll a die at the end of every Trader's turn (beginning with the next Trader's turn). If a 1 is rolled, the quarantine is lifted — remove the Quarantine marker. If it goes around and the first roller rolls again, now a 1 or 2 lifts the quarantine. The quarantine is automatically lifted at the beginning of the third subsequent turn of the Trader who first rolled to lift it.

An "Avoid a Calamity" card played immediately after the "Quarantine" card is played lifts the quarantine. An "Avoid a Calamity" played by or on a trapped Trader anytime later will let that Trader move away, but will not lift the quarantine and free other quarantined Traders. A second Quarantine played on the same world causes both quarantine conditions to cancel each other out, removing both quarantines. Any Trader may enter a quarantined world, but no one can leave (without playing an "Avoid a Calamity") until the quarantine is lifted. Exceptions: "Ion Storm" and "Warp in the Space-Time Continuum" can move Traders to or from a quarantined world.

Black Hole Game

The Imperial game can usually be played in about two hours. If you want an even longer, more challenging game, add these Black Hole rules. (It's called "Black Hole" because it takes so long, everyone else will think you've disappeared!)

Imperial Stations

In the Black Hole game, you are trying to build a network of Imperial Stations. The first Trader to build a large enough network and then complete an Imperial Mission will be named the STAR TSAR.

To make one of your stations Imperial, you must be at that station, and you must meet several Imperial criteria:

• You must have enough STATIONS (the same as the Family & Imperial game requirements for petitioning the Emperor). Your other Imperial stations count toward this total.
• You must have at least 15 PRESTIGE. Any Prestige Meter bonuses you have still count on your die roll.
• The first time you petition the Emperor, you must pay a 30-$TARBUCK filing fee before you roll. (No other fees are required before any subsequent petition rolls.)

You may now call the Emperor's Court on the hyperwave relay and petition for Imperial status. Roll a die and check the Black Hole Petition Table. Use this table in place of the Family and Imperial games' petition rules.

A successful roll promotes your station to an Imperial Station, if you can pay the price on the table. Note that you usually have to spend both Prestige and cash. You're calling in favors at the Imperial Court!

In this game, it's important to distinguish between normal and Imperial stations. Note that each Station Ring has a side without any stars and a side with stars. Station Rings for normal stations keep the non-star side face up. When you successfully petition to make one of your stations Imperial, turn the Station Ring over to its starred side. An Imperial Station cannot be taken away from you or destroyed by a Trader's Luck card or any other means. You may still sell or trade it to another Trader, but it loses its Imperial status if it changes hands.

Black Hole Petition Table

Roll a die (plus your Prestige Meter bonus) and check the result.

Roll	Result
0 (or less)	The Emperor is angered by your presumption … and because your bribe was not large enough! Your petition is denied. Lose 20 $tarBucks and 5 Prestige.
1	Your petition is denied. Lose 10 $tarBucks and 5 Prestige.
2	The Emperor goes on holiday; your petition is not heard. Your failed attempt makes you lose 5 $tarBucks and 4 Prestige.
3	Red tape! Your petition is granted if you pay 40 $tarBucks and spend 10 Prestige. If you can't pay $40 (or don't want to), lose 4 Prestige for wasting the Emperor's time.
4	Greedy bureaucrats delay you. Your petition is granted if you pay 30 $tarBucks and spend 8 Prestige. If you can't pay $30 (or don't want to), lose 4 Prestige.
5	Your petition is granted if you pay 20 $tarBucks and spend 6 Prestige. If you can't pay $20 (or don't want to), lose 4 Prestige.
6	Your petition is granted if you pay 10 $tarBucks and spend 4 Prestige. If you can't pay $10 (or don't want to), you still lose 4 Prestige.
7 (or more)	The Emperor is impressed. Your petition is granted at no $tarBuck cost! Spend 3 Prestige.

Note. In all cases, if you don't have as much money as the result requires you to lose, you lose all that you have. If you don't have enough to pay for a successful petition, your petition is denied and you lose 4 Prestige (but no money).

