Timelords (role-playing game)
Encyclopedia
Timelords is a set of time-travel role-playing game
s by Greg Porter and published by Blacksburg Tactical Research Center
(BTRC). None are related to the Doctor Who
RPG, Time Lord
. The first two editions used a custom d20 based game system, the 3rd and most recent edition uses either the EABA
or CORPS
systems from BTRC.
and sciences set about escaping their fate as the inevitable end of the universe encroached. Eventually, they discover time travel, and use this knowledge to move their entire solar system backwards in time to when the universe is about 15 billion years old. The actual Designers have never been seen by humans. After attempting to create powerful new life forms, they created "Lucifer", a sentient being that led the destruction of the Designer race and caused the dispersion of Designer technology across the universe.
The pinnacle of their achievements was the "Matrix", a small time-travel device, the size and shape of a 20-sided die, weighing about 3 pounds. The Matrix could be used for personal time travel, as an energy source, and other things only hinted at by the rule books. It is one of these Matrix devices that the players of the game find to begin their adventure.
The actual game setting is virtually limitless. As a time travel game, characters may find themselves at any time in Earth history, past or future. Space travel is also a possibility, with some modules taking place on space ships or other planets. The game also hints at the idea of traveling to alternate universes, where mental powers, magic, or alternate technologies exist, opening up the possibility for fantasy
, cyberpunk
, post-apocalyptic, or any other game setting the players may want.
The game solves the problem of time travel paradox
by creating multiple universes which players can jump across. For example, if a player were to go back in time to kill his own grandfather (the Grandfather Paradox
), this would only create a parallel universe where his grandfather was dead, but the original universe where he is alive still exists. This also gives opportunities for players to meet alternate universe versions of themselves, and even to replace characters that may have died.
Gameplay is split into two games:
The first edition of the game had only the Primary Game, but gave suggestions for creating Time Patrol characters, or replacing characters who died or were lost by creating alternate versions of them. The game systems were essentially the same as second edition, with only minor differences.
Attributes are scored between 1-20, with 8-11 considered "average". Scores under 5 are considered feeble, while scores over 15 are considered in the upper levels of human ability.
In the Secondary Game, characters purchase skills in a points based system.
Each skill is related to an attribute, for example "firearms" is based on Dexterity, and "computer" based on Intelligence. A high attribute score would gain the character a bonus in a related skill, and makes learning a new skill easier.
To determine the success or failure of an action, the character's skill level is modified by any factors that would make the action more or less difficult, then this is run through the Universal Modifier Chart. A simple d20 roll is then made to determine success.
For skills in the median range, 8-12, the UMC does not make much difference in rolls needed. Use of the chart is considered optional, as it slows down play in an already complex system.
To determine damage from an attack, the body is divided into 26 areas, each with its own damage points, and separate tables for determining damage to each area. Damage is further divided based on the type of weapon used, and the type of damage it could cause (blunt, crushing, burning, edged, etc.); then modified based on armor worn, again divided based on how the armor countered different damage types. Still more tables are used to find continuing damage from bleeding, recovery times, unconsciousness, temporary and permanent disabilities, or possibly death.
This resulted in nearly half of the book being devoted to combat tables, and correspondingly long and complex combat. A simple one on one confrontation might take an hour or more. A simplified version of the combat rules, using only 6 body areas, and correspondingly fewer tables, is also given, and does cut down on some of the complexity.
The goal, as stated by the game's designer, was to create as realistic a combat system as possible, and avoid the "shot in the foot" paradox of some other game systems. This happens in some games when an injured character low on hit points could be killed simply by shooting them in the foot, something that would almost never happen in real life. Characters in Timelords rarely die from a single attack, instead they suffer traumas that might cause death if left untreated.
s or levels like many RPGs. A character's attributes or skills may increase based on how often and how well they used that skill during the game. Practicing a skill or actively working on an ability can also cause it to increase. For example, spending a few hours a day at a firing range may increase the "firearms" skill, but not as quickly as using that skill in a combat situation. Skill advancement also requires that characters push the boundaries of their skill - driving a car daily for 10 years does not automatically make someone a first class driver, as they might never learn some advanced techniques that racing drivers have.
