Players Handbook

AMBITION

Welcome to Diplomatic Fallout, where objectives aren't just set—they're fueled by unbridled AMBITION! Your mission: seize the most Influence currency before the final curtain falls. Navigate a treacherous landscape of cunning bluffs, strategic alliances, and political finesse to secure your dominance. In the chaos of Mutual Nuclear Destruction, emerge not just a survivor, but the mastermind behind civilization's triumphant resurgence! Enter the shadowy world of Alealamia, a dark mirror to our own world, where six superpowers vie for unyielding supremacy. The delicate equilibrium hangs by a thread, balanced on a knife's edge of alliances and trade deals on the brink of collapse. Behind each nation's facade lurk Elites, the puppet masters pulling the strings of power. Take command as one of these nations, orchestrating your Elite cadre to outmaneuver adversaries and claim victory. Your ultimate quest: amass the most influence currency to ensure your nation's resilience in the face of impending nuclear apocalypse. As the world hurtles towards oblivion, only the nation with the highest influence currency can carve out a future amidst the radioactive ruins, ready to lead the charge in rebuilding from the ashes.

SETUP

1. Players commence by shuffling their Elites Deck and Industrial Networking card decks, placing them adjacently.
2. Drawing from their Elites deck, each player draws the top three cards, embodying characters with distinct Influence values. The cumulative sum of these cards establishes the player's starting Influence currency
3. Players then draw their starting Influence currency from the Influence Currency Bank. After all players have drawn Influence, the bank is placed in the center of the play area.
4. The intrigue cards are then shuffled and arranged into a face-down deck at the central play area next to the bank.
5. Finally, Nuclear Armament tokens are placed in the center of the play area as well.

GAMEPLAY

Each turn unfolds through two distinct phases: Diplomacy and Intrigue.

Diplomacy Phase

At the onset of each turn, players engage in the Diplomacy phase, where the outcome is determined by rolling the dice, shaping the course of their diplomatic actions. Determine your actions in the Diplomacy phase by the instructions below:

• 1-4: Choose Influence or Attempt an Influence Bluff - Players have the option to either draw an additional Elite card to augment their hand or declare an Influence value for one of the Elites in their hand and collect the corresponding value of Influence currency. Discard the declared card Facedown to move on to the next phase. Other participants can challenge the declared value. Other players can not challenge your Influence bluff once you have discarded. Influence Bluffs/Challenges are explored more on Page 6.
• 5-6: Forge Alliance - Initiate an alliance proposal with another player. Engage in an open or secretive discussion to establish shared goals. If the alliance is accepted, both players gain an immediate one Influence Currency. An unsuccessful alliance proposal yields no Influence for either player. Influence rewards based on alliance conditions are only obtained upon fulfilling the terms. Players can maintain multiple alliances concurrently but are restricted to a single alliance with each player. If the player decides against forging an alliance, they may claim influence but may not draw an influence card. Alliances are explored more on Pages 7 and 8.

Influence Bluff Challenge

Challenging bluffs injects a thrilling blend of risk and strategy into the game, compelling players to carefully evaluate potential rewards against the perils of deception, thus enriching the bluffing and political intrigue dynamics. The challenge resolution unfolds through the following steps:

Declaration of Challenge: During the Diplomacy phase, if a player claims influence, any player, excluding the one making the claim, can issue a challenge against the declared Influence value.
Verification: The player making the claim reveals the true Influence value of the declared Elite and discards that character into Political Influence discard pile face down.
Resolution: If the declared Influence value aligns with the revealed value, the claimant successfully duped the challenger. The claimant gains Influence currency equivalent to the declared value, and the challenger incurs a penalty of Influence currency equivalent to the original stated amount, for failing the challenge. If the declared influence value differs from the revealed value, the challenger successfully exposes the bluff. The bluffer loses Influence currency equivalent to the declared value, and the challenger earns a reward of influence currency equal to the original claimed amount by the bluffer, for unraveling the deception.
Adjustment: Collect or discard Influence currency from the bank for both the bluffer and the challenger based on the resolution.

Gameplay Example:

John claims an influence of 4, Jill challenges his claim.
Resolution A: John shows his Elite card, showing a value of 4. John collects 4 Influence Currency, Jill loses 4 Influence Currency
Resolution B: John shows his Elite card, showing a value of 1. John loses 4 Influence Currency and Jill gains 4 Influence Currency

Alliances

Alliances inject a cooperative dimension into the game, enabling players to collaborate towards shared objectives. They introduce strategic depth and intrigue, fostering teamwork while adding the suspense of shifting allegiances and unexpected betrayals. Players can forge multiple alliances concurrently, negotiating openly or in secret. Secret alliances introduce complexity and strategy, requiring players to navigate a web of alliances, betrayals, and hidden agendas. The element of secrecy leads to exciting moments as players attempt to unravel the true allegiances in the game.