Winning the Game (Black Hole)

The winner of the game is the first Trader to put together a large enough network of Imperial Stations, and then complete an Imperial Mission. (Use the Black Hole Petition Table to petition for your Imperial Mission.) Each Imperial Station in your network must be directly connected (by a jumpline) to another Imperial Station in the network. Unconnected stations don't count, and your network cannot be split into two or more pieces! To petition for your final Imperial Mission it takes a network of:

• 2, 3 or 4 Traders: 4 Imperial Stations
• 5 or 6 Traders: 3 Imperial Stations

(If all players are agreed, feel free to adjust these up or down before you begin a game — perhaps require 5 for a three-player game, or 3 for a four-player game.)

Dropping Out (Black Hole)

The victory conditions do not change when a Trader drops out. If you started with five Traders, and one drops out, it will still only take a network of three stations to win.

Nova Game

The Nova game is a simpler version of the Family game, designed for those who can identify key words (such as "Calamity," "Zap" and "Lost in Space"). This version of STAR TRADERS is playable by most kids age 10+ (and some even younger). It is intended to be played with an older person, and these rules assume at least one player knows the Family game rules. An older person should read through both the Family game and Nova game rules before teaching the Nova game to younger players. ("Nova" can mean both a brightly shining star and something new, or young, like the players of this version.)

The Nova Game Uses

• The board
• $tarBucks money
• The 36 green cards marked with an "N"
• Plastic ship tokens (1 per Trader)
• Station Rings (15 per Trader)
• Cargo and Prestige markers (2 and 1 per Trader)
• Contract Dice (1 pair is used per Trader)
• 4 Action Dice
• The yellow Nova playmats (one per Trader)

How the Game Plays

• Traders take turns, going clockwise around the board. You can try to take four actions (or jumps) each turn. (Note that this is one fewer action than in the Family game, and only jumps count as actions.)
• As you move, you can pick up and drop off cargos. If you deliver a cargo, you get paid for it.
• At the end of your movement, if there isn't a station where you are, build a station there. You get 2 Prestige for each station that you build.

Note that in the Nova game, actions are only used to move. Picking up a cargo and building a station don't cost an action, and building a station doesn't even cost any $tarBucks. It happens automatically at the end of the turn, if the world doesn't have a station. Building a station earns 2 Prestige.

Setting Up the Game

Set up like the Family game, with these exceptions:

• Use only the 36 "N" cards
• Don't use the Personalities

Movement

The Nova game uses Regular Jumps, Station Jumps and Random Jumps, just like the Family game. Each roll to jump counts as one action.

A Random Jump ends your actions for the turn, but you can still deliver a cargo and build a station (if there isn't one) at the world where you end your movement.

Each time you roll and don't move, take 1 $tarBuck.

Stations & Prestige

As noted above, building a station doesn't cost $tarBucks or an action, and gives 2 Prestige. It happens automatically at the end of your turn, if the world doesn't have a station.

Prestige is the same as in the Family game in all other ways. Stations are still useful for Station Jumps and to give the station owner a fee when a cargo is delivered.

Cargo

Picking up a cargo doesn't cost an action.

Payoffs are all the same as in the Family game, including the Delivery Payoff, Station Fee, Prestige and Contract #1 VIP bonus. Races still give additional Prestige to the winning Trader.

Trader's Luck

At the end of your turn, draw a card. If you now have more than two cards, you must immediately discard down to two. When you are completely finished with your turn, pass the dice to the next Trader.

The "N" cards are the cards that are easiest to understand. They are played the same as in the Family game; they just aren't as complicated as some that only appear in the "F" and "I" decks.

Exchanges and Trades

These rules are the same as in the Family game.

Personalities

Don't use Personalities in the Nova game.

Winning the Game

There are no petitions in the Nova game. If you're the first Trader to have 15 PRESTIGE and 60 $TARBUCKS during your turn, you win the game. (No one may play Trader's Luck cards to affect your Prestige once you've won.)

