Generation Zero

Requirements

For a standard game, each player must bring:
-At least two AGENTS
-At least one 'SUE
-At least three CANONS
-TOKENS (coins will suffice if necessary) equal to the combined HEALTH of their Agents and 'Sues.
-Lots of paperclips.
All the Agents in the game must have the same FANDOM (or no fandom) and their DATES must overlap.
In addition, a reasonable number of LOCATION cards from that fandom must be provided, along with any MONSTERS desired.
Each of the cards used must be unique - you cannot have six Boromirs running around, amusing though it may be, nor a dozen Agent Dafydd's chasing 'Sues.

Set-Up

The Location cards are shuffled and arranged to provide the game-space. The precise arrangement doesn't matter - all that matters is that each card must be touching at least one other corner-to-corner, and that all the cards make a continuous pattern. The simplest array is this:

1 0 1 0 1
0 1 0 1 0
1 0 1 0 1
etc...

Where 1 is a card and 0 is a space. Each card can touch a maximum of four others. Location cards are placed FACE-UP.

Any Monsters in play are then placed FACE-DOWN on their corresponding Locations (ie, a Troll may be placed on a card that states 'TROLLS may live here'). The Canon cards are shuffled and placed face-down on random Location cards. It is best to fill the empty Locations before either doubling-up Canons or placing them on Monsters.

Each player controls their Agents and 'Sues, and places them on random Locations. The Agents can be located together, however, no Agent may begin in the same Location as a 'Sue. Make sure you have enough Locations! Ideally there should be many which begin with no other cards placed on them.

The player who can argue most persuasively about why they should go first, goes first.

On Your Turn

Your turn is in two parts: 'Sue and Agent.

'Sue

The first thing to do is to decide whether each 'Sue with ACT or REST. If she rests, her Health is recharged by one point, and her portion of the turn is then over.

If you choose to ACT, examine  your 'Sue. If she has a fully-charged SPECIAL, you may, if you choose, use her SPECIAL ABILITY. In most cases, this will boost her stats, and she may then go on to move as normal. In some cases, the Ability may require the 'Sue to remain stationary, in which case you should merely enact the ability. In cases where the Ability requires an Enemy or an Ally, it cannot be used.

Assuming she is able to, your 'Sue may now MOVE. She can move across a number of Location cards corresponding to her speed, in any direction, but may only move to Locations that are TOUCHING her current Location. Note that the number of cards she can move may be limited by their TERRAIN. This will be dealt with later.

Alternately, your 'Sue may write a chapter about a Canon character instead of moving. Select one non-Ensnared Canon card, WITHOUT looking at it first. Once the selection is made, examine the card -- without allowing the other players to see it -- and move it the number of Locations it is permitted, according to its speed and the terrain. Canons may NOT move through locations with Monsters on (because they're useless without the 'Sue to protect them, you see).

You are using Princess Sparkles. Three spaces away is a Lust Object. You may:
-Use the 'Sue's Bathe ability. The nearest Canon moves to your Location.
-Move Princess Sparkles two spaces.
-Write a chapter about the Canon character, and move it towards your Location.

If your 'Sue LANDS ON a Location which holds a Canon, she may ENSNARE him. You are allowed to look at the Canon, but not to show it to other players. If the 'Sue currently holds less Canons than she has ALLURE points, the Canon may then be added to her stack - place it underneath her, still face-down. It is NOT obligatory to Ensnare a Canon.

It is not possible to Ensnare a Canon already held by another 'Sue. Sorry, but it isn't. However, two or more 'Sues may share the same Location with no difficulty.

If your 'Sue CROSSES or LANDS ON a Location with a Monster, she is required to immediately FIGHT it. This will be dealt with in the Combat section. If the 'Sue is able to kill the Monster, you are allowed to increase ONE of her stats by ONE point. This is cumulative -- killing her third monster means you will be able to add ONE extra point, but NOT to change the ones already added. Additional points are marked by paperclips marking the appropriate stat, or by players with good memories.

If your 'Sue lands on a Location with an Agent, then she is stupid and dies immediately. She may, however, pass through an Agent's Location with no effect.

Agent

In essence the Agent's turn is the same as the 'Sues. She may still either ACT or REST, resting having the same effect (restoring one Health). She may still use her Special Ability (if applicable), and she may still move in the same way as a 'Sue. However, she may NOT move a Canon instead.

