Do you love really messy, complicated time-travel stories?

As a time traveler you can go anywhere and anywhen in time and space.
Visit ancient battlefields, lost civilizations, modern cities, and future space colonies.
Fight robots, dinosaurs, aliens, time bandits, and Grey Goo.
But that's not all.

Travel back into scenes that have already been played.

Alter history, meet yourself, be in two places at once, and cheat death.
Call on your past or future self to help you.
Meet the other characters before they have met you.
Solve mysteries before they happen.
... and try not to get caught in your own Paradoxes.

Because time travelers can do anything ...

except resist the temptation to Bend time too far.

Spectrum is a complete role-playing game of

time travel adventure for experienced gamers.

maycontainmonkeys.ameba.ca
Spectrum
Time Travel Role Playing

By Allan Dotson
with David Richards

May Contain Monkeys

Regina, 2014

1
Dedication

For Jana, for believing in me.

Playtesters

Thanks to Adrienne, Anna, Anna, Alan, Ayla, Brika, Dan, Gil, Jen, Jenny, Kelsey, Ian, Paul, Mark, Sasha,
Shyla, Vince, everyone who tried the game at FRAGCon, and everyone else I've forgotten. Special thanks to
Emily, Eli, and Rob Bos for their interest and support. And very special thanks to Dave for taking the idea
on, and seeing it through with me, yet again.

Inspiration and Research

Movies
12 Monkeys, Back to the Future (all three), Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (first one only), Butterfly
Effect, Donnie Darko, Primer, Terminator (first three), Time Bandits.

TV
Dr. Who, Futurama, Heroes, Quantum Leap, Stargate: SG1.

Books
Hyperion (series), Stainless Steel Rat (series), The Time Traveler's Wife, To Say Nothing of the Dog.

Game design by Allan Dotson with David Richards. Written and illustrated by Allan Dotson.

Copyright 2014, Allan Dotson. Published in Regina, by May Contain Monkeys.

2836 Regina Ave., Regina SK, S4S 0G5
maycontainmonkeys@gmail.com
maycontainmonkeys.ameba.ca

2
Table of Contents
Dark Setting 5
Red Stories 9
Orange Characters 13
Yellow Action 23
Green Technology 35
Blue Shades 45
Indigo Jumps 57
Violet Paradox 63
Light Being the Guide 73

3
4
Dark Setting
You are a time traveller. You may have discovered a sacred crystal clock, invented a flux capacitor, stepped
into a wandering magic shop, been abducted by time bandits, or recruited by the time police. But somehow,
you made your first Jump, you became unstuck from time, and now you are a time traveller. Whatever era
you come from, whatever your Agenda is, you can access the whole of time and space. From primitive cave
dwellers, to ancient battlefields, modern cities, or advanced space colonies.

Once you become a time traveller, you move beyond the linear world of Shades, into the Spectrum. The
Spectrum is the flow of time, and as you move through it, it changes you. As you time travel, you make
countless Jumps, and every few Jumps is a Leap, shifting you through the colors of the Spectrum.

Time travelers can manipulate time in two special ways. Time Jumping moves you and your passengers in
spacetime. Time Bending changes time in your favor, allowing you to cheat death, be in two places at once,
and alter history.

Shadow and Spectrum

Shades, normal people living in Shadow World, in linear time, cannot time travel at all, until they make
their Dark Leap. Usually, your Dark Leap happens because you are picked up by other, more experienced
time travelers. Dark Leapers cannot make Time Jumps themselves, but can be carried as passengers by other
time travelers. You are already unstuck from time, but in many ways are still a lost and fragile Shade.

After discovering, inventing, or learning a time travel Method, you shift to Red. Red Leapers begin to
experience the full Spectrum, to perceive and move in multiple dimensions in time. You seem smarter and
stronger, because time slows for you to think and act. You seem more charming, because you know what
someone will say next. You notice more, because everything seems familiar. Over many adventures, you
Shift through all the colors of the Spectrum, gaining ever-greater control over your time travel abilities.

Not all time travelers reach the Light, but you are one of the few who do. As a Light Leaper you move
effortlessly through time and space, traveling back through your own lifetime, rescuing yourself from the
many deaths that never came to pass, and resolving the countless Paradoxes caused by your own meddling
with the timestream. Your time in the Light is fleeting, and when it is over you transcend time completely,
becoming one with the Spectrum.

Time travelers' colors are revealed by their Tints. Something about you changes color as you shift. Some
time travelers have tinted clothes, hair, eyes, tattoos. Some time travelers might take advantage of a Leaper
with red armor, or even green glasses, but most show their respect any fear for anyone with a Violet sword,
or a white flower in their lapel. Time travelers without Tints are rare, and are distrusted by other Leapers.

Wherever and whenever you go, time travelers can usually Blend in. Shades tend not to notice a time
traveler's Tint, their odd clothing, or any other details that don't fit into their Age. Shades do notice weapons,
armor, cybernetics, dinosaurs, mobile Time Machines and other large unusual objects. Shades will react to
these objects as suspicious threats, but still do not notice how strange the specific object is. Blending does not
affect other time travelers, who see you as you really are. Unusually sensitive Shades may see through the
Blending effect. Shades in the Age of Discovery are most likely to see and believe in time travelers.

Time is in flux. History can be changed. Shades' memories will be altered to fit the new timeline, but time
travelers will be aware of the change, often having conflicting memories of the same events.

5
Karass
In all your adventures throughout time and space, there are a few other time travelers who keep showing up
right when you most need them, or right when they need you. Your Agendas may not match each other
completely, but you come to learn that you are bound together by fate, and that you must rely on and help
each other. When you meet another time traveler, they may be a color later or earlier than when you met
them last. They may remember things you have not yet done. When the other time travelers in your Karass
are advanced colors, they may help you with your goals, or save your life, but when they are weak colors, it
is up to you to help them, keep them alive, and explain time travel to them, so that they will be there to help
you ...

The Time War

Time travelers usually cannot travel any farther than the year 4000, when the Time Lords seal off the future
with the Gallifreyan Wall. Beyond the year 4000 there are two possible futures, the Timelords' Utopia, and
the Grey Goo.

Grey Goo is wild nanotechnology that has taken over the Earth and now seeks to travel back in time to the
Big Bang, to assimilate the entire history of the universe. The Time Lords created the Gallifrean Wall to
prevent the Grey Goo from traveling back in time, but it is always possible that someone, human or alien,
Shade or time traveler, will set nanotechnology loose before the Gallifreyan Wall, and the Grey Goo will
destroy the timeline.

Characters in Spectrum may deal with all kinds of plots, including alien invasions, government conspiracies,
mad scientists, natural disasters, wars, or romances. But ultimately, they will probably be affected by the war
between the Time Lords and the Grey Goo.

Getting Started
To play this game, you will need:
 3-5 players, one of whom will be the Guide.
 Color photocopies of the character sheets from the back of this book, and a note page for the Guide.
 Pencils.
 Playing cards. Ideally one full deck per player, and one for the Guide. Make sure your decks include
two Jokers, and that the Jokers are clearly identifiable as Black and Red.

Before Play
The Guide should read Characters (p. 23) and Being the Guide (p.73). Eventually, the Guide should read the
whole book. All players should create characters, with the help of the Guide.

6
Glossary
Age A time period in human history (or future history), such as the Stone Age or Space Age.
Bend Time travel tricks, such as meeting yourself, altering history, or cheating death.
Black Box A temporal device that prevents time travel.
Blending Shades' tendency not to notice time travelers' Tints and unusual appearances.
Dark Leaper A Shade removed from normal spacetime, who can Bend Time, but cannot Jump.
Dark Room A place in normal spacetime that cannot be entered or escaped by time travel.
Grey Goo Wild nanotechnology that assimilates everything and tries to destroy the universe.
Karass A group of time travelers whose lives and travels continuously intersect.
Jump Travel through time and space, to a target destination, possibly with passengers.
Leap Every few Jumps, one of your Jumps becomes a Leap, and you shift into your next color.
Light House A place outside of normal spacetime, which can only be reached by time travel.
Nahkla Rare and valuable metal, used as a power source in high-tech or magical devices.
Nanotech Self-replicating microscopic robots. The most advanced technology possible.
Paradox The consequences of altering history. Paradox may weaken you, or create temporal anomalies.
Shade Any normal person, living in linear time. Anyone who is not a time traveller.
Shadow Creature An animal, dinosaur, robot, or alien that has been removed from its own time.
Shadow World The mundane world of linear time, populated by Shades.
Shift When a time traveller's color changes, and their power grows.
Soft Place A place that exists in many times/places at once, and causes Shades to become Dark Leapers.
Spectral Creature An animal, dinosaur, robot, or alien that can travel in time.
Synchronicity When a time traveller causes events to occur exactly as they were supposed to.
Time Debt After Bending Time, you are in Time Debt until you face your Paradox.
Time Machine An temporal item that can be used to make Jumps.
Time Lords Benevolent and enlightened beings who seek to protect the world from Grey Goo.
Tint Something about a time traveller that reveals their current color to other time travelers.

7
8
Red Stories
Chronologies
A Chronology is all the stories of a group of time travelers, and how their lives intersected in different places
and times. The chronology as a whole cannot be seen until it is complete, as each time traveler experiences
the same events and encounters in a different order.

Doc Brown has invented a Time Machine. His young friend Marty has joined him on a few adventures. They
are bringing Marty's girlfriend Jennifer along for the first time.

Then they become separated. Marty goes back in time, and meets a young Doc Brown in his past. The two of
them meet an older Jennifer from her future. This Jennifer knows about events in their future that neither
Marty, or Doc Brown know anything about. But their "future" Jennifer knows about happened in Earth's
prehistoric past ...

Episodes
Time travelers live long and varied lives, and the player characters may not spend most of their time
travelling together. Game Episodes tell the stories of those times are places where your varied time travelers'
paths crossed. Each game session, every player may choose which color to play. It's better to pick different
colors than to have the same color.

Doc Brown is Green, an experienced time traveler.

Marty is Orange, having made a few Jumps.
Jennifer is Dark, she doesn't even believe in Time Travel.

Its also better to play each Episode out of any chronological order. If you were Orange last Episode, you
could be Dark, Blue, or any other color in the next Episode.

Doc Brown is Dark, still working on his first prototype.

Marty is Yellow, having made a few more Jumps.
Jennifer is Indigo, wise, powerful, and able to Time Travel under her own power.

Later colors (Blue, Indigo, Violet) are much more powerful than earlier colors (Red, Orange, Yellow). Light
is very powerful, and Dark is very helpless. Any Episode in which you play a later color, you will be better at
anything than when you play an early color.

As you adventure, your experience applies to your current color, and every following color. So experience
from early Episodes applies to more of your time travel's life than experience from later Episodes. Any
Episode in which you play a weak early color, your experience will apply to more of your lifespan, and be
worth more.

So you want to play later colors because they are more powerful, and you want to play early colors because
your experience is worth more. Having a mix of colors for each character in each Episode is what makes
time travel stories bizarre and interesting.

9
Karass
The Karass is the group of player characters. They must have reasons to stay together and work together.
This is important in any role-playing game, but it is especially important in Spectrum. If the characters want
to be independent, go their own way, and act without the other characters, it is very easy for them to stay
separated in time and space, but this does not create a good shared game experience. So, some time travelers
may be independent, but the player characters are not. They must be connected to the other characters in the
Karass. Make sure you create a character who will work with and help the other player characters.

 Shared Agenda. The players should agree on a common, shared Agenda, something that all of the
characters can agree on, and will cooperate to do. Characters will also have individual Agendas, which
may be at odds, but they still have the shared Agenda in common. The shared Agenda may be more
important to some characters than others, but it should be something all of them have an interest in
pursuing. It is okay for a Karass Agenda to emerge from gameplay, but you should settle on one within
your first few Episodes.

 Shared Chronology. The characters work together because they know they must, because that is the
way it already happened. You have already met these characters' future selves in your past. You have to
help them now, so that they can survive to help you later. You want to keep an eye on the other
characters because if they get in trouble, they may cause Paradoxes that could threaten you, your plans,
and the entire timeline.

 Friendship. Some characters may be friends. They respect and care for each other, even though they
may not always agree, or get along.

 Other Connections. The characters may work for the same agency. They may have a common enemy.
They may be family. They may come from the same city or area in different times. They may share a
time travel method, such as a time machine or gate network. They may share a technological item, such
as a huge starship.

Time Travel
Being a time traveler gives you a few specific powerful abilities.

 Red Cards. Normal Shades, including the most powerful aliens, robots, and dinosaurs, can only use
black cards. Only time travelers can use red cards. You are naturally luckier, more skilled, and more
powerful, than any normal person.

 Time Jumping is travel in time and space anywhere, and anywhen. You can travel into the future to
gain powerful technology, or see what your enemies are planning, or travel into the past to solve
mysteries and stop your enemies before they are even born. You can even travel back into scenes that
have already been played, and alter them. Time Jumping requires access to your Method. The brighter
your color, the easier and more precise your Time Jumps are.

 Bending Time is cheating. You say that your past or future self has planted a ray gun behind the couch,
and there it is. Bending Time does not require access to your Method, and it always works, no matter
what color you are. After the Bend, however, you must either go back and play out the favor to yourself,
or risk Paradox.

 Immortality. Time travelers do not die of old age, so you can spend years, decades, or longer laying
your plans or building secret technologies. Player character time travelers don't die from violence or
accident either, they just Bend Time to save themselves, Lighting Out, and appearing somewhere safe.

10
 Of course, as after any Bend, now you must go back and play out the rescue, or risk Paradox.

 Blending. Normal people living in linear time tend not to notice that the time traveler looks odd or out
of place. Time travelers are effectively camouflaged as an average person of the local time and place.
Blending does not disguise your age or gender, does not hide armor, weapons, or pet creatures, and does
not disguise non-human characters as human.

Paradox
Paradox happens when time travelers Bend Time too far, leaving the timestream to deal with the
unexplainable consequences of their actions. Paradox can also come from altering established history,
meeting yourself, or using advanced technology in a primitive age.

 Direct Paradox causes you to slip back to a darker color. You lose some of your time travel power, and
some of your experience.

 Indirect Paradox creates outside threats and complications. You could become stranded in time, lose
an arm, or be targeted by the Time Police. You could create an unstable, open rift in time, or a
displaced, rampaging dinosaur. Indirect Paradox creates plot.

Synchronicity
Synchronicity is the bright opposite of Paradox. Time travelers can create Synchronicities by resolving
contradictory events, restoring an altered or damaged timeline back to match established history, or by
creating elegant closed loop events. When in doubt, the Guide will decide what counts as a Synchronicity.

 Heal Paradox. Synchronicity can heal the effects of Direct or Indirect Paradox, restoring time travelers'
lost abilities, closing rifts, and sending displaced dinosaurs back home.

 Earn Sparks. Synchronocities may give time travelers new special abilities or skills, bonded items, pet
creatures, human assistants, or friendly organizations. Sparks cannot be bought with experience points,
they can only be earned in play by creating Synchronicities.

11
12
Orange Characters
Character Questions
Age What Age are you from? What did you do before you became a time traveler?
Agenda Why do you time travel? What do you want?
Karass What do you have in common with the other time travelers?
Method How do you time travel? With a machine, an occult ritual, a sacred relic, or by accident?
Tint What about you glows to other time travelers, changing colors as you learn and grow?
Alternate Timeline? Do you come from an alternate timeline?
Non-Human? Most characters are assumed to be human. Are you an alien, robot, or other type of creature?

Ages
Choose which Age you come from. Each Age provides a +1 bonus to one Trait, and a special ability related
to that Trait. More information on the Ages and their special abilities follows on the next page.

Stone Age 5 mya - 4000 BC. +1 Violence. Draw twice for gestalt combat.
Metal Age 4000 BC - 300 BC. +1 Fitness. Draw twice for survival.
Age of Roads 300 BC - 1300 AD. +1 Movement. Draw twice for overland travel.
Age of Discovery 1300 - 1700 +1 Senses. Draw twice to search or explore,
or to avoid seeing yourself.
Electric Age 1700 - 1930 +1 Influence. Draw twice to negotiate trades.
Atomic Age 1930 - 1990 +1 Artistry. Draw twice to impress or entertain.
Information Age 1990 - 2??? +1 Reason. Draw twice for recall or research.
Advanced Age High tech civilization +1 Use Tech. Draw twice to understand devices.
Draw on Use Tech for downtime.
Neo-Primitive Age Post-Apocalyptic or Space Colony +1 Build Tech. Draw twice to repair devices.
Draw on Build Tech for survival.
Temporal Age (Born and raised a time-traveler) +1 Spark. Draw twice for Reason or Influence
to deal with Temporal society.

Agendas
Choose one Agenda for your own time traveler character, and discuss another Agenda with the other players,
to choose one for the Karass that all the characters will have in common.