Super Nova Game

Like the Nova game, the Super Nova game is intended to be taught by an older player. However, since Trader's Luck isn't used, the younger players only have to know how to read numbers (and the difference between "From" and "To"). This version of STAR TRADERS is playable by most kids age 7+ (and some even younger).

The Super Nova Game Uses

All the Nova game pieces. (Note that since the "N" cards are only different on their Trader's Luck ends, which aren't used in this version, you can actually play with all 108 cards.)

The green Super Nova playmats (one per Trader).

Cargo

• Eliminate the VIP Contract bonus — don't award bonus Prestige for Contract #1.
• Eliminate the Prestige bonus for winning a race.

Trader's Luck

Don't deal out cards to players or play the Trader's Luck end of the cards.

Winning the Game

If you're the first Trader to have 15 PRESTIGE and 60 $TARBUCKS during your turn, you win the game.

Designer's Notes

There are many potential variants and combinations of these rules. For example, you can play a Black Hole game with just the Nova/Family cards, and you can adjust the victory conditions in any way that is mutually agreeable.

You can also go old-school, incorporating rules from the original version of STAR TRADERS. For example, you can require that jumps be declared: you must state where you are trying to jump before you roll a die. If your die roll isn't high enough to make your announced jump, you can't use it to make an easier jump — that action is lost. This rule can be used any time you play STAR TRADERS, but it's more recommended when you're feeling competitive enough to play the Black Hole game.

Players have suggested various other Personalities over the years; we might be posting some of the more interesting on the web. Please feel free to post your own suggestions, for Personalities, Trader's Luck cards or anything else about the game.

Key Differences Between the Game Versions

Version	Actions per turn	How to win	Cards
Super Nova	4 (only jumps count)	15 Prestige, 60 $tarBucks	all (no Trader's Luck)
Nova	4 (only jumps count)	15 Prestige, 60 $tarBucks	36 (N only)
Family	5 (jumps, pickups, local business, builds, petitions)	Petition successfully (15 Prestige, 50 $tarBucks, enough stations) and then complete Imperial Mission	72 (N & F)
Imperial	5	Petition successfully and then complete Imperial Mission	all (N, F & I)
Black Hole	5	Make Imperial Network and then complete Imperial Mission	all (N, F & I)

Family & Imperial Petition Requirements

• 50 $tarBucks (initial petition); $20 (thereafter)
• 15 Prestige
• Stations: 2 Traders: 8; 3 Traders: 7; 4 Traders: 6; 5 Traders: 5; 6 Traders: 4

Black Hole Requirements

Petition requirements:

• 30 $tarBucks (initial filing fee)
• 15 Prestige
• Stations: same as Family & Imperial games

Imperial Station Network requirements:

• 2, 3 or 4 Traders: 4 connected Imperial Stations
• 5 or 6 Traders: 3 connected Imperial Stations

Personalities (Summary)

See Personality cards for complete details.

• BUILDER. Normal stations cost $3 • can build stations on jump-adjacent worlds for $3 x value of jumpline ($6 for orange, etc.)
• ENGINEER. 6 actions per turn
• HERO. +2 bonus delivery Prestige
• INSIDER. Laumer plus one other Core station • can jump between any 2 Core worlds with no minimum roll • +1 on all petition rolls
• MAVERICK. Keeps 3 Trader's Luck cards at end of turn • draws 2 cards if holding fewer than 2 cards; can hold 4 cards
• NAVIGATOR. All blue and green jumplines require a 4 (rather than a 5 or 6)
• NEGOTIATOR. Bonus delivery payoff = Prestige • Bonus Station Fee = $1
• ROGUE. Uses one station's navigation beacon once per turn without permission
• STRATEGIST. Rolls all dice at once, combines two into one roll, and uses the resulting rolls in any order
• TYCOON. 2 ships (but still just 5 actions)