ILLUMINATI
New World Order

Game Design
by
Steve Jackson

Card back designs by Derek Pearcy, from a painting by David Martin
Graphic design by Derek Pearcy and Jeff Koke (cards), Monica Stephens (rules)
Card illustrations by Dan Smith, Shea Ryan, and John Kovalic
UFOs design by Bill Barker
Additional card art by Rick Harris, Ruth Thompson and Gary Washington
Cards colored by Derek Pearcy, Jeff Koke and Rick Martin

Playtesters and Rules Readers: Lots of people, but especially Mike Ford, Monica Stephens, Scott Haring, Jim McCoy, Jim Oldland, Lillian Butler, ORC, and the Online Illuminati . . .
Copyright © 1982, 1983, 1987, 1991, 1994, 1995 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Illuminati and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. The Servants of Cthulhu appear by courtesy of those illuminated folks at Chaosium, Inc., publishers of the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game.
This is a work of political and social satire. Any resemblance to real persons, places, events or organizations, living, dead or whatever, other than with satirical intent, is coincidental.
Use of trademarks is not intended as a challenge to their ownership or validity.

The World Is Stranger Than You Think . . .

You've always known it. Secret conspiracies are everywhere. They're out to get you -- unless you get them first.

Now you are one of the Illuminati, the "secret masters" competing to take over the world. World leaders, multinational corporations, and entire nations are merely your pawns. The outcome is never certain until the final double-cross . . .

What's in the Mysterious Little Box?

You'll need two 6-sided dice. Each player also needs around 15 "Action tokens" (glass pebbles are good) and a few pairs of distinctive markers for "links." And, of course, the drive and cunning to walk over your friends in your quest for world domination.

The World Is At Your Feet . . .

Head-to-head, with two players. There's no negotiation . . . it's all in who builds the best deck, makes the best plan, and takes best advantage of circumstances. Go for the throat! A two-player game takes 30 minutes to an hour. See p. 19.

In a group, with three to six players. Diplomacy, negotiation and guile are vital. And be ready to defend against all your foes when you get close to winning. Length of the game depends on how much time you spend negotiating before you attack!

Basic Rules

Object of the Game

You may win by controlling enough groups, or by fulfilling the special goal of your own Illuminati, or by meeting the objectives on a Goal card. Or, of course, by destroying all of your foes!

Beginning the Game

(2) Each player divides his cards into Groups (with the puppet on the back) and Plots (with the hand on the back).

(3) Each player puts his chosen Illuminati card (see p. 5) on the table, all at once. Note: It can happen that more than one players have the same type of Illuminati . . . which means they represent different factions of the same conspiracy. See p. 14.

(4) Each player shuffles his Plot deck and draws three Plot cards. You may look at your cards, but you cannot play any of them until the game actually begins. Place them in your hand. These are your first "hidden plots."

(5) Each player chooses one Group card as a "lead" -- the first puppet of his Illuminati. All players place their leads on the table at the same time. (Any leads which are chosen by more than one player are set aside. Those players must make alternate choices which don't duplicate any leads already attempted or exposed. This continues until there are no duplicate leads.) Thus, when the first round begins, each player already has one puppet. You may not lead with a Resource -- it must be a Group!

(6) Shuffle your Group deck and draw six cards for your hand. If you had set aside any failed lead cards, shuffle them back in after your first draw. From now on, you may not look at, or trade, any of your undrawn cards -- just the ones in your hand.

(7) Each player rolls two dice. The one with the highest roll goes first.

At the beginning of the game, you may not do anything to a rival who has not yet completed their first turn! You may not use Plot cards or special abilities on them, interfere with their attacks, or play any cards that injure them (except NWOs -- see p. 14). Exception: If someone attacks you during their first turn, you are free to respond against that player in any way you can.

Turn Sequence

1. Draw the top card from your Plot deck, if you wish. At the same time, if you have action tokens on any of your Groups, you may spend them for extra Plots (see p. 4).

2. Draw the top card from your Groups deck, if you wish. There is no limit to the number of Groups in your hand.

3. Make one automatic takeover, if you wish. Choose any Group or Resource from your hand. You take it over automatically -- no die roll is required.

A red card with Control Arrows is a Group. Put it on any outgoing arrow of your Power Structure. You may not make an automatic takeover of a Group that duplicates a card already in play.

A purple card, with no Control Arrows, is a Resource . . . put it beside your Power Structure. (But you may not duplicate a Unique Resource already in play. See p. 14.)

4. Place an Action token on each of your groups that doesn't have one. You can use anything you want -- we like glass stones -- but they should all be the same. No group can ever have more than one token unless its special ability, or a Plot card, specifically gives it an extra action.

5. Attempt attacks or other actions, as explained below. Each Action token allows one action -- you can attack, or use a special ability, or draw more Plot cards. Plot cards, in turn, may give you extra attacks or other actions. Groups that don't act during your turn can use special abilities or Plot cards to act during the other players' turns! When a group acts, remove the Action token from its card.

6. Take any remaining "free moves" you want. Free moves (see p. 6) don't count as actions. You may take free moves before, between, or after your actions.

At this point, if you have achieved one of your Goals, you must say so, to giveother players a last chance to stop you by spending their actions or playing Plot cards. If they can't stop you, you win. Otherwise . . .

7. Knock. Rap on the table to alert the next player that you're finished. An evil laugh is appropriate here.

If some other player announces a victory, the game now ends unless the rest of you can stop his schemes. Otherwise, the next player now starts his turn.

Play continues counterclockwise until a player (or coalition of players) wins -- see p. 13. As play develops, your holdings might look like this:

Your Illuminati card (1) is in front of you. Connected to it are the groups that make up the rest of your Power Structure (2). Beside it are your Resources (3) and any exposed Plots, face up (4). Your Plots and Groups decks (5, 6) are ready for your next draws. Your discard pile (7) is off to the side, face up.

