Ladybird
First Post
Welcome to our TimeWatch Playtest Story Hour!
THE GAME: TimeWatch is a forthcoming RPG written by [MENTION=2]Piratecat[/MENTION]. You can find more information about it on Twitter @ TimeWatchRPG. If you're interested in supporting it, there will be a Kickstarter soon - watch the Twitter feed for details.
Because this is the chronicle of a playtest, I'll be talking more explicitly about the rules than I otherwise would. If you want to 'look under the hood' and see how the rules and stats operate, I'll be putting that discussion behind spoiler blocks. If you'd prefer not to break out of the story, you can just skip those bits.
Also, there will be lots of commentary by [MENTION=2]Piratecat[/MENTION] himself, since he's the one who's writing the rules! So, please ask questions - he's happy to answer.
THE SETTING: The PCs are agents of TimeWatch, charged with serving and protecting the integrity of the timeline. Ever since the invention of time travel, people have been trying to manipulate the timeline for their own purposes, causing paradoxes and complications throughout history. Therefore, TimeWatch was formed. Its agents travel throughout time correcting these paradoxes so that history can resume its proper course. TimeWatch agents can come from anywhere in history - or, in fact, anywhere in any history. Many are themselves from alternate timelines.
THE CHARACTERS (in order of historical appearance):
- @CerebralPaladin, our intrepid GM!
- Hypatia of Alexandria (c350-415 CE), played by [MENTION=3722]Orichalcum[/MENTION]. One of the most brilliant scholars of her age; she was a philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, and teacher. History records that she was beaten to death by an angry mob, and then her body was burned. The real reason that her body was never found, of course, is that she was rescued by TimeWatch. Her intelligence and research skills have become invaluable. Now in her late 60s.
- King Edward V of England, (1470-1483?), aka Edward Plantagenet, aka the older of the Princes in the Tower, played by me. Briefly King of England upon his father's death in 1483, but Edward's uncle deposed him to claim the throne as King Richard III. Edward and his younger brother (also named Richard) were imprisoned in the Tower of London; they later disappeared and were presumed dead. They were actually rescued by TimeWatch, and they've both grown to adulthood in TimeWatch's safety. Edward is deeply concerned with matters of justice and honor . Now 20 years old.
- Yves, a wealthy French libertine, c. 1770. He spent most of his life pursuing luxury in all forms: wine, good food, parties, sex. But still, he found himself sinking in the deepest ennui, and sought out even more novelty. Eventually, he found the ultimate remedy for ennui in TimeWatch - he had access to all of the new things that had ever been! Also, all of the parties that had ever been. Now in his late 20s.
- Dr. Michel Archembault, a French army medic, c. 1870. He served in the Franco-Prussian War and was horrified by the brutality that he saw on the battlefield. His horror made him try harder and harder to avoid violence, until he eventually deserted the army entirely. Shortly thereafter, TimeWatch picked him up. He's good at medicine, but even better at sneaking. Now in his 30s.
- Katarina Rasmirovna, an actress and adventurer, c. 1885. Born Katherine Ramsey in southern England in the mid-19th century, she moved to London and started a career on the stage. Kat's London was different from our London, though - hers was full of dirigibles and other steam-powered technology. Kat's London was also deeply flawed, and some time-travelers tried to set it right. In doing so, however, they ended the timeline, leaving Kat stranded in time, but an ideal TimeWatch agent. She's good at acting, shooting, and thinking on her feet. Now in her 30s. (A character from the steampunk timetravel books Timepiece and Timekeeper)
- Mace Hunter! Adventurer! c. 1890. A British archaeologist, but definitely not the intellectual sort. He's far more interested in going to faraway places, digging things up, and hitting people. Now in his 30s.
So that's who we are! Coming soon: our first foray into time!
THE GAME: TimeWatch is a forthcoming RPG written by [MENTION=2]Piratecat[/MENTION]. You can find more information about it on Twitter @ TimeWatchRPG. If you're interested in supporting it, there will be a Kickstarter soon - watch the Twitter feed for details.
Because this is the chronicle of a playtest, I'll be talking more explicitly about the rules than I otherwise would. If you want to 'look under the hood' and see how the rules and stats operate, I'll be putting that discussion behind spoiler blocks. If you'd prefer not to break out of the story, you can just skip those bits.
Also, there will be lots of commentary by [MENTION=2]Piratecat[/MENTION] himself, since he's the one who's writing the rules! So, please ask questions - he's happy to answer.
THE SETTING: The PCs are agents of TimeWatch, charged with serving and protecting the integrity of the timeline. Ever since the invention of time travel, people have been trying to manipulate the timeline for their own purposes, causing paradoxes and complications throughout history. Therefore, TimeWatch was formed. Its agents travel throughout time correcting these paradoxes so that history can resume its proper course. TimeWatch agents can come from anywhere in history - or, in fact, anywhere in any history. Many are themselves from alternate timelines.
THE CHARACTERS (in order of historical appearance):
- @CerebralPaladin, our intrepid GM!
- Hypatia of Alexandria (c350-415 CE), played by [MENTION=3722]Orichalcum[/MENTION]. One of the most brilliant scholars of her age; she was a philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, and teacher. History records that she was beaten to death by an angry mob, and then her body was burned. The real reason that her body was never found, of course, is that she was rescued by TimeWatch. Her intelligence and research skills have become invaluable. Now in her late 60s.
- King Edward V of England, (1470-1483?), aka Edward Plantagenet, aka the older of the Princes in the Tower, played by me. Briefly King of England upon his father's death in 1483, but Edward's uncle deposed him to claim the throne as King Richard III. Edward and his younger brother (also named Richard) were imprisoned in the Tower of London; they later disappeared and were presumed dead. They were actually rescued by TimeWatch, and they've both grown to adulthood in TimeWatch's safety. Edward is deeply concerned with matters of justice and honor . Now 20 years old.
- Yves, a wealthy French libertine, c. 1770. He spent most of his life pursuing luxury in all forms: wine, good food, parties, sex. But still, he found himself sinking in the deepest ennui, and sought out even more novelty. Eventually, he found the ultimate remedy for ennui in TimeWatch - he had access to all of the new things that had ever been! Also, all of the parties that had ever been. Now in his late 20s.
- Dr. Michel Archembault, a French army medic, c. 1870. He served in the Franco-Prussian War and was horrified by the brutality that he saw on the battlefield. His horror made him try harder and harder to avoid violence, until he eventually deserted the army entirely. Shortly thereafter, TimeWatch picked him up. He's good at medicine, but even better at sneaking. Now in his 30s.
- Katarina Rasmirovna, an actress and adventurer, c. 1885. Born Katherine Ramsey in southern England in the mid-19th century, she moved to London and started a career on the stage. Kat's London was different from our London, though - hers was full of dirigibles and other steam-powered technology. Kat's London was also deeply flawed, and some time-travelers tried to set it right. In doing so, however, they ended the timeline, leaving Kat stranded in time, but an ideal TimeWatch agent. She's good at acting, shooting, and thinking on her feet. Now in her 30s. (A character from the steampunk timetravel books Timepiece and Timekeeper)
- Mace Hunter! Adventurer! c. 1890. A British archaeologist, but definitely not the intellectual sort. He's far more interested in going to faraway places, digging things up, and hitting people. Now in his 30s.
So that's who we are! Coming soon: our first foray into time!
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