Unsettled: Blackout

Unsettled: Blackout Rulebook

Table of Contents

Quick Setup

After performing the basic framework setup:

Place the environment, ship systems, and makeshift tactics cards as shown. Environment cards are placed with the unpowered side up. Ship system cards are placed inactive side up. Makeshift tactics are placed face-up.
Place the LUNA Pursues card face-up in the area for planet-specific cards. Place a data block on the "0" space. This block will be used as a tracker for the duration of play. Place the LUNA Causes Chaos card next to LUNA Pursues, either side up.
Return the Workshop and Scarab tiles to the box. Set mystery cards aside until referenced. Place planet-specific tokens in their tray area. Place the red LUNA trigger token on the last space of the timeline.

The printed setup diagram shows the arrangement of the environment cards, ship system cards and makeshift tactics; the text of each card is given in the Card Text section below.

Planet Primer

Overview

You are on your ship, the Scarab. There has been a little mishap, to the extent that you're probably all going to die. Power is off across the ship, but even more importantly: LUNA sees you as a threat. To survive, you must complete your survival task while somehow also stopping LUNA from stopping you. You will need to restore power to the ship's various rooms to gain access to the ship's systems and other actions to help you accomplish your goals and keep LUNA at bay.

Action Row

There is a row of cards next to the environment (see: bottom of step 1 diagram to left). Action spaces on these cards are available to all explorers on their turn, regardless of their location.

The Scarab: Restoring Power to Nodes

Each environment card has an unpowered side and a powered side. They start play unpowered-side up. The powered side is not hidden information, you may freely examine both sides if you wish.

To flip your current node to its powered side:

Use the action space on the Restore Power card in the action row.
Flip your node to the powered side.

When a node flips, components on it remain unless otherwise stated.

The Scarab: Science Structures

The Workshop token is unavailable.

The Laboratory and Research Hut cannot be built in the normal way, but are instead built automatically when power is restored to their corresponding nodes.

The Scarab: Ship Systems

The Navigation, Upper Corridor, and Engine Control nodes have associated ship system cards in the action row. When these nodes are unpowered, their systems are inactive. When power is restored to each of these nodes, their associated ship system card flips to its active side, and the action(s) it provides are available to all explorers, regardless of location. If one of these nodes becomes unpowered, the associated system likewise flips back to its inactive side.

The Scarab: Movement & Layout

This planet features an impenetrable barrier symbol on node edges. Explorers and LUNA cannot cross an edge with this symbol by any means, because there is a solid wall. Nodes with this symbol between them are not adjacent.

LUNA: Basics

LUNA is all messed up. On one hand, some of your basic programming commands still work: you may move her 1 node per turn, scan for resources on her node, and use her to gather data as normal. However:

Every time an explorer or LUNA enter each other's node, LUNA attacks the explorer—

LUNA: Distress / Incapacitated

If an explorer or LUNA enter each other's node:

The explorer gains a distress (representing their...condition...following LUNA's attack).
If it is their third distress, they resolve its effect, discard it, and draw an incapacitated card.

An incapacitated card stays with an explorer until another explorer removes it using the action on the card while on the affected explorer's node.

While an explorer is incapacitated:

They are subject to that incapacitated card's ongoing effect.
LUNA does not attack or pursue incapacitated explorers (see below for more).
An incapacitated explorer still counts as "present" for requirements and effects that require explorers be present.

LUNA: Pursuit and Ire

Each turn—immediately after the active explorer REGROUPS their focus, but before the next explorer becomes active—resolve the LUNA Pursues card in which her ire increases and she pursues the active explorer. Read that card now.

Further details about LUNA's Pursuit and Ire:

LUNA's goal is to enter the target explorer's node (thus giving them distress), but any other explorers whose nodes she enters along the way are also given distress.
LUNA does not pursue incapacitated explorers. The active explorer always rolls and increases ire when regrouping, but if they are incapacitated (or become incapacitated) LUNA does not move or attack further. Any remaining ire carries over to the next turn.
When LUNA pursues, she follows the shortest path to her target (including going outside), but she doesn't factor in obstacles (see travelogue back). Ex: If a path reaches the target in 3 moves, and another reaches in 2 movement but 2 obstacles obstruct that path, she will still take the 2 move path.
Each time LUNA "spends" an ire point it is considered a separate effect. You may use free actions between each ire point.

