Abduction Rules

Objective

Players are Abductees aboard an alien spacecraft. Each attempts to escape by being the first to end his turn on an Exit card.

Rules Default

Any card that contradicts these rules takes precedence.

Card Types

Game Pieces

Abduction comes with game piece cards illustrating eight different Abductees. Cut the game piece cards along the dotted lines. Fold each piece along the solid line.

Players

Abduction is designed to be a four-player game. Shuffling together two Abduction decks allows all game pieces to be used in an eight-player game.

Starting the Game

  1. Place the Holding Cell Location card in the centre of the table.
  2. Each Abductee chooses a game piece and places it on the Holding Cell.
  3. Get a six-sided die (D6).
  4. Shuffle the deck and deal each Abductee five cards.
  5. Place the remaining cards face down within reach of everyone to form the draw deck. A space should be left to the side of the draw deck for a discard pile.
  6. The dealer is the fist Active Abductee.

Game Play

In her turn, the Active Abductee draws a hand up to five cards, and then takes up to three actions. The other Abductees may play Event cards in response to each action.

Game Turn Summary

  1. Draw hand up to five cards.
  2. Perform an action.
  3. Each non-Active Abductee, in clockwise order, may play one Event card.
  4. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
  5. Repeat steps 2 and 3.

Play then passes to the left. A round is over when each Abductee has taken a turn.

Actions may be taken in any order and may be repeated, as long as no more than three actions are taken per turn.

The following actions are possible:

Move

The Active Abductee moves his counter one space.

The Active Abductee places an Item face down on the table and rolls a D6.

If the result is equal to or greater than the Search Number at the Abductee’s Location, then the Item is equipped (flipped over and placed in front of the Abductee).

If the result is less than the Search Number, then the Item is unfound (placed face down under the Location searched).

Unfound Items may be searched for again if the Active Abductee has actions remaining. Unfound Items may also be searched for by other Abductees at that Location during their turn.

At most an Abductee may have three equipped Items. Overburdened Abductees must discard equipped Items (placed face down under the Abductee’s Location) until they reach the maximum number allowed.

Location

The Active Abductee places a Location card from her hand face-up on the table. One opening of the newly placed card must match up to an opening on a card already face-up on the table. The two attached openings form a portal between Locations that Abductees may use to move around. The other openings on the newly placed Location card (if any) may form other portals, may be unattached, or may match up next to a Location card side without an opening (this becomes a dead end). After placing a Location, other than an Exit, at least one unattached opening must remain somewhere on the map.

Exit Locations have special placement rules. An Exit may be placed no closer than four cards from the Holding Cell. In other words the Exit placer must be able to trace a path from the centre of the Holding Cell to the centre of the Exit that passes through five portals. Where an Exit is brought into play, but may not be played legally, the action ends and the Exit may be retained in the drawing Abductee’s hand.

Event

The Active Abductee plays an Event on himself or another Abductee.

Power

The Active Abductee triggers the Power at his or her Location or of an equipped Item.

Pass

The Active Abductee does nothing.

Discard

The Active Abductee discards 1 card.

Evading / Avoiding

At certain times an Abductee will be called upon the Evade. All Evade tests have a target number. If the Abductee rolls a D6 equal to, or greater than, this target number he Evades successfully. Otherwise, the Abductee Blacks Out. Certain cards may be used to aid in an Evade test.

An Abductee may also be entitled, or directed, to Avoid something. Avoiding is done like Evading, but no Evade test modifiers are applied.

Blacks Out

When an Abductee Blacks Out, her hand and any equipped Items are discarded. The Abductee’s game piece is returned to the Holding Cell and her turn ends.

Draw Pile

When the draw deck runs out, shuffle the discard pile and form a new draw deck. When an Event or Item Power calls for cards to drawn and discarded, they are drawn from the top of the draw deck and placed on the discard pile until the draw deck is extinguished, or until a specified card is drawn.

If the draw deck is extinguished before the proper card is drawn, the Event ends. Shuffle the discard pile and form a new draw deck.

If the specified card is drawn, the discard pile is not shuffled into the remaining draw deck to form a new draw deck.

Hull Decompression

The Alien Exoskeleton Item or the Escape Hatch Event will allow an Abductee to survive the effects of Hull Decompression Event. A No Take Him! Event will not. The decompressed (flipped over) Location is counted when using the Carbon Displacer Item.