You will also be holding a hand of up to 5 Plot cards (some of which may be "exposed" and face-up on the table in front of you) and any number of Groups and/or Resources.

Plot Cards

Each Plot card tells when you can play it. Follow the instructions on the card. Often a Plot will allow an exception to the rules. The instructions on a card always take precedence over this rulebook, except for the Meta-Rules on p. 17.

Draw from the top of your Plot deck. Place each Plot in your hand, unless you can use it immediately. It stays in your hand, "hidden," until you play it or return it to the deck, or until one of your rivals exposes it. You may expose it yourself, but that's usually unwise.

When one of your Plots is exposed, turn it face-up in front of you. It stays face-up until it's used, returned to your deck, stolen, discarded, or hidden again (by a Plot or special ability that lets you return exposed Plots to your hand.)

You may show a hidden Plot to individual rivals, and then keep it face-down. They can tell others what they saw, of course. Or they can lie.

You must always show how many hidden Plots you have, if someone asks.

Some Plots work automatically; others require a die roll. Some require a specific group to use an action; others are free. Follow the instructions on the card.

How to Get Plot Cards

You never have to draw a Plot (or Group) card, and there is no penalty for running out of undrawn Plots or Groups.

Spending Tokens for Plots: You may spend one Action token from your Illuminati, or two tokens from any other groups you control, to draw one Plot card. You may do this at any time except during a privileged attack.

If you have tokens on your groups at the beginning of your turn, you may spend these tokens to draw extra Plots immediately, before you place new tokens on your groups! (This is all you can do with them. You cannot use them for actions before phase 5 of your turn; in most cases, you might as well spend them for Plots. However, you may be vulnerable to certain attacks between the time you spend your tokens and the time you replace them . . .)

Limit on Number of Plot Cards

At any time except during your own turn, whenever you have more than 5 Plot cards, you must immediately get rid of the extra(s) . . . by using Plots, giving them away, discarding them, or returning them to your deck!

Both hidden and exposed Plots count toward your limit. But some Plots (NWO cards, for instance) stay on the table when used, as a reminder or "link" for the effect they create. Once you've played them, they do not count against your limit.

There are some cards that let you hold more than 5 Plots.

Discards

Returning Plots To Your Deck

You may do this at any time except in the middle of a multiple-card draw, or after someone uses a Plot or ability that lets them see (or steal) Plots from either your hand or your deck.

Trading / Giving Away Plot Cards

Group Cards

You may draw one Group card at the beginning of each turn, and one more, after you get Action tokens, if you spend your Illuminati action.

Groups (except for Illuminati) are red, with gold arrows. The group's name (1) is at the top. Below are its description and special abilities (2). The large numbers are its Power and Resistance (3). At the bottom left are its Alignments (4). At the bottom right are any Attributes (5) that it has. At the edges are the gold control arrows (6).

Types of Groups

Illuminati: the Masters. Each player has only one Illuminati group, at the center of his Power Structure. These are black and have a horizontal design, rather than vertical. The backs show a hand (like Plots) rather than a puppet like the other groups. This lets you hide extra Illuminati cards in your Plot deck, if you wish -- see p. 14.

Places: usually the cabal that controls that place's government. Places can be hit by Disasters.

Personalities: influential individuals, and their loyal henchmen and possessions. Personalities are vulnerable to Assassination cards.

Alignment

Meanings of the alignments in INWO:

Government -- An arm of any government; its opposite is Corporate.

Corporate -- A business or coalition of businesses; its opposite is Government.

Liberal -- Politically "left," whatever that means; its opposite is Conservative.

Conservative -- Usually mad at the Liberals; its opposite is Liberal.

Peaceful -- Philosophically opposed to the use of force; its opposite is Violent.

Violent -- Armed and/or dangerous; not necessarily vicious; its opposite is Peaceful.

Straight -- Socially middle-of-the-road; Joe Sixpack; its opposite is Weird.

Weird -- Peculiar, offbeat, not like the neighbors; its opposite is Straight.

Criminal -- Extorting money from citizens through force, fraud or threat, and/or committing notorious crimes. There is no opposite.

Fanatic -- Holding to a limited system of beliefs in defiance of all others. Any two Fanatic groups are considered "opposite" to each other.

Changing Alignments: Some cards can change the alignments of groups, either for a limited time or permanently. A permanent change lasts even after the group is destroyed (yes, sometimes it matters). A temporary change does not.

A group can never have two alignments that are opposite; if it is Violent, for instance, and something makes it Peaceful, it is no longer Violent. Likewise, a group cannot have "double alignments." If it is Violent and something happens to make it Violent again, there is no further effect.

Attributes

Attributes have no automatic effect on each other. A Computer card has no special effect on other Computer cards, unless the card itself says it does.

Power

When something changes a group's Power, the new Power is effective for all purposes unless a card specifies otherwise. But note that temporary Power bonuses (from +10 Plot cards, for instance) don't count toward Goals. See p. 13.

A group with a printed Power of 0 gets an Action token unless its card says otherwise, but if a group's Power is reduced to 0, it loses its token. It cannot act until its Power is increased. No group's Power can be reduced below 0.

If a group's Power (or Resistance) has a *, read the instructions on the card!

Resistance

Illuminati cards have no Resistance, because they cannot be attacked directly.

Control Arrows

Other groups have one incoming arrow, and 0 to 3 outgoing arrows. A group's incoming arrow must be placed next to an outgoing arrow of its master, the group that controls it.

Special Abilities

Resources

Resource cards are purple, with the same back design as Groups. They are drawn from your Groups deck.

Normally, they can be played only as an automatic takeover. You may also spend a single Illuminati action each turn to take over a Resource. (So, if you use your automatic takeover and one Illuminati token, you can get two Resources in one turn, but you cannot normally get more.)

Resources have no alignments or Control Arrows, and don't go into your Power Structure. They are placed beside it.

There is no normal way to attack an enemy Resource, but some Plot cards and special abilities can affect them.

