Nucleum: Patrons Set — Rules Manual

RULES
This mini expansion brings Patron cards into the
game. These cards have several uses and players
may decide which of them they want to use. All of the
uses are described in this rulebook.

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COMPONENTS
6 Patron cards
(1 for each Experiment)
6 Baron’s Patron cards
(1 for each Experiment)
Each Patron card belongs to a specific Experiment board. In the
base game these Experiments are distinguished by letters only.
Now, on every Patron card, you can see the occupation of each
Patron associated with the specific Experiment along with their
description and image depicting them. From now on, Experiments
are referred to using the names of their Patrons introduced by this
mini expansion:
• Experiment A -> Banker
• Experiment B -> Captain of Industry
• Experiment C -> Mistress Inventor
• Experiment D -> Junior Minister
• Experiment E -> Councilor
(Requires the Nucleum: Court of Progress board)
• Experiment F -> Madame Engineer
EXPERIMENT IDENTITIES

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During setup, players need to agree whether they want to use the
Patron abilities described in the next section. Then, if players do
not play with the Nucleum: Court of Progress expansion, return the
Councilor’s card back to the box (if they do not have Experiment F,
also return the Madame Engineer’s card). They must also agree
on how they want to choose their Experiment boards:
• Following the rules from the base game: In this case when a
player takes everything that belongs to an Experiment board of
their choosing, they also take an appropriate Patron card.
• Following the Expert Variant: In this case, a player also takes
an appropriate Patron card. You may also incorporate the
following rule: shuffle and deal a number of Patron cards equal
to the number of players (if playing without Experiments from
the Nucleum: Court of Progress expansion, deal all base game
Patrons in case of a 4 player game). Then proceed with the
bidding as described in the Expert Variant. Only Experiments
associated with revealed Patron cards may be chosen.
• Deal everyone a random Patron card which determines their
Experiment board. Take everything that belongs to that
Experiment and continue with the setup as usual.
Apart from introducing Patron identities, each Patron card has
an ability that requires a player to spend a certain number of VP.
These abilities may be used at any point during a player’s turn,
but they may only be used once per game. Players may flip their
PATRON ABILITIES
SETUP CHANGE

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Patron card to remember that they have already used the ability.
Patron abilities are as follows:
• Banker - Spend 3VP while fulfilling a Contract to gain all non VP
and non Technology rewards on the fulfilled Contract again.
• Captain of Industry - Spend 3VP while performing an Urbanize or
Industrialize action to do it without network requirements.
• Mistress Inventor - Spend 2 VP to get 1 Uranium if you have 1 Uranium
Mine or 4 VP to get 2 Uranium if you have at least 2 Uranium Mines.
• Junior Minister - Spend 1VP while Energizing to reset 2 Coal
Import spaces to 1 Thaler.
• Councilor - Spend a number of VP of your choice to get that
number of Thaler minus 1. You can spend a maximum of 10VP.
• Madame Engineer - Either spend 2VP to get 1 Worker or 4VP to get
2 Workers.
On the second set of cards corresponding to the Patrons, instead
of the usual Patron abilities, there are Baron abilities that are used
exclusively in a Solo game against the Baron (or multiple Barons)
von Automat. When setting up a game, after taking your own Patron
card, deal (each) Baron a random Patron card (if playing without
the Nucleum: Court of Progress expansion: exclude Councilor and
Madame Engineer cards) and make sure it uses the corresponding
starting tiles, resolve its setup instructions (if any), then place it
face down in the Baron’s play area. After the Baron’s first Recharge,
flip it face up. Its ongoing ability is in effect for the rest of the game.
Some Patron cards also contain a Scoring ability, apply these during
the final scoring.
SOLO MODE - BARON ABILITIES

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• Banker:
Setup: During step 2B, place the Government building tiles on the
top of the stacks. (From the bottom to the top: III, II, I, IV.)
Ongoing: The Baron does not pay Thaler for the Urbanize action.
The Baron can Urbanize outside of its network.
• Captain of Industry:
Setup: During step 2C, place the two Special Action tiles for
Experiment B at the end of the queue, behind the stopblock face
down (instead of returning it to the box in step 2A).
Ongoing: Flip the two Special Action tiles in the queue face up.
Scoring: Score +1 VP each time the Baron meets any of the
Milestones. (Essentially scoring 3/5/7/9 VP instead of 2/4/6/8
VP respectively.)
• Mistress Inventor:
Setup: After setup, the Baron flips the Neutral Building with the
highest requirement and receives 1 Worker (for Residential), or 1
Thaler (for Factory), or 3 VP (for Lab/Government).
Ongoing: The Baron does not pay Thaler for the Energize action.
The Baron can Energize regardless of its network. Thus, the Baron
always scores for its Turbines and Mines, regardless of their
connections.
• Junior Minister:
Ongoing: All of the Baron’s tiles are wild (for both you and the
Baron) for Railway purposes. After performing an Industrialize
action, it also performs a Contract action. The Baron is not limited
to resolving 3 Contracts between Recharges.
• Councilor:
Setup: After setup, add one of the Baron’s Worker meeples (from