Adventurer Test your abilities and prove yourself by seeking out exotic challenges.
Bug Hunter Fight nanotechnology, replicators, and artificial intelligences.
Explorer Observe / experience / record / collect / study exotic times / places / events
Hero Help people in need where you find them. Fight injustice / individual suffering
Promethean Liberate shades from linear time. Reveal the Spectrum / advanced technology
Revisionist Change history for the better, seek the root causes of large-scale injustice and suffering.
Terminator Promote / protect / destroy one specific timeline / person / event.
Time Bandit Selfishly collect riches, fame, power and technology.
Time Cop Prevent unauthorized time travel. Fight Paradox, Time Bandits

13
Ages
Stone Age (5 mya - 4000 B.C.) Because of their dependence on Violence for their every day survival,
characters from the Stone Age have certain innate combat advantages. Any time there is gestalt combat, you
may draw twice and keep the better draw. If the Guide never uses gestalt combat, you may use this ability on
the first Violence draw of every combat. This benefit only applies when you are drawing on your own
Violence, not when using Use Tech to replace Violence. Stone Age characters also receive a +1 bonus on
their starting Violence Trait.

Metal Age (4000 BC – 300 BC): The Metal Age marked the first time in history when a person’s survival
could depend directly on someone who was not part of their family or tribe. This, in combination with the
Metal Age’s grueling physical environment allows you to help others survive in the wild. When drawing on
Fitness for survival (for yourself or a group), you may draw twice and keep the better draw. Metal Age
characters also receive a +1 bonus on their starting Fitness Trait.

Age of Roads (300 BC - 1300 A.D.) While travel was still largely done on foot, the Age of Roads enabled
much easier travel over long distances. You have an uncanny knack for complimenting your physical
traveling skills with a knowledge of where to find the best path. Because of this, when drawing on
Movement for long-distance travel (for yourself or a group), you may draw twice and keep the better draw.
Age of Roads characters also receive a +1 bonus on their starting Movement Trait.

Age of Discovery (1300 - 1700) The discovery of people from another continent, the circumnavigation of
the globe, and the weaponization of gunpowder all significantly changed mankind’s perception of the world
around them. You are open and perceptive to changes and anomalies in the world around you. The first time
you search or explore a new place, you may draw on your Senses twice and keep the better draw. When you
are trying to avoid Paradox for seeing yourself, you may draw on your Senses twice and choose to keep the
worse draw. Age of Discovery characters also receive a +1 bonus on their starting Senses Trait.

Electric Age (1700 - 1930) Print, film, radio, and the telephone all allowed people to communicate ideas
quickly to huge audiences, over vast distances. The Electric Age was also the age of diplomacy, when great
empires stretched across the globe, civilizations clashed, and the nations of the world were forced to
negotiate and find ways to get along with each other. When you are negotiating a deal, trade, or truce, you
may draw twice for Influence and choose which card to keep. Characters from the Electric Age also receive
a +1 bonus on their starting Influence Trait.

Atomic Age (1930 - 1990) From the atomic bomb to television and rock music, the atomic age was
characterized by new technology that affects a whole society, and changes the way people think and feel.
When giving an artistic or musical performance to entertain, impress, or affect your audience's mood and
emotions. Characters from the Atomic Age also receive a +1 bonus on their starting Artistry Trait.

Information Age (1990 - 2???) Computers, the internet, cell phones, and social media provided
unprecedented access to all kinds of information, from history to science, politics to pop culture. When
drawing on Reason to recall or research information, you may draw twice and choose which card to keep.
You cannot use this extra draw to learn languages, or to know about time travel, time travelers, or Paradox.
Characters from the Information Age also receive a +1 bonus on their starting Reason Trait.

14
Advanced Age (High tech civilization) You come from a future world where high techonology is ever-
present and integrated into every aspect of life. This may be the relatively near future where household
robots perform most of our labor, or the far future when science has made nearly anything possible, and
citizens are implanted with psi-powers and nano-devices. When drawing on Reason to understand any new
technology, you may draw twice and choose which card to keep. Also, whenever you are living in an
Advanced Age (Tech Level 8 or higher), with access to current local technology, you may draw on Use Tech
in place of any Trait for downtime actions. Characters from the Advanced Age also receive a +1 bonus on
their starting Use Tech Trait.

Neo-Primitive Age (Post-Apocalyptic or Space Colony) You come from a time beyond the collapse of
civilization, or a place where it did not reach. This may be the near future after the end of oil, the rise of the
oceans, or a nuclear war. Or it may be the far future, when humanity is spread out among the stars on colony
worlds and space stations. In the Neo-Primitive Age, most people know about all kinds of advanced
technology, which is now mostly lost or unavailable to them. People are having to adapt by scrounging on
the ruins of past civilizations, cannibalizing their crashed spaceships, or starting over from scratch. When
drawing on Build Tech to repair an existing item, you may draw twice, and choose which card to keep. Also,
whenever you are living in a rugged wilderness, you may draw on Build Tech instead of Fitness for survival.
Characters from the Neo-Primitive Age also receive a +1 bonus on their starting Build Tech Trait.

Temporal Age (Born and raised a time-traveler) You may be part of a time-traveling culture, born in a
Lighthouse and raised by time-traveling parents. You may have been displaced from your own time as a
very young child. You may even come from the Utopia of the Time Lords, beyond the Gallifreyan Wall.
Whatever the reason, you are not at home in any Age, but you do feel at home in the ever-changing Spectrum
of time travel. Whenever you draw on Reason to know about time travel (time travelers, Paradoxes,
temporal devices or anomalies, etc.), or whenever you draw on Influence to deal with Time Lords, or
Temporal society, you may draw twice and choose which card to keep. Characters from the Temporal Age
also receive +1 starting Spark.

Traits
Characters in Spectrum are described by 9 Traits.

Violence Fighting, stealing, using weapons. Withstanding Violence.

Fitness Survival, resisting poison, disease, extreme environments. Handling animals.
Movement Running, climbing, swimming, stealth. Picking locks.
Senses Noticing mundane or temporal events. Seeing through stealth or disguises.
Influence Charm, seduction, intimidation, diplomacy, leadership, teaching your language.
Artistry Making art, music, disguises or forgeries. Communicating without language. Sleight of hand.
Reason Solving puzzles, recalling information, science, medicine, learning languages.
Use Tech Operating tools or machines.
Build Tech Constructing tools and machines from available materials. Jamming or hacking machines.

You begin with 18 Trait pts at Dark, and may spend these points however you want. Each Trait has a
minimum of 1 and a starting maximum of 4. Each Age adds +1 to one speciality Trait. The speciality Trait
has a maximum of 6 (including the Age bonus). You can spend Sparks to get a higher starting maximum. If
you wish to sell a Trait down to 0, you must also describe a flaw or disadvantage, such as a caveman's
inability to create even simple tools.

15
The following Trait sets by Age are intended as a suggested guideline only. The Age bonus must be added to
the appropriate Trait. A Stone Age caveman has Violence 5, a Metal Age barbarian has Fitness 4, etc. The
Dark Trait sets represent average people from each Age, but individuals' Traits vary greatly. A primitive
witch doctor might have more advanced Traits. A modern cop might have more balanced, ancient Traits. An
advanced cyborg might exhibit some primitive Traits.

Dark Stone Metal Roads Discovery Electric Atomic Information Advanced Neo –Primitive Temporal

5 mya - 4000 BC - 300 BC - 1500 - 1700 - 1930 - 1990 - High-Tech Post- Born and raised a
Traits 4000 300 BC 1500 AD
BC
1700 1930 1990 2??? civilization Apocalypse or time traveller.
space colony.
by Age (+1 Spark)

Violence 4 (+1) 4 3 2 1 1 1 1 2 2

Fitness 4 3 (+1) 3 2 2 1 1 1 2 2

Movement 3 3 3 (+1) 2 2 1 1 1 2 2

Senses 3 3 3 3 (+1) 2 2 1 1 2 2

Influence 1 1 2 2 2 (+1) 3 3 2 1 2

Artistry 1 1 1 2 3 2 (+1) 2 2 1 2

Reason 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 (+1) 4 2 2

Use Tech 1 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 (+1) 3 2

Build Tech - 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 (+1) 2

Trait Advancement
The Dark Trait sets represent Shades, or Dark Leapers. As time travelers shift through the Spectrum, their
Traits are continuously augmented. You may choose two +1 bonuses per color, except Violet. Add +1 to
each Trait at Violet. You cannot add more than +1 to any one Trait in one color, and no Trait can ever be
raised above 13. Leave your Light Traits blank, as your abilities can no longer be represented by mere
numbers.

Wound Boxes
Circle a number of Wound Boxes equal to your Fitness. Most of these Wound Boxes will be Dark, but
whenever you raise your Fitness, circle one Wound Box for that color.

Experience
Characters receive experience points after every game session. Time Debt prevents you from spending
experience points until you have dealt with your latest Paradox. As long as you are in Sync (free from Time
Debt), you can spend experience at any time, to raise Traits. Raising a Trait affects the color that earned the
experience, and every later color. Adding +1 to a Trait costs a number of experience points equal to the
number of Episodes per color (see the Guide Chapter, p. 73).

16
Non-Human Characters
Characters do not have to be human, they may be aliens, robots, mutants, genetic experiments, super-beings,
or sentient animals. To create a non-human character, you may want to sell some Traits down to 0 and take
descriptive disadvantages, or take Sparks such as Talent, Mutation, or Power. If you wish your character to
be a robot, then they cannot be healed with Reason, they can only be repaired with Build Tech (this does not
count as a Spark). You may decide if your character appears human or not. Your non-human appearance
will not Blend, and Shades will see you for the monster you are.

Sparks
Sparks are unique special abilities that may not be represented by your Traits. All characters begin play with
one medium or two low Sparks. Characters from the Temporal Age begin with either one high Spark, 2
medium Sparks, or 4 low Sparks (this includes their automatic Spark, and their bonus Spark for their Age).

Group Sparks
If the whole Karass takes on the same Spark, that Spark counts as one level lower for all characters.

The members of a Karass want to control a mob family. Agency is usually a Mid Spark, but if all the
members of the Karass choose it, it only counts as a Low Spark for each of them.

Gaining Sparks
Characters may gain Sparks in play by performing Synchronicities. Characters may also temporarily gain
some Sparks in play through their actions, such as by taming a dinosaur, having themselves implanted with
cybernetics, or borrowing a Black Box from the Time Cops. These temporary Sparks may be lost through
Paradox or Time Jumps, or may be stolen or disabled through mundane action. Temporary Sparks only
become permanent when the character performs a Synchronicity.

Low Sparks
Bag of Gems / Money You always have gems / money for trade.
Black Box (portable) Place this small box over a prisoner's head, They cannot Time Jump, and must add
+2 to any Bends. Movement Challenge 5 to escape.
Crosstime Radio Only calls other Crosstime Radios and Phones.
Dark Room (stationary) This room is blocked against Time Jumps into or out of it. Add +2 to any
Bends performed in the Dark Room. Movement Challenge 5 to escape
Folding Pockets Your pockets can hold as many hand-held or smaller items as would fill a large suitcase.
Lighthouse You can Time Jump to a specific small Lighthouse. The Lighthouse may be tavern, market,
library, or Time Police base, but it is well known to other time travellers.
Nahkla Blood You can operate Nahkla technology.
No Tint Other time travelers cannot see your color.
Skill Adds +1 to one trait for specific type of action. See list of Skills.
Talent Ambidexterity, large or small size, beautiful, photographic memory, claws, etc.
Descriptive ability that is possible in normal humans. +1 to starting limit of applicable Trait.
Time Sense You always know exactly what time it is.

Medium Sparks (Equals 2 Low Sparks)

Agency Cult, dynasty, or secret agency that operates in one Age / geographical area.
Animal Companion Begin play with one animal or dinosaur companion. Bring it with you when you Jump.
Black Box (portable) Put a prisoners hands into this small box. Movement Challenge 10 to escape.
Carrier Precision shifts one color earlier for each 2 passengers (instead of for each passenger)
Crosstime Phone Calls crosstime or regular phones and radios

17
Dark Room (stationary) Movement Challenge 10 to escape
Deeper Blend Shades' Senses Challenge to see through your Blending is +3 (13 instead of 10)
Folding Box Your box, bag, or suitcase can hold as many small items as would fill a small room.
Tech Item Begin play with one item. Carry one item with you when you Jump.
Jumper +1 Time Jump draws
Less Steps -1 Step required for time travel Method (minimum 1 until Light)
Lighthouse You are welcome at a specific Lighthouse, which is well equipped and well defended.
Luck Draw a secret hole card at the beginning of the game. Play your hole card in place of any one
action draw (by any player or the Guide), but not Time Jump or Paradox draws. You must
decide to use Luck before the draw.
More Steps +1 Step possible for time travel Method.
Mutation Water breathing, chameleon skin, scales, nightvision, radio sense, radiation immunity, etc.
Descriptive Ability possible in real animals or simple machines. +2 to starting limit of
applicable Trait.
Precise Time or Space precision shifted one color later (maximum Violet).
Spectral Creature Animal or dinosaur companion shifts one color later. (Red shift is High Syncronicity).
Ranged Violence Ranged attack using your Violence. No range penalty. No Paradox
Workshop Use work shop's tech level instead of local tech level when building. Causes Paradox.
Tracer +3 Time Jump draws only when following a trace.
Time Machine You have a spare Time Machine.
+1 Trait

High Sparks (Equals 2 Medium or 4 Low Sparks)

Assistant Dark Leaper who aids you in your travels (18 Trait points, +1 Age bonus, 1 Low Spark).
Black Box (portable) Plant this tiny box on a prisoner. Movement Challenge 15 to remove.
Crosstime Internet Send receive information/images from Crosstime or regular computers.
Dark Room (stationary) Movement Challenge 15 to escape
Folding Room Your vehicle, Lighthouse, or time machine can hold as many rooms as a large building.
Known Bend -1 Time Debt for specific type of Bend (meeting yourself, planting tech, etc.)
Lighthouse You control a Lighthouse, which is very well equipped and well defended, and may be secret.
Power Survive in Space, Invisibility, Flight, Eyebeams, Read Minds, Shapeshift, etc. Descriptive
ability, which may be fantastic or impossible. +3 to starting limit of applicable Trait.
Seeker Instead of specifying a target place / time, you can specify either a person or object
Spectral Creature Animal or dinosaur companion shifts Red. (Other shifts are Medium Syncronicity).
Universal Translater Speak/Understand any language without a draw.
Wider Blend One feature that normally does not Blend, Blends (weapon, gender, pet dinosaur, etc).

Skills
You may choose the same Skill up to 3 times. Each time, it counts as a Low Spark, and adds +1 to your Trait
to perform a specific action (maximum +3).

Violence Skills Defense, Initiative, Melee Weapon, Ranged Weapon, Unarmed

Fitness Skills Animal Handling, Healing, Resistance, Ride, Survival
Movement Skills Break In, Climb, Escape, Run, Stealth, Swim
Senses Skills Listen, Spot, Search, Track
Influence Skills Charm, Indimidate, Lead, Teach
Artistry Skills Concealment, Deception, Disguise, Forgery, Perform,
Reason Skills History, Language, Medicine, Science, Temporal Theory
Use Tech Skills Computer, Genetics, Medicine, Piloting, Ranged Weapon, Robotics, Warp Tech
Build Tech Skills Hacking, Weapons, Vehicles, Robotics, Genetics, Warp Tech

18
Mundane Items
Choose a few normal items from your own Age that you have at Dark. For each color you advance, you may
add one normal item from another Age. All mundane items are purely descriptive.

Examples: Armor, Binoculars, Book, Camping Gear, Jewelry, First Aid Kit, Flashlight, Gas Mask, Knife,
Lighter, Lockpicks, Multitool, Musical Instrument, Rope, Shovel, Skateboard, Sword, Walky-Talky, Watch

Mundane items Blend and do not cause Paradox. Weapons or Armor may be treated as mundane items, but
they do not increase your Traits. If you want a useful item that will increase your Traits, or give you special
abilities, see Sparks (Tech Item, Shadow Creature, Workshop, etc.). If, however, the descriptive abilities of
these items ever become very useful, or if time travelers are demonstrating an item to primitive Shades (as a
display of "magic powers", for example), then the Guide may decide that the item does cause Paradox, and
may be lost during Time Jumps.

Time Travel Methods

A time travel Method must have 7 steps. You will require a minimum number of steps to Leap, depending
on your color, but you may use any combination of your steps. These are just a list of suggestions, players
should be encouraged to come up with their own unique time travel Methods.