All Resources belong directly to your Illuminati unless they are linked to another group (see p. 15). If a group is captured, its linked Resources go with it. If a group is destroyed, remove its linked Resources permanently from play.

Some Resources have the word Action at the bottom, to show that they get Action tokens. They follow the same Action rules that groups do, but their tokens cannot be traded for Plot cards!

Actions

There are two main types of action: attacking, and moving a group. Each of these actions must be completed before another begins.

Aiding an attack (or defending) is also an action, requiring an Action token.

Some groups also have special actions, unique to them. These are described on their cards. Anything that says it requires an Action token can be considered an action.

Also, many Plot cards can only be used if a group spends an action. Unless a card specifies otherwise, it may only be "powered" by actions from the player who uses the card!

Normally, each group may act only once per turn. When a group acts, remove the Action token on the card.

Remember: Action tokens can also be spent to draw Plot cards! See p. 4. Or you may always just remove an Action token, if for some reason you want to.

In phase 4 of your turn, your groups get their actions back -- replace all missing Action tokens. Groups which still have a token do not get another one, unless they are one of the few groups that normally have more than one action!

Illuminati Actions

Free Moves

Giving away a card from your hand, or a Resource card already in play -- you can do this any time, not just during your turn.

Discarding a card from your hand, removing it from play. There will be times when you want to do this, or even when you have to -- for instance, when you have one Goal card, and draw another one. You may do this at almost any time (see p. 18).

Creating a link (see p. 15) is a free move unless a card says otherwise.

Buying a Plot card with Action tokens.

Attacks

Illuminati groups can attack, but cannot be attacked! The only way to hurt the Illuminati is to take away all the groups they control.

Attacks come after your automatic takeover, and, unlike the automatic takeover, require a die roll. Note that Resources may only be played as an automatic takeover.

Announcing an Attack

You must announce who is attacking, who is aiding, the type of attack, and the target. (Example: "The KKK, aided by the CIA, will attempt to control the TV Preachers.")

You may attack any group, regardless of alignment. Alignment controls who can aid your attack, but not what group can start the attack. However, it's much easier to control a group if its alignments are similar to the attacker's -- see below.

Calling Off an Attack

If rivals use cards or tokens to aid either side, but you call off your attack before it's committed, they get their cards or tokens back.

If you call off an attack on a card from your hand, return it to your hand.

Note that if an attack requires a Plot card to play -- like most Instant attacks, for instance -- then making the attack is the same as playing a Plot card, and it cannot be called off.

No Duplicates in the Same Attack!

No player may use duplicates of the same Plot card in a single attack, or to defend against a single attack, either with the same or for different groups.

Attack to Control

To make an Attack to Control, your attacking group must have at least one outward-pointing arrow free. If a group has no outgoing arrow (either because all are being used or some are blocked), it cannot try to control another group.

The strength of the attack is the attacker's Power minus the defender's Resistance. You must roll that number or less, on two dice. So roll low! You must get your attack's strength to at least 2, because that is the lowest number you can roll on two dice. An attack with a lower strength cannot succeed.

If you attack a group from your own hand, you must still roll to control it, and other players may try to interfere.

Example: If a Power of 6 attacks a Resistance of 2, it succeeds only on a roll of 4 or less. If a Power of 10 attacks that same Resistance of 2, it succeeds on an 8 or less . . . a much better chance.

Defense and Interference. Other groups, both your own and those of other players, can get involved in the attack. This is described below.

Automatic Failure. A roll of 11 or 12 always means the attack failed, no matter how much Power was involved.

Alignments

If the groups have any identical alignments, add 4 to the attacker's effective Power for each one. If they have any opposite alignments, subtract 4 from Power for each one. (Remember, all Fanatic groups are opposites!) Example: A Weird, Corporate group is trying to control a Straight, Government group. There are two sets of opposite alignments, so subtract 8 from the attacker's effective Power! Maybe this attack is a bad idea . . .

Attributes. These words (in italics, in the bottom right corner) are not the same as alignments. They don't affect an attack unless an attacker has a special ability referring to an Attribute on the defender, or vice versa.

Whoops! If you forget to declare a bonus during an attack, whether it's for attack or defense, you lose it. When the dice are rolled, it's over.

Aiding Attacks

Any number of groups may aid one attack, adding their Power to the Power of the original attacker. Example: A group with a Power of 6 is aided by two other groups, each with a Power of 4. The total power of the attack is 14.

Suppose you start an attack, and meet unexpectedly heavy opposition from your foes. You may throw other groups into the battle, as long as those groups have not yet used their actions.

Alignment is very important when aiding an attack. A group may aid an Attack to Control only if it has Global Power, or at least one alignment in common with the target! A group may oppose an Attack to Control (that is, defend the target) only if it has Global Power, or an alignment in common with the target, or if it is the target's master or the target's puppet.

However, aiding groups do not get bonuses and penalties for similar or opposed alignment. That applies only to the group that is leading the attack.

Aiding Attacks With Global Power

If a group's alignments don't let it use its normal Power in an attack, it can still use its Global Power. Thus, groups with Global Power are more flexible.

Increases in Power do not change Global Power unless the card making the change specifies Global Power. But if a group's Power is decreased to below its Global Power, then its Global Power must be reduced to equal the new Power.

Resistance to Control

Controlling Alignment. A group is more loyal if it agrees with its masters' ideals. A group gets +4 to its Resistance for every alignment that is the same as that of its master. Opposing alignments don't matter (and remember, Fanatic is the opposite of Fanatic).

Power Structure Position. Groups already in play become harder to attack if they're near the center of the Power Structure. A group which is directly controlled by the Illuminati gets a +10 to Resistance! If it is one group away, it gets a +5. If it's farther away, it gets no bonus.

Note that nothing can multiply this bonus.

Special Abilities. Some groups' special abilities (shown on the card) increase their resistance against certain attacks.

Defense

Regardless of alignments, a group can always use its action to defend itself, or its master, or its puppets. The Illuminati may defend any group.

