BATTLESTAR GALACTICA PBF Easy Reference Page

This is meant to be a one-stop repository for helpful Battlestar Galactica PBF rules, tips, and references.

The following text was lifted from the SomethingAwful forums, where playing BSG by forum was made into an art form. I believe user CharlieFoxTrot is responsible for the creation of these, and I wish to give full credit for them. I will be using additional text and materials and will credit each of them in turn.

Lifted text is as follows:


Welcome to Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game, a game of politics, betrayal, and survival!

The rules for Battlestar Galactica can be found at this link: http://new.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/Battlestar_Galactica/bsg-rulebook-web.pdf


Some things have been tweaked to help facilitate online play:

At the bottom of every GM post, there will be a helpful Action Queue that announces what we are waiting for to continue the game. This will usually be the current player's move/action, but could also include such things as a decision from the President/Admiral. If you are at the top of the Action Queue, you have 24 hours to post/PM to complete it. Once the 24 hours pass, time will be deducted from a 24-hour late time bank; once that bank is used up, the top of the action queue will be auto-resolved, usually as a "do nothing" action.


All game actions should be bolded in Mafia style (eg: ##move to Communications or ##use "Executive Order" on Helo).


Quorum Cards and Skill Cards will be delivered to the players via PM/AIM. 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). Similarly, you'll discard by PMing me the cards you want to get rid of. Discards are to be posted openly in the thread.


Skill Checks are handled slightly differently than in the regular rules. It is the responsibility of the player after the current one to start playing cards and initiate the check; players may discuss all they want before the check starts, but as soon as the player after the current one announces he's throwing down cards (eg: ##play 3 cards), ALL DISCUSSION IS PROHIBITED until everyone has played cards and the Skill Check is resolved. Players must announce the number of cards they are playing in the thread, then PM me the specific cards they are playing. This can be done in any order. Once everyone has PMed me, the check will be resolved.


Abilities which require specific timing (eg "Investigative Committee" must be played before cards are played for a Skill Check) must obey that timing; no retroactive use of abilities is allowed. However you may "pre-load" actions; (eg: ##If my Viper is attacked, I'll use "Evasive Maneuvers" .) This must be posted in the thread. Pre-loading should be done via PM.


Players do not choose the order in which Cylon ships are activated, as in the normal rules. Instead, ships are activated starting in Sector Alpha and proceeding clockwise around Galactica.


Players may not edit their posts. EDITING POSTS WILL GET YOU THROWN IN THE BRIG OR RESULT IN RANDOM CARD DISCARDS FROM YOUR HAND!

Military Leaders

William Adama (Leadership/3, Tactics/2)
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 (Tactics/3, Leadership/2)
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 (Leadership/2, Tactics/2, Piloting/1)
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.



Political Leaders

Laura Roslin (Politics/3, Leadership/2)
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 -- In order to activate a location, you must first discard 2 Skill Cards.

Gaius Baltar (Politics/2, Leadership/1, Engineering/1)
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 (Politics/2, Leadership/2, Tactics/1)
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").



Pilots

Lee "Apollo" Adama (Piloting/2, Leadership/Politics/2, Tactics/1)
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 (Tactics/2, Piloting/2, Leadership/Engineering/1)
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 (Tactics/2, Piloting/2, Engineering/1)
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.


Support Crew

"Chief" Galen Tyrol (Engineering/2, Leadership/2, Politics/1)
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 O.
Reckless -- You hand limit is 8 (instead of 10).

Each skill deck is made up of only two different types of cards, as pictured above.

The "lower range" cards have a value of either 1 or 2.

The "higher range" cards have values from 3 to 5.


Each card of each type is otherwise identical save for its skill value, to be used in skill checks. When a crisis calls for certain skills, if a card matches the type required then it contributes its destiny number positively; if it does not match a listed skill type on a crisis card, it contributes this same value negatively.

GALACTICA LOCATIONS:


FTL Control Action: Jump the fleet if the Jump Preparation track is not in the red zone.* * Might lose population.

Weapons Control Action: Attack 1 Cylon ship with Galactica.

Command Action: Activate up to 2 unmanned vipers.

Communications Action: Look at the back of 2 civilian ships. You may then move them to adjacent area(s).

Admiral's Quarters Action: Choose a charcter, then pass this skill check to send him to the "Brig."

Research Lab Action: Draw 1 engineering or 1 tactics Skill Card.

Hangar Deck Action: Launch yourself in a viper. You may then take 1 more action.

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 your Receive Skills step.

Brig You may not move, draw Crisis Cards, or add more than 1 card to skill checks. Action: Pass this skill check to move to any location.



Colonial One Locations:

Press Room Action: Draw 2 politics Skill Cards.

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

Administation Action: Choose a charcter, then pass this skill check to give him the Presdient title.


Cylon Locations:

Caprica "Action: Play your Super Crisis Card or draw 2 Crisis Cards, choose 1 to resolve, and discard the other.* * No Activate Cylon Ships or Prepare for Jump steps."

Cylon Fleet Action: Activate all Cylon ships of one type, or launch 2 raiders and 1 heavy raider from each basestar.

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.

Reseurrection Ship Action: You may discard your Super Crisis Card to draw a new one. Then, if distance is 7 or less, give your unrevealed Loyalty Card(s) to any other player.

Southernman has an extremely nice spreadsheet with some easy-access information:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p27AGDPfSBmqQYLO3PLcrGg

Dr_Mabuse wrote:

bump

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