(End All Be All) system. The new system is loosely based on the custom system used in Timelords, and kept much of the story and setting. It is d6-based and has dice pool
s, but rarely will a character keep more than three of the results.
Some changes that were made to the setting with the EABA rules:
(C.omplete O.mniversal R.ole P.laying S.ystem) rules, also by BTRC, which is d10-based. It is otherwise the same as EABA Timelords.
BTRC
was started by Greg in 1987, and Timelords was its first product. It was not initially well received, but maintained a cult following that allowed a second edition to be published in 1990. Several books of adventures were published in the early 90's for use with the second edition.
Starting in 2003, BTRC stopped paper publication of all of its games, and made them available only in a downloaded PDF format, or published on-demand.
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...
s by Greg Porter and published by Blacksburg Tactical Research Center
Blacksburg Tactical Research Center
Blacksburg Tactical Research Center, Inc., or BTRC is an American game publishing company most famous for publishing the Timelords and EABA role-playing games.-Role Playing Games:*Timelords, 1987*Macho Women with Guns, 1988...
(BTRC). None are related to the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
RPG, Time Lord
Time Lord (role-playing game)
Time Lord — Adventures through Time and Space is a Doctor Who role-playing game, written by Ian Marsh and Peter Darvill-Evans and published in 1991 by Virgin Publishing. This game is totally unrelated to the previously released Doctor Who RPG by FASA, having different and simpler mechanics that...
. The first two editions used a custom d20 based game system, the 3rd and most recent edition uses either the EABA
EABA
The End All Be All game system, commonly known as EABA and pronounced "ee-buh", is a role-playing game system designed to adapt to any imaginary gaming environment. It was created by Greg Porter in 2003...
or CORPS
CORPS
The CORPS game system, or Complete Omniversal Role Playing System, is a generic role-playing game system. It was created by Greg Porter in 1990....
systems from BTRC.
Setting
Timelords begins at the End of Time. A doomed race, known as "The Designers", gifted in both psionicsPsionics
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:...
and sciences set about escaping their fate as the inevitable end of the universe encroached. Eventually, they discover time travel, and use this knowledge to move their entire solar system backwards in time to when the universe is about 15 billion years old. The actual Designers have never been seen by humans. After attempting to create powerful new life forms, they created "Lucifer", a sentient being that led the destruction of the Designer race and caused the dispersion of Designer technology across the universe.
The pinnacle of their achievements was the "Matrix", a small time-travel device, the size and shape of a 20-sided die, weighing about 3 pounds. The Matrix could be used for personal time travel, as an energy source, and other things only hinted at by the rule books. It is one of these Matrix devices that the players of the game find to begin their adventure.
The actual game setting is virtually limitless. As a time travel game, characters may find themselves at any time in Earth history, past or future. Space travel is also a possibility, with some modules taking place on space ships or other planets. The game also hints at the idea of traveling to alternate universes, where mental powers, magic, or alternate technologies exist, opening up the possibility for fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
, cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
, post-apocalyptic, or any other game setting the players may want.
The game solves the problem of time travel paradox
Paradox
Similar to Circular reasoning, A paradox is a seemingly true statement or group of statements that lead to a contradiction or a situation which seems to defy logic or intuition...
by creating multiple universes which players can jump across. For example, if a player were to go back in time to kill his own grandfather (the Grandfather Paradox
Grandfather paradox
The grandfather paradox is a proposed paradox of time travel first described by the science fiction writer René Barjavel in his 1943 book Le Voyageur Imprudent . The paradox is this: suppose a man traveled back in time and killed his biological grandfather before the latter met the traveler's...
