Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Tables]

After the Cylon attack on the Colonies, the battered remnants of the human race are on the run, constantly searching for the next signpost on the road to Earth. They face the threat of Cylon attack from without, and treachery and crisis from within. Humanity must work together if they are to have any hope of survival…but how can they, when any of them may, in fact, be a Cylon agent?

Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game is an exciting game of mistrust, intrigue, and the struggle for survival. Based on the epic and widely-acclaimed Sci Fi Channel series, Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game puts players in the role of one of ten of their favorite characters from the show. Each playable character has their own abilities and weaknesses, and must all work together in order for humanity to have any hope of survival. However, one or more players in every game secretly side with the Cylons. Players must attempt to expose the traitor while fuel shortages, food contaminations, and political unrest threatens to tear the fleet apart.

BGG description

This is the thread for the first Battlestar Galactica play by forum thread. This is currently open for signups.

The rules for the game are found here along with FAQs, errata and other such notes.

This game is for 6 players, and will use the official no sympathiser variant. We are using Exodus CFB and no other expansions.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApPT0N9WtHcKdFhZUFBtRGI2MUJIWU5uLXYzejcyT3c#gid=0 - this contains all information on cards, deck etc. and is what I'll be using to mod from. Characters are listed below.

Characters list

MILITARY LEADERS

William Adama (LEA/3, TAC/2) Setup: Admiral's Quarters
Inspirational Leader -- When you draw a Crisis Card, all 1 strength Skill Cards count positive for the skill check.
Command Authority -- Once per game, after resolving a skill check, instead of discarding the used Skill Cards, draw them into your hand.
Emotionally Attached -- You may not activate the Admiral's Quarters location.

Saul Tigh (TAC/3, LEA/2) Setup: Command
Cylon Hatred -- When a player activates the Admiral's Quarters location, you may choose to reduce the difficulty by 3.
Declare Martial Law -- Action: Once per game, give the President title to the Admiral.
Alcoholic -- At the start of any player's turn, if you have exactly 1 Skill Card in you hand, you must discard it.

Karl "Helo" Agathon (LEA/2, TAC/2, PIL/1) Setup: N/A
ECO Officer -- During your turn, you may reroll a die that was just rolled (once per turn). You must use the new result.
Moral Compass -- Once per game, after a player makes a choice on a Crisis Card, you may change it.
Stranded -- Your character is not placed on the board at the start of the game. While not on the game board, you may not move, be moved, or take actions. At the start of your 2nd turn, place your character on the Hangar Deck location.

Felix Gaeta (TAC/2, ENG/1, POL/LEA/2) Setup: FTL Control
FTL Operator -- Anytime "FTL Control" is activated, you may reroll the die. You must use the new result.
Coup -- Action: Once per game, you may take the Admiral title. If you are in the "Brig" when you take this action, move immediately to "Command" before taking the title.
Misguided -- You may NOT play more than 3 cards into any skill check.

POLITICAL LEADERS

Laura Roslin (POL/3, LEA/2) Setup: President's Office
Religious Visions -- When you draw Crisis Cards, draw 2 and choose 1 to resolve. Place the other on the bottom of the deck.
Skilled Politician -- Action: Once per game, draw 4 Quorum Cards. Choose 1 to resolve and place the rest on the bottom of the deck. You do not need to be President to use this ability.
Terminal Illness -- You must discard two skill cards to activate a location

Gaius Baltar (POL/2, LEA/1, ENG/1) Setup: Research Lab
Delusional Intuition -- After you draw a Crisis Card, draw 1 Skill Card of your choice (it may be from outside your skill set).
Cylon Detector -- Action: Once per game, you may look at all Loyalty Cards belonging to another player.
Coward -- You start the game with 2 Loyalty Cards instead of 1.

Tom Zarek (POL/2, LEA/2, TAC/1) Setup: Administration
Friends in Low Places -- When a player activates the Administration or Brig location, you may choose to reduce or increase the difficulty by 2.
Unconventional Tactics -- Action: Once per game, lose 1 population to gain 1 of any other resource type.
Convicted Criminal -- You may not activate locations occupied by other characters (except the Brig).