Agents can pass over and land on Locations with Canons or Monsters without having any effect. They may also pass or land on other Agents, controlled by you or another player. However, if they land on a Location with a 'Sue they must fight. This will be dealt with in the Combat section. Note, however, that this fight need not be immediate - it is permissible to move your other Agents before commencing, and therefore you are able to bring in backup.

Note: There is one exception to the above. If an Agent chooses, she can, on landing at Bree, attack the Monster that resides there (we won't tell you, it'd spoil the surprise). Winning this battle immediately makes Middle-earth into a far more realistic and less black-and-white place. From this point on, all Monsters will attempt to negotiate with 'Sues when attacked... the net effect being that the 'Sue will lose -1 defence for that battle. This rule is optional, seeing as it's basically a snide joke that makes things easier for the Agents.

IMPORTANT: It is not possible to land your Agent on a Location containing a 'Sue you also control. This is considered to be CHEATING, and will result in an IMPLOSION that will DESTROY the WORLD.

All right, maybe not. But it's still cheating.

If the Agent kills the 'Sue, then the 'Sue's ARTEFACT is added to the Agent's pile. The effect of this depends on the Artefact. If the 'Sue kills the Agent, she may add TWO points to the stat or stats of her choice. So try not to get your Agent killed.

Note: In a single turn, you may, if you choose, move ALL your 'Sues and ALL your Agents. Alternately, you could choose to move nothing. It's up to you.

Combat

The basic element of combat is the THRUST. This name has been chosen purely because of the reaction it causes in juvenile Agents. You are free to refer to it by some other name if you choose.

In a thrust, the first thing to do is to choose whether to use your character's Special Ability. This is, of course, only possible if their Special is fully charged, and if the Ability is appropriate to a combat situation. Whatever the case, it may be used or not.

Whichever happens, the next step is to examine the battle - Terrain, Character, and Ensnared Canons present - and determine whether there is any effect on your character's stats. Details on this are found in the Appendix.

You then have a choice: ATTACK or FLEE.

If you choose to FLEE, look at your character's SPEED. This must then be compared with your fastest enemy's Speed. If yours is the larger number, you may move that number of locations away from the battle, obeying all rules inherent in moving. And yes, 'Sues can Ensnare Canons they land on after Fleeing.

If you choose to ATTACK, select an enemy as your TARGET. Compare your character's ATTACK value with their DEFENCE value. If the Attack is higher, the Target loses a number of Health corresponding to the difference between the two.

This is the end of your thrust.

There are two types of combat:

1/ 'Sue versus Monster

This is the simpler of the two, as the Monster does not have any Special Ability. The 'Sue is always able to take the first thrust.

The 'Sue's thrust is as above. The Monster does not have the ability to flee, nor to use a special ability. Thus, its thrust is a simple attack/defence comparison.

2/ Agent versus 'Sue

The most complicated bit of this is working out the order of play. In essence, it is this:

Compare the STEALTH of the FIRST Agent to arrive with the OBSERVE of each 'Sue present. If the Observe of any one 'Sue is greater than the Stealth of the Agent, all the 'Sues are able to take their thrusts before any Agent can. The 'Sues may thrust in descending order of the number obtained by adding OBSERVE and ALLURE. After that have all had their thrusts, the Agents may do so. Agents thrust in order of their arrival at the Location.

If the Agent's Stealth is high enough that no 'Sue's Observe is greater than it (yes, the Agent wins out in a tie), that Agent takes the first thrust. The SAME comparison between Stealth and Observe is then made for the second Agent to arrive, and every subsequent one, until an Agent loses the match. Then, the 'Sues all take their thrusts in the order previously described. Thus, if your third Agent to arrive loses the matchup, in a battle of three 'Sues versus four Agents, the order of thrusting is:

A1 A2 S1 S2 S3 A3 A4

The Stealth of Agents arriving AFTER the one that lost doesn't matter. It's irrelevant.

After the order has been worked out, thrusts proceed as above. 'Sues are controlled by their respective players.

And that's basically it! The goal of the game is to have your Agents kill the greatest number of 'Sues, OR to have your 'Sues kill the greatest number of Agents. Each player may choose which motivation they're going to go for -- or they can aim for both, why not?

Appendix

What follows is a list of effects that make the game more interesting. You can, in fact, ignore them if you choose. But they're there nonetheless. The exceptions to this are SPECIES -- it determines the health of the characters -- and SPECIAL -- which explains how to see if a Special Ability can be used.