1. Alliance Proposal: During a player's turn, rolling a 5 or 6 allows them to propose an alliance with another player. The proposing players discuss and negotiate alliance terms, solidifying their cooperative effort upon agreement.
2. Negotiation and Acceptance: Players in an alliance can openly strategize or communicate secretly using any means available, such as text messaging or passing notes. Secret alliances remain concealed unless one of the allies opts to reveal it, strategically disclosing their allegiance to gain an advantage or disrupt other players' plans. Some intrigue cards will force secret alliances into the light. Alliances are chosen from a set list of Alliance types, listed on Page 8. If both players agree on an alliance they both immediately gain 1 Influence Currency.
3. Alliance Wager: All alliances come with a wager amount, which must be set aside by each player once the alliance is formed. Use your color coded Alliance chips to help keep track of which pile of Influence Currency corresponds to each alliance you have with multiple players. This currency set aside can not be used until the Alliance goals are met. Any Influence currency set aside for alliances that are incomplete by the end of the game are lost and do not contribute to the player's final score. Place the appropriate Alliance Marker face up or down (in the case of secret aliances) on the pile of currency to keep track of which players each pile coresponds to.
4. Resolution: At a turn's end, if alliance goals are accomplished, both players take back their set aside currency and gain a reward concurrent with the amount of currency set aside. (Example: If an alliance costs 4 currency to form, the player would take back their original 4 and gain 4 more from the bank)
5. Ongoing Alliances: Once the terms are complete, players are no longer in an alliance. If one of the players rolls an alliance on their next turn, they can renegotiate terms or form a new alliance.

Available Alliances:

Pact of Mutual Defense:

Cost: 5 Influence Currency
Terms: Both players must come to the aid of the other if they are targeted by a nuclear attack. Successfully completing the terms rewards both players with 10 Influence Currency.

Unity Compact:

Cost: 3 Influence Currency

Terms: Both players must successfully form an alliance with a chosen 3rd player.

For example, both player A and B agree to form an alliance with player C.

Technology Trade:

Cost: 5 Influence Currency
Terms: If either player acquires the Bunker Card, it provides protection to both players in the event of a nuclear arms attack from a third player. This alliance has no turn limit but must be completed before the end of the game to claim the reward.

Industrial Exchange:

Cost: 8 Influence Currency
Terms: Both players share the benefit of a specific Industrial networking card, chosen by the alliance. To claim the reward, one of them must have the card in play at all times for at least 3 rounds, ensuring that the alliance's chosen benefit remains active.

Delay Tactic:

Cost: 6 Influence Currency
Terms: If either player draws the Armageddon card, they must discard it and not hold or play it. Once this has occurred once, the alliance is completed. Both players must have Nuclear armament for successful completion.

Industrial Influence

Certain intrigue cards prompt players to draw from their Industrial Networking Deck. These cards don't directly contribute to Influence but bestow in-game perks. Any perks gained from an Industrial Influence card are played during the Diplomacy phase, unless otherwise specified, as some Industrial Influence cards require certain gameplay conditions to be triggered. Six types of Industrial Networking cards exist, and a player can concurrently have all six cards active. However, only one of each type can be in play across the entire game. For example, two Tecmeds cannot be simultaneously active on different players. When a player plays an Industrial Networking Card, any current holder of that card discards it to their Industrial Networking discard pile. Successfully wielding influence over your industrial network is pivotal for victory.

Basic Gameplay Flow of the Diplomacy Phase

Roll Dice to determine Influence Bluff or Alliance

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Declare Influence or Forge Alliance
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Utilize any Industrial Alliance Available
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Move to Intrigue Phase

Intrigue Phase

Each turn concludes with the player either drawing and resolving an intrigue card or playing an intrigue card from their hand, injecting political events, forced alliances, or betrayals that dynamically reshape the game. The intrigue phase unfolds as follows:

1. Draw/Play: Players choose to either draw an intrigue card from the deck or play an intrigue card from their hand.
2. Resolution: Some Intrigue cards necessitate immediate play, while others can be retained in the player's hand for future Intrigue Phases. Intrigue cards introduce elements such as Political Events, Alliance Opportunities, Betrayals, or Special Challenges. Once played, an Intrigue card must be resolved immediately.
3. Adjustment: Modify gameplay, players hands or Influence currency based on the resolved effects of the intrigue card.
4. Optional Player Input: Depending on the nature of the intrigue card, players may have the chance to make decisions or take actions in response to the event. Most intrigue card resolutions can possibly be bluffed by any player. Any players can challenge another players resolution, and if the other player is caught lying or bluffing, they must fulfill the resolution correctly and incur a penalty of losing 10 Influence currency on top of any resolution effects. If the challenging player is wrong, they lose 10 Influence Currency (Example: an intrigue card may require all nuclear arms discarded, a player could bluff this to keep them, claiming they have none, or only discard some)
5. Discard: After resolving the intrigue card, discard into the Intrigue discard pile. This pile can be reshuffled to create a new deck when the original deck is depleted.