Other groups can defend the target only if they have at least one alignment in common with it, or if they have Global Power (see p. 10).

Example: A group with a Power of 6, aided by other groups with a total Power of 9, attacks a group with a Resistance of 4. The base strength of the attack is 15 minus 4, or 11.

But the target still has an Action token of its own. Its Power is 2. Doubled, this is 4, so spending the token reduces the attack to a 7. And the group's master also spends a token. Its power is 5, which reduces the attack to a 2!

Now the attacker can spend more tokens (if he has them) or ask other players for help -- see Interference, p. 10.

The final strength of the attack is not settled until no players are able or willing to commit any more tokens, Plot cards, or special abilities. At that point, the attacker rolls the dice!

Results of an Attack to Control

If it came from your own hand, you may try again if you have any actions left. However, if you have not taken the card by the end of your turn, your agents are revealed and eliminated -- you must discard that card! (This is a reason to have two cards for the same group . . . it can give you a second chance.)

If Your Attack Succeeded: the target group is captured! It becomes part of your Power Structure. Put it next to the group that captured it, with its incoming arrow touching any outgoing arrow of its new master. It does not matter if a card is upside-down or sideways, as long as the arrows line up properly.

If it controlled any puppets, they are also captured! When placed in your Power Structure, they should keep the same position, relative to their master, that they had originally. If that makes some cards overlap, you may rearrange any new cards that overlap, as long as they keep the same master. New groups which still cannot fit must be discarded!

A newly-captured group may not act on the turn you capture it. If it had an Action token, remove it. It cannot get an action that turn except from a card that explicitly gives an action to a newly-controlled group, like Blitzkrieg. (Groups controlled by an automatic takeover do get an Action token on the same turn.)

Attack to Destroy

1. Instead of rolling "Power minus Resistance," roll "Power minus Power." That is, the target defends with its Power rather than its Resistance. Its closeness to the Illuminati (p. 8) still counts for defense, unless you're destroying one of your own groups. Alignments in common with its master do not help!

2. Unlike groups destroy each other more easily. An Attack to Destroy gets a +4 bonus for every opposite alignment, and a -4 for every identical alignment.

3. Unless it is using Global Power, a group may only aid an Attack to Destroy if it has at least one alignment opposite from the target's. A group may oppose an Attack to Destroy if it has at least one alignment the same as the target's, or if it is the target's master, or its puppet.

4. A group does not need an open control arrow to attack to destroy!

5. If your attack succeeds, the target group goes to your own separate "destroyed pile." Since many Goals depend on destroying groups, you must keep track of which player destroyed each group -- and some cards can return groups to play!

6. Its puppets are not destroyed -- they lose their tokens and go back to the hand of the player who controlled the destroyed group.

7. You may try to destroy a group that you already control. But no group may attack itself, or aid an attack on itself!

Interference

(1) You can use the Power of any of your groups to aid either the attacker or the defender. This is your group's action, and costs its Action token. To be eligible to interfere, it must have at least one alignment that matches the target's (or one that is opposite, to help destroy the target) or it must have Global Power!

(2) You can use a Plot card or special ability.

Hidden Agents

Only one "agents" card can be used in any one attack. The owner of the real group cannot play an "agents" card. Once used, the duplicate is discarded, whether the attack succeeds or fails.

Playing an "agents" card gives +10 to aid an attack, either to control or destroy. It can be used to oppose an attack, too, but it gives only -6 to oppose.

If a foe plays a Group card from his hand as an automatic takeover, your "agents" card won't help you . . . yet. You cannot prevent an automatic takeover.

But if a foe tries an Attack to Control against a Group from his own hand, and you have an "agents" card, you can use it right then to defend the group, giving a -6 to his takeover attempt. But you might prefer to let him bring the group into play . . . and then take it away from him!

Limits on Attacks and Interference

Privileged Attacks

No "third party" player can interfere either for or against a Privileged Attack. No one can help the attacking player. If the attacker is trying to control a group from his own hand, no one can oppose that attack. If the attack is against a group controlled by another player, only that player's groups and Plots can help defend. No one else can use cards or special abilities in his behalf, even to cancel the action; nobody can give him cards until the attack is over.

Some groups, and some Plot cards, allow a player to negate the Privilege of an attack. If Privilege is negated, it cannot be regained on that attack.

After a Privileged Attack is over, other players may use cards that change or negate the die-roll. (They are not interfering with the attack itself.)

Secret Groups

Secret groups can only be affected by Illuminati groups, by other Secret groups, and by groups whose special abilities let them aid or attack Secret groups.

In addition, a Secret group's master and puppets may always use their special powers to help the Secret group, and they may defend it if it is attacked. They may also use their Power to aid its attacks if they have Global Power or the right alignments to aid (see p. 8).

No other groups can make attacks against Secret groups, or interfere for or against attacks on Secret groups, or use their special abilities for or against Secret groups, or aid attacks made by Secret groups!

Instant Attacks

An Instant attack is strictly between the Power of the attacking card and the Power of the defender! No other cards can aid either side in any way, either with Power or special abilities, unless they specifically say they can interfere with such attacks. For instance, a generic "+2 to destroy" does not add power to a volcano! A Plot card which entirely negates another card can stop an Instant attack.

Closeness to the Illuminati does help defend against an Instant attack, unless you are attacking a group you control.

The target may not spend any Action tokens, even to defend itself, until the attack is resolved.

Instant attacks may not be combined, unless a Plot card specifically allows it.

If cards previously played gave the target a temporary Power bonus for that turn, it does count.

Assassinations

A Personality destroyed by an Assassination is killed, and may only be saved or returned to play by appropriate cards. A regular Attack to Destroy can strip a Personality of power and influence, but not kill them, and such a Personality can be returned to play the same way a destroyed Organization can.

Disasters

Most Disasters can cause Devastation -- see below. Some Disasters can completely destroy their targets, if the die roll on the attack is good enough.