Tory Foster (POL/3, LEA/1, TAC/1) Setup: Press Room
Adaptable -- After any player uses the action on a Quorum Card, you may draw 1 Skill Card of your choice (this may be from outside your skill set).
Influential -- Action: Once per game, you may examine the top 5 cards of the Quorum Deck, and return them to the top of the deck in any order you choose (eve if you are not currently the President).
Amoral -- When you are the current player, you must choose the first option listed on any Crisis Cards that say "Current Player Chooses."

PILOTS

Lee "Apollo" Adama (PIL/2, LEA/POL/2, TAC/1) Setup: Launch and Pilot Viper
Alert Viper Pilot -- When a Viper is placed in a space area from the Reserves, you may choose to pilot it and take 1 action. You may only do this when you are on a Galactica location, excluding the Brig.
CAG -- Action: Once per game, you may activate up to 6 unmanned Vipers.
Headstrong -- When you are forced to discard Skill Cards, you must discard randomly.

Kara "Starbuck" Thrace (TAC/2, PIL/2, LEA/ENG/1) Setup: Hangar Deck
Expert Pilot -- When you start your turn piloting a Viper, you may take 2 Actions during your Action Step (instead of 1).
Secret Destiny -- Once per game, immediately after a Crisis Card is revealed, discard it and draw a new one.
Insubordinate -- When a player chooses you with the Admiral's Quarters location, reduce the difficulty by 3.

Sharon "Boomer" Valerii (TAC/2, PIL/2, ENG/1) Setup: Armory
Recon -- At the end of your turn, you may look at the top of the Crisis Deck and place it on the top or bottom.
Mysterious Intuition -- Once per game, before resolving a Skill Check on a Crisis Card, choose the result (Pass or Fail) instead of resolving it normally.
Sleeper Agent -- During the Sleeper Agent Phase, you are dealt 2 Loyalty Cards (instead of 1) and are moved to the Brig location.

Samuel T. Anders (LEA/2, TAC/2, TAC/PIL/1) Setup: Armory
Star Player -- Action: Discard any number of Skill Cards. Then draw that number of Skill Cards from any one type within your skill set.
Longshot -- Once per game on your turn, you may choose the result of a die roll on your turn instead of rolling it. This result cannot be modified or rerolled.
Starts on the Bench -- Skip the Receive Skills Step of your first turn.

SUPPORT

"Chief" Galen Tyrol (ENG/2, LEA/2, POL/1) Setup: Hangar Deck
Maintenance Engineer -- During your turn, after you use a Repair Skill Card, you may take another action (once per turn).
Blind Devotion -- Once per game, after cards have been added to a Skill Check (but before revealing them), you may choose a skill type. All cards of the chosen type are considered strength 0.
Reckless -- You hand limit is 8 (instead of 10).

Callandra "Cally" Tyrol (POL/1, LEA/1, TAC/1, ENG/2) Setup: Hangar Deck
Quick Fix -- On your turn, once all Skill Cards played into a skill check have been revealed, you may choose 1 card to discard before resolving skill check abilities and totaling the strength.
Discharge of a Firearm -- Action: Once per game, you may execute another character who is in your current location.
Impulsive -- You can NOT contribute only 1 Skill Card into a skill check. You must either contribute no Skill Cards or contribute 2 or more Skill Cards (disregard this while in the "Brig").

LOCATIONS

Note: A location with *asterix* around it is a hazardous location and may not be voluntarily moved into.
Note: To move between ships you must discard a skill card.

GALACTICA
Note: A character moving to Galactica from Colonial One or a piloted Viper must discard a skill card.

FTL Control
Action: Jump the fleet if the jump preparation track is not in the red zone. Roll a die; if the result is 1-6, lose a number of population indicated on the fleet’s space on the jump preparation track.

Weapons Control
Action: Attack one Cylon ships with Galactica. Roll 3-8 to hit a raider, 7-8 to hit a heavy raider, and 5-8 to hit a Basestar.

