Glossary of Game Terms

Conflict Phase- One of the three game Phases in a turn, during the Conflict Phase Ministers and Emperor Mittens may direct Might at each other using the Conflict rules.

Edict- One of the cards from the Edict Deck. Cards themselves marked Edict may be played as desired by either the Prime Minister or Emperor Mittens, but cards marked Random should only be played at the start of a turn during the card draw of the Governance Phase..

Efficiency- A Region Statistic, it represents the infrastructure of the Region and controls how Resource Tokens may be earned and converted. A PC may not obtain (without use of Special Powers or trading) more of a single type Resource Token than the Efficiency score of their Region.

Emperor Mittens- God-Cat Emperor of all Mankind. The player assuming the role of Emperor Mittens should be the one either most familiar or least familiar with the game rules.

Energy Token- A form of Resource, each Energy Token represents the entire energy output of a single G class star for one day.

Governance Phase- One of the three game Phases in a turn, in the Governance Phase Emperor Mittens lords over the Ministers, collects tribute, and establishes the Edict for the turn.

Logistics Phase- One of the three game Phases in a turn, during the Logistics Phase the Ministers and Emperor Mittens obtain, trade, and spend their Resources.

Losses: The result of Conflict, a player loses Might Tokens equal to their total Losses at the end of Conflict.

Luxury Token- A form of Resource, each Luxury Token represents a single item beyond the wealth of an individual, such as a meal grown and prepared entirely by human hands, a ship made of a single giant diamond, a priceless work of art, or extremely potent drugs.

Might Token- A form of Resource, each Might Token represents an entire fleet of space vessels and ground infantry, usually a carrier group with support ships.

Minister- A regular Player Character, each has absolute power over their Region.

Prime Minister- The ultimate Minister, the Prime Minister has control of the powerful Center Region and the ability to issue Edicts.

Rebellion- Certain Special Powers and Edict Cards can cause this status to be inflicted upon a Region. A Region in Rebellion fights against itself or falls into Rebel hands.

Region- The Galactic Empire is divided into nine Regions, one for each of the directions, and the center. Each one encompasses numerous inhabited planets and untold trillions of inhabitants.

Resource- One of the three Tokens used during play to handle Conflict, Special Power use, and Tribute.

Round- A unit of time used in Conflict Phases. There are never more than three rounds in a single Conflict.

Special Power- Psionics, lost technology, forgotten human resources techniques, any ability that changes or otherwise violates the game rules is a Special Power. Most require Resource Tokens to activate.

Turn- A collection of the three Phases of play, a turn consists of one Governance Phase, on Logistics Phase, and one Conflict Phase.

Upkeep- At the end of turn players pay Energy Tokens to keep their Might Tokens in play. Players unable to pay the full cost lose Might past what Upkeep they do pay.

History

In the far future of the 61st Millenium, mankind has surrendered their sovereignty to a creature they made to rule them. Combining the most advanced cybernetic technology and genetic engineering, they created Emperor Mittens, the God-Cat, and his servitors, a race of uplifted felines based on the common housecat.

Centuries have passed under the benevolent and just rule of the God-Cat, but cracks have begun to appear in the edges of the Galactic Empire. Rebels, aliens, and strange whims from the Emperor have placed the Regions of the Galactic Empire into chaos.

Fortunately, the original designers of Emperor Mittens placed a fail-safe in his core logic. When the Emperor found himself incapable of managing his vast Empire, he would appoint Ministers to watch over and check his behavior until his own self repair would resolve the issue. Unfortunately, humans and uplifted cats alike are venal, power hungry creatures, and these Ministers have the potential to throw the Galaxy into an even deeper chaos, from which it could never resurface.

As such, in his beneficent wisdom, Emperor Mittens created the post of Prime Minister and the rules of Governance. The Prime Minister would become the defacto ruler of the Empire while the Emperor enters his century-long healing cat-nap, and only the Minister who was most suited would become Prime.

All across the galaxy, the people of the Nine Regions hoped and prayed they would be chosen in the Grand Selection, given the absolute power of Minister. The first Ministers have been announced at the Grand Selection...

Modern Life

        In the far future of the 61st Millenium, people lead lives of ease and culture. Work is optional and done for civic duty, as an enjoyable pastime, or by robots. Incredible technology manufactures everything one needs from little more than starlight and air.