The target of a Disaster always loses one Action token, if it had any, as soon as the Disaster card is played. It does get it back if the Disaster is canceled, negated by Hoax, etc.

Devastation and Relief

You may move a group out from under the Devastated group, by spending an action from its new master or your Illuminati. It may then act normally. You may move a group to an empty control arrow of a Devastated group, if you really need to, but it loses any Action tokens it has. It cannot get new ones until its master gets Relief.

While a group is Devastated, its Power is halved (round down) against any attack to destroy. Being Devastated again, while already Devastated, has no further effect.

Relief can come from a Plot card, or from a special ability, or by spending actions, all at once, worth 3 times the printed Power of the devastated place. So, if a Place has a Power of 3, Relief would cost tokens from groups with a total Power of at least 9. They can be spent by any player or players, at any time, as long as they are all spent at the same time.

Timing

A player might announce an attack with Group A; then a rival uses Resource B to change Group A in a way that makes the attack impossible or pointless; then another rival plays Plot C to destroy Resource B, so that Group A's attack continues.

Thus, you can use a Plot or special ability to make a rival's just-announced action unprofitable, or even illegal (see p. 15). But you can never announce a play that is illegal at the moment it is made, even if the play (if allowed) would render itself legal. Example: Discordia is immune to all Government groups. The Discordian player uses his Illuminati action to power a Plot that turns the Nuclear Power Companies from Corporate to Government. Can the NPCs use their special ability to cancel that Discordian action, preserving their Corporate status? No! When Discordia made them Government, they could not "step back in time" and make themselves eligible to cancel the Discordian action.

If an action is canceled, its effects are also canceled. (If a card is played to cancel a Disaster, for instance, the target gets its Action token back.)

Throwing Away Cards: If a rival uses a card or special ability to look at (or steal) your cards, you may not spend or discard any cards to keep him from getting them or to control which one he gets. But if you (or an ally) can use a card or special ability to cancel whatever it was that gave him access to your cards, you may do so. That's all you can do about it.

Speed Play

The only time that speed of play matters is when cards doing the same thing (or mutually exclusive things) are played at the same time -- for instance, two players both play Vultures to grab the same card. In that case, the first one played is the one that works. If they're really simultaneous, roll two dice; the high roll wins. Plot cards and special abilities can affect these die rolls as though they were "attacks"!

Note that saying you might play a card, or making a threat, is not the same as playing the card. For instance, if A plays an instant Disaster, B may not respond by boosting the Power of the target. But if A threatens to play an Instant attack, B may pre-emptively play a card which boosts the defensive power of the target. When in doubt, B should always ask "Are you doing it, or just threatening?" A can then put up or shut up.

Moving Groups

Moving a group costs one action. This may be from the group being moved, or its former master, or its new master, or your Illuminati! It's your choice.

You may give a group to another player during his turn, if he wants it. This still costs an action, as above.

Groups in your Power Structure may never overlap. If moving a group would cause some of its puppets (or their puppets) to overlap, any of them may be moved to different control arrows, as long as they keep the same master. Any group that cannot be prevented from overlapping is lost. It, and any puppets it has, go back to the hand of the player who controlled it before the move.

Gifts and Trades

Cards in your hand, including exposed Plots, may be traded or given away at any time, except when a privileged attack is under way. Cards from your hand must go into the hand of the player who gets them.

You may not give away undrawn cards from your decks!

Cards in your Power Structure may be given away -- see Moving Groups, above.

A trade is just an exchange of gifts. If two players agree to a trade, the deal is binding if they make the exchange immediately. A deal is not binding if it involves a promise of something in the future.

Example: If you say, "If you give me the Boy Sprouts now, I'll give you a Plot card," and the other player gives you the Boy Sprouts, you must give him a Plot. But if you say, "If you give me the Boy Sprouts now, I'll give you a Plot card next turn," and he hands them over, you can break your promise next turn if you want!

The Endgame

Eliminating a Player

Exception: If the Servants of Cthulhu have destroyed 7 groups, and then destroy their own last puppet as their 8th victim, they are not destroyed themselves . . . they win.

And . . . if you eliminate a player who was using the same Illuminati that you are, you get his Resources!

If a player leaves the game, the effect is as though he had been eliminated.

Winning the Game

Otherwise, the game ends when, at the end of a turn (his own, or someone else's), a player meets one of his Goals. The winner can't claim victory until his rivals acknowledge that they can't stop him.

No one win may during the first round. The first time anyone can claim a victory is at the end of the first player's second turn.

If two or more players both meet their Goals at the same time, they share the victory, dividing the world between them. Note: players who are playing the same Illuminati (except Shangri-La) cannot share a victory. If they meet their goals at the same time, neither wins. The game continues unless some other player also met his Goals at the same time.

You can meet your Goals three ways:

Basic Goal: This is the same for all players. Control a certain number of groups, including your Illuminati. Set the number at the beginning of the game; the more groups, the longer the game.

With starter decks, we recommend playing to 10 groups. Once you have built powerful decks, play to 11 or 12 (or even more). We recommend 12 groups for the two-player game.

Special Goal: This is different for each kind of Illuminati. Some special goals just modify the basic goal -- certain kinds of groups count double for victory. No group can ever count more than double, and no more than three groups can ever count double. Thus, if you are play ing to 12 groups, you must have at least 9 cards to win even if you have some special goal.

Goal Cards: These are special Plots. If you have a Goal card in your hand, achieving that goal will give you victory. Any time a foe has even one hidden Plot, it might be a secret goal.

If a foe exposes a Goal card in your hand, it is still a valid Goal -- but now your enemies know about it.

However, no player (except the UFOs) may have more than one Goal card in his hand. If you have one Goal and draw another, you must immediately discard one.

When you win with a Goal card, you must expose all your Plots, to show that you had no other Goal cards! And if a player's Plots are exposed at any time and he has more than one Goal card, without some special card or power that allows it, he's out of the game.

Some Goal cards describe unique goals, and cannot be combined with other goals in any way. Others give bonuses to reach your other Goals. Again, no more than 3 groups can ever count double. Read the cards.

