Freelancers

• Select a language:
• en

• Setup

  • The official suggestion is to use the instructions in the web app available at freelancersgame.com.

    • Place the location book with room for it to be opened.
    • Do not shuffle the story card deck! Place them near the location book.
    • Shuffle the treasure cards and place them in a stack near the location book.
    • Shuffle the follower cards and place them face down near the location book.
    • Place all the luck, stress, lock, and corruption tokens near the location book.
    • Each player:
      • Selects a character standee and collects its matching influence marker and species sheet.
      • Takes a job sheet so they can combine it with their species sheet to create their character sheet.
      • Should give their character a name, answers the question about their character, and fills out the story blanks section.
      • Retrieves their starting weapon card and places it in their weapon slot at the bottom of their character sheet. (There is a matching species illustration on the back of the card)
    • Assign all 7 roles/responsibilities to the players. If playing with less than 7 players, some players will have multiple.
• Gameplay

  • The app will direct you to turn to a page in the location book. When you have turned to the page, play will take place over a round consisting of 3 phases.

    Winning and Losing

    There are 3 ways the game can end.

    • Party too wounded: If enough wound tokens have been removed from the wound track on the medic board (revealing the game over space), all players lose and enter the code on the medic board.
    • Party disbands: If the threat dial ever reaches the game over space, the party disbands and everyone loses. Enter the code listed on the lookout board.
    • Quest goal reached: If an entry states that players have completed the quest, the game is over. The more experience each player gained during the game, the better their personal ending will be. Each player should read their personal ending out loud. The player with the most titles should write their character's name on the pipes.

    Saving the Game

    Players will have opportunities during the game to save it.

    • Players need to fill out the saved game information on the back of their species sheet.
    • A player will have to fill out the saved game information on the back of the map sheet.
    • When you want to return, open the app and follow the instructions listed there.
  • Phases

    • Planning Phase

      • This is triggered when you turn to a new page in the location book.
      • The round timer is started immediately.
      • Players take turns placing their standees on an action space in influence order (highest to lowest).
      • If the timer runs out before the last player has placed their standee, choose 1 player to gain 1 stress and then continue selecting actions until all players have picked an action.
        • Note that players should not spend time reading the entire action and should just place based on the action's symbol.

      Actions

      Symbol	Action
      	Any number of players may place their standee on these actions.
      	Only 1 player may choose this action.
      	Locked actions cannot be chosen.
      	Required actions must be chosen by exactly 1 player. If 1 or more required actions are still available before the last player(s) have chosen an action, those players must choose a required action.

      Action Phase

      Each player will resolve their chosen action during this phase.

      • Actions are resolved in numerical order.
      • If there are multiple people on an action, they are resolved in influence order.
      • Follow the action's instructions to resolve it.
      • After resolving the action, the player should take their standee back.

      End of Round Phase

      • Enter the number listed under the current page's Round End section in the app and follow the instructions in the app.
      • When turning to a new page:
        • Remove all tokens from the current location.
        • Once you have the new page open, do not pause to review it, but instead immediately start a new Planning phase (start the timer and select actions).
      • If instructed to "begin a new round on this page", immediately go into a new round without removing any tokens.
  • Skill Checks

    • Do the following when prompted to make a skill check.

      1. Take the d20 and the bonus die indicated by your current level (no bonus die if you have no points in that skill) for the skill you are checking.
      2. Roll the dice and add their values.
      3. Add any modifiers you have for that skill (usually on treasure, story, and follower cards).
      4. Check the text for the skill check and resolve the option for your total.

      The following tokens affect your skill checks:

      Symbol	Description
      	Corruption tokens: If you have 1 or more corruption tokens, do not roll your bonus die when making a skill check. After resolving that skill check, discard 1 corruption token.
      	Luck tokens: After rolling a die, or dice, for a skill check, you may discard a luck token to reroll 1 die. This can be done multiple times on a single skill check.
      	Help from a friend: After rolling a die, or dice, for a skill check, you may request aid from other players. Any other player may gain 1 stress to allow you to reroll 1 die. Players may do this multiple times for the same skill check.