), this would only create a parallel universe where his grandfather was dead, but the original universe where he is alive still exists. This also gives opportunities for players to meet alternate universe versions of themselves, and even to replace characters that may have died.
System
The first two editions of Timelords used a custom d20-based system designed by Greg Porter. The emphasis is on realism over speed and playability.Gameplay is split into two games:
- The Primary Game, where players play as characters based on themselves, lost in time after finding a Matrix device
- The Secondary Game, in which players make characters who are agents of a Time Patrol organization.
The first edition of the game had only the Primary Game, but gave suggestions for creating Time Patrol characters, or replacing characters who died or were lost by creating alternate versions of them. The game systems were essentially the same as second edition, with only minor differences.
Attributes
Regardless of which subgame of Timelords you're playing in, your character has from 10-11 Primary Attributes:- Strength
- Constitution
- Intelligence
- Dexterity
- Willpower
- Bravado: similar to chutzpahChutzpahChutzpah is the quality of audacity, for good or for bad, but it is generally used negatively. The Yiddish word derives from the Hebrew word , meaning "insolence", "audacity". The modern English usage of the word has taken on a broader meaning, having been popularized through vernacular use in...
- Appearance
- Perception
- Stamina
- Power: used for mental powers (not always used).
- Matrix Lag: number of seconds of stun and inability of action after using the Matrix for a "jump". This attribute can be lowered, but never to less than 1.
Attributes are scored between 1-20, with 8-11 considered "average". Scores under 5 are considered feeble, while scores over 15 are considered in the upper levels of human ability.
Primary Game: Generating Yourself
Most of the Primary Attributes start at a value of 10, and are adjusted up or down by answering questions or taking tests relating to that attribute.- Strength's test is holding the heaviest weight you can out at arm's length for a full 5 seconds.
- Constitution is based on how frequently you get sick. Once you've found the appropriate range, you add a d3 to find your actual score.
- Intelligence is based on your IQ score, your SAT or ACT score, or 4.5 times your 4 point QCA score (if you've been a full-time student of high school or college for at least a year).
- Dexterity starts with a base of 10, adjusted based on tests such as juggling and balance.
- Bravado and Appearance are based on how the other gamers perceive a player. Someone with a "good poker face" or the ability to talk their way out of speeding tickets would have a higher Bravado.
- Matrix Lag is rolled on a d20, and whatever it comes up as is what you get, at least until you get used to "jumping".
- Power is based on a d20 roll only. It is meant to reflect a players mental ability for psionics or telepathic powers, and is rarely used. Some alternate universes might have these abilities.
Skills
In the Primary Game, a character's abilities and skills are determined by their real life counterparts. The Game Master and Players go through an extensive list of possible skills, with players rating themselves and each other on a 1-20 scale. A beginner might have a range of 2-5, while a skill used professionally might rate 16 or higher. The game also encourages the creation of new skills, to cover relevant experience players may have that is not included in the manual.In the Secondary Game, characters purchase skills in a points based system.
Each skill is related to an attribute, for example "firearms" is based on Dexterity, and "computer" based on Intelligence. A high attribute score would gain the character a bonus in a related skill, and makes learning a new skill easier.
To determine the success or failure of an action, the character's skill level is modified by any factors that would make the action more or less difficult, then this is run through the Universal Modifier Chart. A simple d20 roll is then made to determine success.
The Universal Modifier Chart
This chart is the games system for overcoming one of the perceived flaws in a linearly progressive skill based game system. In a standard system, any modifier to a die roll has a greater effect on a lower skill level than a higher one. For example, a -1 modifier to a skill of 15 reduces that skill by about 7%, where a skill of 5 is reduced by 20%. To overcome this, any roll to dertermine the success of an action would first have the modifiers referenced on the Universal Modifier Chart, which would alter the penalty (or bonus) to the skill accordingly.For skills in the median range, 8-12, the UMC does not make much difference in rolls needed. Use of the chart is considered optional, as it slows down play in an already complex system.