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the supply) to the Dominant Party.
Ongoing: After performing a Court action, it performs another
Court action (once per turn).
• Madame Engineer:
Setup: During step 2C, mix the three Special Action tiles for
Experiment F with the other tiles when creating the queue (in
front of the stopblock).
Ongoing: After Recharging (including when this card is flipped),
the Baron takes the cheapest Action tile from the market, then
shuffles the order of all of its queued tiles (placing the stopblock
at the end).
Scoring: Score 1 VP per Action tile left in the Baron’s queue (before
or after the stopblock, excluding the stopblock).
Special Action tiles:
• If the Baron selects a Special Action tile, it performs the shown
action and additionally resolves the tile directly after it (the
next one to the right), as if the die roll selected that tile. If the
next tile is another Special Action tile, it skips that and resolves
the next non-special tile. If the next tile is the stopblock, the
Baron forfeits this additional action. After resolving both the
Special Action tile and the additional tile, move both tiles (or
just the Special Action tile if the other tile was used as a railway
or the action was forfeit due to reaching the stopblock) to the
end of the queue, preserving their order.
• A Special Action tile can never be placed on the board as a
railway, so resolving it is always a regular turn.
To increase the difficulty, have the Baron’s Patron card face up
from the beginning of the game.

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Banker
Drawing upon his extensive experience in the art
of turning a profit, Banker stood at the forefront of
those who recognized the transformative potential
inherent in Nucleum technology. From its nascent
stages, he envisioned the far-reaching impact it
would have on the world. With a keen eye for opportunity, he wasted
no time in devising a comprehensive strategy designed not only
to line his pockets but also to catch the attention of the King, thus
earning him a place of distinction in the corridors of power.
His strategic foresight enabled him to extend his sphere of influence
even to the distant shores of Australia, where he established yet
another stronghold for his burgeoning financial empire. Leveraging
his extensive network of connections, Banker’s reach became virtually
boundless, allowing him to spearhead urban development initiatives
with unmatched efficiency, consistently delivering substantial cost
savings compared to his peers in the entrepreneurial arena.
Furthermore, Banker’s shrewd business sense compelled him to
judiciously relinquish elements of his authority when presented with
golden opportunities that promised to exponentially increase his
profits. With each venture, his primary focus remained steadfastly
fixed on maximizing returns, demonstrating an acute ability to discern
lucrative prospects amidst the tumult of the business landscape.
Captain of Industry
As an already seasoned authority in the realm of
electrical energy, Captain of Industry found herself
presented with a groundbreaking opportunity upon
the advent of Nucleum technology. This innovation
MEET THE PATRONS

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promised to revolutionize the accessibility and distribution of
electricity, rendering it far more attainable and transportable than
ever before, thereby opening the doors to countless households and
facilities previously devoid of such convenience.
Recognizing the transformative potential of Nucleum, Captain of
Industry wasted no time in hitching her wagon to this technological
marvel. Embracing the newfound capabilities with zeal, she swiftly
incorporated the innovative technology into her operations. With
a steadfast commitment to addressing the needs of the populace,
she positioned herself as a champion of the people, earning her
considerable favor from the Monarchy, who held improving living
conditions in high regard.
Endowed with a genuine concern for the welfare of others, Captain of
Industry found herself surrounded by a cadre of willing allies eager
to lend their support. Many were inspired by her altruistic endeavors
and willingly offered their assistance, often at the cost of their own
resources, or with an enhanced efficiency that belied conventional
expectations.
Yet, not all who crossed her path harbored such benevolent
intentions. Nevertheless, armed with a judicious expenditure of her
influence, Captain of Industry found that doors once firmly shut soon
swung open, granting her access to the resources and facilities
necessary for her ambitious undertakings, whether in the realm of
residential construction or industrial expansion.
Mistress Inventor
The inception of Nucleum marked the pivotal
moment that catalyzed the Inventor’s long-
awaited breakthrough. While Elsa von Frühlingfeld
diligently focused on pioneering a new frontier
of power generation, the Mistress Inventor set her
sights on revolutionizing the logistics of resource transportation and

