Battlelords of the 23rd Century
Encyclopedia
Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century is a paper and pencil science fiction
role-playing game
designed by Lawrence R. Sims and first published in 1990. The game's tagline is Roleplaying in a dangerous future. The Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century license was later sold by Optimus Design Systems
(ODS) to SSDC, Inc.
in September 1999.
spanning several galaxies, is the primary setting for the game. The Galactic Alliance is made up
of twelve races (including Humans), and is run behind the scenes by huge mega-corporations seeking
to exploit the farthest reaches of space.
Player characters usually assume the role of Battlelords, mercenaries employed by the corporations to
further their business by any means, legal or otherwise. They face various challenges, including rival
mercenaries, Rebels, hostile alien lifeforms on unexplored worlds, and the alien race known as the Arachnids.
races in the Battlelords universe, but twelve are presented in the basic rulebook and form the basis for the Galactic Alliance.
, Andromeda
, Fornax
, Spirax
, M32
, and the Magellanic Clouds
. Details of two 'sectors' of the Fornax Galaxy are presented in the planetary atlas supplements, No Man's Land and Hell's Kitchen.
by the character's race. There are no character class
es or character levels in Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century; the system is skill-based, with skills being increased with experience earned. Some races have matrix abilities (psionics
) which can also be advanced with character experience, while other races are more suited for physical combat or other occupations.
Vehicle rules were added to the system with the publication of Engines of War in 2007.
SSDC, Inc.
now produces the core rulebook and all supplements. A number of printed supplements are available for the game, including two equipment manuals, a vehicle rulebook, two planetary atlases, three player companion accessories, and an alternate campaign setting.
named Battlelords
released in 1995.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
designed by Lawrence R. Sims and first published in 1990. The game's tagline is Roleplaying in a dangerous future. The Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century license was later sold by Optimus Design Systems
Optimus Design Systems
Optimus Design Systems was a small publisher of role-playing games , based in Buffalo, New York. The company produced two products, the Battlelords of the 23rd Century science-fiction role-playing game, and the Blood Dawn post-apocalyptic RPG. ODS produced the first of several editions of...
(ODS) to SSDC, Inc.
SSDC, Inc.
SSDC, Inc. is a small publisher of role-playing games and poetry collections, based in Rochester, New York. Their two product lines are the Battlelords of the 23rd Century science-fiction role-playing game, and the Blood Dawn post-apocalyptic RPG. SSDC was formed by Michael Osadciw and Aaron Thies,...
in September 1999.
Setting
Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century is set in the year 2279. The territory of the Galactic Alliance,spanning several galaxies, is the primary setting for the game. The Galactic Alliance is made up
of twelve races (including Humans), and is run behind the scenes by huge mega-corporations seeking
to exploit the farthest reaches of space.
Player characters usually assume the role of Battlelords, mercenaries employed by the corporations to
further their business by any means, legal or otherwise. They face various challenges, including rival
mercenaries, Rebels, hostile alien lifeforms on unexplored worlds, and the alien race known as the Arachnids.
Races
There are many alienExtraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
races in the Battlelords universe, but twelve are presented in the basic rulebook and form the basis for the Galactic Alliance.
Alliance Races
- Chatilian Empath
- Cizerack
- Eridani Swordsaint
- Gen-Human
- Human
- Mazian
- Mutzachan
- Orion Rogue
- Phentari
- Python Lizard
- Ram Python
- Zen Rigeln (Tza Zen Rigeln)
Additional Player Races
- Aeodronian
- Andromeni
- Ashanti
- Fott
- Gemini
- Goola Goola
- I-Bot
- Ikrini Geomancer
- Jezzadeic Priest
- Kizanti
- Misha
- Tanndai Techknight
- Frekk (introduced as a playtest race)
- Zzzwhirr (introduced as a playtest race)
Locations
The Galactic Alliance spans portions of several galaxies, including the Milky WayMilky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
, Andromeda
Andromeda Galaxy
The Andromeda Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. It is also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, and is often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. Andromeda is the nearest spiral galaxy to the...
, Fornax
Fornax Dwarf
The Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal is an elliptical dwarf galaxy in the constellation Fornax that was discovered in 1938 by Harlow Shapley. He discovered it while he was in South Africa on photographic plates taken by a 24 inch reflecting telescope at Boyden Observatory, shortly after he discovered...
, Spirax
Triangulum Galaxy
The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 3 million light years from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598, and is sometimes informally referred to as the Pinwheel Galaxy, a nickname it shares with Messier 101...