Basic Gameplay Flow of the Diplomacy Phase

Choose to draw or play an intrigue card

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If draw, play or keep the card per the card rules
If play, resolve the intrigue cards requirements

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Discard the played intrigue card once resolved

Ending a Turn

Modify influence currency according to successful bluffs, alliances, or the effects of intrigue cards and Industrial Networking Cards. Once this is completed, a players turn ends and the next player in line starts their turn.

Basic Gameplay Flow of a Full Turn

Roll Dice to determine Influence Bluff or Alliance

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Declare Influence or Forge Alliance

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Utilize any Industrial Alliance Available

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Move to Intrigue Phase

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Choose to draw or play an Intrigue Card

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If draw, either keep or play the card per the card rules
If play, resolve the Intrigue Cards requirements

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Discard the played Intrigue Card once resolved

NUCLEAR ARMAMENT AND THE END GAME

Nuclear Armament

The introduction of nuclear armament adds a strategic twist to the game, marking the beginning of the endgame. Players acquire a Nuclear Armament Token by drawing the "I am become death" card. Possessing this token allows players to develop and stockpile nuclear arms, which can be deployed during their turn, altering their Diplomacy Phase.
Drawing Nuclear Arms cards without Nuclear armament results in discarding the drawn Nuclear Arm card without any additional actions during the Intrigue Phase. Upon acquiring nuclear arms, players gain the option to deploy them during their turn, substituting their Diplomacy Phase for that round.Upon acquiring nuclear arms, players gain the option to deploy them during their turn, substituting their Diplomacy Phase for that round.

1. Targeting Players: When opting to use nuclear arms, players select a target. The chosen player and those directly adjacent to them bear the brunt of the nuclear attack.
2. Effects of Nuclear Attack: Affected players endure the loss of Influence currency.
   
►The directly attacked player forfeits all but one chosen influence card from their hand, along with 10 Influence currency.
►Adjacent players lose 10 Influence currency and all cards, except influence cards, from their hands.
►Discard lost cards to their respective discard piles. If the attacking player sits adjacent to the affected player, they avoid losing influence points but must discard all cards except their influence cards.
►Attacking player discards Nuclear Arms used to the Intrigue discard pile

3. Diplomatic Responses: Specific Intrigue cards and Industrial Networking cards can deflect or mitigate the effects of a nuclear attack. Additionally, any player, including the target, can employ their own nuclear arms to counter the assault. By launching their own counteroffensive with their own Nuclear Arms (via discarding one of their own nuclear arms), any player can completely deflect the attack.

Remember: While the strategic use of nuclear arms is pivotal for victory, it requires a measured and calculated approach. The far-reaching consequences echo through every turn of the endgame, impacting all players. While essential for success, reckless deployment can lead to one's downfall!

End Game

The Armageddon card stands as the sole game-ending card, its activation contingent on the collective ability of players to produce and stockpile Nuclear Arms. The card can only be played when all players possess nuclear arms tokens.
Should the Armageddon card be drawn, and the player lacks nuclear armament, it must be immediately discarded into the intrigue discard pile. Once a player attains Nuclear Armament, they may hold the Armageddon card until ready to play. However, it remains unplayable until all players have Nuclear Armament tokens in play.
Any player losing Nuclear Armament renders the Armageddon card unplayable, until all players regain Nuclear Armament. The strategic decision to hold or play the Armageddon card lies with the player holding it. It can be advantageous to await moments when other players face significant Influence penalties or to play it immediately for personal gain. The holding player exercises discretion in playing the Armageddon card. Upon activation, the game concludes, plunging the world into Nuclear Armageddon. The subsequent fallout will determine which group survives and perseveres to repopulate the devastated planet, commencing a new era.
To ascertain the winner, players calculate their total Influence using the following criteria:

1. Calculate the Influence total in your hand: Intrigue cards (excluding Nuclear Arms Intrigue Cards) are valued at 2 Influence currency each, Political influence cards at their face value, and Industrial Networking cards carry no point value.
2. Add the total Influence of your hand to the Influence currency you have left.
3. Subtract 5 Influence for any Nuclear Arms Intrigue Cards remaining in your hand.

The player with the highest Influence after Armageddon emerges victorious. The planet now lies in ruins, its surface devastated by the fallout from Armageddon. The aftermath wipes out most life, leaving behind remnants of buildings and pockets of surviving species. The healing process will take eons, allowing life to slowly return and the planet to recover.