  • Spending Time

    • When the game instructs you to spend 1 time, the scout must draw a random token from the time bag and resolve it according to the following.

      Symbol	Description
      	Add the token to the risk track. If the matching risk track is full, advance the threat dial and add the token on that space to the bag. Then return all tokens on both threat tracks to the bag.
      	Add the token to the risk track, then draw and resolve another token (the ⊕ symbol indicates this). If the matching risk track is full, advance the threat dial and add the token on that space to the bag. Then return all tokens on both threat tracks to the bag.
      	This is treated as a risk token and added to 1 of the risk tracks. If the matching risk track is full, advance the threat dial and add the token on that space to the bag. Then return all tokens on both threat tracks to the bag.
      	Enter the code on the back of the token into the app.
      	When supplies are gained, they are added to the bag. When drawn, they are added back to the supply (not the bag) and no other effect happens.
      	Resolve the effect indicated on the token.

      Threat Tokens

      Symbol	Description
      	All players lose 1 luck token, then remove this threat token from the bag.
      	All players gain 1 corruption, then remove this threat token from the bag.
      	Treat this as a risk token that can be added to either risk track.
      	Treat this as a risk token as described above.
      	Treat this as a risk token as described above.

      When you are instructed to reduce risk, the player may choose a token on either risk track and return it to the bag.

• Traveling on the Map

  • When instructed to travel on the map, do the following:

    1. Players decide where they will go next by selecting a path that connects their current location to a new location.
    2. Spend 1 time.
    3. The cartographer crosses out the party's current location, draws a line to the next location and circles the new location.
    4. The game master then taps the location button on the app that matches the new location. Follow the instructions in the app.

    Backtracking

    • The party may select a path they've previously traveled to an already visited location.
    • Spend 1 time
    • Do not visit that location again! Instead, the party must continue traveling to another space.
• Resolving Other Game Effects

  • HP, Stress, & Wounds

    • When a player gains stress, they take that from the supply and cover an available heart on their character sheet.
      • A player cannot willingly gain stress if they have no open hearts.
    • When a player gains a wound, the wound is removed from the wound track and placed over a heart on their character sheet.
      • If all the player's hearts are covered, add the wound to the time bag instead.
    • When a player is instructed to heal a HP, the player discards either a wound (back to the wound track) or stress token (back to the supply).

    Gaining Skill Points

    • When a player gains a skill point, that player fills in the left-most unfilled box in the skill row on their player sheet and gains any rewards that were on that space (XP or gold).
      • If all the boxes are already filled for that skill, the player gains nothing.

    Gaining XP

    • When a player gains XP, the player filles in the next star (top to bottom) on their level track. If the star has a game effect, the player immediately resolves that effect.

    Gaining Titles

    • When instructed, the player writes a gained title on their player sheet in the titles section and circles the type of title it is (lawful or chaotic).
    • When a player gains their 4th or 8th title, they also gain 1 XP.

    Gaining/Losing Influence

    • The influence track is adjusted by the influencer to reflect the new influence when players gain/lose influence.
      • Influence markers never share a space or have empty spaces between them.
      • If a player at the top of the track gains influence, they may instead discard 1 corruption.

    Gaining/Losing Luck

    • When a player gains luck, they take 1 token from the supply.
    • When a player loses luck, they return 1 token to the supply.
    • A luck token can be discarded to reroll 1 die.

    Gaining/Losing Corruption

    • When a player gains/loses corruption, they take/discard from/to the supply.
    • When you have a corruption token, you cannot roll the bonus die for skill checks. After performing a skill check with only the d20, you discard 1 corruption token.