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electricity distribution. In her quest for efficiency, she sought ways to
streamline the process, eliminating the barriers of distance and
ensuring a seamless transmission of energy to its intended destinations.
With the advent of Nucleum, Mistress Inventor found the missing
piece of her puzzle - a revolutionary means to generate the requisite
amount of electricity to power her ambitious endeavors. Moreover,
she was fortunate to be surrounded by some of the brightest
minds in the field, whose collective expertise and ingenuity proved
instrumental in bringing her vision to fruition.
Armed with Nucleum technology, the concept of distance became a
mere abstraction for Mistress Inventor, effortlessly traversable in the
realm of her innovations. However, the constraints of resource
scarcity remained a tangible challenge, imposing limitations on her
grand designs. Yet, buoyed by her indomitable spirit and
resourcefulness, she endeavored to overcome such hurdles,
leveraging her influence to procure additional Uranium, and finding a
cutting edge technology to obtain even more electricity from a single
Uranium.
Junior Minister
While he had been in charge of an unexciting
bureaucratic department nobody cared about,
Junior Minister already harbored a keen focus on
cultivating his public image and garnering favor
from the Monarch. Now, the stage is set for him
to step into the spotlight. Years of relentless toil and dedication
culminate in a well-deserved reward: access to government-
allocated workers, drawn to his cause by a combination of empathy
and self-interest.
Bolstered by an intimate understanding of the Crown’s railway
infrastructure, Junior Minister enjoys a competitive edge, enabling
him to expand his operations at a pace unmatched by his

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competitors. Freed from the shackles of bureaucratic red tape and regulatory constraints, he navigates the landscape with agility and precision, positioning himself as a formidable force in the realm of entrepreneurship.
Moreover, his astute grasp of the intricacies of bureaucracy and political maneuvering empowers him to expedite the fulfillment of the Monarch’s mandates, outpacing his rivals in announcing the completion of royal requisitions.
However, Junior Minister’s ambitions extend beyond mere compliance with official directives. Rumors of clandestine coal reserves hidden across Saxony have piqued his interest, presenting a tantalizing opportunity for personal gain. With a deft touch and a network of connections at his disposal, he endeavors to manipulate circumstances to secure access to these coveted resources, thereby furthering his own interests and consolidating his position within the economic hierarchy.
Councilor
As with any groundbreaking advancement, the emergence of Nucleum swiftly became a focal point of political discourse across the nation. In this dynamic landscape, Councilor stands poised to leverage this newfound fervor to his advantage. A masterful tactician adept at navigating the intricate webs of political intrigue, he reigns supreme in maneuvering between the four distinct political factions, deftly orchestrating alliances and allegiances to maximize his traction in the unfolding nuclear race.
Yet, for Councilor, this is merely the dawn of his grand ambitions. With each successive project, his sphere of influence burgeons, cementing his position as a formidable player in the unfolding saga of technological innovation. As the stakes escalate, he recognizes that securing the requisite funding to propel his ventures to fruition may

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necessitate the strategic dispensation of favors and concessions—
a calculated investment in the realization of his far-reaching
aspirations.
Undeterred by the complexities inherent in the political arena,
Councilor remains undaunted in his pursuit of supremacy, his sights
set unwaveringly on the horizon of possibility. In the crucible of
political machinations, he is a force to be reckoned with, his every
move calibrated to seize the fleeting opportunities that abound
amidst the tumult of ambition and intrigue.
Madame Engineer
Imagine a young, brilliant engineer, a woman of
remarkable talent and ambition, whose singular
focus lies in harnessing the power of the newly
invented Nucleum to develop an array of revolutionary
devices. With an innate capacity for innovation, she
surpasses her competitors in efficiency, accomplishing feats that
were once deemed impossible within the same temporal constraints.
Driven by an insatiable curiosity and an unwavering commitment to
progress, she embarks on a quest to unveil the untapped potential of
Nucleum technology. Each device she creates is a testament to her
ingenuity and vision, pushing the boundaries of what was previously
thought achievable.
As her influence spreads, so too does the impact of her creations.
With each new device, she leaves an indelible mark on the world,
transforming industries and revolutionizing the way we live and work.
Unsurprisingly, there are people who willingly join her on her quest for
just a small portion of the influence she has already gained.
In the hands of this visionary engineer, Nucleum technology becomes
more than just a tool—it becomes a catalyst for change, driving
innovation and progress on a scale never before imagined. And as
she continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, the world
watches in awe, inspired by her brilliance and unwavering dedication
to shaping a better tomorrow.

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CREDITS
Game Design: Dávid Turczi & Simone Luciani
Solo Mode Design: Dávid Turczi
Game Development: Andrei Novac, Maciej Górkowski, Michał Cieślikowski, Kacper Frydrykiewicz, Kuba Polkowski, Borys Bielaś, Joanna Kijanka
Solo Development: Chuck Case, with Kacper Frydrykiewicz and Gary Perrin
Illustrations: Andreas Resch, Guilherme Oliveira Barbosa
Graphic Design & DTP: Andreas Resch, Zbigniew Umgelter
Rulebook: Dávid Turczi
Rulebook DTP: Zbigniew Umgelter
Rulebook Editing: Tyler Brown
© 2024 Board&Dice. All rights reserved.
For more information about Nucleum please visit:
www.boardanddice.com

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