{"product_id":"used-machine-of-death","title":"Machine of Death + Side Effects Bundle","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMachine of Death: The Game of Creative Assassination\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a storytelling game set in a world in which a machine can predict how a person will die with 100% accuracy with only a small blood sample. However, the machine delights in being vague and twisted. A card reading \"Old Age\" could mean you die in your sleep at age 120, or it could mean you're run over tomorrow by an elderly driver who forgot to take his pills today. Players of the game take the role of assassins, who must use the various tools at their disposal -- from storytelling to a slew of items available from specialty Black Market shops -- to create a situation in which a target is killed in a way in line with their Death Prediction. The Machine of Death Game uses this basic idea, of assassins working in a world where cause of death is known to create various game modes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGeneral Gameplay\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e of most modes works like this:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA target is assigned, and given certain details (including\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDeath Prediction\u003c\/em\u003e, and extra\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eIntel\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003edetails, such as things they particularly like or dislike – to help predict their behavior).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlayers – assassins – are given\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlack Market Gift Cards\u003c\/em\u003e. These are the items they are allowed to use in order to accomplish their goal: killing the target.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlayers use the Gift Cards to devise a plan. Each Black Market card provides an item to be used in an\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAction\u003c\/em\u003e. Three actions should chain together in some way that results in the death of the target.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe plan is greenlit, either by a\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eChief\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eplayer, or via consensus, depending on game mode.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe timer starts and the plan is put into action. This is represented by dice rolling to beat a \"difficulty score.\" An unlikely plan hinging on a single item may need to roll a 6 for that Action, but a rock-solid intricate plan may need to only roll a 2 for each card.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eskull face\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eon the die also adds a frantic element (replacing the 1 face, if the skull is rolled it prompts the flipping of a\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eFate Coin\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eto add additional randomness).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn case of failure of any die roll, that Action didn't work, and the plan must be revised. While the timer continues running, the assassins draw a new Black Market item, amending their previous plan and rolling for a new Action. They may also call in \"Specialists\", who are characters with special skills (earned in previous rounds).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf any three Actions are successful before the timer runs out, the target is killed. With the remaining time, the players may roll for\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAftermath\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etasks (such as fleeing the scene or destroying the evidence). Completion of these tasks earns Specialist cards to be used in later rounds. This is the only way to replenish the group's overall\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eBudget\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eof playable cards.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf the timer runs out before three Actions are completed, the target escapes. This is the end of the round.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn the published rules, this also ends the game. This rule was subsequently revised, allowing players to make another attempt on the same target, or take the loss and move on to additional targets. Hard-core players may end the game at this point.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe team wins if they can accomplish four successful kills before their total Budget of Black Market cards are exhausted.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGame Variants\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eChief Mode\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis where one player takes on the gamemaster role of the Chief, answering questions and deciding on the difficulty of the plan being created by the other players. Groups of 4 or more work best in this mode. In groups of 2-3 players, each player states their opinion, and the hardest value is the one used.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003ePsychopath\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis similar to Cards Against Humanity or Apples to Apples. Each player holds a hand of Death Prediction cards that represent hostages. One psychopath announces a murder weapon (based on a drawn Black Market card), and players each toss in the hostage they believe will be most likely to be killed by that weapon. Designed for 4+ players.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eSpeed Round\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis faster-paced and useful for introducing players to the death prediction concept. One Chief presents the Death Prediction Card of an assassination target, and players rush to play a Black Market or Specialist card that they think can kill the person in the predicted way. The Chief assigns a difficulty value to the fastest player's proposed plan, and the player rolls to see if they can pull it off. If they do, they earn that Death Prediction Card as a point; if they fail, another player may propose a plan.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eMechanical Chief\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003euses 14 regular playing cards to replace the subjective judgments of the Chief. Each Black Market card is dealt with a playing card, the value of which is kept hidden until the die is about to be rolled. This variant is good for faster play, and directs discussions toward justifying the revealed values within the story, rather than debating the merits of various plans.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eTeams\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis useful for very large groups. The players split into two rival assassination teams, and alternate attacking targets, with a single Chief moderating. Teams operate under spelling bee elimination rules (one team's failure, followed by the victory of the other, results in the first team's elimination). A target that a team fails to kill must then be attempted by the other team, and a continuous narrative persists throughout the entire game.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll expansion cards available for the Machine of Death game, shipped in a separate box the same size as the main game box.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis includes 300 extra game cards, 100 Intel cards, and 230 Webcomics Pals cards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(Does NOT include the extra blank card deck.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMachine of Death: The Game of Creative Assassination\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis a storytelling game set in a world in which a machine can predict how a person will die with 100% accuracy with only a small blood sample. However, the machine delights in being vague and twisted. A card reading \"Old Age\" could mean you die in your sleep at age 120, or it could mean you're run over tomorrow by an elderly driver who forgot to take his pills today. Players of the game take the role of assassins, who must use the various tools at their disposal -- from storytelling to a slew of items available from specialty Black Market shops -- to create a situation in which a target is killed in a way in line with their Death Prediction. The Machine of Death Game uses this basic idea, of assassins working in a world were cause of death is known to create various game modes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe General Gameplay of most modes works like this:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• A target is assigned, and given certain details (including Death Prediction, and possibly extra details like a favourite food or crippling phobia).\u003cbr\u003e• Players – assassins – are given Black Market Gift Cards. This is their inventory, what they have to use in order to accomplish their goal: killing the target.\u003cbr\u003e• Players use the Gift Cards to devise a plan.\u003cbr\u003e• The plan is greenlit, either by a Chief player, or via consensus, depending on game mode.\u003cbr\u003e• The timer starts and the plan is put into action. This is represented by dice rolling to beat a \"difficulty score.\" An unlikely plan hinging on a single item may need to roll a 6 for that item, but a rock-solid intricate plan may need to only roll a 2 for all Black Market Gift Cards used.\u003cbr\u003e• The plan is revised, in case of failure of one or more dice rolls. The details of this portion vary greatly from mode to mode, but involve either replacing Black Market Items, creating a new viable plan with the existing items, or calling in \"Specialists\"\u003cbr\u003e• The target is either killed or escapes. Again, depending on mode, this is either the end of the round or the game.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGame Modes:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eHead-to-Head Mode\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethat's very similar to Cards Against Humanity or Apples to Apples. There's a judge (\"the Chief\"), who decides whose assassination plan is the best, and gives them a chance to try it out. Designed for 4+ playes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eCo-op Mode\u003c\/em\u003e, where you players are a team of assassins, and have to come up with a plan together to kill targets that the group comes up with.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCo-op can be diced further: you can play individual rounds, or\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMission Mode\u003c\/em\u003e, where targets are predetermined and have different levels of difficulty. There's also the more strategic Chief Mode, where there's no timer, but the Chief can rate your plan's likelihood of success and let you take risks on whether it'll work or not.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eCutthroat Mode\u003c\/em\u003e, where players can actually assassinate each other (should you want a more competitive version)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eThe Day Off Mode\u003c\/em\u003e, which isn't about murder at all but rather draws upon your bevy of assassin skills to accomplish tasks like \"opening a stuck jam jar\" and \"transplanting a tulip bulb.\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39372831031351,"sku":"","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0265\/9195\/2951\/files\/pic1741932.jpg?v=1773528308","url":"https:\/\/isleofgamesaz.com\/products\/used-machine-of-death","provider":"Isle of Games","version":"1.0","type":"link"}