Source note: the printed page carries a hidden text layer with a "Rules refresher" note about placing and removing traps. That note is not visible on the printed page and is not transcribed here.

LUNA: Barricades / Obstacles

Many actions and effects (like the "barricades" card in action row) allow you to place obstacles (black blocks) to slow LUNA's movement.

Details About Obstacles:

Obstacle blocks are placed between nodes to represent that something is making it impossible to move that direction. They are essentially a node edge effect.
If an effect lets you "place an obstacle," it means between two nodes. Obstacles are never placed on nodes, only between them.
If an explorer or LUNA attempt to move across obstacle blocks: they stay where they are, a movement point is spent, and a block is removed.
Obstacle blocks are meant to be limitless. In the event that you run out of black blocks, substitute something else (like a material from the supply).

LUNA: Traps

Once you've restored power to the Workshop you will be able to construct traps.

Details About Traps:

When you take the CONSTRUCT TRAP action, claim a trap from the tray to your inventory.
You may move a trap from your inventory to your node, or from your node to your inventory, as a free action.
When LUNA enters a node containing a trap, the trap triggers—resolve its effect and then discard the trap. Once LUNA triggers a trap, it is gone forever. You cannot make it again.

LUNA: Chaos Trigger

When the time marker reaches the chaos trigger on the timeline, resolve the LUNA Causes Chaos card by rolling the discovery die to see which unexpected action LUNA takes. Then flip the card.

Opportunities / Discoveries / Anomalies

In Blackout, when you reveal an opportunity you automatically gain a discovery (and draw an anomaly). Each discovery provides the battery property, enabling it to be used to take the HOT-WIRE action on the Restore Power card in the action row.

In a twist from the standard rules, anomaly effects in Blackout only trigger when the discovery is consumed as part of the HOT-WIRE action. In other words, you cannot discard discoveries for their effect by any means other than the HOT-WIRE action, but if you have the right comprehension, each provides a unique bonus when you do so.

You may take the HOT-WIRE action and discard a discovery even if you don't have the comprehension to get its anomaly bonus.
You may not use the HOT-WIRE action on a node that is already powered.
The node you are on when you take the HOT-WIRE action is the node that becomes powered, even if the anomaly effect places you elsewhere.

Card Text

Icons on the card faces (die-face pips, action and cost symbols, and the hose and door pictograms) are shown in square brackets where the text layer carries no words for them. The words printed on each card are transcribed as they appear.

Environment Cards

Each environment card shows its name, its unpowered-side text, and the text of its powered side.

Crew Quarters

Unpowered side: When entering: Check for clumsiness. Hop into the downward laundry chute: place yourself onto Organic Stowage.
Powered side: Restore power to this node to flip it and gain access to: a safe haven.

Medical Bay

Unpowered side: When entering: Check for clumsiness—Roll a die. If result is [die-result icon] or increase ire by 1.
Powered side: Restore power to this node to flip it and gain access to: endurance recovery.

Source note: the die-result pictogram on the clumsiness checks is an image in the printed file, not text, and could not be read from the rendered page. It is shown as [die-result icon] on every card where it appears.

Upper Corridor

Unpowered side: When revealed: Flip the Transfer Tubes system card to its inactive side. When entering: Check for clumsiness—Roll a die. If result is [die-result icon] or increase ire by 1.
Powered side: Restore power to this node to flip it and gain access to: adjacent nodes, Transfer Tube system.

Engine Control

Unpowered side: When revealed: Flip the Fire Suppression Doors system card to its inactive side. When entering: Check for clumsiness—Roll a die. If result is [die-result icon] or increase ire by 1.
Powered side: Restore power to this node to flip it and gain access to: Fire Suppression Doors.

Navigation

Unpowered side: When revealed: Flip the Comms & Door Locks system card to its inactive side. When entering: Check for clumsiness—Roll a die. If result is [die-result icon] or increase ire by 1.
Powered side: Restore power to this node to flip it and gain access to: comms systems and door locks.