Note that a Goal card is never actually "played." When a player reveals it and says "I win!", you cannot use Hoax or a similar card to cancel the Goal card. Of course, if a Goal is exposed before its owner announces a victory, any card that affects exposed Plots can affect it.

Changing Groups to Meet Goals

Some changes are permanent (see Glossary). Permanent changes always count for goals. For instance, if you play a card that turns a group Peaceful, it now counts as Peaceful for your goals!

Temporary Power changes (from Plot cards that give +10, for instance) do not count for Goals. The same is true for anything that gives a bonus to Power effective only for specific actions.

Temporary Alignment changes (such as from the Orbital Mind Control Lasers) do count for Goals. And if the change in Alignment causes a change in Power (because of a NWO card, for instance), that change in Power also counts for Goals. But these changes only count while they're in effect! They are good only for a victory declared at the end of that turn. For instance, if the Lasers make a group Liberal, it only counts as Liberal for that turn . . . even if it is destroyed while Liberal, it is does not count that way after the turn is over. (It won't be remembered as Liberal when the winners write the history books.)

Evil Schemes

New World Order Cards

A NWO card represents a basic shift in the world power balance. For instance, in 1985, Communism was a fundamental force. In 1995, it's on the fringes. There's a new world order now!

If there is any potential ambiguity in the effect of a combination of NWO cards, assess their effects, one at a time, in the order they were played.

Once a NWO is played, it stays in force until removed, in one of two ways:

(1) Through play of a Plot card that specifically negates it.

(2) Through play of another NWO card of the same color. There are three colors . . . red, blue and yellow. Only one card of each color can be in play. If a NWO is in play, and a new NWO of the same color is played, the old one is discarded. Thus, there can never be more than three NWO cards in effect at once!

A card can be played to replace an identical NWO. The new card would then be the last NWO played, which might make a difference . . .

Duplicate Cards

Plot Cards: Duplicates may be played freely, as long as no one player uses duplicate cards in the same action, either for attack or for defense.

Illuminati Cards: When the game starts, more than one player may choose to be the Illuminati -- factions of the same conspiracy. They are mortal foes! You have a +5 on any attack against a Group owned by a rival who is the "same" Illuminati you are. If you destroy them, by stealing or destroying their last group, you get all their Resources. And you cannot share a victory with them.

You may also put Illuminati cards in your Plots deck. If you draw a Plot that duplicates a rival Illuminati, you can play it at any time. The cost: you must discard your top undrawn Plot and Group cards!

The duplicate Illuminati card goes with your Resources, but it is not a Resource. It is an agent within the enemy Illuminati group. It gives you a +3 for attack or defense against that whole Power Structure! If you have a Zurich agent, for instance, you have a +3 on any attack or defense against any group owned by the "real" Gnomes of Zurich.

You may only have one agent for each type of Illuminati, but if there are multiple Zurich players, one Zurich agent can spy on them all! However, you can't have an agent for your own type of Illuminati.

Note: If a given Illuminati group is not in play when the game starts, it cannot come into play unless a Plot card specifically allows it. Otherwise, it's useless.

Group Cards: While a given Group is in your Power Structure, a duplicate of that card does you no good. But having duplicate Groups in your deck can be good insurance, in case your first attempt at control is a failure, or someone takes it from you.

If you have a card that duplicates a group controlled by a rival, you can use it as an "agents" card to aid an attack against that group, or to defend it, as described on p. 10. You cannot try to control your own card, because the group it represents is already in play!

If you have a card that duplicates a group that was in play, but was destroyed, you may not activate that card unless a Plot card lets you do so.

Resource Cards: If a Resource is Unique, only one can be in play. Whoever plays it first, has it. You may not play a duplicate. Even if the original is destroyed, a duplicate may not be put into play unless a Plot card allows it!

If you play a Unique Resource in a way that hides it (e.g., Warehouse 23), you must expose it as soon as a duplicate comes into play. If you fail to do this, the other card is the original and yours is useless.

If a Resource is not unique, any number may be in play. They don't affect each other in any way.

Links

Examples of Linked cards include:

A Personality linked to a Place, to show he's staying there (this is only worthwhile if either the Personality or the Place card specifies a reason to do it).

A Resource linked to some group other than your Illuminati. This means the Resource belongs to that group.

A Plot that changes the abilities of one specific group, linked to that group to show the connection.

Moving Links

Other Links can be changed from card to card, but you may move or remove such a Link only on your own turn, and only once per turn. If you give a Resource to another player, it becomes the property of his Illuminati; he may not link it to another group until his turn. If a link provides a bonus Action token, card, etc., it may not be moved (or the card given away) after it gives its bonus that turn.

Canceled Actions, Alignment Changes and Other Surprises

Many Plot cards and special abilities cannot be used in the middle of an attack! But some can. Read the cards.

If a permanent Link to a Plot or Resource becomes temporarily illegal (due to an alignment change, for instance, or because the Group has been returned to a player's hand), the Plot or Resource is not lost, but it has no effect until it becomes legal again. It may not be linked elsewhere in the meantime! It will apply to the Group again when the Group is again controlled, no matter who controls it.

If a permanent Link to a Plot becomes permanently illegal, the Plot is discarded. This can happen, for instance, if a group changes ownership and the new owner already has an identical Plot in play.

If a Link to a Resource becomes permanently illegal, the link is lost. The Resource can be linked elsewhere on its owner's next turn.

If a group's announced use of a Plot becomes illegal before the dice are rolled, the Plot returns to the owner's hand and is Exposed.

If the action of the attacking group is canceled or made illegal, the attack does not happen. Plots used by the attacking group are lost, and its token is spent. Any groups which aided either side get their tokens back. Agents duplicating the target group return to their owner's hand.

If the action of an aiding group is canceled, the attack goes on, even if it is now doomed to failure.