Command
Action: Activate up to two unmanned vipers. An activation can be used to a.) launch a viper from either of the two launch zones, b.) move an unmanned viper to an adjacent space area, or c.) fire an unmanned viper’s weapons (3-8 to hit a raider, 7-8 to hit a heavy raider, 8 to hit a Basestar).

Communications
Action: Look at the back of 2 civilian ships. You may then move them to adjacent area(s). Only the player taking the action may look at the back of the ships.
Note: Cannot be damaged (no damage token)

Admiral’s Quarters
Action: Choose a character; then pass a Tactics/Leadership Skill Check of 7 to send him to the “Brig.” Characters in the “Brig” can only add 1 skill card to skill checks, and being in the Brig prevents a Cylon from doing any damage if he reveals himself.

Research Lab
Action: Draw 1 engineering OR 1 tactics Skill card.
Note: Cannot be damaged (no damage token)

Hangar Deck
Action: Launch yourself in a viper. You may then take 1 more action. You must be in the Hangar Deck to use a “Repair” skill card action on damaged Vipers.

Armory
Action: Attack a centurion on the Boarding Party track (destroyed on roll of 7-8),

*Sickbay*
You may only draw 1 Skill Card during the Receive Skills step of your turn. A character can (and should) move out of sickbay during the Movement step of his turn.

*Brig*
You may not move, draw Crisis Cards in your crisis step, or add more than 1 card to skill checks.
Action: Start a POL/TAC 7 skill check. Pass: Move out of the Brig to any location. Fail: No effect.

COLONIAL ONE
Note: A character moving to Colonial One from Galactica or a piloted Viper must discard a skill card.

Press Room
Action: Draw 2 politics Skill Cards.

President’s Office
Action: If you are President, draw 1 Quorum Card. You may then draw 1 additional Quorum Card or play 1 from your hand.

Administration
Action: Choose a character then start a Politics/Leadership-5 skill check. Pass: That character takes the President title. Fail: No effect.

CYLON LOCATIONS
Only Cylons may move to these locations, and Cylons may only use these locations. When a Cylon reveals, they move to the Resurrection Ship location.

Caprica
Action: Play your Super Crisis OR draw two crisis cards, choose one to resolve (No activate Cylon Ships step) and put the other on the bottom of the crisis deck

Cylon Fleet
Action: Activate all Cylon ships of one type OR launch 2 raiders and 1 heavy raider from each basestar
(Note: Activating heavy raiders will activate centurions)

Human Fleet
Action: Look at any player's hand, and steal 1 skill card (place it in your hand). Then roll a die, and if 5 or higher, damage Galactica.

Resurrection Ship
Action: You may discard your Super Crisis to draw another one. Then if distance is 7 or lower, give your unrevealed Loyalty card(s) to any other player.

Basestar Bridge
Action: Pick two of the following four options, then resolve them in either order.

• The CAG must place a Civilian Ship, following placement rules.
• Place 1 basestar or 3 raiders in any one area on the CBF
• Roll a die: 1-3: Decrease the Jump Prep track by 1. 4-8: Increase the Pursuit Track by 1.
• Roll a die. If the result is less than the number of raiders on the main game board, draw 2 Galactica damage tokens, and choose one to resolve.

SKILL CARDS

Note: Only 1 Reckless card may be played per skill check. Cylons may not use the text abilities on Skill Cards. All strength 0 Skill Cards have the icon that triggers the Consequence Result on certain Crisis Cards as well as having an effect when totalled if played into a skill check (they are NOT played before a skill check)

Note: The card break down is as follows:
0 strength: 3
1 strength: 8
2 strength: 6
3 strength: 4
4 strength: 3
5 strength: 1
6 strength: 1

Politics
( 0 ) Red Tape: Skill Check: Discard all 5 and 6 strength cards from this skill check (before totaling strength).
(1-2) Consolidate Power: Action: Draw 2 Skill Cards of any type, even outside skill set on Character Sheet.
(3-5) Investigative Committee: Play before cards are added to skill check. All are played face up, including Destiny.
( 6 ) Political Prowess: Play before making a skill check triggered by a location. Do not make the skill check; instead, it automatically passes or fails (your choice).