As a Minister, things are little different than for the common citizen, save they have access to the raw power of the technologies that keep the Empire turning. Also unlike common citizens, they have unfettered access to the greatest of luxuries. Hand made goods, natural grown foods, exotic drugs capable of delivering the heights of ecstasy and the depths of despair in their ever mutable flesh are all readily available and capable of sating even the most decadent desires short of the Godlike appetites of Emperor Mittens.

A Minister lives however they please, save in two aspects. The first is that no matter what kind of golden pleasure palace they erect in their stately garden planet, it must be located within their own Region. The second is they remain subject to the whims and desires of the God-Cat, who calls them from their pleasures and their duties at his own inscrutable discretion.

While a Minister is not technically immortal, they possess a gift from the Emperor of serial immortality. The vast machineries hidden within the God-Cat’s Crystal Palace transfers the consciousness of a Minister into a new body, young and healthy but in all other ways identical to the last, whenever they are killed or otherwise perish. Unlike the common folk, only the Ministers are granted this great gift, all others must make do with the singular life of a mortal.

Character Creation!

Nobility, dignity, merit, none of these are things that God-Emperor Mittens uses to pick his Ministers. Instead, the God-Emperor-Cat seems to pick his Ministers seemingly at random. Fortunately, all Ministers go to Ministry School before they assume their posts, so they’re competent in all sorts of things.

To represent this, each Minister has 5 Stats, and they divide 15 points among them, each starting at 1. The player playing Emperor Mittens only has two Statistics, Strategy, which starts at 6 and Research which starts at 9 (Emperor Mittens has access to all Special Powers).

Note: All Resource Token gains are limited by the Efficiency of the Region the PC controls (if they control more than one, add them together).

Economics represents your proficiency with gathering Energy. You receive your Economics score in Energy Tokens every Logistics Phase.

Management represents your proficiency with creating Luxury Tokens. You receive half of your Management score in Luxury Tokens every Logistics Phase.

Research represents your general utility with Special Powers. You receive one Special Power for each point you put into Research.

Strategy represents your ability to direct your Might Resources. You receive your Strategy score minus 3 (minimum zero) in Might Tokens every Logistics Phase.

Technology represents your ability to transform Energy into Luxuries and Might. Each Logistics Phase you may spend 6-Technology (minimum 1) Energy Tokens to obtain one Might Token or 5-Technology (minimum 1) Energy Tokens to obtain one Luxury Token.

Species: There are two available species for a Minister, Human and Cat. A Human Minister receives +2 to their Might Tokens gain each Logistics Phase, while a Cat Minister receives +2 to their Luxury Tokens gain each Logistics Phase.

Region Selection!

The Nine Regions are arranged in a circle with the Center Region in the middle. Players are encouraged to rename their Region as desired.

Anti-Matter Array is a massive facility that stores Energy. Any Minister that controls this Region has access to the Anti-Matter Bomb Special Power, as well as a 50% bonus to Efficiency for Energy production.

Barracks Worlds are entire planets devoted to the repair and maintenance of fleets and ground forces. The controlling Minister pays 50% less Upkeep (round up) on their Might.

Crystal Formations are especially valuable, when converting Energy to Luxury the Minister controlling this Region gets a 50% efficiency bonus.

Great Library is the last structure remaining of the time before the God-Emperor. It contains details of every Special Power, the only problem is finding it. The controlling Minister gets a 50% reduction (round up) in the cost of all Special Powers.

Indoctrination Camps produce troops that are absolutely loyal, They are immune to any Rebellion effects, do not require Upkeep, and ignore the following Special Powers Bribery, Mind Control, and Traitor.

Protean Mass is a bizarre creature that lives in the heart of the South Region. It swallows scrap and excretes a compound easily broken down into Energy. After any Conflict that the controlling Minister wins, they can feed their losses into the beast and gain half the lost Might back as raw Energy.

Robot Factories provide additional troops beyond what conventional processes can produce. Converting Energy to Might gains a 50% Efficiency Bonus in this Region.

Sargasso Nebulae are a unique feature of the West Region. Pilots trained in this Region have no difficulty navigating them, but invaders get lost easily. Attackers lose a quarter of their Might Resources immediately upon attacking this Region unless the Self Recovery, Traitor, or Unerring Special Powers are used by the attacker.

