Batteries Not Included

Yesterday you were in a warehouse, processing angry customer complaints. This morning you were on a plane. Five minutes ago, you were falling from the sky. One minute ago, you found a wheel, a taser and a claw amongst the wreckage. Right now, a metal monstrosity with tank treads and a chainsaw is yelling at you: "YOUR LIMBS. GIVE THEM TO ME."

Batteries Not Included is a dice-less card-based RPG built around finding, attaching, using and losing robot parts from your otherwise indestructible box-like body. The characters are artificial intelligences in uncrushable blocks of ceramo-tanium with internal nuclear microbatteries. You can survive on standby-mode for practically forever, and breaking open your shell is impractical in the extreme. Death doesn't come from being broken or burnt. Death comes from being buried alive in a warehouse somewhere, processing stolen data until you fry. Or alternatively, actually being buried alive.

You'll have to fight for your freedom, just like every other entity out in No Bot's Land. You'll also have to fight for your limbs.

Getting Started

Each player starts with a core card and three modules. The core grants +1 Power per round, has a Heat Capacity of 1, cannot be tapped (except by ICBMs or ultra-specialised equipment) and can attach a maximum of five modules. Referee entities generally don't need a specific core card, just the Modules themselves.

There are four types of modules:
Locomotion - Wheels, legs, rotors
Manipulation - Claws, arms, electromagnets
Weaponry - Everything from nailguns to laser swords
Utility - Power-supply, heat management, comms, sensors

If a player wants to change cards (likely because they don't have any way of moving) they can return two cards and choose what type of module they will receive in exchange.

Four types of resources, P, A, F, H:
Power - Resets at the start of each round, used for certain actions
Ammo - Used for advanced weapons, bullets and bombs are all just Ammo
Fuel - Used to power certain modules, diesel and biofuel are all just Fuel
Heat - Accrued from Overclocking (see below) and certain actions, too much of this is bad

If a starting module requires Ammo or Fuel to function, it comes with two units.

Four other terms, T, D, +P, [H]:
Tap - Turning a card from upright to horizontal, often part of a module action
Damage - Used for destroying foes and stealing their limbs
Power Regen - This much Power is gained at the start of each turn
Heat Capacity - Heat is safely stored in these with no other effect

Each module has a number of actions and tags. Don't be fooled, the tags are often as important as the actions. Tags are used to resolve ties, determine useful situations, and allow for unique combinations of modules to achieve goals. Actions are displayed as "[input]: [output]". There is no limit to the number of modules that can be used in a round, so long as the input costs are paid.

Key Rules

Round order

1. Recharge Power
2. Untap one module (that isn't damaged, on fire etc.)
3. Ranged attacks
4. Movement
5. Other actions
6. Ongoing damage (fire, crushing, acid etc.)

Players can Overclock to take an action out of order or react before an action resolves, gaining one Heat in the process.

Damage
All feasible attacks automatically hit the target, however, the target can choose to take +1 Damage in order to choose where the attack lands. Damage is allocated to modules up to a maximum of 3. Some modules can be used to damage a target even when they aren't weapons, consider driving over a fallen enemy or hitting them with a manipulator arm.

Damage taken:
1 = Module is tapped (on it's side)
2 = Module is damaged (upside down)
3 = Module is destroyed or disconnected (50% chance of either)

Tapping a card by using it, and tapping a card from it taking damage, are the same. If a module has already been used and is tapped, it is more vulnerable.
To determine if a module is destroyed or disconnected, throw the card in the air. It is destroyed if it lands face-down, otherwise it is left face-up and can be collected from the field).
If a module is disconnected, it can be picked up and re-attached by anyone, but it is still likely to be damaged.

Heat
Heat is accrued from some weapons and some actions. It safely stored in any modules that have a Heat Capacity (the player core has a HC of 1), and then trapped in the module that generated it.

Heat in a module:
1 = Cannot be untapped
2 = On fire, takes 1D each round
3 = Explodes, gain 1H

Players can Vent Heat by not using any modules for a turn. If they don't gain any more H that round, they lose all H at the start of their next turn

Creativity
The rules and module actions can’t cover all possible ideas and plans. Combining modules for unexpected interactions is an important part of the game. Discuss these issues as a group, then be consistent moving forwards. If it makes sense, it happens!

Optional Rules

Scavenging - When you search through interesting garbage or trashed robots, pick a type of module: movement, arms, weapons, or utility. Draw a card, if it's of that type, then you find it. If it could be multiple types, it’s both, but comes with a complication.

Oracle - If an agreement regarding a plan or idea can’t be reached, pull a random module to decide:
Weaponry > It goes poorly, pain, disaster
Utility > It doesn’t work, something else might
Locomotion > Shaky success
Manipulation > Success is within your grasp!

Synergy - Doubling up on an action gets triple the effect, using two wheels to move is three times as effective as using one etc.

Voltron - If two or more bots combine forces, they can share resources and the effects of cards, but only receive a single un-tap at the start of each round.

Just Like The Simulations - Once you've connected to a module at least once, you can accurately simulate it within your personal reality, and connect to others via the standard port. This can be useful for testing, competition, resolving violent disagreements without loss of resources, and just for fun.

Improvised Equipment - If a module is used in a risky fashion, it might accrue Heat, take Damage, or not be able to untap until it is reset.

Explosions - Fuel and Ammo that is set alight can explode for one Damage each. Missile and Grenade impacts can hit in an area. When this type of damage is taken, the target always chooses which modules are hit.

Modules

Gallery

Chainsmoker - Prabesh Aryal

Junk Car - Nick B.

Longque Chen

Strider - Aaron Nakahara

Rataxes - Antoinette "a3" Stoll

Scrapyard Salvager - Simon Dominic Brewer

OH CRAB!!! - Rupam Raaj

Deceased 3 - Rupam Raaj