Leadership
( 0 ) Iron Will: Skill Check: If total strength in this skill check is within 4 of the difficulty, do not trigger the fail effect. If total strength in this skill check is 0 or less, lose 1 morale.
(1-2) Executive Order: Action: Choose another player who takes 2 actions, or moves and takes 1 action. Cannot use on a revealed Cylon or Sympathizer. Limit 1 XO or CS per turn.
(3-5) Declare Emergency: Use after skill check is totaled. Reduces difficulty by 2. Cannot reduce partial pass difficulty. Limit 1 per skill check.
( 6 ) State of Emergency: Action: Lose 1 food. Each player may then move or take 1 Action (starting with the player who played this card and proceeding clockwise).

Tactics
( 0 ) Trust Instincts: Skill Check: Add the top 2 cards from the Destiny Deck faceup into this skill check (before totaling strength). Resolve Skill Check Abilities on these cards.
(1-2) Launch Scout: Action: Can only use if there is an undamaged Raptor in the reserves. Roll die 3 or higher look at top Crisis or Destination Card and place on top or bottom of deck. Otherwise, destroy a Raptor and remove it from the game.
(3-5) Strategic Planning: Play before a die roll to add 2 to result. Limit 1 per die roll.
( 6 ) Scout for Fuel: Action: Risk 1 raptor to roll 1 die. If you roll 4+, gain 1 fuel. Otherwise, destroy the raptor.

Piloting
( 0 ) Protect the Fleet: Skill Check: If at least 3 strength in piloting Skill Cards are in this skill check, the current player may activate one unmanned viper.
(1-2) Evasive Maneuvers: Play after a Viper is attacked to reroll. If Viper is piloted subtract 2 from the new roll.
(3-5) Maximum Firepower: Action: Play while piloting a Viper to attack up to 4 times.
( 6 ) Best of the Best: Play before a piloted viper makes an attack. Instead of rolling the attack, roll a die and destroy that many raiders in the viper's space area.

Engineering
( 0 ) Establish Network: Skill Check: Each engineering Skill Card in this skill check counts as double strength (before totaling strength).
(1-2) Repair: Action: Repair your current location, or if in the Hangar Deck repair up to 2 damaged Vipers.
(3-5) Scientific Research: Play before any cards are added to a skill check. All Engineering cards count as positive strength.
( 6 ) Build Nuke: Action: The Admiral gains 1 nuke token.

TITLE CARDS

ADMIRAL
When the fleet jumps, you draw 2 Destination Cards and choose 1.
You control the nuke tokens.
Action: Launch 1 nuke at a space area (the nuke token is discarded).
1-2 = Damage a basestar twice
3-6 = Destroy a basestar
7 = Destroy a basestar and 3 raiders
8 = Destroy every ship (human and Cylon) in the space area

President
At the start of the game, draw 1 Quorum Card. You control the hand of Quorum cards.
Action: Draw a Quorum Card into your hand.
Quorum cards can be played as an action and specialize in increasing resources and dealing with unrevealed cylons.

CAG
When a civilian ship needs to be placed on the main game board, you must choose the space area. You must choose an area that does not already contain civilian ships (if able).
Action: Activate 1 unmanned viper and then give the CAG Title Card to any other human player.
Action: Once per turn, if you are piloting a viper, you may activate 1 unmanned viper and then take another action.

LINES OF SUCESSION
Characters in italics are ones from Pegasus. Characters in bold are ones in use.