Time Preparation / Recovery Blocked

Minutes 1 step 1 step 0 steps
Hours 2 steps 2 steps 1 step
Days 3 steps 3 steps 2 steps
Weeks - - 3 steps

Preparation or Recovery Time take full concentration, and you can take no other action. Preparation also
requires you to have your hands free (not tied up). Blocked prevents you from Time Jumping again, but you
may still take other actions. Time is a variable step. If your Method requires Days, you may use Hours or
Minutes instead, as fewer steps.

Time Machine
Time Machines are temporal devices, they cannot be duplicated by Build Tech. Time Machines do not cause
Paradox themselves, unless they are built into another item (such as a car or spaceship) which does cause
Paradox. Time machines are usually assumed to Blend, so Shades do not notice the time machine as unusual.

Small (hand held, suitcase) 0 steps

Medium (car, phonebooth) 1 step
Huge (building, ship) 2 steps
Does not Blend +1 step
Breakable (must be intact to jump) +1 step

Power Source
You must specify whether your method uses a large or small power source, but any power source of that size
will allow you to jump. You may carry a portable, reusable Power Source with you, but it will cause Paradox
equal to it's tech level if it is used for anything other than time travel, or if it is left behind or discovered by
Shades.
Small (battery, fire) 1 step
Large (nuclear, lightning) 2 steps

19
Material
You cannot substitute materials, only the specified material will allow you to jump. Materials are consumed
(destroyed) by the Jump. Materials are useful items, which may be stolen or lost on Time Jumps.

Common (blood, metal) 1 step

Uncommon (gold, herbs) 2 steps
Exotic (nahkla) 3 steps

Damaging Take 1 Wound per Jump 1 step

Destructive Harmful to the environment 1 step
Finite Only 1 Jump per Episode 1 step
Tracer Must be following a Trace 2 steps
Random Random Place 2 steps
Random Time 2 steps

Spacial Limitation
Spatial Limitation usually only limits your departure, where you can jump from.
Outdoors, open road 1 step
Remote, open air 2 steps
Only within a certain region/country/continent 1-2 steps
Specific type of place (caves, churches, battles) 2 steps
Specific system of rare, inaccessible Gates 3 steps
Spatial Limitation on arrival and departure. +1
Only travel in Time, not Space 2 steps

Temporal Limitation
Temporal Limitation usually only limits your departure, when you can jump from.
Only day / night 1 step
Only after the invention of the internet 2 steps
Only within your natural lifespan (100 years) 3 steps
Temporal Limitation on arrival and departure. +1

Triggered 1-3 steps

If all of your other steps are present, the Guide may cause you to Time Jump at their discretion. You can
only avoid Jumping if you are missing as many steps as you need for your current color. Of course, even if
the Guide causes you o Jump, you can try to aim for the same time and place that you left.

Miscellaneous (strong emotion, good deeds, etc.) 1-3 steps

Required Choose any one other step.

You absolutely cannot Jump without this step. +1 step

20
Example Methods
Delorean Phonebooth
Machine (Medium – car) 2 steps Machine (Medium - booth) 2 steps
Power Source (Large) 2 steps Machine is Breakable +1 step
Open Space (open road) 1 step Machine Required +1 step
Only Time, not Space 2 steps Machine doesn't Blend +1 step
Prep Time (Minutes) 1 step
Map of Holes in Reality Only one Jump per Episode 1 step
Prep Time (Hours) 2 steps
Machine (Small – map) 1 step Quantum Computer
Random Space 2 steps Only within own lifespan 3 steps
Random Time 2 steps Triggered 2 steps
Good deeds 2 steps
Occult Ritual
Prep Time (Hours) 2 steps Star Gates
Power Source (Small fire) 1 step Specific system of Gates 3 steps
Materials (Rare herbs) 2 steps Gates are Required +1 step
Requires space (remote) 2 steps on arrival and departure +1 step
Power Source (Large) 2 steps
Nahkla Procedure
Prep Time (Days) 3 steps Wandering
Material (Nahkla) 3 steps Prep Time (Minutes) 1 step
Destructive on arrival 1 step Random Space 2 steps
Random Time 2 steps
Requires space (open road) 2 step

Steps Required
Time travel Methods get easier and more flexible the longer you time travel, and the brighter your color.

At Red, Marty requires all 7 of his steps to activate his Delorean. He usually Jumps without needing a
Power Source (2 steps). If he wants to make Jumps in Space, Jump instantly without prep time, or Jump
without his Time Machine, he must fulfil all of his other 7 steps, including Power Source.

At Violet, Marty requires any 1 of his 7 steps. He might still travel with his Time Machine, but he no longer
needs it. He can Time Jump simply by stepping out into the open road. If Marty were handcuffed in a jail
cell, he would still be unable to Time Jump.

Random Time and Random Space are very useful steps for any time traveller to know. Even if you are
imprisoned and bound, without access to your Time Machine, any materials, or any prep time, you can still
make a Random Jump to escape.

Forcing Jumps
Even if you are trapped by a Dark Room or Black Box, Blocked by drawing a black face card on your last
Jump, or just unable to make enough steps for your current color, you can always force a Time Jump.
Forcing a Time Jump is a way of Bending Time. You make up whatever steps you are missing by taking on
Time Debt. To repay your Time Debt, you can either go back and play out the scene of rescuing yourself, or
draw to risk Paradox (see Forcing Jumps in the Paradox Chapter, p. 65).

21
22
Yellow Action
Task Resolution
Players describe their characters' actions. If a character's action seems important, or difficult, or if the
outcome is uncertain, the player should draw on a Trait for the action. The Guide assigns Challenge (1-30).
and a Base Time to the action (1 action, 1 minute, 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 month).

Challenge Who could do this? Examples

Easy 3 Normal Shade Scaling a wall
Standard 6 Skilled Shade Scaling a building
Hard 12 Expert Shade Scaling a mountain
Extreme 18 Skilled time traveller Scaling a mountain of ice
Ridiculous 26 Expert time traveller Scaling a mountain of ice in a blizzard
Impossible - No one Flying to the moon.

Drawing on Traits
Player draws a card, and adds the card value to their Trait. If the result is equal to or greater than the
Challenge, the action succeeds. If the result is less than the Challenge, the action fails.

Shadow and Spectrum

Black cards represent the Shadow World of linear time, your Traits, and randomness in the physical
environment around you. Red cards represent the Spectrum, your color, and random temporal distortion.
Shades and Dark Leapers can only add black cards. As a Dark Leaper, if you draw a red card, you may use
only your unmodified Trait. After making your Red Leap, you may add red cards to your Traits as well.

Face Cards Time Travellers Dark Leapers and Shades

Red Black Black only
King Draw again +3 -3 +3
Queen Draw again +2 -2 +2
Jack Draw again +1 -1 +1
Jokers Automatic success or failure. Automatic success

Extra Time
You may take extra time on any action, by shifting the base time for the action one or more time phases
higher. Declare how long you are taking for the action. You may draw 1 extra card for each time phase shift
you are taking. Draw all cards at once and choose one. If you draw a Joker you may choose to keep or
discard it. The maximum number of extra cards you can draw is equal to half your Trait (to a of minimum
1), after which you must take a Quirk (see page 33).

Try Again
If you fail on any action, you may try again, but each attempt takes one time phase longer than the first. Each
failure adds a number of time phases equal to the amount you failed by. Add the time for all failures
together. If you draw a Joker, you must deal with that Joker. The maximum number of extra cards you can
draw is equal to half your Trait (to a of minimum 1). After which you must take a Quirk (see page 33).

Teamwork
Each team member draws, team uses the highest total draw, +1 for each additional team member.

23
Examples of Actions
Face Cards
Sarah is breaking into a robotics factory in the 1980s (Challenge 10, base time 1 minute). She draws on her
Movement (4), and draws a Red Queen (+2 and draw again), and a 5, for a total of 11. She successfully
breaks into the factory.

Inside the factory, Sarah tries hacking into the computer system (Challenge 17, base time 1 minute). She
draws on her Build Tech (10), and draws a Black King (-3 and draw again), a Black Queen (-2 and draw
again), a Red Jack (+1 and draw again) and an Ace (1), for a total of 7. After a few minutes of trying, Sarah
fails to hack into the computer. She can try again, but her next attempt will take hours.

Meanwhile, Reese is trying to convince the local police about the threat of time travelling robots. He draws
on his Influence (3), and draws a Black Joker! Not only do the police not believe him, but they beat him up
(-1 Wound), take away all his gear, and lock him in jail.

After a few days in jail, Reese is attacked by another prisoner. Reese draws on his Violence (8), and draws a
Red Joker! Not only does he win the fight, but the rest of the prisoners are impressed, and ready to follow
Reese as their new gang leader.

Extra Time
Marty is in 1920s Los Angeles, searching an office for evidence of alien activity. The Guide says it will take
a few minutes to search the office, but Marty is willing to spend hours searching, for +1 extra card draw.
He draws a 5 and an 8, and chooses to keep the 8. If Marty was interrupted a few minutes into his search, he
would not get to keep any cards.

Later, Marty is investigating the city bureaucracy to find out how deeply the aliens have infiltrated. The
Guide says it will take weeks for the investigation. But Marty is an ageless time traveler, and chooses to take
a few decades instead, for +3 extra cards (weeks, months, years, decades). He draws a 2, a 4, a Red
Queen+8 (10), and a Black Joker. Marty chooses to keep the 10. With a total of 16, he should learn
something about the alien infiltration. Marty's Senses is 6, so he drew his maximum number of extra cards
(3), and has to draw for a Quirk. It's now 1960, and Marty has fallen in love with a local Shade.

Try Again
Doc is stranded in the Himalayas. The Guide assigns a Challenge of 12, and says it will take months for
Doc to travel through the mountains and find civilization. Doc draws on his Movement (1), drawing a 2, for
a total of 3. After 9 months, he still stranded in the mountains (Challenge 12 minus draw total 3 = 9
months). Doc can try again, but his next attempt will take years. He draws a 6, for a total of 7, and is still
stranded in the mountains 5 years later. With Movement 1, that is the maximum number of extra cards Doc
can draw for this action, and he must draw for a Quirk. After 5 years and 9 months in the mountains, Doc
has gone feral, living like an animal. He will now have to Bend Time, or be rescued by another time
traveller in his Karass.

Teamwork
Amy, Rory, and River arrive in London in 2550, and find it ruined and flooded. They each draw on their
Reason to figure out what happened here. Amy draws on her Reason (2), drawing a 4, for a total of 6. Rory
draws on his Reason (4), drawing a 7, for a total of 11. River draws on her Reason (6), drawing a Black
King+3 (0), for a total of 6. The team uses the highest total draw (Rory's 11), +2 for the extra two team
members helping him, for a final total of 13.

24
Violence
Combat
1. All characters declare their action. They do not need to declare a target, but they must declare which Trait
they are using.
2. All characters draw on Violence. For the rest of the combat round, everything is determined by this
Violence total.
3. Resolve actions in descending order of total Violence draw.
4. Violent actions (hurt, wound, maim, grab, knock out, capture, steal, disarm) are won by the highest
Violence total. When your turn comes up, if your Violence total is higher than your target's, then your
action succeeds, and you may describe your success. If your intent was to do damage, then your target
loses 1 Wound box. If an attack fails, nothing happens.
5. Non-Violent actions (talk, hide, run, paint a picture, hack a computer, make a Time Jump) are resolved
normally. A combat turn is usually only a few seconds, and some actions may be impossible in that time.
6. After all actions have been resolved, if any characters still wish to fight, begin a new round of combat by
drawing on Violence again

Effects of Violence
If your total Violence draw is greater than your opponent's, you may declare one effect, plus one extra effect
per +5 you succeeded by. Effects of Violence may be Wounds, Stun Wounds, or other effects such as
disarm, knock down, grab or throw.

When you are unarmed, you may declare any effect of Violence (steal, grab, throw, disarm, stun, etc.) Most
weapons can only Wound as their first effect, and can only do other effects as extra effects if you win by +5
or more. Some weapons may be better at specific effects (disarm with a sword, grab with a whip, stun with a
club), and you can declare those effects as your first effect. Critical Wounds, such as severing a hand or eye,
or significant effects, such as pushing an opponent off a cliff, require 2 extra successes (+10 over opponent).

Ranged Attacks are -2 Violence. Anyone can attack at range by throwing a knife, rock, etc. Weapons with
the Range ability do not suffer this -2 penalty.

Stun does +1 extra Wound to the target, but when the target reaches 0 Wound boxes they are only
unconscious. All Stun Wounds heal when the target wakes up at the end of the scene.

Team Combat
Attackers may form "teams" to gang up on a single target. Each attacker draws on Violence, and the team
uses the highest Violence draw, +1 for each additional team member. This Violence bonus adds only to
attack, not for defence.

Gestalt Combat
When characters are facing 12 or more opponents, use gestalt combat to resolve the scene in one draw. Each
combatant draws Violence once, and the character with the highest total draw describes the entire outcome.
Each extra success (+5 over opponent) allows you to describe an additional success condition.

Breaking Things
Inanimate objects do not draw for defence, they have a static Violence Challenge to break, usually equal to
their Fitness (+5 for large objects). When an object has taken Wounds equal to it's Fitness, it is destroyed.

Wall (wood) Violence Challenge 6 Fitness 1 Wall (metal) Violence Challenge 10 Fitness 5
Wall (stone) Violence Challenge 8 Fitness 3 Wall (ceramic) Violence Challenge 13 Fitness 8

25
Fitness
Wound Boxes
Characters have a number of Wound boxes equal to their Fitness for their current color. If you take damage,
cross off 1 Wound box. When you run out of Wound boxes, you are unconscious and dying, and can take no
action except Bending Time to "Light Out". If you continue to take damage, you die, and are forced to
“Light Out” and face Paradox.

Many Shades have only 1 Wound Box, and go down after taking only 1 hit. Experienced Shades may be
able to survive multiple hits.

Lighting Out
Player character time travelers never have to get beaten in combat. They can always Bend Time, and draw on
their future self to save them. If you are losing a fight, you can always “Light Out”, disappearing in a flash of
white light (Time Debt 10 in the middle of a fight, or 13 to save yourself from death) and appear somewhere
safe, far away in space and time. "Killing" a time traveller only gets rid of them for now, and causes them
Paradox. Some NPC time travelers never reach Light, so it may be possible to kill them.

Healing
It takes Weeks to recover from most Wounds, assuming sanitary conditions and adequate medical care.
Critical Wounds such as limb loss, partial disintegration, etc., can only be healed with Genetic or Cybernetic
technology, or by Bending Time.

Penalty (Critical, mauled, disintegrated) +1 time phase (Months, Years, Decades)

Bonus (Minor cuts and bruises) -1 time phase (Days, Hours, Minutes)

The injured character may draw on their Fitness to heal the Wounds themselves. Any character may draw on
Reason to treat the Wound. Healing Challenge is 10. For each +5 your total draw exceeds the Healing
Challenge by, reduce the Healing time by -1 time phase (Days, Hours, Minutes). It takes at least minutes to
recover from any Wound.

If your draw fails, you may try again, increasing the Healing Time by one time phase (Months, Years,
Decades). The maximum number of extra time phases you may try again or take extra time equals half your
Stamina, to a minimum of 1. After taking the maximum time healing, you must take a Quirk.

Survival
Time travelers often find themselves stranded in wilderness without supplies, and must draw on Fitness to
survive. Draw for the first few Days, and then draw again for the next few Weeks, Months, Years, Centuries,
until you are rescued, find civilization, or can Time Jump to safety. If you fail any survival challenge, you
take 1 Wound, and are at a -1 penalty on Healing or Movement challenges in this environment. Neo-
Primitive characters may draw on Build Tech for Survival instead of Fitness.

Easy 5 Wilderness, forest, plains, rural or urban environment. Quicksand

Standard 8 Jungle, swamp. Food, shelter and fresh water are available. Avalanche
Hard 12 Arctic, high mountains. Some shelter and fresh water available. Hurricane
Extreme 18 Desert, adrift at sea. No shelter or fresh water available. Volcano
Ridiculous 26 Toxic atmosphere, radiation, high pressure, inhospitable planet. Meteor Strike
Impossible - Vacuum

26
Animal Handling
When you encounter an animal, dinosaur, alien creature, or technological monster, you may attempt to calm,
train, or befriend it by drawing on your Fitness. Note that if the creature is a robot, you must hack it with
Build Tech instead.

Calming a creature takes one action, and can be done in combat. The calmed creature takes no action, but
only stays calm as long as it is not threatened. A trained riding animal, such as a horse, will accept a rider if
it is calm.

Training a creature takes Days. Befriending a creature takes Hours. You can direct a trained or friendly
creature to take any action it can understand (Guide's discretion). The creature uses it's own Traits, up to a
maximum of your Fitness. For example, you could ride a horse, using it's Movement instead of your own,
only up to a maximum of your Fitness. The creature remains friendly for as long as you are actively caring
for it. It will not carry out suicidal commands.