If an action is used to "power" a Plot card, and the action is canceled, the Plot is lost . . . discard it. Exception: If several actions are used together to power a Plot, and one is canceled, another group's action may be used to replace the lost Power. If this can't be done, the Plot is lost and the other actions are wasted.

If a special ability is used, and that use is then made illegal or impossible, the token(s) used to power the special ability are lost.

If a Plot is canceled, any Actions used to power it are lost.

Some specific examples:

A Straight group tries to control another Straight group (+4 bonus). Before the dice are rolled, the Orbital Mind Control Lasers reverse the alignment of the target, making it Weird (-4 penalty). Heh, heh, heh.

A Violent group makes an attack, using the Terrorist Nuke Plot (+10 bonus). Before the dice are rolled, a rival uses the Kinder and Gentler card (and a lot of Power) to make the attacker Peaceful. It is now ineligible to use that Plot. No link was involved, though -- the plot is Exposed, but not lost.

A Straight group has received Grassroots Support, raising its Power to 6. It makes an attack. Before the dice are rolled, a rival uses the Jake Day card (and a lot of Power) to make the attackers Weird. This is a permanent alignment change, so the linked Grassroots Support card must be discarded.

A Peaceful group has been given the Nobel Peace Prize, raising its Power to 6. The Gay Activists reverse its alignment, making it temporarily Violent. Its Power returns to its original level for that turn, but the Peace Prize is not lost, and will be effective again when the group's alignment returns to normal.

A Violent group attacks a power structure which includes the Vatican. The Gay Activists strike again, turning the attacker Peaceful. Its attack is now illegal; Peaceful groups can't attack the Vatican's power structure. This cancels the attack completely.

The Cards Remember . . .

If the card goes back to someone's hand, or is neutralized in some way, the Link will be activated again if the group is controlled again.

In general, cards "remember" any changes in their status, until something explicitly changes them back. A Devastated group does not get Relief just by going back into its owner's hand. If a Personality has been controlled by the Vampires, it remains a Vampire forever. (But if a group is actually destroyed, it loses any special status it had, and will have only its printed values if something returns it to play.)

These things will rarely happen often enough to cause arguments, but keep notes if necessary!

Strategy

When someone leaves the room, conspire against him. There is always a way to make your position a little bit better and his a little bit worse.

Negotiate with everyone. Your foes are less likely to attack you if they think you might help them win.

To avoid being attacked, you should look strong enough to defend yourself, but not so strong that you are a threat.

Watch your rivals constantly; keep track of how close they are to their Goals. The more Plots they have, the more likely they are to play some fiendish trick and win in one turn. Don't count on others to warn you of danger . . . they may have made a private deal!

The Perfect Deck

A very aggressive deck works well in a two-player game. Multi-player games call for more defensive cards, and a careful buildup of power. Either way, you want a few key high-Power cards, some groups with useful special abilities, and a variety of good Plot cards. Bring a variety of Group cards, so you can choose the special abilities you need to frustrate your rivals' plans.

The best decks have a theme. A deck can be built around an Illuminati card, or an alignment (or two), or an attribute (like Science), or a Goal card, or even a particular strategy.

But there is no such thing as the perfect deck. Any deck can be beaten . . . by a good player who knows what's in it. So . . . vary your deck and your strategies! If you lead with the Mafia every time, your rivals will bring Mafia cards of their own, and take it away from you. Switch cards between games, or use the same cards in a different way. Don't be predictable!

And don't depend on the cards to win for you. A good player with a starter deck can beat a careless player with a custom-built deck.

Balanced Power Structures

But if one of your rivals makes this mistake, you can win by taking several groups in one attack!

Threats and Negotiations

Deals can be made either openly or secretly. The possibilities are limited only by your own duplicity.

Meta-Rules

Keep track of which cards are your property. When someone takes a card you own, make a note, so you can get it back at the end of the game! Or put one of your own tokens on the card. Or use a sticky-note.

No one can ever steal a card from your hand, deck. etc., without showing you what they have taken.

When you use a duplicate card to steal a group from someone else, put your own card in your Power Structure and let them keep theirs.

When two Plots conflict, the last one played is the one that rules. If card B is played to nullify card A, and then card C is immediately played to nullify card B, then card A is once again effective.

Many cards change groups' Power or Resistance. When several cards take effect, changes to a specific number come first, then cards that multiply or divide, and then additions or subtractions. So if one Plot card increases the Power of the Dentists to 6, another one doubles it, and then a NWO card gives them +2 Power, you first increase it to 6, then double it to 12, and then add the +2. The final Power is 14!

You may never use two multiplying cards to increase the same "stats" of one group -- for instance, to double its Power and then double it again. No matter what the cards say, you may use only the single highest "multiply" effect.

If a card specifically says something cannot happen to it, this takes precedence over a card that (supposedly) does that thing to other cards. But: if Card A specifically mentions Card B by name, then A's ability takes precedence over any defense or immunity B may have.

Impossible die-rolls cannot happen. For instance, the Suicide Squad calls for the player to roll one die. One die gives a result from 1 to 6. Any card that would increase the result to more than 6 is treated as a 6; anything that would decrease the result to less than 1 is treated as a 1.

Illuminati groups never have alignments. They can never be destroyed, except by losing all their puppets.

Glossary of Terms

Any Time: You may do this during another player's turn. But you still may not interfere with a privileged attack (see p. 10), or use or discard a card to keep someone else from looking at it or stealing it.

Automatic Failure: This lets you wreck another player's attack after he commits actions and Plot cards and rolls the dice. The attack fails, and all the actions and cards are gone. Life is cruel.

Cancel: Some cards can cancel a group's action after it is announced. An action is also canceled if it is made illegal (due to an alignment change which conflicts with an immunity, for instance).

The canceled action, and any token(s) used to power it, are lost. If an attack is canceled, any Plots used by the attacking group are lost, but tokens and Plots spent by aiding and opposing groups are returned. See p. 15.

If a Plot is canceled, the token(s) that powered it are lost.