ADMIRAL
1. Helena Cain
2. William Adama
3. Saul Tigh
4. Karl "Helo" Agathon
5. Felix Gaeta
6. Lee "Apollo" Adama
7. Anastasia "Dee" Dualla
8. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
9. Louanne "Kat" Katraine
10. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii
11. Samuel T. Anders
12. "Chief" Galen Tyrol
13. Cally Henderson
14. Tom Zarek
15. Ellen Tigh
16. Gaius Baltar
17. Tory Foster
18. Laura Roslin

PRESIDENT
1. Laura Roslin
2. Gaius Baltar
3. Tom Zarek
4. Tory Foster
5. Ellen Tigh
6. Lee "Apollo" Adama
7. Felix Gaeta
8. William Adama
9. Karl "Helo" Agathon
10. "Chief" Galen Tyrol
11. Cally Henderson
12. Helena Cain
13. Anastasia "Dee" Dualla
14. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii
15. Saul Tigh
16. Samuel T. Anders
17. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
18. Louanne "Kat" Katraine

CAG
1. Lee "Apollo" Adama
2. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
3. Louanne "Kat" Katraine
4. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii
5. Samuel T. Anders
6. Karl "Helo" Agathon
7. William Adama
8. Helena Cain
9. Saul Tigh
10. Felix Gaeta
11. Anastasia "Dee" Dualla
12. "Chief" Galen Tyrol
13. Cally Henderson
14. Tom Zarek
15. Ellen Tigh
16. Gaius Baltar
17. Tory Foster
18. Laura Roslin

Houserules in use (and their reasons):
1) Tory Foster's Adaptable ability draws only one card instead of two (reason: The ability quickly and easily becomes broken if the president is using their title a lot, which is often. Drawing an extra card per turn would be strong, drawing an extra 6 is ludicrous. She's still considered a strong character in PBFs and in my group, even with this change)
2) The 'last cylon' rule - if using Exodus, one loyalty card is left in the deck. If this is a Cylon card, then at the end of the game the other Cylon (whether revealed or not) may lower all resources by 1, damage Galactica twice, or advance Centurions once. (reason: This makes the game more competitive in the case of an unfortunate loyalty deck).

Rules for PBF:

Be active - try to make decisions once every 48 hours at the latest (leaving slightly more leeway for weekends)

All game actions should be in bold, using a hash sign before them (e.g #Move to Armoury). This is to make it obvious what's a final choice and what isn't, and to quickly find official orders.

All face-down cards, including Quorum Cards and Skill Cards will be delivered to the players via PM. If your draw is straightforward (eg: Adama) your cards will be auto-drawn for you at the beginning of your turn. Players with multi-skills (eg: Apollo) or abilities allowing them to draw cards (eg: Baltar) need to post in the thread what type of card they are drawing (eg: #draw 1 Politics 1 Engineering). Discards are to be posted openly in the thread.

You may, and in fact should "pre-load" actions ahead of time (henceforth referred to as Conditional Orders or COs); eg: #If my Viper is attacked, I'll use my lowest "Evasive Maneuvers"). COs help the game to move forwards more quickly and smoothly when what you'd want to do is obvious to you.

In addition to the Secrecy Rules on p. 20 of the rulebook, these rules are specifically for online play:
Players may not quote anything from PMs. This includes cards, and messages from the mod. Also it should go without saying, but you may not PM other players about the game.

Player order:
Jorbles
Grujah
WinterSpartan
Davio
theorel
Qvist

[Grujah]

I agree that  CFB is the best things from all expansions. Other things we play with don't matter, I'm ok with anything.

As for house rules, I never really saw Tory in action, but friends that do have exodus do agree that her power is way too strong. The second one seems fine.

One house rule that we have is that if somebody dies, you first give out titles and than he gets the character, not the other way around (i.e. his new character cannot get old titles). It just feels more natural and makes executions a tad scarier if title-bearer is known human and next in line is suspected cylon, for example.

[theorel]

\in
Fine with various house rules etc.

[WinterSpartan]

I'm willing to /in

Suggestions on house rules: I've seen Tory done a lot of different ways. I think on BGG, the most common is letting her play Consolidate Power for free instead of just drawing two (so she still ends up getting two, but has to have CP to do it) and also making her disadvantage apply to all choices instead of just "current player chooses".

What about Cain? Would we not be using Pegasus characters or locations at all, so that doesn't come up? (If Cain IS used, I've seen her normally get houseruled to "totally blind jump" - you bury the top destination before jumping. Keeps you from scouting to a great "blind" jump which otherwise can also be overpowered.)