Creature Calm Train (Days) Befriend (Hours)

Domestic Animal 7 12 17
Wild Animal 9 14 19
Prehistoric Animal 11 16 21
Dinosaur 13 18 23
Alien / Mutant 15 20 25
Cyborg or
Warp Monster 17 22 27

Infection and Disease

Most diseases are airborne, and characters can become infected just by entering the contaminated area, or
coming into contact with an infected person. Other diseases may have to be ingested in contaminated food or
water, or spread by the bite of a creature. Draw on Fitness vs. the infection after the first Day, and every
additional time phase you are exposed to the disease (Week, Month, Year, etc.). If you succeed, you do not
contract the disease, although you still carry the disease. You must draw again the next day, and may still
infect others. If you succeed by +5 or more, you are cured, you do not have to draw against the disease any
more, and you are not infectious to others. If you fail, you take -1 Wound, plus -1 extra Wound for each 5
points you fail by. Draw on Fitness to heal Wounds.

Infections and Diseases

Common Cold 6 The first Wound is Stun only, any additional Wounds are real and can kill.
Smallpox 10
Black Plague 14
Zombie Virus 18 Anyone killed by the zombie virus becomes a zombie.
Alien Virus 22
Nano-Virus 26 The nano-virus does not necessarily kill it's host. When the host has taken
Wounds equal to their Fitness, the nano-virus takes over their body, and can
control their actions, usually spreading the virus until it reaches a host capable
of building Replicators. The nano-virus can also implanting the host with
super-powers (using Build Tech 13), and can kill the host at any time.

You can also treat a disease with Reason (Medicine). Use either the Fitness draw or Reason draw, whichever
is higher. Creating a cure for a disease requires Build Tech. The cure must be the same tech level as the
disease, minimum tech level 9 for most naturally-occurring diseases.

27
Movement
Terrain
Easy 5 Wilderness, forest, plains, rural or urban environment. Quicksand
Standard 8 Jungle, swamp. Food, shelter and fresh water are available. Avalanche
Hard 12 Arctic, high mountains. Some shelter and fresh water available. Hurricane
Extreme 18 Desert, adrift at sea. No shelter or fresh water available. Volcano
Ridiculous 26 Toxic atmosphere, radiation, high pressure, inhospitable planet. Meteor Strike

Long Distance Travel

Over short distances (within a city or forest, on a mountain, etc.), races or chases are resolved by drawing on
Movement. It is possible for a character with a high Movement Trait to out-maneuver a car, helicopter, or
space fighter over short distances. Over long distances (between cities, countries, or planets), races or chases
are resolved by tech level of the vehicle. It is impossible for a character, even with a high Movement Trait,
to outrun a car, train, jet, or space fighter over long distances. If two vehicles have the same tech level,
resolve a race or chase by drawing on their Movement.

Vehicle Tech level Vehicle Tech level

Human feet 0 Jet, helicopter 6
Horse 1 Robot vehicle 8
Boat, wheel 2 Power Armor 10
Ship 3 Spaceship 11
Train 4 Hyperdrive 12
Car, airplane 5 Nanoship 13

Stealth
Draw on Movement to move silently or to hide without being seen, against the Senses of anyone or anything
trying to detect you. Below are the static Challenges of common forms of detection.

Stealth vs. Senses Stealth vs. Senses

Casual Observer 5 Sensor Array 14
Guard, dog 8 Intelligent Sensors 18
Detective, cat 10 Psi Senses 20
Camera, microscope 12 Nano Senses 26

Breaking and Entering

Draw on Movement to pick locks and evade security systems, against a static Challenge.

Security Challenge Security Challenge

Rope and Chain 5 Time Lock Vault 14
Simple Lock 8 Electronic Security 18
Standard Lock 10 Airlock 20
Complex Lock 12 Force Field 26

28
Senses
You can normally Sense objects or creatures of Small Size or larger within 10 meters, without a draw. Draw
for Senses only if the object or creature is very small, hidden, in cover, or far away. Humans can sense
normally up to 100m. To search places that are farther away, you may need special abilities, such as Sparks
or technological sensors. For every +5 you exceed the Challenge by, you may learn additional information.

Cover Challenge Distance Challenge

Clutter (storeroom) 5 Close (10 m) 0
Debris (ruins) 10 Near (100 m) 5
Smoke or Dust +5 Far (10 km) 10
Darkness (night) +5 Distant (100 km) 15
Pitch Black (cave) +10 Astronomical 20

If the object or creature is hidden or disguised, draw on your Senses against your opponent's Movement
(stealth) or Artistry (concealment, disguise, or forgery). There are modifiers to Stealth or Concealment based
on the Size of the item or creature.

Size Stealth / Concealment Size Stealth / Concealment

-2 Psi +6 6 Building -6
-1 Genetic (+41) +4 7 City -8
1
0 Ring (+2 ) +2 8 Island -10
1 Hand (+11) +1 9 Continent -12
2 Suitcase (Small) - - 10 Moon -14
2 2
3 Human (-1 ) (-1 ) 11 Planet -16
4 Car (Large) -2 -2 12 Star -18
5 Bus (Huge) -4 -4 13 Star System -20
1
Stealth bonuses only apply to small creatures, not carried objects.
2
Stealth and Concealment penalties only apply to carried objects, not to creatures (including Humans)

Seeing through Blending

Shades and Dark Leapers can attempt to see through Blending with a Senses Challenge of 10. Time travelers
automatically see through Blending.

Influence
Persuasion
Draw on Influence to convince others to help you, join you, or change their minds. The target can resist with
the higher of their Influence or Reason. Crowds of Shades resist with the highest Influence or Reason among
them, plus group bonus (p. 45). Thugs or underlings following a charismatic leader may resist with the
higher of their leader's Influence or Reason, even if their leader is not present.

If you succeed, the target will stop fighting, listen to you, trade with you, answer simple questions. If you
succeed by +5 or more, the target will trust and help you, give you a deal, tell you a secret, or look the other
way. If you succeed by +10 or more, the target will join you, take some risks to help you, or tell you
everything they know. If you succeed by +15 or more, the target will completely change their minds, betray
their former allegiances, and risk their lives for you.

The Guide may assign a bonus or penalty of (+5 or-5) for requests that are very reasonable or unreasonable.

29
Influence is for telling the truth. If you are lying or tricking somebody, draw on Artistry instead.

Teaching Language
You can teach anyone to understand, speak, and read a language that you know. Challenge is 10 for teaching
humans, or 20 for Aliens.

Artistry
Communication
You can communicate without language, through gesture, song, or drawing. Challenge 10 for
communicating with other humans, 20 for aliens.

Disguise, Forgery
Draw on Artistry to disguise yourself or another person, or to create a realistic forgery of an artifact,
document, or technology. Draw against the Senses of anyone or anything investigating your disguise or
forgery. Below are the static Challenges of common forms of detection.

Casual Observer 5 Sensor Array 14

Guard, dog 8 Intelligent Sensors 18
Detective, cat 10 Psi Senses 20
Camera, microscope 12 Nano Senses 26

Concealment, Sleight of Hand, Distraction

Draw on Artistry to hide an object from view, pick pockets, plant evidence, or to distract an audience from
seeing something else. Draw on Artistry against Senses, as above, but with modifiers for the size and
strangeness of the object, as below.

0 Ring +2 3 Human -1
1 Handheld +1 4 Car (Large) -2
2 Suitcase (Small) +0 5 Bus (Huge) -4

Performance to impress, vs. Artistry

Draw on Artistry to create a memorable or moving performance. Exceptional performances may affect the
emotions or beliefs of the audience, causing people to fall in love, join your cause, or stop a war.

Cave people 5 Atomic Age agent 18

Crowd of villagers 8 AI 22
Atomic Age teenager 12 Timelords 26

Lying
Draw on Artistry to lie. Target can resist with the higher of their Influence or Reason, as Persuasion (p. 29).

Reason
Learning Language
You can attempt to understand, speak, and read any language. Challenge 10 for any human language, 20 for
alien languages. Once you have understood a language, you can always understand it, and do not need to
draw for that language again at this color or later colors.

30
Knowledge and Prediction
Draw on Reason to recall or research information, or predict events, including the long-term consequences of
altering history.

Current events / Your own Age 5 Near future / Up to the next Age 15
Recent history / The previous Age 8 Far Future prediction / Later Ages 18
Ancient history / Earlier Ages 12 Time travelers / Temporal Anomalies 26

Medicine
Healing Challenge is 10. See Healing (p. 26). You may also draw on Reason to treat infection or disease.

Build Tech
Building Tech with appropriate tools, materials, and a workshop, takes Weeks.

Penalty (Exotic materials, very complex) +1 time phase (Months, Years, Decades, Centuries)
Bonus (Repairing broken parts, very simple) -1 time phase (Days, Hours, Minutes)

Build Tech Challenge is equal to 2x the difference between the local Tech Level and the item's Tech Level,
minimum Challenge equals the item's Tech Level. For each +5 your total draw exceeds the Build Challenge
by, reduce the Build Time by -1 time phase (Months, Days, Hours). It takes at least minutes to Build
anything. You cannot Build any item from a tech level more than double your Build Tech Trait. Living
creatures have minimum Tech Level 9.

Marty needs to Build a car (Tech 5) with an Electric Age garage and tools (Tech Level 5). Marty has Build
Tech 3, and he draws a 5, for a total of 8. It takes him Weeks to Build the car. Doc Brown has Build Tech 6,
and he draws a 5, for a total of 11, 6 more than he needs. He can Build the car in Days, not Weeks.

If your draw fails, you may try again, increasing the Build Time by one time phase. The maximum number
of extra time phases you may try again or take extra time equals half your Build Tech, to a minimum of 1.
After taking the maximum time on a project, you must take a Quirk (p 33).

If you build items more advanced than the local Tech Level, draw for a Technological Impact Paradox
(Challenge equal to Tech Level of the item).

Creating some Warp or Nano level tech may require nahkla, an exotic metal not found on Earth, at the
Guide's discretion.

Hacking
Any technology of Tech Level 7 or higher can be hacked. Normally, you need to be able to access the
device's controls in order to hack it. A hacking deck allows you to hack at range. Challenge is equal to tech
level +5 to Jam, or +10 to Hack. If the technology has an intelligent operator (or if it is itself intelligent,
including robots or AI), then they can resist your hacking with their Build Tech instead.

Technology Jam Hack Technology Jam Hack

Computer 12 17 Spaceship 16 21
Robot 13 18 Warp Device 17 22
Tailored Virus 14 19 Nanotech 18 23
AI 15 20 Wild Nanotech 20 26

31
Use Tech
You do not draw on Use Tech like other Traits. Use Tech determines the maximum Trait you can use from a
tech item. When you are using a tech item, you may substitute the item's Trait for yours, up to a maximum
of your Use Tech. See the Technology Chapter for some examples of tech items.

If a Vehicle you are piloting takes Wounds equal to your Use Tech, you can no longer pilot it.

Downtime
When a time traveler stays anywhere for more than a day, where do they sleep? How do they eat? What do
they do with their time? Do they get a job and mingle with the local Shades, or do they hide away as
hermits? If you are staying somewhere for a few days, months, or years, you must draw once for Downtime,
to see whether you get into trouble.

If you are living in the wilderness, you must draw on Fitness for survival, Challenge depends on your
environment (see Survival, p. 26). If you have access to civilization, you may choose to draw on Movement,
Artistry, Influence, or Reason instead (although you could still choose to draw on Fitness). Advanced Age
characters with access to Tech Level 8 (or higher) can draw on their Use Tech. Downtime Challenge is 10.

Choosing Downtime
Violence Killing, stealing. Even if you succeed, you attract attention. If you fail, take 1 Wound.
Fitness Homeless, vagabond, scrounging for food and shelter. If you fail, take 1 Wound.
Movement Underground, living in secret, away from society. If you fail, you are discovered.
Artistry Cover identity, home, legal papers, job, bank account. If you fail, you attract attention.
Influence Apartment, under-the-table job, cash, friends. If you fail, you make enemies.
Reason Deal in antiques, stocks, accumulated interest, or gambling. If you fail, you attract attention.
Use Tech (Advanced Age only) Hacked personal accounts. If you fail, you attract attention.

If the Downtime action fails, you either take a Wound, attract attention, or makes enemies. You are unable to
heal, travel, or take other significant local action, and must draw for downtime again after one extra time
phase, until you succeed. If you draw a Dark Joker, you are in jail or an asylum, somehow cut off from your
time travel Method, with no chance to fight back or escape.

If the Downtime action succeeds, you have found a safe and stable way to live. You may heal, travel, and
continue taking local actions. If you stay in this place, or return to this time, you won't have to draw for
Downtime again, you have a found a way to live here and it works. If you draw a Light Joker, not only do
you not attract enemies, but you become rich and powerful, or find love.

If players are unsure how their characters spend their downtime, they may draw on the following table.
Check the suit to see how the character spent their downtime, and then add the card value to the appropriate
Trait to see whether they were successful, or if they got in trouble.

Random Downtime
Clubs Homeless, vagabond, scrounging for food and shelter. Draw on Fitness or take 1 Wound.
Diamonds Cover identity, home, legal papers, job, bank account. Draw on Artistry or attract attention.
Hearts Apartment, under-the-table job, cash, friends. Draw on Influence or make enemies.
Spades Underground, living in secret, away from society. Draw on Movement or be discovered.
Light Joker Become rich and powerful (Queen, President, Pope, etc.), or find love.
Dark Joker In jail or an asylum, somehow cut off from your time travel Method.

32
Making Money
If you succeed at your Downtime action, you have enough money for a comfortable local lifestyle. You
should only need to draw for money when you need a lot of it. Describe your plan for making money, and
the Guide will assign a Trait to your plan (probably Reason to exploit antiques, stock markets, bank interest,
or gambling). As with Downtime, if you fail, you attract attention. If you are robbing people with Violence,
you attract attention even if you succeed, and you take a Wound if you fail. Some items are just not for sale.

Making Money Challenge Making Money Challenge

Comfortable local lifestyle 10 Powerful, buy restricted or illegal items 20
Wealthy, buy rare items 15 Very powerful, fund a war or space program 25

Quirks
A time traveller develops a Quirk whenever they take the maximum extra time or retries on an action (extra
card draws equal to half the time traveller's Trait, rounding down to a minimum of 1), or when they spend
100 years in one place / Age without Jumping. You may draw for a random Quirk, choose one from the list
below, or suggest your own. Quirks have no direct effect on gameplay, they are simply descriptive role-
playing elements that make your character more complex and interesting.

-3 Disbelief in time travel

-2 Amnesia, or memory lapses
-1 Megalomania / Messiah Complex / start a religion, art style, or political movement
0 Hibernate, meditate, catatonic, do nothing
1 Alcoholic / Drug addict (or recovers if already addicted)
2 Fall in love with or befriend a Shade, or have a Shade child.
3 Need others' attention/approval/respect/fear/laughter, etc.
4 Favorite place (bar, city, country, forest, etc.)
5 Interest, hobby, or career (not necessarily skilled)
6 Dislike, phobia, hatred of some thing/animal/person/place
7 Adopts current local fashion
8 Talk to self, or to objects
9 Religious, superstitious, scientific
10 Personality change (positive-negative, calm-manic, kind-cruel, introvert-extrovert)
11 Feral, live wild, like an animal
12 Berserk, manic, violent, attracts attention
13 Speech problem, forgets words, stutters, mixes languages
14 Twitch, fidgit, plays with coin/knife/cards, smokes
15+ Change Agendas

When to Reshuffle?
Reshuffle your cards at the end of every Scene, or immediately before a Time Jump.

33
34
Green Technology
All technology is categorized by level. Tech Level (TL) determines how hard an item is to build or repair,
and whether the item causes Paradox. Items with Traits must meet the minimum Tech Level for that Trait.

Tech Level Min. for Trait Min for Ability

1 Stone Violence Attack, ranged attack, armor.
2 Metal Fitness Carry passengers.
3 Roads Movement Ocean travel, explosion.
4 Discovery Senses Camera, telescope, flight.
5 Electric Influence Radio, long-ranged attack.
6 Atomic Artistry Video, space flight, miniaturization (down to size 0).
7 Information Reason Hacking, encryption.
8 Robotic Build Tech Autonomous robots, EM weapons.
9 Genetic Full Traits Clones, hybrid creatures, viruses, genetic implants (size -1).
10 Cybernetic Mechanical implants, human-like androids, cloaking.
11 Space Interplanetary flight, terraforming, weather control.
12 Warp Force fields, death rays, hyperdrive, fantastic psi powers (size -2).
13 Nano Impossible effects, rearranging molecules, affecting other nanotech.
14 Temporal Time travel, temporal effects.