A Plot or action cannot be canceled after the dice are rolled!

"Cancel" does not mean "remove an Action token before it is used." That is an entirely different power.

Decks: All your undrawn Plot and Group cards. You may not look at them!

Direct attacks are those made by the group itself. For instance, the Hackers have a +4 for direct control of any Computer group. This means you get a +4 bonus when trying to take over a Computer group with that card. If you attack a Computer group with another card, even if the Hackers aid with their power, this +4 bonus does not help you.

Discard: Cards may be discarded for several reasons. A card is also discarded if played, unless it remains on the table with a Link. That type of card is considered "discarded" only if the Link is permanently invalidated.

When a card is discarded, it is permanently removed from play unless a Plot card or special ability is immediately used to recover it.

Note that you cannot discard (or give away, or use) a card to keep someone from taking it or looking at it, if they have already played the card that lets them take it or look at it!

Discards are all face-up unless a card specifically says to make that discard face-down or without looking.

When a card requires a discard, discard from your hand unless the card specifies to discard from your deck.

Draw and Choose: "Draw" means take the top card from the deck. "Choose" lets you go through the deck!

Hand: The Plot, Group, and Resource cards that you have drawn. You can look at them at any time. They are not considered "in play."

Immunity: If a group (or Power Structure) is immune to a certain type of group, it cannot be attacked or affected by the Power, Global Power or special abilities of any enemy group of that type. Those groups can't even aid an attack on the immune group or Power Structure. They defend normally against its attacks.

If your whole Power Structure is immune to something, your hand, decks, and discard pile are also immune!

Master and Puppet: If group A controls group B directly, then A is the master and B is the puppet.

Permanent Change: Any change to a group's Power, Global Power, Resistance, attributes or alignments that does not have a specific built-in time limit. Changes made by NWO cards, for instance, are permanent. Note that "permanent" changes can still be undone by another Plot or special ability!

Power Structure: Your Illuminati, plus all the groups that it controls, both directly and through its puppets.

Shuffle: After you look through a deck to choose a card, you must shuffle it, and any other player may cut.

Temporary Change: Any change to a group's Power, Global Power, Resistance, attributes or alignments that has a specific built-in time limit, such as "for the next action," or "to the end of the turn."

Turn: When a card says it does something "each turn," that means each time its owner takes a turn! Bonuses are granted at the appropriate turn phase; extra Action tokens come when you get your regular tokens, and so on.

Game Support

For a current errata sheet and card list, giving rarities, send a SASE to the address above.

Magazines

On The Net

We also have INWO net-reps on all the major online services.

Tournaments

2-Player Rules

Play to no less than 12 groups.

Neither player may attack the other until each has taken a full turn; Player 2 can't jump instantly on Player 1.

Eliminate the "automatic takeover" phase. Except for the puppet that you start the game with, no group may be taken over without a die roll. To take over a Resource, spend your Illuminati token -- no more than one per turn.

Rules Update

Based on gamer feedback on the Limited Edition of INWO, we made a number of changes to improve clarity and balance . . . check the actual rulebook and cards for exact wording. The significant ones include:

Cards

Eliza: no group may have more than one.

China: explicitly gets its +20 against Disasters.

Clipper Chip: no player may have more than one.

Combined Disasters: both disasters must be eligible to strike the affected Place!

Orbit One can be affected by a Nuclear Disaster, but not an Earthquake.

Oregon Crud now has a Power of 24, and destroys on a roll that succeeds by 10 or more.

Political Correctness affects Conservative groups with a Power of 0 or 1.

Reload type cards (giving extra tokens to groups of a specific alignment or attribute) now require an Illuminati action and reload only 5 Power's worth of tokens, or any one group of any Power. The rules now make it explicit that you cannot "reload" a group on the turn it is captured.

Seize the Time requires an Illuminati action, and cannot be used on your first turn. It does not give the Illuminati new action tokens, and you cannot draw cards or play any Plots.

Shangri-La explicitly gets its +5 to defend against Instant attacks.

Upheaval! requires an Illuminati action, and cannot be used on your first turn.

Video Games gives a bonus to all your other Computer groups.

Volcano now has a power of 18, and destroys on a roll that succeeds by 2 or more.

Voodoo Economics requires an Illuminati action, and can be used only once per player per game.

Weather Satellite now gives a +10 (not a +8), to Tornado, Hurricane, and Rain of Frogs (not Tidal Wave).

Zurich no longer has a +4 to control Corporate groups.

Rules

Beginning the game: is clarified as regards attacking players who haven't had their first turn. Also, the "lead" puppet rule is expanded (p. 2).

Cancellation of actions is clarified (p. 15).

Die rolls changed by cards are modified to the closest legal number (p. 17).

Discards: are always face up (p. 4).

Dropping groups from your power structure is no longer allowed.

Elimination: happens only after the third turn (p. 12).

Goals: No more than three groups may ever count double for victory.

Goal cards can't be cancelled after you claim a win (p. 13); if you are caught with more than one in your hand, you lose (p. 13).

Immunity is defined at greater length (p. 18).

Links: Clarification on moving links and on linking personalities (p. 15).

Memory of Cards: new rules section (p. 16).

NWO cards take effect in the order played (p. 14).

Permanent and Temporary changes are defined (p. 18).

Relief requires 3 times printed Power (p. 11).

Secret group rules reworded for clarity (p. 10).

Timing: More rules added (p. 11).

Two-player rules: p. 19.

Winning: You can't win during the first round.

Attack and Defense Modifiers

Attack to Control

Each identical alignment of attacker and target: +4

Each opposed alignment of attacker and target: -4

Attack to Destroy

Each opposed alignment of attacker and target: +4

Each identical alignment of attacker and target: -4

Attacker is Cthulhu: +4

Defender is Devastated: Power is halved (round down)

Bonuses to Resistance and Defense

Target is puppet of Illuminati: +10

Target's master is puppet of Illuminati: +5

For each alignment that the target shares with its master: +4

Index