[Grujah]

also in

[Tables]

I'm willing to /in

Suggestions on house rules: I've seen Tory done a lot of different ways. I think on BGG, the most common is letting her play Consolidate Power for free instead of just drawing two (so she still ends up getting two, but has to have CP to do it) and also making her disadvantage apply to all choices instead of just "current player chooses".

What about Cain? Would we not be using Pegasus characters or locations at all, so that doesn't come up? (If Cain IS used, I've seen her normally get houseruled to "totally blind jump" - you bury the top destination before jumping. Keeps you from scouting to a great "blind" jump which otherwise can also be overpowered.)

I would be fine with either Tory. Both are pretty similar balance wise, CP version is probably a tad more flexible but gets less oppertunities so yeah.
I don't intend to use Pegasus characters. There's no overwhelming reason not to use Cain (except she sucks in terms of balance AND theme), Dee or Kat, but Ellen requires treachery, so she really is Pegasus dependant. And having all but one Peg character feels weird.

I have no strong preference on the titles post execution houserule. As such I'm going to lean against it, just on the grounds that I'd like to keep things as close as possible to a) the original rules and b) what I'm used to. Rule 1 is because balance can go completely out of the window very easily if the president is active (especially if she knows Tory is on her team). Rule 2 is because not having two cylons and nothing to counteract that is seriously awful.

My group actually has about a dozen other houserules, but I don't intend to use them.

Will update this more when I'm home.

[theory]

What's BSG without a good heaping of house rules?

The one I proposed was this: http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/669387/a-simple-tweak-for-gaeta-and-helos-re-roll-abiliti

The problem with both of these characters' re-rolling abilities is that it turns into a constant series of loyalty checks. This makes them unattractive characters to choose, since if you become a Cylon, you're either forced to re-roll every bad die and keep every good die, or essentially reveal yourself.

Our play group tried this tweak and it works quite well: whenever a die roll comes up on Helo's turn (or whenever the FTL roll is done, for Gaeta), Helo or Gaeta rolls the die privately. If they are satisfied with the result, they reveal the die, everyone looks at it and the result stands. If they are unsatisfied, they roll again publicly.

[Watno]

I play this game quite frequently, with people who do so even more. Funny thing is that my group uses a completely different set of house rules. I guess I would be terrible confused if I was playing here.

[Qvist]

/in

Now reading the rules.

[Tables]

Added characters to the first post. It's possible their wording differs a little from the actual cards, because I was taking a set of houseruled characters and changing them back (efficient, right?). I think their effects are correct though.

[theorel]

Roslin's POL is yellow everyone else's is orange.

[Tables]

Man, you're fast. Was fixing that as you typed, as well as neatening everything up.

[WinterSpartan]

Along those lines, Tigh's TAC is blue when it should be purple.

[Glooble]

I'm interested. I've played a couple times, but never with Exodus. Will that be a problem?

[Tables]

Shouldn't be, I think most people are first timers, and we're only using one part of Exodus (plus the core section, which has a few changes).

[Tables]

Bump. Glooble, are you in? If so that's 5.

[Jorbles]

In?

[theorel]

@Jorbles: go take your move in TtAII...cylon.

[Jorbles]

@Jorbles: go take your move in TtAII...cylon.

yes sir!

[Glooble]

How much of a time commitment will it be?

[Tables]

ALL the time.

But seriously, I'd expect the game to last a while, and you need to check back often to see if there's anything you need to do (like pass/play an interrupt), and especially some events might trigger discussions which could take a while (not mafia level but, somewhat.

So if time is an issue, I'd say you might want to give it a miss. Not necessarily, but it's probably a little more intense than many other PBFs.

[Glooble]

No, you're right. As much as I love BSG, I'm gonna have to pass.

[Davio]

Auto-in since I suggested it.

[theorel]

Just checked the What game would you like to see... thread to see who all said they wanted to play BSG, and with Davio that's everyone who announced they wanted to play there.

[Grujah]

Fatpollo dips.

Everybody watch the show, I assume?