RftG

Now for Phase III. If Laga plays anything, the game will end this round.

Ryan plays Rebel Miners. This is a military Brown production world, 2 defence. He can play it for free with Rebel Cantina and Rebel Pact. He then draws 1 card for choosing this phase.

omnis plays Alien Robot Scout Ship. This is a 4-defence military Yellow windfall world. Deserted Alien World gives him +2 military for such worlds, which with the +2 military from New Sparta is enough to settle this. He then draws 1 card for choosing this phase.

Connie passes, having tuckered herself out sciencing on the Genome Project.

chrismg plays Rebel Homweorld. This is a 7-defence military world, the highest defence in the base game. His military strength is now 8, and 12 against Rebel worlds.

That concludes Roun-- oh wait, what about Laga?

Laga ...passes! The game continues.

That concludes Round 9. A couple of fun facts to emerge from it.

Ryan now has 3 Rebel military worlds in his layout. He claims the "Propaganda Edge" goal, for leading in Rebel military worlds.

chrismg has 12 cards in his layout. However, because he has Hidden Fortress in his layout, this does not end the game. He will end the game if he reaches 14 cards in his layout.

Everyone, please send me your choice of Action card for Round 10.

RftG

End-of-round summary:

Round 9
Goals
Propaganda Edge - Most Rebel Military Worlds (Ryan)
Production Leader - Most Production Worlds
Overlord Discoveries - First to 3 Alien cards
Galactic Riches - First to 4 goods (Laga)
Uplift Knowledge - First to 3 Uplift cards (Laga)
Innovation Leader - First to have a power in each phase (Laga)

Ryan
Layout
Rebel Cantina (Non-Military World)
Merchant World (Non-Military World)
Distant World (Non-Military Green Production World) + good
Rebel Pact (Development)
Primitive Rebel World (Military Blue Windfall World)
Rebel Outpost (Military World)
Rebel Miners (Military Brown Production World)

Cards in Hand: 5
Military Strength: 1
Victory Points: 7
Layout Value: 12
6-Cost Developments: 0
Goals: 5

Laga
Layout
Galactic Developers (Non-Military World)
Contact Specialist (Development)
New Vinland (Non-Military Blue Production World)
Star Nomad Lair (Military Blue Windfall World)
New Earth (Non-Military Brown Production World)
Devolved Uplift Race (Military Blue Production World)
Insect Uplift Race (Military Green Windfall World)
The Last Of The Uplift Gnarssh (Military Green Windfall World)
Rebel Alliance (6-Cost Development)
Clandestine Uplift Lab (Military World)
New Economy (6-Cost Development)

Cards in Hand: 4
Military Strength: -1
Victory Points: 4
Layout Value: 12
6-Cost Developments: 13
Goals: 9

omnis
Layout
New Sparta (Military World)
Free Trade Association (6-Cost Development)
Smuggling World (Non-Military Blue Production World)
Galactic Resort (Non-Military Blue Windfall World)
Prosperous World (Non-Military Blue Production World)
Deserted Alien World (Non-Military World)
Export Duties (Development)
Alien Robot Scout Ship (Military Yellow Windfall World) + good

Cards in Hand: 2
Military Strength: 3
Victory Points: 8
Layout Value: 11
6-Cost Developments: 5
Goals: 0

Connie Neil
Layout
Imperium Warlord (Non-Military World)
Outlaw World (Military World)
Abandoned Alien Uplift Camp (Non-Military World)
Comet Zone (Non-Military Brown Production World)
Reptilian Uplift Race (Military Green Windfall World)
Plague World (Non-Military Green Production World)
Avian Uplift Race (Military Green Windfall World)
Uplift Code (6-Cost Development)
Galactic Genome Project (6-Cost Development)