Research Center

Unpowered side: When entering: Check for clumsiness—Roll a die. If result is [die-result icon] or increase ire by 1.
Powered side: Restore power to this node to flip it and gain access to: the Research Hut structure.

Workshop

Unpowered side: When entering: Check for clumsiness—Roll a die. If result is [die-result icon] or increase ire by 1.
Powered side: Restore power to this node to flip it and gain access to: the ability to construct booby traps.

Laboratory

Unpowered side: When entering: Check for clumsiness—Roll a die. If result is [die-result icon] or increase ire by 1.
Powered side: Restore power to this node to flip it and gain access to: the laboratory structure.

Organic Stowage

Unpowered side: When entering: Check for clumsiness—Roll a die. If result is [die-result icon] or increase ire by 1.
Powered side: Restore power to this node to flip it and gain access to: laundry chute to Crew Quarters.

Inorganic Stowage

Unpowered side: When entering: Check for clumsiness—Roll a die. If result is [die-result icon] or increase ire by 1.
Powered side: Restore power to this node to flip it and gain access to: discoveries.

Outside Front and Outside Rear

These two cards carry only their names and the edge tabs that read TO OUTSIDE FRONT and TO OUTSIDE REAR. Their backgrounds carry decorative ghost text that is not rules text and is not transcribed.

Ship System Cards

Each ship system card starts inactive and flips when its associated node is powered.

Comms & Door Locks

- INACTIVE *
If Navigation becomes powered, flip this card.

Fire Suppression Doors

- INACTIVE *
If Engine Control becomes powered, flip this card.

Transfer Tubes

- INACTIVE *
If Upper Corridor becomes powered, flip this card.

Makeshift Tactics Cards

Barricades

BARRICADE: Place 1 obstacle between your current node and an adjacent node.
CLEAR A PATH: Remove any number of obstacles between your node and an adjacent node.

Restore Power

The card carries the printed label HOT-WIRE A DEVICE'S BATTERY TO YOUR NODE TO RESTORE POWER as background text, with [action symbols] on the face.

[action symbols] Increase LUNA's ire by 1.
Flip your current node to its powered side. Any components on it remain.

LUNA Cards

LUNA Pursues

Source note: the card heading and the first words of its first line are clipped by the page edge in the printed file.

Roll a die and increase LUNA's ire by that amount. LUNA targets the active explorer (unless an effect says otherwise). Repeatedly resolve LUNA PURSUES below until LUNA's ire is reduced to zero or the targeted explorer is INCAPACITATED.
LUNA PURSUES:
1. If LUNA is on the target explorer's node, they gain a distress; otherwise, move LUNA 1 node toward the targeted explorer. If LUNA's movement would cross an obstacle block, she remains where she is and 1 block is removed.
2. Decrease ire by 1.
The card carries an ire track numbered 3, 2, 1 and 0.

LUNA Causes Chaos

Source note: the heading of the first entry is clipped by the page edge in the printed file.

Die 1, LUNA USES SECRET [heading clipped]: Roll a die. Place LUNA: [one-pip icon] Navigation; [two-pip icon] Upper Corridor; [three-pip icon] Inorganic Stowage.
Die 2, LUNA FINDS NEW LIMITS TO VIOLENCE: Remove all obstacles between LUNA's node and adjacent nodes.
Die 3, LUNA HACKS THE NETWORK: All resources in the stockpile, database, and dynamo are returned to the supply.

Incapacitated Cards

ENGAGED (Incapacitated)

Source note: the card's top heading is clipped by the page edge in the printed file; the printed word ENGAGED is the only part of the heading that shows.

You may not be carried. When you move: [move icon] [move icon].
At the start of each of your turns: [turn icon].

Frantically Untie, Restore Hoses

ANOTHER LOCAL EXPLORER MAY: [action icon]
FRANTICALLY UNTIE, RESTORE HOSES. The engaged explorer removes all of their distress.
This card is no longer active. [icon] [icon]
When the focus cube is REGROUPED off this card, shuffle this into the incapacitated deck.

Further Resources

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orangenebula.com/unsettledDB