, M32
Messier 32
Messier 32 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy about 2.65 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. M32 is a satellite galaxy of the famous Andromeda Galaxy and was discovered by Le Gentil in 1749. M32 measures only 6.5 ± 0.2 kly in diameter at the widest point...
, and the Magellanic Clouds
Magellanic Clouds
The two Magellanic Clouds are irregular dwarf galaxies visible in the southern hemisphere, which are members of our Local Group and are orbiting our Milky Way galaxy...
. Details of two 'sectors' of the Fornax Galaxy are presented in the planetary atlas supplements, No Man's Land and Hell's Kitchen.
System
Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century features a d100 (percentile) based system for resolving combat and skill checks.Character Statistics and Skills
Each character has eight Vital Statistics scores and four Secondary Statistics scores. These are significantly influencedby the character's race. There are no character class
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
es or character levels in Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century; the system is skill-based, with skills being increased with experience earned. Some races have matrix abilities (psionics
Psionics
Psionics refers to the practice, study, or psychic ability of using the mind to induce paranormal phenomena. Examples of this include telepathy, telekinesis, and other workings of the outside world through the psyche.-History and terminology:...
) which can also be advanced with character experience, while other races are more suited for physical combat or other occupations.
Growing Up
Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century features a detailed character generation process that not only encompasses the eight Vital Statistics and four Secondary Statistics, which are generated using d100 (percentile) dice, but allows for determining events from the characters past. These are a mix of good and bad; granting a character several thousand credits worth of equipment or horribly maiming them. They are featured in several tables including a racial specific table and a job specific table which is chosen by the player.Combat
Combat is resolved through the use of d100 attack rolls and detailed hit location tables; futuristic armor systems and massive critical hits feature prominently. Actions are resolved in half actions (1 second each) and full actions (3 seconds each). Each character can perform two half actions or one full action in a 3 second round. These include but are not limited to; aiming, firing a single round, swinging a sword, dying quickly, diving for cover, running, and dying with a lengthy speech.Other system features
As of 2007, the system does not feature rules for space combat. These rules are planned for forthcoming supplements.Vehicle rules were added to the system with the publication of Engines of War in 2007.
History
Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century has been published in 6 editions since 1990:- First edition (black-and-white cover illustration of a Ram Python, published 1990).
- Second edition (black-and-white battle scene)
- Third edition (red 'cloud' background with a Phentari on the cover)
- Fourth edition ('Blue' battle scene with a sword-wielding Eridani prominent)
- Fifth edition (Black cover with a full-color cityscape illustration)
- Sixth edition (featuring a montage of races and starships on the front cover, published 2000).
SSDC, Inc.
SSDC, Inc.
SSDC, Inc. is a small publisher of role-playing games and poetry collections, based in Rochester, New York. Their two product lines are the Battlelords of the 23rd Century science-fiction role-playing game, and the Blood Dawn post-apocalyptic RPG. SSDC was formed by Michael Osadciw and Aaron Thies,...
now produces the core rulebook and all supplements. A number of printed supplements are available for the game, including two equipment manuals, a vehicle rulebook, two planetary atlases, three player companion accessories, and an alternate campaign setting.
Supplements
Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century has several supplemental books that further delve into the races and the universe. Some expand on the matrx abilities of the various races or add extra skills, others go into detail behind a races past and customs. None of these books are necessary but they expand on the game providing depth, location, and motive for a player to draw upon.- Galactic Underground I (GU1)
- Galactic Underground II (GU2)
- Galactic Underground III (GU3)
- Uncle Ernie's Minions of Doom (UEMD)
- No Man's Land (NML)
- Hell's Kitchen (HK)
- Lock-N-Loaded: Armor, Equipment, Cybernetics (LnL:AEC)
- Lock-N-Loaded: Weapons and Tactics (LnL:WnT)
- Beyond the Rift (BtR)
- Condemned
- Engines of War (EoW)
Modules
There have also been two modules written for Battlelords of the Twenty-Third century. These modules were written for new players to get the party together and introduce everyone to the life of a mercenary.- Injection
- Do Not Be Alarmed: This is Only a Test
Spinoffs
The game inspired a collectible card gameCollectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
named Battlelords
Battlelords
Battlelords is a collectible card game based on the Optimus Design Systems licensed paper and pencil role-playing game titled Battlelords of the 23rd Century. The card game was released in 1995 and only one set was produced. The card game was introduced by New Millennium Entertainment...
released in 1995.