Cards in Hand: 1
Military Strength: 1
Victory Points: 4
Layout Value: 11
6-Cost Developments: 16
Goals: 0

chrismg
Layout
Epsilon Eridani (Non-Military World)
Runaway Robots (Military Brown Windfall World)
Secluded World (Non-Military Blue Production World)
Interstellar Bank (Development)
Mercenary Fleet (Development)
Hidden Fortress (Military World)
Space Mercenaries (Development)
Rebel Base (Military World)
Imperium Cloaking Technology (Development)
Malevolent Lifeforms (Military Green Production World)
Galactic Imperium (6-Cost Development)
Rebel Homeworld (Military World)

Cards in Hand: 1
Military Strength: 9
Victory Points: 2
Layout Value: 24
6-Cost Developments: 7
Goals: 0

VP Pool: 37

RftG

While we wait on Round 10, an update on goals:

The "Production Leader" goal goes to the player with the most production worlds, once someone reaches at least 4. Laga has 3 production worlds and needs 1 more to claim it. Everyone else has 2 production worlds.

Ryan has the "Propaganda Edge" goal, which goes to the player with the most Rebel military worlds, once someone reaches 3. Ryan does indeed have 3. chrismg is close behind, with 2 such worlds.

There is one "First" goal unclaimed, Overlord Discoveries. This goes to the first player to have 3 Alien cards in their layout. At present, omnis has 2 such cards, and Connie has 1.

All other goals have already been claimed. (By Laga.)

in RPG news I am currently running the 5e Ravenloft campaign Curse of Strahd and LOVING it. It is spooky and deadly and my players spend a lot of time talking about how scared they are. Whee!

Oh, gosh, Ravenloft. There was a follow-up Ravenloft campaign, I think, where Strahd pops up in the middle, and he doesn't know he's this dark, powerful vampire (I'm not sure if he even is, in this adventure). But I had the party(I was DM) at a moderately-sinister dinner in the somewhat-creepy castle, and the master of the house strolls in and gives them a charming smile and said "Welcome to my home, I am Strahd." The party screamed. I laughed for ten minutes.

God, I miss DMing.

(Those bastards managed to kill Strahd halfway through the original Ravenloft adventure, with a combination of a natural 20 on their side and a natural 1 on Strahd's side and no way to honorably get out of it. Boy, I was pissed)

oh wow yeah that would suck. Part of the fun of DMing this looks to be introducing Strahd to the party when they are So Not Prepared.

That's awesome, Laga.

I've never been good at getting spooky right. I've been running Rise of the Runelords the last 2 years (final session next week) which has some horror elements at points and I think the only time I managed to legitimately freak them out was with a mysterious ghost dog watching them in a haunted swamp and that was just a throwaway atmospheric bit.

Though I did scare the crap out of them (in a fight or flight way) when they got ambushed by a white dragon and it hit the entire party with its breath weapon in the surprise round.

ooh ouch! It's so hard keeping your players sufficiently scared without actually killing (all of) them.

Really it is the excellent writing that makes the Ravenloft campaign so spooky. Although my players say it's very unnerving the way I laugh sometimes.

RftG

Orders are in for Round 10, and there's a whole lot of not playing anything going on.

Ryan: Phase IV ($) - Consume (Trade)
Laga: Phase V - Produce
omnis: Phase IV ($) - Consume (Trade)
Connie Neil: Phase I (+1/+1) - Explore (draw +1 card, keep +1 card)
chrismg: Phase I (+1/+1) - Explore (draw +1 card, keep +1 card)

Looks like people want more cards. Phase I (Explore) is first.

Ryan draws 2 cards, takes them into his hand and discards 1, in accordance with the scripture.
Laga draws 4 cards and keeps 1.
omnis draws 3 cards, takes them into his hand and discards 2.
Connie draws 5 cards and keeps 2.
chrismg draws 4 cards and keeps 2.

Cards are going out now, by which I mean soon.

RftG

Discards are done. We move to Phase IV (Consume).

Ryan chose this phase, and trades his Green good for 6 cards, getting +2 from Merchant World. He then discards 2 cards for 2 VPs, again from Merchant World.

Laga draws 1 card from New Economy.

omnis also chose this phase, and trades his Yellow good for 6 cards (+1 from Export Duties).

Connie and chrismg both pass, having no goods.