Warp Technology
Warp technology can break our known physical laws, and create fantastic super-powers, such as faster-than-
light travel, phasing through solid matter, or reading minds. At the Guide's discretion, some Warp devices or
powers may require nahkla (a rare element, not found on Earth).

Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology can have Traits as high as 13, and can do anything except time travel or other temporal
effects. The Gudie may decide that an ability is so powerful that it can only be achieved by nanotechnology
(such as creating black holes, or bringing the dead back to life). These abilities do not add to the item's Tech
Level, but they require minimum Tech Level 13. If you draw a Black Joker to operate any nanotech device,
the device mutates into wild Nanites or Replicators, and tries to create Grey Goo and destroy the world.

Temporal Devices
Time Machines, Black Boxes, Dark Rooms, Crosstime Communicators, Folding Pockets, Lighthouses, and
Universal Translators do not have Traits, they do not require Use Tech , and they cannot be built or hacked
with Build Tech. They are treated as Sparks, not technology, and can only be created by Bending Time.

Reading the Item Descriptions

Car 1. Name of the item.
Movement 6 run 2. Traits the item applies to, for specific actions. You can use a car's
Fitness 6 armor Movement to run, and it's Fitness as armor, up to your Use Tech.
Abilities Carry passengers (+1). 3. Any other abilities not described by Traits (Tech Level adjustment).
Size Car (-2) 4. The item's size determines how difficult it is to carry or conceal,
Tech Level 5 and how many passengers it can carry.
5. Tech Level of the item (TL). The car was created in the Electric Age.
Building or using a car in any earlier Age will cause Paradox.

35
Creating Items
1. Traits and abilities. What Trait(s) and abilities does the item have? What specific action(s) does it apply
to? Which Traits and abilities the item has determines it's minimum TL. The value of it's Traits
determines it's starting TL. The number of it's Traits + abilities determines it's starting Size. If a Trait
applies to multiple actions, that counts as a special ability. Trait maximum is 12 (13 for Nanotech).
2. Size. Starting size is equal to number of Traits. Default Size is 1 (Handheld). Reducing size raises TL
(minimum TL 6 for miniaturization). Increasing Size lowers TL (not below item's minimum TL).
3. Tech Level. Tech Level equals Trait vaue + number of special abilities (+ or – size adjustments). The
maximum TL is 12 (or 13 for Nanotech). If your item's Traits+abilities total more than 12, you can either
increase it's size to reduce it's TL, or create it as a few separate items instead. An item's TL can never be
reduced below the minimum required for it's Traits and abilities.

Tech Level Adjustments

+1 if the item's Trait applies to multiple specific actions (unless already described by the item's Abilities).
+2 for Full Traits. One or more of the item's Traits may apply to all relevant actions (unless already
described by abilities). Implanted items may also include Full Traits. Minimum tech level 9.
+1 per ability not described by Trait increase. Abilities may allow the item's Traits to apply to multiple
actions, or even to Full Traits. Some abilities may raise the minimum Tech Level of the device.
+1 per reduced Size step. Minimum tech level 6.
-1 per increased Size step. Not below Minimum tech level.
-2 if one use (destroyed after use)
+1 if encrypted (+5 to Hacking Challenge). Minimum tech level 7.
+2 if implanted. Item cannot be removed without Build Tech. May include Full Traits.
Minimum tech level 9.
+2 if personalized, requires genetic match (palm, voice, retina, etc.). Minimum tech level 9.
+0 if requires nahkla in user's blood. Minimum tech level 12.

Sizes Stealth Concealment Violence Defense Fitness to lift Passengers~

-2 Psi1 +6
-1 Genetic1 (+42) +4
0 Ring (+22) +2 +4
1 Hand (+12) +1 +2 0
2 Suitcase - - 1
3 Human (-13) (-13) 3 1
4 Car (Large) -2 -2 6 5
5 Bus (Huge) -4 -4 8 5 - 20
6 Building -6 -6 10 100
7 City -8 -8 12 1000
8 Island -10 -10 - 10,000
9 Continent -12 -12 - 100,000
10 Moon -14 -14 - millions
11 Planet -16 -16 - billions
12 Star -18 -18 -
13 Star System -20 -20
1
Psi and Genetic technology is invisible to normal Senses, and cannot be attacked with normal Violence.
These technologies are usually Implanted (+2 TL). Min Tech Level 9 for Genetics, 12 for Psi.
2
Stealth bonuses only apply to small creatures, not carried objects.
3
Stealth and Concealment penalties only apply to carried objects, not to creatures (including Humans)

36
Armor
Light Armor Heavy Armor
Fitness 1-10 armor (varies by type and quality) Fitness 4-12 armor (varies by type and quality)
Abilities Armor takes Wounds instead of you. Abilities Armor takes Wounds instead of you.
Size Handheld Size Human (-2)
Tech Level 1-10 Tech Level 2 -10
+1 TL for life support / self-contained breathing

Weapons
Ancient Weapon (sword, axe, club, whip, knife) Advanced Melee Weapon (vibro blade, neural
Violence 1-3 attack (varies by type and quality) mace, laser sword, monofilament whip)
Abilities Improved melee range, cutting edge, etc. Violence 8-12 attack (varies by type and quality)
Size Hand-held Abilities Improved melee range, cutting edge, etc.
Tech Level 1- 3 (equal to Violence). Size Hand-held
+1 for bows or other ranged weapons. Tech Level 8-12 (equal to Violence).
-1 if Suitcase size (double-handed). +1 if Ring size (minimum TL 10)

Flintlock Blaster
Violence 2 attack Violence 7 attack
Abilities Ranged attack (+1) Abilities Ranged attack (+1)
Size Hand-held Size Hand-held
Tech Level 3 Tech Level 8

Handgun Smart Gun

Violence 3 attack Violence 5 attack
Abilities Ranged attack (+1) Abilities Ranged attack (+1), Variable (+1),
Size Hand-held Personalized, requires handprint match (+2),
Tech Level 4 Size Suitcase (-1)
Tech Level 9
Machine Gun
Violence 5 attack Beam Gun
Abilities Ranged attack (+1) Violence 11 attack
Size Suitcase (-1) Abilities Death Ray (+1), EM (+1), or Transform (+1)
Tech Level 5 Size Hand-held
Tech Level 12

Weapon Special Abilities: TL Min TL

Area / Explosive Damages everything / everyone in area (missile, flamethrower) +1 TL 3
Bomb One use. Affects area. Fitness Challenge = bomb's Violence +5. no change 3
Death Ray Only vs. living, penetrates armor, but not force fields. +1 TL 12
EM Weapon +1 Wound, Stun Wounds heal after the scene, only vs. machines. +1 TL 8
Long Ranged Attack at range or long range, but not at close range +1 TL 5
Ranged Attack from outside close combat range with no -2 penalty. +1 TL 1
Stun only +1 Wound, Stun Wounds heal after the scene, only vs. living. no change 1
Transformation No Wounds, succeed by +10 and target turns to stone, shrinks, etc. +1 TL 12
Variable Set to Stun, Disarm, Grab, Trip, etc., as an unarmed attack +1 TL 8

37
Vehicles
Many vehicles also include a built-in radio (TL 5). High tech vehicles may also include a built-in computer
(TL 7), sensors (TL 8), or sub-space communicator (TL 12). Some military vehicles may also be equipped
with missiles (Suitcase-sized, area attack, Violence equals TL).

Car Mechanized Tank

Movement 6 run Violence 8 attack
Fitness 6 armor Movement 8 run
Abilities Carry passengers (+1). Fitness 8 armor
Size Car (-2) Abilities Passengers (+1), ranged attack (+1)
Tech Level 5 Size Bus (-2)
Tech Level 8
Motorcycle
Movement 6 run Hover Board
Abilities Carry passenger (+1). Movement 8 run
Size Human (-2) Size Handheld
Tech Level 5 Tech Level 8

Truck Jet Pack

Movement 7 run Movement 8 fly
Fitness 7 armor Abilities Fly (+1)
Abilities Carry passengers (+1). Size Suitcase
Size Bus (-3) Tech Level 8
Tech Level 5
Land Speeder
Biplane Movement 11 run
Movement 5 fly Fitness 11 armor
Fitness 5 armor Abilities Carry passengers (+1), fly (+1).
Abilities Fly (+1), carry passengers (+1). Size Car
Size Car (-2) Tech Level 11
Tech Level 5
Space Fighter
Jet Fighter Violence 8 attack
Violence 5 attack Movement 8 fly
Movement 5 fly Fitness 8 armor, life-support
Fitness 5 armor Abilities Space flight (+1), passengers (+1),
Abilities Fly (+1), passengers (+1), ranged attack (+1).
ranged attack (+1). Size Bus (-4)
Size Bus (-2) Tech Level 11 (or TL 12 with hyperdrive)
Tech Level 6
Star Destroyer
Tank Violence 12 attack
Violence 6 attack Movement 12 fly
Movement 6 run Fitness 12 armor, life-support
Fitness 6 armor Abilities Space flight (+1), hyperdrive (+1),
Abilities Carry passengers (+1), ranged attack (+1). passengers (+1), long range attack (+1).
Size Bus Size Island
Tech Level 6 Tech Level 12

38
Computers / Communications
Portable computer / camera / phone Portable AI
Reason 4 research, language Reason 6 research, language
Abilities camera (+1), phone (+1) Influence 6 full
Size Handheld (+3) Artistry 6 deception, perform
Tech Level 7 Abilities Full Traits (+2)
Size Handheld (+2)
Hologram Projector Tech Level 10
Artistry 6 disguise, perform
Abilities Lifelike illusions (+1) Hacking Deck
Size Handheld (-2) Build Tech varies hacking
Tech Level 8 Effect: Ranged jamming or hacking items of the
deck's tech level (+1), (+1 per lower tech level
Portable Supercomputer affected, minimum 7).
Reason 7 research, language Size: Suitcase (-1)
Size Handheld (+1) Tech Level: varies, minimum 7.
Tech Level 8
Robotics Deck (TL 8)
Sensor Array Build Tech 7 hacking
Senses 6 sensors Abilities: Hack tech level 7 or 8. Size: Suitcase (-1)
Abilities Full light spectrum, high and low frequency
audio, chemical analysis, radiation, radar, Psi Deck (TL 12)
motion sense, etc. (+1) Build Tech 12 hacking
Size Handheld (+1) Abilities: Hack tech level 12. Size: Suitcase (-2)
Tech Level 8

High Tech
Health Pack Power Armor
Reason 7 medicine Violence 8 full
Abilities Heals most injuries, poisons, and diseases. Fitness 8 armor, survival
Size Handheld Movement 8 run, climb
Tech Level 7 Senses 8 sensors
Abilities Full Traits (+2).
Auto-doc Size Car
Reason 10 medicine Tech Level 10 (+1 for flight, +1 for ranged weapons)
Abilities Heals any injury, poison, or disease.
Replaces missing limbs, organs, or skin. (+1) Force Field
Size Human (-2) Fitness 11 armor, survival
Tech Level 9 Abilities Personal force field. Sealed life support (+1)
Size Handheld
Cloaking Device Tech Level 12
Movement 10 stealth
Abilities Personal invisibility.
Tech Level 10

39
Magic Tech
Magic Tech devices may require the user to have nahkla in their blood, at the Guide's discretion.

Ring of Animal Command Power Pill

Fitness 8 animal handling Build Tech 12 implants
Abilities Animals like you. Abilities Implant super powers, One use (-2).
Size Ring (+1) Size Ring (+2)
Tech Level 9 Tech Level 12

Staff of Storms Power Ring

Violence 8 attack Violence 5 full
Fitness 8 survival Fitness 5 armor, survival
Abilities Control weather (+1), Long ranged (+1), Movement 5 flight
area attack (+1), lightning, cold, or wind (+1). Abilities Creates shaped force fields for protection,
Size Human (-1) flight (+1), force blasts (+1), shield others(+1),
Tech Level 11 sealed life support (+1). Create simple tools.
Size Ring (+3)
Hand Device Tech Level 12
Violence 9 attack
Influence 9 command Psychic Paper
Abilities Force blast (+1), hypnotic glow (+1), Artistry 11 forgery
pain ray. Requires nahkla blood (+0). Abilities Appears as an important document (+1).
Size Handheld (+1) Size Handheld
Tech Level 12 Tech Level 12

Nanotechnology
Nanotech Device
Any one Trait at 13, for example:
Violence 13 (Attack living creatures, or other nanites, cause Wounds, transform, mind control, etc.)
Senses 13 (Detect nanotechnology)
Reason 13 (Heal living creatures)
Build Tech 13 (Create simple materials from thin air, or jam or hack other nanotech, or terraform planets)
Abilities Swarm of microscopic robots rearrange matter at the molecular level, and do any one specific
effect. If you draw a Black Joker on a Challenge using a Nanotech Device, the device mutates into either a
swarm of Nanites, a cloud of Nano virus, or a Replicator (Guide's choice, see p. 54).
Size Handheld
Tech Level 13

True Nanotech
Build Tech 13
Abilities Swarm of microscopic robots rearrange matter at the molecular level, and can create anything from
thin air (Base Time Hours or Days). Food, gold, fuel, complex machines, robots, living creatures, even
nanotech devices. If you fail a Build Tech Challenge using True Nanotech, then it mutates into either a
swarm of Nanites, a cloud of Nano virus, or a Replicator (Guide's choice, see p. 54).
Size Handheld
Tech Level 13

40
Implants and Super-Powers
Genetic Enhancements, Cybernetic Implants, or Psi Powers can be built into any human, animal, or dinosaur.
Build Tech Challenge is equal to (Tech Level x2). Implants work just like items, they have Abilities, and
they have Traits up to a maximum of the user's Use Tech Trait. Implants must be Implanted (+2 TL,
minimum TL 9), but they may be may be any Size. If the Implants are visible, then the character always
appears as an armed monster, even with Blending. Implants reduced to Genetic or Psi size are invisible.

Time travelers, and their assistants and companions, may be implanted with Cybernetic, Genetic, or Warp
abilities, but these abilities may be lost through Paradox or Time Jumps. Implants may also be jammed,
hacked, or removed with Build Tech, and they cause Paradox as items do. If a time traveller performs a
Synchronicity, they can turn their temporary implant into a Power Spark, which does not cause Paradox, and
which cannot be jammed, hacked, or removed.

Cybernetic Implants can implant any Technology (except Warp or Nano). Cybernetic limbs, eyes, or
other replacement parts that merely replicate natural functions without providing bonuses or special abilities
do not count as implants. Minimum Tech level 10. Must be Implanted (+2). Minimum Size 0 (Ring).

E-Brain Combat Cyborg

Reason 5 full Violence 6 full
Abilities Implanted (+2) Fitness 6 armor
Size Ring (+2), +2 to conceal Movement 6 run, jump
Tech Level 10 Senses 6 sensors
Abilities Implanted (+2), Range attack (+1)
Size Human (-1), -1 to conceal
Tech Level 10

Genetic Enhancements can implant the natural abilities of any animal or plant. Genetic treatments to
cure diseases, regenerate missing body parts, or reverse aging do not count as implants. Genetic treatments
larger than genetic size are visible as organic mutations, and new body parts. Minimum Tech level 9, must
be Implanted (+2), Minimum Size -1 (Genetic).

Longevity Treatment Aquatic Enhancement

Fitness 4 heal, resist disease Movement 3 swim
Abilities Implanted (+2) Fitness 3 survive underwater
Size Genetic (+3), invisible, +4 to conceal Abilities Underwater breathing (+1), Implanted (+2)
Tech Level 9 Size Suitcase, concealable
Tech Level 9

Warp or Psi Powers can implant impossible super powers. Add +1 TL for the Special Abilities of the
super power itself. Super powers larger than psi size are constantly visible as glowing energy fields.
Minimum Tech level 12. Must be Implanted (+2), Minimum Size -2 (Psi).

Telepathy Ghost Form

Senses 5 detect thoughts Traits Movement 8 full
Influence 5 influence thoughts Abilities Flight (+1), Ghost Form (+1),
Abilities Telepathy (+1), Implanted (+2) Implanted (+2)
Size Psi (+4), +6 to conceal Size Suitcase, concealable
Tech Level 12 Tech Level 12

41
Creatures as Technology
Time travelers may have animal or dinosaur Companions (as a Spark), befriend wild creatures (with Fitness),
or create monsters (with Build Tech). Animals, dinosaurs, aliens, and monsters are all treated as technology.
You can command a companion creature, using it's Traits up to a maximum of your Fitness. If the creature is
not native to the Age you are in, draw for Paradox equal to it's Equivalent Tech Level (ETL).

Creatures act independently. They draw separately for their own Violence (giving you extra attacks), Senses
and Movement for stealth. If you are riding a creature, draw only for it's Movement. Creatures without
Fitness go down after taking one hit. Creatures with Fitness can keep fighting after taking damage, and can
also take damage for their rider/master.

After a creature has been Time Jumped it becomes a Shadow Creature, and shows a Tint, usually a black
coat or eyes. Spectral Creatures' eyes turn red, and they can use red cards like time travelers. Spectral
Creatures may continue to shift through the Spectrum, and add bonuses to their Traits, but they usually lack
the intelligence to Jump on their own, Bend Time, or cheat death. After a creature shifts Blue it can make
Time Jumps on its own, and may wander off into spacetime.

Creating Creatures
Adding Traits adds Size Raising Traits raises Equivalent Tech Level (ETL)
All creatures start with Movement (self only). Animal 4
+Senses = Small Prehistoric Animal 6
+Violence = Human Dinosaur 8
+Fitness = Large (Carry rider) Alien or Mutant 10
Robot, Cyborg
or Warp Monster 12

Creature Abilities
Aquatic (-) Creature can move and breath in water, but not on land.
Hands (+1) Creatures built with a Use Tech Trait are assumed to already have hands.
Flying (+1) Creature can fly, and escape / avoid / outrun any non-flying creature.
Swarm (+1) Swarms may be Large or Huge, but can fit through Ring-sized spaces. Cannot carry rider.
Venom (+1) If Venomous creatures inflict any Wounds, poison attacks again at the end of the scene. Draw
on Fitness against the creature's Violence or take another Wound.

Flaws
Low Trait (-1) One of creature's Traits is reduced to half (round down).
Immobile (-2) Creature's free Movement Trait is reduced to 0. Creature cannot move.

Example Creatures
See the Shades Chapter for example Creatures (pages 52-54).

Reading the Creature Descriptions

Name Traits (Stealth is listed in parentheses) Abilities or Flaws Size ETL
Horse Violence 2, Fitness 5, Move 5 (3), Senses 5 Low Violence (-1) Large 4

42
Animals and Dinosaurs
Animals are real living creatures native to earth in our time (such as horses, dogs, and sharks). Prehistoric
Animals include extinct mammals and birds (such as the sabertooth, mammoth, and giant condor.
Dinosaurs include extinct reptiles (such as the tyrannosaur) and insects.

Animals and Dinosaurs:

 May have Traits up to 4 (Animal), 6 (Prehistoric Animal), or 8 (Dinosaur).
 May have realistic natural abilities, limited by what we know about real animals.
(flying, poison, sonar, regeneration, contagion, etc.) Each such ability adds +1 TL.
 ETL 4 (Animal), 6 (Prehistoric Animal), or 8 (Dinosaur).

Aliens, Robots, and Monsters

Aliens are animals from other planets. Human-like aliens (medium-sized civilized tool-users) should be
treated as Shades instead. Robots are inorganic creatures created by Robotic technology. Monsters are
animals, dinosaurs, or aliens altered by Genetic, Cybernetic, or Warp technology.

 Adding Reason, Influence, Artistry, Use Tech and Build Tech adds Size.

Aliens and Genetic Monsters:

 May have Traits up to 10.
 May have any combination of natural abilities possible in real animals.
(flying, poison, sonar, regeneration, contagion, etc.) Each such ability adds +1 TL.
 May also have new organic abilities, such as:
Acid Blood (+1) If the creature takes a Wound, it makes an additional attack against anyone in close
range. Draw Violence again for the creature's blood.
Undead (+1) Creature does not breathe or sleep.
Infection (+1) Successful attack infects target with disease. See diseases in the Action chapter.
 Minimum ETL 10.

Robots and Cybernetic Monsters:

 May have Traits up to 12.
 May have any combination of physical abilities possible in real animals or machines.
(Space flight, ranged attack, radio sense, cloaking, etc.). Each such ability adds +1 TL.
 Robots are directed with Use Tech, not Fitness. They cannot heal their own Wounds normally.
 Minimum ETL 10.

Warp Monsters:
 May have Traits up to 12.
 May have any abilities or powers including physically impossible abilities. +1 TL each.
(teleportation, telepathy, shape changing, phase through solid matter, contagion, etc.)
 Minimum ETL 12.
.

43
44
Blue Shades
This Chapter presents some sample Shades for each Age. Each Age has one normal Shade built with base
starting points, and a few experienced Shades, built with extra points, who are equivalent to Red (+4),
Yellow (+10), or Blue (+16) time travelers. Common items have already been added to the Shades' Trait
values (in parentheses). Uncommon items have not been added to the Shades' Traits, but may be available
to powerful or well-connected Shades in case of emergency. Each Age also has an example of a typical
structure with it's security features, and potential guardian creatures.

Groups of Shades
If a group of Shades are working together, draw only once for the Shade with the highest Trait, and add
bonuses for any extra Shades. The maximum bonus for extra Shades is +10. If there are more than 10
Shades in the group, you should use gestalt combat, instead of detailed combat (or split the Shades up into
two or more groups).

Extra Shades Group Bonus

1-5 +1 / Shade, to a maximum of +5
10 +6 (maximum bonus for detailed combat)
20 +7 (gestalt combat only)
50 +8 (gestalt combat only)
100 +9 (gestalt combat only)
1000 +10 (maximum bonus for gestalt combat)

Scar has angered a tribe of 50 cavemen. Rather than drawing on Violence for each caveman, and keeping
track of all their wounds, the Guide draws once on Violence for the Caveman Chief (Violence 8), and then
adds +8 for the rest of the tribe (Violence 16 total).

Stone Age (Tech Level 1)

Caveman Hunter (+4) Chief (+10) Shaman (+10) King of Jungle (+16)
Violence 5 6 8 2 8
Fitness 4 5 6 6 6
Movement 3 4 4 2 6
Senses 3 4 4 4 6
Influence 1 1 3 4 3
Artistry 1 1 1 4 2
Reason 1 1 2 5 2
Use Tech 1 1 1 1 1
Build Tech - - - 1 1
Common Items: Club, Spear (Violence 1)
Uncommon Items: Bow (Violence 1), Torch, Wolf, Lion, Eagle, Sabertooth, Giant Condor.

Tent: Hide walls (Violence Challenge 2, Fitness 1) or Hut: Wood walls (Violence Challenge 6, Fitness 1)
Security: Rope Movement Challenge 5), guard wolf (Senses 4)

45
Metal Age (Tech Level 2)
Labourer Barbarian (+4) Warlord (+10) Priest (+10) Demon Slayer
(+16)
Violence 4 5 6 1 (2) 7
Fitness 4 5 (2) 6 (2) 2 (2) 7
Movement 3 4 5 2 4
Senses 3 3 4 5 5
Influence 2 2 3 6 3
Artistry 1 1 1 5 3
Reason 1 1 2 5 3
Use Tech 1 2 2 2 2
Build Tech 1 1 1 2 1
Common Items: Axe (Violence 2), Bow (Violence 2)
Uncommon Items: Armor (Fitness 2), Horse

Temple: Stone walls (Violence Challenge 8, Fitness 3)

Security: Chain (Movement Challenge 5), guard dog (Senses 4)

Age of Roads (Tech Level 3)

Peasant Bandit (+4) Ninja (+10) Pirate (+10) Monk (+16)
Violence 3 3 5 4 6
Fitness 3 3 4 4 5
Movement 3 4 6 5 7
Senses 3 3 3 3 5
Influence 2 2 2 3 2
Artistry 1 2 3 2 3
Reason 1 1 2 2 3
Use Tech 1 3 3 3 3
Build Tech 1 1 1 3 1
Common Items: Sword (Violence 3)
Uncommon Items: Horse, Cart,or Ship (Movement 3, Fitness 3), Rifle (Violence 3)

Castle: Stone walls (Violence Challenge 8, Fitness 3)

Security: Simple Lock (Movement Challenge 8), guard dog (Senses 4)

46
Age of Discovery (Tech Level 4)
Miner Gunfighter (+4) Detective (+10) Inventor (+10) Explorer (+16)
Violence 2 3 (4) 2 (4) 1 (4) 3 (4)
Fitness 2 3 2 1 4
Movement 2 3 3 2 4
Senses 4 3 5 5 6
Influence 2 2 4 4 4
Artistry 2 2 3 4 3
Reason 2 2 4 4 3
Use Tech 2 4 4 4 4
Build Tech 1 1 2 4 4
Common Items: Revolver (Violence 4)
Uncommon Items: Horse, Car, Steam ship, Train, or Zeppelin (Movement 4, Fitness 4)

Mansion: Wood walls (Violence Challenge 6, Fitness 1)

Security: Simple Lock (Movement Challenge 8), guard dog (Senses 4)

Electric Age (Tech Level 5)

Reporter Soldier (+4) Film Star (+10) Mob Boss (+10) Assassin (+16)
Violence 1 3 (5) 1 3 (5) 5 (5)
Fitness 2 3 2 3 3
Movement 2 2 3 2 5
Senses 2 2 3 4 4
Influence 3 2 6 5 3
Artistry 3 2 6 3 5
Reason 2 2 3 3 3
Use Tech 2 5 4 5 5
Build Tech 2 2 1 1 2
Common Items: Machinegun (Violence 5)
Uncommon Items: Car, Motorcycle, Airplane, Motorboat,or Tank (Movement 5, Fitness 5), gasmask

Mansion: Wood walls (Violence Challenge 6, Fitness 1)

Security: Standard Lock (Movement Challenge 10), alarm (Senses 5)

47
Atomic Age (Tech Level 6)
Teenager Cop (+4) Rock Star (+10) Spy (+10) Scientist (+16)
Violence 1 2 (5) 2 (5) 3 (5) 1 (5)
Fitness 1 2 (5) 2 3 (6) 1 (6)
Movement 1 2 2 4 2
Senses 2 3 3 4 5
Influence 3 3 5 3 5
Artistry 3 2 7 4 5
Reason 3 3 2 3 6
Use Tech 3 5 5 6 6
Build Tech 2 1 1 1 6
Common Items: Handgun (Violence 5), Armored Vest (Fitness 6), flashlight, radio
Uncommon Items: Car, Motorcycle, Helicopter (Movement 5, Fitness 5), handcuffs, video camera

Mall / School: Wood walls (Violence Challenge 6, Fitness 1)

Bunker / Prison: Metal walls (Violence Challenge 10, Fitness 5)
Security: Standard Lock (Movement Challenge 10), security camera (Senses 6)
Concealed microphone (Senses Challenge 13 to detect), Secret door (Senses Challenge 11)

Information Age (Tech Level 7)

Office Worker Agent (+4) Hacker (+10) Terrorist (+16)
Violence 1 2 (6) 1 (6) 3 (6)
Fitness 1 2 (6) 1 (6) 3 (6)
Movement 1 2 2 2
Senses 1 2 2 2
Influence 3 2 2 3
Artistry 2 2 3 2
Reason 4 3 (5) 5 (5) 4 (5)
Use Tech 4 6 6 7
Build Tech 2 2 7 7
Common Items: Uzi (Violence 6), Heavy Armor (Fitness 6),
Portable Computer / Camera / Phone (Reason 5), flashlight, multitool
Uncommon Items: Car, Motorcycle, Helicopter (Movement 6, Fitness 6), handcuffs, video camera
Hacking Deck (Build Tech 6), Health Pack (Reason 7)

Office: Wood walls (Violence Challenge 6, Fitness 1)

Military Base: Metal walls (Violence Challenge 10, Fitness 5)
Security: Computerized lock (Movement Challenge 12), motion sensors (Senses 7)
Computer system (Hacking Challenge 17, or 22 if encrypted)

48
Robotic Age (Tech Level 8)
Technocrat Guard (+4) Bounty-Hunter (+10) Executive (+16)
Violence 1 2 (7) 3 (7) 1 (7)
Fitness 1 2 (8) 3 (8) 1 (8)
Movement 1 2 3 2
Senses 1 2 3 2
Influence 2 2 2 6
Artistry 2 1 2 5
Reason 4 2 (7) 2 (7) 6 (7)
Use Tech 5 8 8 8
Build Tech 2 2 3 4
Common Items: Blaster (Violence 7), Heavy Armor (Fitness 8)
Portable Supercomputer (Reason 7), handcuffs, flashlight, multitool
Uncommon Items: Hoverboard or Jet Pack (Movement 8), Mechanized Tank (Movement 8, Fitness 8)
Hacking Deck (TL 7-8, Build Tech 7), Health Pack (Reason 7), EM Weapon

Factory: Metal walls (Violence Challenge 10, Fitness 5)

Security: Computerized lock (Movement Challenge 12), sensor array (Senses 8)
Automated security (Hacking Challenge 18, or 23 if encrypted)
Robots: Battle Droid (Huge), Mini-droid (hand-sized), see p. 53.

Genetic Age (Tech Level 9)

Norm Clone (+4) Super Soldier (+10) Doctor (+16)
Violence 1 1 (5) 3 (5) 1 (5)
Fitness 1 1 (4) 3 (4) 1 (4)
Movement 1 2 3 1
Senses 1 1 (4) 2 (4) 2 (4)
Influence 2 3 2 4
Artistry 2 3 2 2
Reason 4 4 (7) 4 (7) 6 (7)
Use Tech 5 6 8 9
Build Tech 2 2 2 9
Common Items: Smartgun (Violence 5, variable), Genetic Implants (Fitness 4, Senses 4)
Portable Supercomputer (Reason 7), Regenerative
Uncommon Items: Ring of Animal Command, Tailored Virus, Auto-Doc, Genetic Monsters.

Complex: Metal walls (Violence Challenge 10, Fitness 5)

Security: Biometric lock (Movement Challenge 14), genetic scan (Senses 9)
Airborne Virus (Fitness Challenge 18, invisible to normal senses)
Genetic Monsters: Liger (Huge), Spider-Bear (Huge), Winged Monkey (small), see p. 53.

49
Cybernetic Age (Tech Level 10)
Scavenger Cyborg (+4) Android (+10) Terminator (+16)
Violence 2 2 (6) 1 (6) 2 (6)
Fitness 2 2 (6) 1 (6) 2 (6)
Movement 2 2 (6) 1 (6) 2 (6)
Senses 2 2 (6) 1 (6) 2 (6)
Influence 1 2 (6) 4 (6) 3 (6)
Artistry 1 1 (6) 4 (6) 3 (6)
Reason 2 2 (6) 4 (6) 5 (6)
Use Tech 3 8 8 10
Build Tech 3 2 4 4
Common Items: Implants (Violence 6, Fitness 6, Movement 6, Senses 6)
Portable AI (Reason 6, Influence 6, Artistry 6)
Uncommon Items: Cloaking Device (Movement 10), Power Armor, Mechanized Tank

Arcology: Metal walls (Violence Challenge 10, Fitness 5)

Security: Electronic security (Movement Challenge 14), intelligent sensors (Senses 10)
Area jamming (Build Tech 10, jams TL 7-10)
Cybernetic Monsters: Cyber-Wolf (Human-size), Cyber-Ape see p. 53.

Space Age (Tech Level 11)

Colonist Pilot (+4) Marine (+10) Engineer (+16)
Violence 2 1 (8) 3 (8) 1 (8)
Fitness 2 1 (8) 3 (8) 1 (8)
Movement 2 1 (8) 3 (8) 1 (8)
Senses 2 1 (8) 3 (8) 1 (8)
Influence 1 2 (6) 2 (6) 3 (6)
Artistry 1 1 (6) 1 (6) 3 (6)
Reason 2 2 (6) 2 (6) 3 (6)
Use Tech 3 8 8 11
Build Tech 3 6 4 11
Common Items: Power Armor (Violence 8, Fitness 8, Movement 8, Senses 8)
Portable AI (Reason 6, Influence 6, Artistry 6)
Uncommon Items: Jet Pack, Land Speeder, Space Fighter, Auto-Doc, Staff of Storms

Space Station: Ceramic walls (Violence Challenge 13, Fitness 8)

Security: Airlock (Movement Challenge 20), intelligent sensors (Senses 10)
Area jamming (Build Tech 10, jams TL 7-10)
Robots: Servo Droid (Small), Protocol Droid (Human-size), see p. 53.
Aliens: Xenomorph (Large), see p. 53.

50
Warp Age (Tech Level 12)
Citizen High Evolutionary (+4) Space Knight (+10) Ascended Being (+16)
Violence 1 1 (6) 2 (6) 1 (6)
Fitness 1 1 (6) 2 (6) 1 (6)
Movement 1 1 (6) 2 (6) 1 (6)
Senses 1 1 (6) 2 (6) 2 (6)
Influence 2 2 (6) 2 (6) 3 (6)
Artistry 2 2 (6) 2 (6) 3 (6)
Reason 4 2 (6) 2 (6) 4 (6)
Use Tech 5 9 10 12
Build Tech 2 4 6 8
Common Items: Psi Powers (Violence 6, Fitness 6, Move 6, Senses 6, Influence 6, Artistry 6, Reason 6)
Telekinesis, Psychic Senses
Uncommon Items: Beam Weapon (Violence 11), Force Field (Fitness 12), Teleporter (Movement 12),
Hologram Projector (Artistry 12), Star Destroyer.
Robots and Monsters: War Droid (Large), Giant Robot (Building-size), Dragon (Building-size), p. 53.

Nano Age / Timelords (Tech Level 13 / 14)

To create Shades from the Nano Age, use the Warp Age Shades above, except they may carry Nano devices.
For Timelords, use the Ascended Being above, except they may carry Temporal Devices.

Creatures
Creatures are listed with only the Traits they can use effectively. Creatures in the wild, hunting for survival
or defending themselves or their territory, always use their full Traits. Creatures that are being directed by a
character use their Traits only up to the maximum of their handler's Fitness.

Violence: Creatures with Violence can attack. If a character is directing the creature, draw separately for the
creature's Violence. If no Violence is listed, the creature cannot attack, use Violence 0 for defense.

Fitness: Creatures with Fitness have Wound boxes equal to their Fitness, and can take damage for their
master / rider. If no Fitness is listed, use Fitness 1, and the creature goes down after taking 1 Wound.

Move (Stealth): All creatures have Movement. Creatures of Large size or larger can be ridden, draw on the
creature's Movement instead of the rider's. If the creature has Stealth bonuses or penalties from it's
Size, Stealth is listed in (parentheses) after Movement.

Senses: All creatures have Senses. If the creature is assisting a master, draw separately for the creature's
Senses. Creatures can warn their master of danger, but their ability to communicate other information
they have learned is limited by their Reason.

Influence, Artistry, Reason, Build Tech: If no Traits are listed, the creature cannot use these Traits at all.

Use Tech: Creatures with the Hands ability have Use Tech 1. Creatures with a Use Tech Trait have hands.

51
Animals (Common Ages)
Type Traits Special Size ETL
Ape Violence 3, Move 3, Senses 3 Hands (+1) Human 4
Bear Violence 4, Fitness 4, Move 4 (2), Senses 4 Large 4
Cat Move 4, Senses 4 Small 4
Crocodile Violence 4, Fitness 4, Move 4 (2), Senses 4 Large 4
Eagle Violence 3, Move 3, Senses 3 Fly (+1) Human 4
Elephant Violence 5, Fitness 5, Move 5 (1), Senses 5 Large 4
Horse Violence 2, Fitness 5, Move 5 (3), Senses 5 Low Violence (-1) Large 4
Lion Violence 4, Fitness 4, Move 4 (2), Senses 4 Large 4
Monkey Move 3, Senses 3 Hands (+1) Small 4
Raven Move 3, Senses 3 Fly (+1) Small 4
Shark Violence 4, Fitness 4, Move 4 (2), Senses 4 Aquatic (-) Large 4
Snake Violence 4, Move 4, Senses 4 Human 4
(constrictor)
Snake (viper) Violence 2, Move 2, Senses 2 Venom (+1) Small (+1) 4
Wolf Violence 4, Move 4, Senses 4 Human 4
Swarm Violence 4, Fitness 4, Move 4 (2), Senses 4 Venom (+1) Large 6 (or 7
Swarm (+1) with Fly)

Prehistoric Animals (Stone and Ice Ages)

Type Traits Special Size ETL
Giant Condor Violence 5, Move 5, Senses 5 Fly (+1) Human 6
Mammoth Violence 7, Fitness 7, Move 7 (3), Senses 7 Huge (-1) 6
Sabertooth Violence 4, Fitness 6, Move 6 (4), Senses 6 Large 6
Swarm Violence 6, Fitness 6, Move 6 (4), Senses 6 Venom (+1) Large 8 (or 9
Swarm (+1) with Fly)

Dinosaurs (Reptile Age)

Type Traits Special Size ETL
Colossal Squid Violence 9, Fitness 9, Move 9 (3), Senses 9 Aquatic (-) Building (-2) 7
Giant Crocodile Violence 9, Fitness 9, Move 9 (3), Senses 9 Building (-2) 7
Long-neck Violence 4, Fitness 8, Move 8 (2), Senses 8 Low Violence Building (-2) 6
(-1)
Pterosaur Violence 7, Fitness 7, Move 7 (5), Senses 7 Fly (+1) Large 8
Raptor Violence 7, Fitness 7, Move 7, Senses 7 Human (+1) 8
Tyranosaur Violence 8, Fitness 8, Move 8 (4), Senses 8 Huge (-1) 7
Swarm Violence 8, Fitness 8, Move 8, Senses 8 Venom (+1) Huge (-1) 9 (or 10
Swarm (+1) with Fly)

52
Robots (Robotic and future Ages)
Type Traits Special Size TL
Battle Droid Violence 8, Fitness 8, Move 8 (4), Senses 8 Ranged attack (+1) Huge 8
Giant Robot Violence 11, Fitness 11, Move 11 (5), Senses 11 Star flight (+2) Building(-2) 12
Ranged attack (+1)
Mini Droid Violence 3, Fitness 3, Move 3 (4), Senses 3, Fly (+1) Hand (+5) 8
Reason 3
Protocol Droid Fitness 8, Move 4, Senses 8, Reason 8, Low Move (-1) Human (+3) 9
Influence 8, Artistry 8
Servo Droid Violence 4, Fitness 8, Move 4, Senses 8, Low Violence (-1) Small (+5) 11
Reason 8, Use Tech 8, Build Tech 8 Low Move (-1)
War Droid Violence 10, Fitness 10, Move 10 (8), Senses 10 Fly (+1) Large 12
Ranged attack (+1)
Robots are directed with Use Tech, not Fitness. They cannot heal their own Wounds normally.

Aliens (Space and future Ages)

Type Traits Special Size ETL
Blob Violence 10, Fitness 10, Move 10 (7), Senses 10 Swarm (+1) Huge (-1) 10
Carnivorous Violence 10, Fitness 10, Move 0, Senses 10 Immobile (-2) Large 8
Plant
Sand Worm Violence 12, Fitness 12, Move 12 (6), Senses 12 Nahkla Sense (+1) Building(-1) 11
Xenomorph Violence 8, Fitness 8, Move 8 (6), Senses 8 Acid Blood (+1) Large 11

Genetic Monsters (Genetic and future Ages)

Type Traits Special Size ETL
Liger Violence 10, Fitness 10, Move 10 (6), Senses 10 Huge 10
Spider-Bear Violence 9, Fitness 9, Move 9 (5), Senses 9 Venom (+1) Huge (-1) 10
Webs (+1)
Winged Violence 6, Move 6, Senses 6, Use Tech 6 Fly (+1) Small (+2) 9
Monkey
Zombie Violence 8, Fitness 8, Move 4, Senses 8 Low Move (-1) Human (+1) 9
Undead (+1)
Infection (+1)

Cyborg Monsters (Cybernetic and future Ages)

Type Traits Special Size ETL
Cyber-Wolf Violence 8, Fitness 8, Move 8, Senses 8 Ranged attack (+1) Human (+1) 10
Cyber-Ape Violence 9, Fitness 9, Move 9, Senses 9, Use Tech 9 Large (+1) 10
Cyber- Violence 12, Fitness 12, Move 12 (8), Senses 12 Ranged attack (+1) Huge (-1) 12
Tyranosaur

53
Warp Monsters (Warp and future Ages)
Type Traits Special Size ETL
Dragon Violence 11, Fitness 11, Move 11 (5), Senses 11 Fly (+1) Building (-1) 12
Ranged attack (+1)
Unicorn Violence 7, Fitness 7, Move 7 (5), Senses 7 Healing (+1) Large (+4) 12
Reason 7, Influence 7, Artistry 7
Telepathic Cat Violence 6, Fitness 6, Move 6, Senses 6, Telepathy (+1) Small (+6) 12
Reason 6, Influence 6, Artistry 6

Nanobots (Nano Age)

Type Traits Special Size ETL
Nanites Move 13, Build Tech 13 Swarm (+1) Med (-2) 13
Replicator Violence 9, Fitness 9, Move 9 (10), Senses 9, Handheld 13
Build Tech 9 (+4)
Replicator Violence 17, Fitness 17, Move 17 (3), Senses 17, Gestalt only, Huge 13
swarm (51-100) Build Tech 17 Swarm (+1)
Grey Goo Violence 13, Fitness 13, Move 13 (5), Senses 13, Swarm (+1) City (-1 ) 13
Use Tech 13, Build Tech 13
Planetary Violence 23, Fitness 23, Move 23 (-3), Senses 23, Gestalt only Planet 13
Grey Goo Use Tech 23, Build Tech 23

Nanobots can build any type of technology. If they are threatened, they build whatever robots, weapons, psi-
powers, spaceships, viruses, or other defenses they need to survive. If there is no immediate threat, they will
begin building the next stage of Nanobot. Nanites build Replicators, Replicators build Replicator Swarms,
Replicator Swarms build Grey Goo, and Grey Goo builds Planetary Grey Goo.

Each step of nano-advancement has a base time of Weeks, and a Build Tech Challenge of (13 - local Tech
Level)x2. If the Nanobots are building copies of themselves, or building the next stage in nano-
advancement, they may take 5 on their Build Tech draw, using the following table. If they are building any
other type of robot, device, or power, see the Build Tech action (p. 31). If any type of Nanobot draws a
Black Joker for any action, it immediately mutates into the next stage of nano-advancement.

Local Ages Nanite to Replicator stages Replicator to Nanite or Grey Goo to

Tech Replicator (see below) Replicator Replicator to planetary
Level swarm Grey Goo Grey Goo
(50-100) (+1000
Replicators)
-3 Void 1 Year 1 Year 6 Years 10 years 10 years
0-1 Ice - Stone 1 Month 1 Month 8 Months 1 Year 1 Year
2-5 Metal - Electric 1 Week 1 Week 2 Weeks 1 Month 1 Month
6+ Atomic - Nano 1 Day 1 Day 4 Days 1 Week 1 Week

Nanites are microscopic robots. A swarm of Nanites will hide and build Replicators or the Nano virus.

54
Replicators are hand-sized, insectoid robots, which can fight or build more Replicators.

Replicator Swarms consist of 50-100 individual Replicators (+8 group bonus already added). They should
only be encountered in gestalt combat. A Replicator Swarm includes enough individuals to fight while still
building the next Replicator stage, and working on their Grey Goo.

Replicator Stages
As long as a single Replicator is able to build, they multiply at an exponential rate. The length of their stages
of growth depend on the local tech level (as above). Very quickly, there will be too many Replicators for the
players to track down and destroy all of them in detailed combat. When dealing with 50 or more Replicators,
you should always use gestalt combat. Replicators may split into several smaller groups, for instance to
attack each member of the Karass, or defend multiple entrances to their base, or infect several cities at once.

Stage 1, 2 Replicators (+1 group bonus)

Stage 2, 8 Replicators (1 squad with +5 group bonus)
Stage 3, 32 Replicators (1 mob with +7 group bonus*, or 2 squads with +6 bonus)
Stage 4, 80 Replicators (1 swarm with +8 bonus*, or 7 squads with +6 bonus)
Stage 5, 248 Replicators (2 colonies with +9 bonus*, or 4 swarms with +8*, or 22 squads with +6)
Stage 6, 776 Replicators (7 colonies with +9 bonus*, or 15 swarms with +8*, or 70 squads with +6)
Stage 7, 1680 Replicators (1 hive with +10 group bonus*, or 32 swarms with +8*), plus Grey Goo.
*Gestalt combat only. For detailed combat, players should face squads of up to 6 individual Replicators.

Grey Goo is made up of billions of microscopic Nanites. It can fight, build more Grey Goo, or build any
other type of technology, weapon, robot, or power it needs to survive.

Planetary Grey Goo changes the local Tech Level to 13. It consists of 1000 separate colonies of Grey Goo
(+10 group bonus already added). Planetary Grey Goo can only use it's full Traits (with group bonus) to
build spaceships or psi powers, or to fight enemies in space.
 If the players are on the surface of the Grey Goo planet, they can only be targeted by up to 6 nearby
colonies at once (as Grey Goo with +5 teamwork bonus, all Traits at 18).
 If the players are in the atmosphere of the Grey Goo planet, they can be targeted by up to 11 colonies
at once (as Grey Goo with +6 teamwork bonus, all Traits at 19).
 Only if they are in space can the players be targeted by the entire Grey Goo planet at once (as
Planetary Grey Goo, all Traits at 23. Combat should always be gestalt.
Each colony of Grey Goo has Fitness 13. If the Karass destroy one colony in detailed combat, they have
cleared an Island-sized area of the planet. The remaining colonies will repair the gap in minutes. If the
Karass destroy Planetary Grey Goo in gestalt combat, they have cleansed the entire planet.

55
56
Indigo Jumps
Before the Jump
When a character wants to make a Time Jump, the Guide should ask the following questions:
1. What Steps are you using?
2. Who are you taking with you as passengers? Are you using extra Steps, or reduced Precision?
3. When and where are you aiming for? Would you rather be early or late?

Passengers
You may transport any number of passengers. For each passenger you are bringing, you must either use one
extra Step, or your Precision slips one color darker. Passengers can bring their own carried items. If you
bring a Shade on a Jump, they become a Dark Leaper, unstuck from time. Creatures also count as
passengers, and become Shadow Beasts, unstuck from time.

Jump Challenge
Guide assigns a Challenge for the jump

Jump Challenge Knowledge of Destination

Easy 3 Very detailed, samples, well-marked, or the Time Machine's origin.
Standard 6 Some details.
Hard 8 Sketchy information
Extreme 10 Very little known. Prehistory, Far Future, Following a Trace.
Circumstance +/- 3.

Draw for the Jump

Draw separately for Time and Space. There is no Trait for time travel, use only your card draw. If you
succeed, you arrive at your target destination, within the precision for your current color.
If you fail in Time, you arrive off by the amount you failed by, times the precision for your current
color. You must specify before drawing whether you are aiming before or after the target time (If you forgot
to specify, assume that you were aiming for before). If your result is zero, you arrive off in the other
direction.
If you fail in Space, you are off by the amount you failed by times the precision for your current
color, in a direction determined by the Guide. If your result is zero, you arrive at the same place, not having
travelled through Space at all.
Some Methods' steps may limit your destination, perhaps to a gate network, or your own lifespan.
Only your choice of targeted destinations is limited. It is still possible for you to fail the draw, and arrive far
from your target (off the network, outside your lifespan, etc.).

Precision in Time and Space

Dark Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet Light
None Decade Year Month Week Day Hour Minute Instant
None 10, 000 km 1000 km 100 km km 100 m 10 m meters Exact

After the Jump

After the Jump, the Guide should determine the following:
1. When and where do the characters arrive? Did they make the jump? If they failed, how far off are they?
2. Were there any face cards involved in the Jump? What are the effects of the face cards?
3. What do the characters find when they arrive? Are any enemies waiting for them?

57
Face Cards on Time Jumps
Card Effect Plus choose one:
Light Joker Arrive in a good alternate timeline or discover a potential Synchronicity.
Success
Red King Arrive in a useful, interesting or convenient place, just in time.
draw again +3
Jump required up to 3 fewer step than you thought, especially Blocked, Recovery Time,
Damaging, Finite, etc.
Red Queen You leave no Trace, and cannot be followed by other Leapers.
draw again +2
Wider Blend, Shades do not react to your weapons or unusual appearance, or they mistake
you for someone useful.
Jump required up to 2 fewer steps than you thought, especially Blocked, Recovery Time,
Damaging, Finite, etc.
Red Jack Arrive with improved precision, as though you were advanced one color.
draw again +1
A Yellow Leaper aiming for a specific Year, arrives at the desired Month.
Jump required 1 fewer step than you thought, especially Blocked, Recovery Time,
Damaging, Finite, etc.
Black Jack Arrive with reduced precision, as though you slipped back one color.
draw again -1
A Yellow Leaper aiming for a specific Year, arrives at the desired decade.

Blocked from Time Jumping for days. You may Bend Time to Force a Jump (see p. 65).
Lose carried items (except temporal devices or Sparks).
Black Queen Blending fails, Shades notice your arrival and appearance.
draw again -2 One or more of your steps are inaccessible (your Time Machine is damaged, etc.).
You leave a wide trace, as though you slipped one color.
You accidentally bring along a Shade, or leave an open Rift behind you, and can be followed
by Shades.
Blocked from Time Jumping for days or weeks.
Black King Arrive in danger, trapped, in midair, underwater, or in a violent conflict.
draw again -3
Blocked from Time Jumping for months. You may Bend Time to Force a Jump (p. 65).
Dark Joker Arrive in prehistory, deep space, or a bad alternate timeline.

Example Time Jump

Bill is Blue, and is Jumping to his high school in San Dimas in 1988. He is bringing one passenger (Ted),
and they need to arrive on the day of his history presentation, so he decides to use an extra step for his
passenger, rather than reduced precision. The Guide assigns a Challenge of 3 for the Jump (because Bill
knows the place well). Bill draws a 7 for Time, and a Black King (draw again -3) and a 4 for Space (1 total).
Bill arrives on the day of his presentation (he succeeded on Time, and arrives within the Time precision for
his color), 2 km away from his high school (he failed on Space by 2, times the Space precision for his color),
in the middle of a busy freeway, right in front of a speeding semi truck (Black King effect).

58
Traces
Time Jumps leave Traces within their precision. A Red Jump creates a beacon for 10,000 km around, for a
decade before and after it, but a Violet Jump leaves only a tiny blip for a few seconds. If you are within this
Trace area, you can actively detect the Time Jump by using your Method, with as many steps as you require
for your current color. When you detect a jump, you can tell what color it is, and if belongs to someone in
your Karass. You may then attempt to follow the jump (Jump Challenge 10). If you are following a Trace,
you must arrive after the person you are following, although if you know where and when they are going,
you may try to Jump normally and arrive before them.

Outer Space Jumps

Your precision to Jump in space depends on being able to orient yourself to the planet you are on. When you
Jump between planets, or into outer space, you are much less precise.

If your Outer Space Jump succeeds, you may still arrive within your precision for your current color, as
normal. If your Outer Space Jump fails, you arrive off by the amount you failed by times the Outer Space
precision for your current color, using the following table. The Guide determines exactly where you arrive.
If you arrive in deep space without a life support system, you must either Bend for a spaceship or spacesuit,
or Light Out immediately.

Color Outer Space Precision Example

Red Light-Decade Distant stars, still within the same galaxy
(Earth to the edge of the Milky Way: 5,000 light-years)
Orange Light-Year (9,460 billion km) Closest stars (Earth to Alpha Centauri: 4 light years,
Earth to Sirius: 8 light years)
Yellow Light-Month
Green Light-Week In between stars (Earth to the Oort Cloud)
Blue Light-Day
Indigo Light-Hour (billions of km) Outer planets (Earth to Jupiter: 40 light minutes)
Violet Light-Minute (millions of km) Closest planets (Earth to the sun: 8 light-minutes,
Earth to Mars: 4-16 light-minutes, depending on orbits)

Example Outer Space Jump

Marty is Indigo, and wants to Jump inside a Martian spaceship, 10 light-minutes from Earth. If his Jump
succeeds, he will arrive within 10 meters of his desired destination (the normal space precision for Indigo),
close enough to appear inside a large spaceship. If his Jump fails, he will arrive off by a few light-hours,
somewhere in the orbit of the outer planets.

59
Random Time Jumps
-3 Void 14,000 - 4,600 mya Big Bang, formation of Solar System, and Earth
-2 Fire 4,600 - 490 mya Volcanoes, meteors, slimes and oozes
-1 Reptiles 490 - 65 mya Dinosaurs, Pangea supercontinent, extinction event
0 Ice 65 - 5 mya Mammoths, sabertooths
1 Stone 5 mya - 4000 B.C. Cavemen, stone tools, fire, cave painting
2 Metal 4000 B.C. - 300 B.C. Babylon, Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Stonehenge
3 Roads 300 B.C. - 1300 A.D. Trojan War, Vikings, Ghengis Khan, Marco Polo, Crusades
4 Discovery 1300 – 1700 Piracy, Columbus, Cortes, Pizarro, Magellan, wild west.
5 Electric 1700 – 1930 American, French, Chinese and Russian Revolutions, WWI
6 Atomic 1930 – 1990 WWII, Sputnik 1, Vietnam War, Apollo 11
7 Information 1990 – 2100 Gulf War, Iraq War, 9/11
8 Robotic 2100 – 2400 Robots, Mars mission
9 Genetic 2400 – 2800 Longevity treatments, cloning
10 Cybernetic 2800 – 3200 Cyborgs, Artificial Intelligence
11 Space 3200 – 3500 Orbital stations, colony planets
12 Warp 3500 – 3800 Interstellar civilization
13 Nano 3800 – 4000 Controlled nanotech utopia
14 Prismatic Wall 4000 Bounced back
15+ Far Future 4000 - ???? Grey Goo, or Time Lords' Utopia

Prismatic Wall
Almost every Timeline is blocked at around the year 4000 by the Prismatic Wall. The Wall was created by
Time Lords to protect the past from Grey Goo and other world-ending threats of the far future. It is
extremely difficult to cross the Prismatic Wall (Requires +3 extra steps, or a Bend of 13). Time travelers
who hit the Prismatic Wall may be bounced back to their starting time, another random time and place, or an
Alternate Timeline.

Random Space Jumps

0- Islands, Ocean Easter Island, Hawaii, Philippines, small islands, or open water
1 Africa Egypt, Sahara, Congo
2 Middle East Arabia, India
3 Southern Europe Spain, Italy, Greece
4 Northern Europe France, Germany, Scandinavia
5 British Isles England, Scotland, Ireland
6 Russia Eastern Europe, Mongolia
7 Asia China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam
8 North America East Chicago, Montreal, New Orleans, New York, Ottawa
9 North America West Houston, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Washington
10 South America Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba
11 Australia New Zealand
12 Arctic Antarctica
13 Other Planets Hospitable, Earthlike planets, colonized in Space or Warp Age
14+ Outer Space Inhospitable planets, moons, asteroids, or empty space

The Random Space Jumps assume that you are on Earth. If you are on another planet, or in space, the Guide
should determine an appropriate random location. If much of your Chronology takes place in outer space or
on other planets, the Guide may wish to create a special Random Space Jump table for the Chronology.

60
Temporal Devices and Anomalies
Black Boxes / Dark Rooms
Black Boxes are small, portable devices, usually placed over a prisoner's head or hands, to prevent them from
Time Jumping. Dark Rooms are large, immobile areas (rooms, towers, forests, islands, etc.) that block Time
Jumps into or out of them. Both are frequently used by Time Police.

Lighthouses
Lighhouses are areas (rooms, towers, forests, islands, etc.), that are outside of normal time and space, that
can only be reached (or escaped) by Time Jumping. Challenge of the Jump is still based on how well you
know the Lighthouse (3-10). If you fail the Jump, you have missed the Lighthouse completely and arrived
somewhen and somewhere off from your departure point.

Other Anomalies
Time Loops and Soft Places are difficult to reach or escape by Time Jumping. +2 extra steps required.

Alternate Timelines
There is no one true Timeline. Everyone sees their own Timeline as being Dominant, the "real" world. By
default, the Dominant Timeline resembles our own history, the world we know. The Dominant future is
less certain, but it's Ages usually follow the timeline on page 60.

Alternate Timelines may be reached either deliberately or by accident. You may accidentally reach an
Alternate Timeline by drawing a Joker on a Time Jump (Light Joker taking you to a good, helpful Timeline,
Dark Joker taking you to a bad, dangerous Timeline), or as the result of Paradox (taking you to a Timeline
appropriate to your Bend). The last Timeline created by one of the player characters becomes their new
Dominant Timeline. You continue leaping within that Timeline, until you return to your own Timeline
deliberately.

To deliberately reach a specific Alternate Timeline, Jump to the point where the Timelines split, and then
Jump forward, aiming for your desired Alternate Timeline. Jump Challenge is based on knowledge of the
destination, as usual, modified by the likelihood of the Alternate Timeline occurring.

Jump Challenge Alternate Timeline

Easy +1 Likely to occur, minor change.
Standard +2 Unlikely, significant change, or several minor changes.
Hard +3 Very unlikely, major change, or several significant changes.
Extreme +4 Extremely unlikely. Radical change, several major changes, or miraculous occurance.

To arrive in the desired Alternate Timeline, you must succeed on the Jump Challenge (meaning that you
always arrive at the correct Time/Space destination in the desired Alternate Timeline). If you fail the Jump
Challenge, you arrive in the current Dominant Timeline, at a Time/Space destination determined by the
precision for your current color and number of passengers. The only way for your Jump to drop you in
another Alternate Timeline is to draw a Joker on the Jump.

Once you have traveled back to the point where the Timelines split, it is possible for you to intervene,
Altering History to make your desired Alternate Timeline more likely to occur. This makes the Jump
Challenge easier, and possibly creates Paradox. If you interfere enough, you can Alter History to make your
desired Alternate Timeline the new Dominant Timeline. This avoids having to Jump to another Timeline
completely, but will almost definitely cause Paradox, and attract Time Cops or Terminators.

61
62
Violet Paradox
Causing Paradox
There are 4 ways time travelers may cause Paradox; Altering History, Bending Time, Meeting Yourself,
or Technological Impact. There is no Trait for Paradox, use only your card draw.

Altering History
Time travelers are always changing history. But when a time traveler makes major changes to history, such
as altering wars, plagues or disasters, killing or saving important leaders or scientists, or introducing
advanced technology, they may cause Paradox, or Synchronicity. The Guide decides when the time travelers'
actions alter either recorded history or played history enough to draw. Some major events may be Fixed
Points, which create ripple effects throughout the timeline. The Guide then sets the Challenge of the change.

Change Challenge Change Challenge

Altering established history 7 Overt change +2
Correcting or restoring established history -2 Contradicts other scenes already played +2
Altering history already altered by time travel -2 Contradicts whole episodes already played +2
No Shades witness or record the change -2 Prevents a major character's birth/origin +2
Subtle change -2 At a Fixed Point in the timeline. +2

Synchronicities (p. 71).

If you succeed, you create a Low Synchronicity.
If you succeed by +5, create a Mid Synchronicity.
If you succeed by +10, create a High Synchronicity.

Paradox (p. 67)

If you fail, you create Indirect Paradox.
If you fail by -5, you suffer Direct Paradox.

Examples of Altering History

Rose saves her father by grabbing him out of the way of a runaway car. The Challenge for the change starts
at 7 (+2, overt change), total Challenge of 9. Rose draws a 7, creating Indirect Paradox.

Sarah breaks into a secure Skynet lab, and destroys the robot limb that is the template for all the
corporation's advanced robotic technology. She is hoping to alter history, preventing robot wars and a
dystopian future. The Challenge for the change starts at 7 (-2 the robot limb is from the future, so Sarah is
altering history already altered by time travel, +4 the players have already seen that dystopian future, so
Sarah's change contradicts other scenes, and whole episodes, already played, +2 Sarah became a time
traveller because of the robot war, so her change will prevent her own origin), total Challenge 11.

63
Bending Time
A Bend is when a character wills something incredible to happen, usually a favor from a future (or past) self.
The player states their time travel trick, and the Guide assigns a Challenge for the trick (3-13). The Bend
should be stated as “Later, I will come back here and ...”. If the Bend is complicated, and would be difficult
for the character to do, even with high technology and extra time, assign it a Time Debt of 13. The Guide
may still say that a particular Bend is impossible. Bends cannot undo Paradox effects, end all evil
everywhere, or alter intangible game mechanics like Trait maximums or experience points, etc.).

Bends always work. You don't need to draw a card to use a Bend, just record the Challenge as Time Debt.

Time Debt
While you are in debt to your future (or past) selves, you cannot spend experience. You may still gain
experience as normal, but you may not spend it until you resolve your Debt. Each Episode that you delay
dealing with your Debt, add +1 to the Challenge. When your Time Debt reaches 13, you must draw for it at
the end of the Episode.

Pick or Play
You may resolve Time Debt in one of two ways. You may roleplay out the scene of going back in time to
help out your past (or future) self, which may involve other characters and require multiple Time Jumps. The
Guide should set the Challenge of this mission accordingly for the Challenge of the Bend you pulled, and any
extra Challenge for delay.

Or, instead of playing out the favor scene, you may draw against Paradox, at the Challenge of the original
Bend, plus any extra Challenge for delay. If you fail, you cause Paradox. If you succeed, you have cheated
the timestream and gotten away with it. If you succeed with a Light Joker, you have created a potential
Synchronicity. If you do go back and play out the scene which explains your Bend, you may now create a
Synchronicity.

Example Bend
Bill and Ted need to get into the police station. Bill has a plan. “After the report we'll time travel back to
two days ago, steal your dad's keys, and leave them here behind that sign.” Bends always work, so the keys
are there “See?” The Guide assigns Bill a Time Debt of 6 for the Bend.

Ted is like, “Whoa! Yeah! So after the report we can't forget to do this, or else it won't happen. But it did
happen!” Bill decides not to go back and play out the scene of stealing the keys, and just draw for Paradox.
He draws a 9, avoiding Paradox “Hey,” says Ted, “It was me who stole my dad's keys!”

Another Example Bend (Spoiler Warning!)

Doc is Orange, and is attacked by a squad of terrorists in 1985. Doc has Violence 1, Fitness 1, and the
terrorists easily kill him, but as a time traveller, he can always Light Out to escape from death. Doc records
the Time Debt of 13.

Marty travels back to 1955, and writes Doc (Dark) a letter, warning him about the terrorist attack.
Forewarned, Doc wears an armored vest and survives the terrorist attack. Marty and Doc played out the
scene, explaining how Doc Lighted Out. Doc can remove his Time Debt, and doesn't have to draw for
Paradox.

64
Common Bends Bend Challenge / Time Debt
Bend Jump Jump Challenge (draw separately for Time and Space)
(Auto succeed on Jump)
Force Jump 5 + number of color shifts necessary + number of missing steps
(Jump when Blocked)
Appear in a scene 12
Create Temporal Device 6 (Black Box or Dark Room with Challenge 5, Lighthouse with Challenge 8,
Low Folding Pocket, Crosstime Phone)
Create Temporal Device 9 (Black Box or Dark Room with Challenge 10, Lighthouse with Challenge 5
Mid Folding Bag, Time Machine)
Create Temporal Device 12 (Black Box or Dark Room with Challenge 15, Lighthouse with Challenge 3
High Folding Room, Universal Translator)
Create Temporal Anomaly 13 (Alternate Timeline, Doppelganger, Prismatic Wall, Rift, Time Loop)
Find creature Equivalent Tech Level of the creature (draw on Fitness to befriend creature)
Find helpful Shade Shade's highest Trait (draw on Influence to befriend or command the Shade)
Find technology Tech Level of the device.
Find multiples +1 per extra duplicate item, creature, or Shade
Know information 4
Know major information 8
Know major information 12
Light Out 13 (Disappear from any danger, even certain death. Appear in a safe place)
Succeed at most Actions Half Challenge of the Action. Maximum 13. Declare Bend before drawing.
Win gestalt Combat Enemy's Violence + Fitness. Maximum 13. Declare Bend before drawing
Use special ability 10 (for abilities possible in normal animals or machines, as cybernetics)
Use super-power 12 (for incredible abilities like telepathy, or phasing through solid matter)
Use nano-power 13 (for impossible abilities, or to affect/control/destroy nanotechnology)
Undo Paradox effect Impossible as a Bend. Requires a Synchronicity.
Black Box or Dark Room +2 to any Bend.

Bending Jumps
Bending a Jump makes your Jump easier, if you are Jumping into an unknown destination, or cannot risk
missing your target.

Forcing Jumps
Forcing a Jump makes an impossible Jump possible, even if you are Blocked, or missing required steps. You
cannot Force a Jump out of a Black Box or Dark Room.

Lighting Out
Your Light self comes back and saves you. Disappear from any danger, even certain death. Appear in a safe
place. You can Light Out of a Black Box or Dark Room.

65
Meeting Yourself
When you are Altering History, or playing out Bends, you must be careful not to meet yourself, as this causes
further Paradox. You can avoid causing Paradox by hiding from yourself. Draw on your Movement (stealth)
or Artistry (disguise), for your current, and draw on your Senses for the color of the other self you are
avoiding. Time travelers from the Age of Discovery may draw twice for Senses, and choose to keep the
worse draw. If your other self sees you or recognizes you, you must draw immediately for Paradox.

Paradox Challenge Paradox Challenge

See yourself (seconds) 5 Help yourself (days) 8
Meet yourself (minutes) 6 Extra help (weeks) +1 per action or Time Phase
Talk with yourself (hours) 7 Extra selves +1 per extra self in the scene.

Example of Meeting Yourself

Marty is Indigo, and running from a gang of thugs in 1956. The thugs chase Marty into the high school
auditorium, where Orange Marty is performing on stage. Indigo Marty has to take out the gang of thugs
without being spotted by his former self. He draws on his (Indigo) Movement, vs. his (Orange) Senses. If
Orange Marty sees him, Indigo Marty will have to draw for Paradox (Challenge 5). If the thugs threaten
Orange Marty, and Indigo Marty has to help himself, the Paradox Challenge would be 8.

Technological Impact
Using technology higher than the local Tech Level may cause Paradox. