Asteroids
History:
In a previous cycle of the Cosmos, a war grew so frightful that entire star systems were torn apart. Fragments of these planets still circle the universe, bringing the remnants of their original Powers to whomever they pass by.
Parts:
A set of Asteroids is a set of twelve little cardboard Asteroid disks (similar to Moons) and twelve markers. Each Asteroid and marker has a symbol on it; they form twelve pairs (a disk and marker with the same symbol.)
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Setup:
When setting up the game, the players decide how many Asteroids will be in play, and where they start. Each Asteroid is placed in the empty space at the edge of a system hex. No more than one Asteroid may be in any hex. Also, pick out the markers that match those Asteroids.
(Some recommended setups: One Asteroid, randomly placed; two Asteroids, opposite each other around the ring of hexes; three Asteroids, equally spaced; or (for the masochists) one Asteroid per hex.)
After Powers are selected, the players randomly choose one Power card for each Asteroid, and place them (face up) to one side. Randomly place the markers on the power cards, so that each Asteroid in the game has one Power.
Play:
At the beginning of each challenge, every Asteroid is moved one hex to the right (that is, *opposite* to the direction that players' turns go.) For the rest of the challenge, any player with an Asteroid in his system may use that Asteroid's Power as if it was his own.
Asteroid rotation occurs before Destiny is flipped (or before the defensive player is selected in whatever manner.) If that's not going to happen, just rotate Asteroids as early as possible in the challenge.
You cannot use an Asteroid's Power at the beginning of a challenge, before it moves out of your system. You can only use the Power of the Asteroid that moves into your system on that challenge. If Orbital Mechanic comes up on an Asteroid, it is an exception to this rule. The player who has the OM Asteroid *before* rotation gets to use the OM power.
Attributes of an Asteroid Power (Miser's Hoard, Warrior's Points, Schizoid's Terms, Terrorist's list of Bombs) travel along with the Asteroid.
If a player has no home system hex, Asteroids that rotate to him are simply placed in front of him. When Asteroids are rotated, hex-less Powers (and Warpish's home Warp hex) are in the cycle between the last player's hex and the first player's. If a player has more than one home system hex, they are counted as separate locations in the rotation cycle. Thus, he gets more use of the Asteroids than other players. (This is another prerequisite of the multiple-hex Power.)
If Sanity is played, Asteroid Powers cannot be used, but the Asteroids are still rotated as usual.
If Changeling is in a game with Asteroids, Changeling may be swapped to or from the appropriate player's Asteroid instead of their normal Power (at Changeling's option.) This can only be done after Asteroid rotation.
The rule says "any player with an Asteroid in his system may use that Asteroid's Power as if it was his own." Therefore, if you're Zapped or have too few home bases, you can't use the Asteroid Power; Asteroid Powers are graftable by Plant; and so forth.
When Wild Schizoid switches hexes, the asteroids go with the hexes, but thenceforth rotate (between players) as they did before. (That is, you don't have to remember the Schizoid swap to do later rotations.)
New Edict:
STRANGE ATTRACTOR If there is an Asteroid in your system, exchange it with any other Asteroid in the game. If there is no Asteroid in your system, select any other Asteroid in the game and move it to your system. Play at the beginning of any challenge, immediately *after* Asteroids are rotated.
CLEAVER [O:Warp:A] SPLITS ASTEROIDS, OR DESTROYS THEM Jack Reda (Asteroids)
You have the power to split. Whenever you are the main player, you may cleave an asteroid in play. The asteroid immediately gets split into two asteroids with the same power (add another marker, and place the accompanying marker on the appropriate power). The new marker gets placed one system clockwise from where the original is located. Your split must occur after asteroids have rotated. On any subsequent turn where you are a main player, you may cleave duplicate asteroids to destroy them (the marker is removed from the game). You may not destroy the original markers.
History: The Cleavers have spent generations running a business of reducing asteroids to rubble for bargain prices. More recently, they have profited from destroying certain asteroids, and splitting others to double the wealth.
Restriction: Use only in a game with Asteroids.
Timing:
Phase 1
Phase 2 - Destiny
Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Novice. This is a Rules type power.
MINER [O:Warp:A] USES ASTEROID'S POWER Jack Reda (Asteroids)
You have the power to strip. Whenever there is an asteroid in the system where you are involved in a challenge, you may take the use of the asteroid's power in lieu of your own. No other player may make use of the asteroid's power.
History: Draining every resource out of an asteroid, the Miner's leave behind empty husks, floating through space. The power they have extracted makes them formidable indeed.
Restriction: Use only in a game with Asteroids. Use in multi-power games.
Timing:
Phase 2 - Destiny
Phase 6 - Allies accept
Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Novice. This is a Meta type power.
ORBITAL [O:E2.1:A] AFFECTS ASTEROID ROTATION Andrew Plotkin (Asteroids)
You have the power to affect orbits. When Asteroids are rotated in any challenge, you may decree that they all move two hexes to the right instead of one.
History: Spawned among the asteroid belts of a planet less star, the Orbitals learned to weave webs to capture and manipulate their rocky homes. Now they seek to control the mysterious fragments of dead worlds, and spread their influence around the Cosmos.
Restriction: Use only in a game with Asteroids.
Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Novice. This is a Rules type power.
Wild1: You may copy a Power of the player on your left; use it as if it were your own.
Wild: You may copy a Power of the player on your left; use it as if it were your own. This Flare may only be used to copy one power per challenge.
Super1: When Asteroids are rotated in any challenge, you may decree either that they all move two hexes to the right, or that they all move one hex to the left.
Super: When Asteroids are rotated in any challenge, you may decree either that they all move two hexes to the right, or that they all move one hex to the left.
PROCESSOR [O:Warp:A] CHANGES POWER OF ASTEROID Jack Reda (Asteroids)
You have the power to convert. When an asteroid is moved into any other player's home system, you may exchange the associated power with a random draw from the unused powers. The new power remains with the asteroid when it leaves their system. You may not change the asteroid when it enters your own system.
History: Able to take the materials of old asteroids and re-process them into new materials, the Processors capitalize on the benefits while leaving those races in surrounding systems out in the cold.
Restriction: Use only in a game with Asteroids.
Timing:
Phase 1
Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Novice. This is a Rules type power.
STASIS [M:Warp:A] HOLDS ASTEROIDS IN PLACE Jack Reda (Asteroids)
You have the power to hold. On each challenge, you must prevent an asteroid from rotating. You may not prevent the same asteroid from rotating two challenges in a row, nor may you allow two asteroids to inhabit the same system at the same time.
History: Existing outside of the normal space-time continuum, the Stasis manipulate the universe around them, plucking things out of the flow of time when it suits them. Only they can plan for future events, knowing how and when things will fall into place.
Restriction: Use only in a game with multiple Asteroids. Do not use in a game with one asteroid per player.
Timing:
Phase 1
Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Novice. This is a Rules type power.
SWAP [O:Warp:A] SWITCHES ASTEROIDS Jack Reda (Asteroids)
You have the power to exchange. As a main player, you may switch the locations of any two asteroids in play. The switch must take place after the asteroids have rotated.
History: Harboring a unique talent of transport, the Swaps keep a careful eye on the shifting balance of power in the cosmos. With their skills, they can turn the tide at will.
Restriction: Use only in a game with multiple Asteroids.
Timing:
Phase 1
Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Novice. This is a Rules type power.
Displayed 6 powers.
Expansion by Andrew Plotkin  
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