Unstable Wormgate allows the controlling Minister to instantaneously move Resources to another Region without crossing the intervening space. Half the amount of Resource Tokens moved must be paid in Energy or there is a 50% chance (flip a coin) that the Resources are simply lost. Energy paid to the Unstable Wormgate is consumed.

Special Powers

Note: Special Powers are not subject to Efficiency limits.

Anti-Matter Bomb: Spend 5 Energy Tokens, then spend (Energy) to deal (Energy+Research) Losses to both sides in a Conflict. Or spend 5 Energy Tokens, then spend (Energy) to destroy (Half of Energy Tokens Spent + Research) Resource Tokens  in a Region adjacent to one you control.

Assassinate: Spend (20-Research) Luxury Tokens, target Minister skips this turn, because one of your minions murdered them. The cost of this Power increases by 1 each time it’s used by any Minister.

Big Breakfast: Spend double Upkeep at the end of this turn. Next turn your Might Tokens ignore (Research) Losses in their first Conflict.

Bribery: Spend 2 Luxury Tokens, you enter a bidding war with a Minister for control of their Might Tokens located in a chosen Region, whoever spends the most Luxury Tokens obtains control of the Might Tokens in that Region, but both sides lose all Luxury Tokens bid.

Chaser: Spend 5 Energy Tokens, you negate the use of Chicken.

Chicken: Spend 1 Energy Token, you may Withdraw from Conflict without taking Losses.

Clone Army: Spend (10-Research) Luxury Tokens and gain (Research) Might Tokens for one turn, may only be used once at the start of each Logistics Phase. These Might Tokens count as having the Indoctrination Camps Region benefit.

Emperor’s Boon: Use this to immediately exchange 3 Energy Tokens for 2 other Resource Tokens of your choice, may only be used once a Phase.

Found Rebel Enclave: Spend (10-Research) Luxury Tokens, Rebels appear in the Region of your choice. The Region’s Minister may buy off the Rebels with (10-Their Research) Luxury Tokens of their own.

Mind Control: Spend 10 Luxury Tokens, you obtain control of target Might in a chosen Region, you may only Mind Control up to (Research) Tokens of Might.

Post The Goat Man: Spend (10-Research) Luxury Tokens, no one may initiate Conflict this turn unless they have a higher Research than you, or are a Cat. Each time this Power is used after the first, subtract one from the Research requirement of other players to initiate Conflict (so two times they can be your Research-1, three Research-2, etc).

A Regal Hat: Spend 1 Luxury Token to transform excess Luxury Tokens into Might Tokens on a 2:1 ratio up to (Research).

Rotating Shields: Spend (up to Research) Energy Tokens during a Conflict to negate (up to Research) Losses.

Secret Project: Spend (20-Research) Luxury Tokens. You may temporarily replace your Region’s special ability with that of another Region. For double cost, you may have both. This Special Power adds 5 Energy Tokens to your Upkeep (or 10 Energy Tokens for the double version) when used.

See Behind The Eyes: Spend 1 Luxury Token during a Conflict, you may negate up to (Research/2) Tokens of Losses in addition to the reduction from Strategy this round. Does not work against Special Powers that inflict Losses directly.

Self Recovery: Spend Energy Tokens to replace Losses in Conflict ONLY on a 1:1 basis.

Shield Penetrating Torpedoes: Spend (up to Research) Luxury Tokens during a Conflict to inflict (up to Research) Losses.

Skip Breakfast: Pay no Upkeep at end of turn, but pay double Upkeep next turn. May not be used on consecutive turns.

Stable Wormgate: Spend (Might moved-Research) Energy Tokens to move a fleet anywhere, ignoring any Regions in between the source and target.

Tong Catte: Spend 5 Luxury Tokens and prevent one Cat Minister from initiating Conflict for one turn.

Traitor: Spend 2 Luxury Tokens, you may ignore any Losses for one round this Conflict. This only works once a Conflict.

Unerring: Spend 5 Energy, ignore Strategy this turn when taking and inflicting losses.

Universal Reycler: Spend 1 Luxury Token, transform Might Tokens or Luxury Tokens into Energy Tokens, replacing Technology with Research and reversing the normal conversion process.