    Gaining/Losing Followers

    • When a player gains a follower, they draw a card from the followers deck and slot it into 1 of their follower slots at the bottom of their character sheet.
      • The scout then adds the matching follower token to the time bag.
      • If both follower slots are filled, they may discard 1 of their existing followers to gain the new follower. Do not remove this discarded follower token from the time bag.
    • When a player loses a follower, they discard the follower card, but leave the token in the time bag (if it's still in there).

    Breaking Ties

    • If there is ever a tie between 2 players, break the tie in influence order.
    • If there is a group decision and the group can't agree, take the decision to a vote and the player with the highest influence breaks any ties.
• Treasure Cards
  • • When a player gains a treasure, they draw a card from the deck.
    • If a player loses a treasure, they discard it.
    • Some cards have a Discard keyword, in which you discard the treasure to activate the effect.
      • This cannot be activated while resolving another effect (skill check, spending time, gain/spend resources).
      • The discard effect is only activated when a player chooses to discard the card, not when instructed to discard the card.
    • If the treasure deck ever runs out of cards, shuffle the discard to make a new deck.
    • Treasure can be traded between players when they are at a trading post on the map. Treasure cannot be traded at any other time.
      • If an armor card is traded to another player, any stress/wounds stay on the card.
      • When a weapon is traded, any augments stay attached to that weapon.

    Trinkets

    • Each player has 2 trinket slots. When gaining a trinket, they equip it to one of their slots.
      • If both slots are full, an equipped trinket can be discarded to make room for the new trinket.
    • Most trinkets grant skill modifiers, which are added to skill checks.

    Armor

    • Each player has 1 armor slot. When gaining armor, it is equipped to the armor slot.
      • If the slot is full, the equipped armor can be discarded to make room for the new armor.
    • Some armor provides an extra HP slot that can be used for wounds or stress.
      • If an armor card with a wound/stress on it is discarded, the wound/stress token is returned to its appropriate place.

    Weapons

    • Each player has 1 weapon slot. When gaining a weapon, it is equipped to the weapon slot.
      • If the slot is full, the equipped weapon can be discarded to make room for the new weapon.
    • Sometimes the game will instruct you to make a weapon check. This is a type of skill check that is resolved with the bonus die specified on the weapon.
      • If you need to make a weapon check and have no weapon, only roll the d20.
    • Some weapons have a trait icon below their name. This only has an effect when instructed by the app.
    • Weapon Augments: When a player gains an augment, they may either attach to their weapon or discard it with no effect.
      • If you gain an augment and have no weapon, you may slot it into your weapons slot. If a weapon is later gained, it is attached to the augment(s) in the slot.
      • There is no limit to the number of augments you can have.
      • An augment can be discarded for its discard effect, but when it is attached to a weapon it cannot be discarded for its effect.
      • If you discard a weapon with augments, the augments are also discarded.
• Roles/Responsibilities
  • • Game Master: Controls the app, including entering codes, reading entries, and running the timer.
      • You should open the app at freelancersgame.com.
    • Bookkeeper: Reads out the action resolutions from the location book during the action resolution phase. Also in charge of turning to a new page in the location book when directed.
      • Be sure to sit near the location book.
    • Cartographer: Keeps track of where the party is on the map. They will also be asked to mark/draw on the map to indicate things the party has gained.
      • Collect a blank map sheet that matches the chosen quest.
    • Medic: Keeps track of the party's wounds.
      • Collect the medic board and place a wound on each space of the wound track.
    • Scout: Keeps track of risk and threat.
      • Collect the scout board and set the threat dial to its starting space.
      • Take the cloth bag and the risk, threat, follower, and supply tokens.
        • Place the risk tokens and follower tokens 1-3 (yellow) in the bag.
        • Randomly place the 5 threat tokens face down on the threat dial.
    • Lookout: Keeps track of the location dials that indicate enemy health and other game elements.
      • Collect the lookout board and set all dials to 0.
    • Influencer: Keeps track of the influence and takes selfies.
      • Collect the influencer board and each player's influence marker.
        • Randomly place the influence markers on the influence track.
• How to Play Videos 📹