Species

Note that Monsters have Health as a stat, and do not have a species.

Wizard - 4
Droid – 4
Fairy - 4
Human - 5
Parasite - 5
Vampire - 5
Humanoid Fox - 5
Elf - 6
Andalite - 6
Eldar - 6
Half-elf – 6
Alien – 6

Special

This can best be given as a simple list

0 Special = Ability cannot recharge
1 Special = 5 turns to recharge
2 Special = 4 turns to recharge
3 Special = 3 turns to recharge
4 Special = 2 turns to recharge
5 Special = 1 turn to recharge

('1 turn to recharge' means that, after the Ability is used, the character CANNOT use it on their next turn, but CAN on the turn after)

Terrain

Forest - Bows gain their special bonus.
Hills - 'Sues gain +1 Observe.
Cave - Magic gains its special bonus.
Plain - No bonus.
Valley - 'Sues gain +1 Observe.
River - Takes two speed to pass through.
Mountain - Takes two speed to pass over.
  City - Knifes gain their special bonus.

Weapons

Knife - In a City, an Agent with a knife gains +2 Stealth as they sneak around corners.
Bow - In a Forest, an Agent with a bow who WINS the Stealth/Observe is allowed a free thrust at the beginning of the battle.
Magic - Enemy defence is decreased by -1 in a Cave.
Dagger - Attack is doubled against 'Sues carrying a dagger, due to the Agent stealing said dagger.
Sword - Agent gains +1 defence against Elf or Eldar 'Sues.
Gun - Inflicts one point of damage on an enemy who FLEES, provided the Agent has had that enemy as a Target at some point in the battle.
Mace - If used three times in succession against the same Target, the third thrust has +2 Attack.
Neuralyser – Not used as an offensive weapon.

Artefacts

Note that these provide no bonus to the 'Sue who owns them,

Pendant - Magic! Agent gains +1 Health.
Tiara - Agent is able to rescue one Canon from Ensnarement per battle. Rescued Canons flee according to Combat rules.
Jewel - Distracts 'Sue. Agent gains +1 Stealth.
Dagger - Agent gains +1 Attack
Crown - Provokes jealousy and rage. One enemy loses -1 attack.
Ring - Aura of protection, or something equally silly. Agent gains +1 Defence.
Necklace - Far too glittery to bear. Agent gains +1 Insanity.

Departments

The Department an Agent is in provides it with an additional Special Ability. This uses the same Special points as their individual Ability, so you can use a fully-charged Special to implement EITHER their individual OR their Departmental Ability.

DMS - Boredom: The Agent has done this so many times that the 'Sue seems weaker by comparison. An enemy's stats are lowered by -1 for one turn.
DOGA - Pyromania: Pretty pretty fire doubles the Agent's attack for one turn.
DIC - Neuralyse: Paralyses a 'Sue for one turn, and releases one Canon she has ensnared.
DF - Specialist: The Floater may call in an Agent more suited to the job. An Agent from any other Department joins the Floater for one turn.
FicPsych - Counsel: Increases one of an Ally's stats by +2 for one turn.
DoWTF - Breakdown: Sets the Agent's Insanity to 5 and their Stealth to 0 for two turns.
DCUP – Experience: Agent gains +1 attack for one turn for each 'Sue she has previously killed.
DI – Spatial Warp: The tortured fandom shifts slightly. Swap two location cards, and any cards present on them, with each other. [Note also that members of the Department of Improbabilities are multi-fandom and do not have Lust Objects]

Insanity/Lust Object

If an Agent's LO is present in a battle, and Ensnared by an enemy 'Sue, the Agent's Insanity determines the effect of the situation.

1 Insanity = -2 to attack
2 Insanity = -1 to attack
3 Insanity = No change to attack
4 Insanity = +1 to attack
5 Insanity = +2 to attack

The reasoning is this: insane Agents are more likely to go into a homicidal rage, while the most sane ones will be more careful due to not wanting to harm their LO. So you see, Insanity is an ASSET.



Notes

Fandoms

At present, only one fandom is fully developed – LotR. It is our goal to complete each of the major fandoms. However, at present, a large number have been grouped together under SF – Science Fiction. This is treated as a single Fandom for the purposes of the game. Anime is to be treated in a similar manner, and is taken to include those cards listed as Yu-Gi-Oh! and Naruto. We apologise for the awful crossovers.