Combat
The first two editions used one of the most complex combat systems of any RPG, with a goal of simulating real life as closely as possible. To shoot a firearm, for example, a character's "firearm" skill is modified by the accuracy of the weapon, the distance to the target, size of the target, and other conditions such as weather or terrain. These modifiers are run through the UMC, and a roll made to determine if the attack scored a hit.To determine damage from an attack, the body is divided into 26 areas, each with its own damage points, and separate tables for determining damage to each area. Damage is further divided based on the type of weapon used, and the type of damage it could cause (blunt, crushing, burning, edged, etc.); then modified based on armor worn, again divided based on how the armor countered different damage types. Still more tables are used to find continuing damage from bleeding, recovery times, unconsciousness, temporary and permanent disabilities, or possibly death.
This resulted in nearly half of the book being devoted to combat tables, and correspondingly long and complex combat. A simple one on one confrontation might take an hour or more. A simplified version of the combat rules, using only 6 body areas, and correspondingly fewer tables, is also given, and does cut down on some of the complexity.
The goal, as stated by the game's designer, was to create as realistic a combat system as possible, and avoid the "shot in the foot" paradox of some other game systems. This happens in some games when an injured character low on hit points could be killed simply by shooting them in the foot, something that would almost never happen in real life. Characters in Timelords rarely die from a single attack, instead they suffer traumas that might cause death if left untreated.
Advancement
To keep the game more focused on realism, characters do not gain experience pointExperience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s or levels like many RPGs. A character's attributes or skills may increase based on how often and how well they used that skill during the game. Practicing a skill or actively working on an ability can also cause it to increase. For example, spending a few hours a day at a firing range may increase the "firearms" skill, but not as quickly as using that skill in a combat situation. Skill advancement also requires that characters push the boundaries of their skill - driving a car daily for 10 years does not automatically make someone a first class driver, as they might never learn some advanced techniques that racing drivers have.
EABA Timelords
in 2003, BTRC re-issued the Timelords game as part of their new EABAEABA
The End All Be All game system, commonly known as EABA and pronounced "ee-buh", is a role-playing game system designed to adapt to any imaginary gaming environment. It was created by Greg Porter in 2003...
(End All Be All) system. The new system is loosely based on the custom system used in Timelords, and kept much of the story and setting. It is d6-based and has dice pool
Dice pool
In some role-playing game systems, the dice pool is the number of dice that a player is allowed to roll when attempting to perform a certain action.-Mechanics:In most RPG systems, most non-trivial actions require dice rolls...
s, but rarely will a character keep more than three of the results.
Some changes that were made to the setting with the EABA rules:
- A Matrix can only be used by a Designer, or a descendant of a Designer. This means that one of the characters must have some ancient Designer relative. Which character this is can be left unknown to the players.
- A Matrix no longer requires direct contact to function. This makes it easier for the Game Master to disguise which player may have Designer blood.
CORPS Timelords
The Timelords game using the CORPSCORPS
The CORPS game system, or Complete Omniversal Role Playing System, is a generic role-playing game system. It was created by Greg Porter in 1990....
(C.omplete O.mniversal R.ole P.laying S.ystem) rules, also by BTRC, which is d10-based. It is otherwise the same as EABA Timelords.
History
Timelords was developed by Greg Porter while attending college at Virginia Tech, and many of his fellow Wargaming Society members are immortalized in the first edition as sample characters.BTRC
Blacksburg Tactical Research Center
Blacksburg Tactical Research Center, Inc., or BTRC is an American game publishing company most famous for publishing the Timelords and EABA role-playing games.-Role Playing Games:*Timelords, 1987*Macho Women with Guns, 1988...
was started by Greg in 1987, and Timelords was its first product. It was not initially well received, but maintained a cult following that allowed a second edition to be published in 1990. Several books of adventures were published in the early 90's for use with the second edition.
Starting in 2003, BTRC stopped paper publication of all of its games, and made them available only in a downloaded PDF format, or published on-demand.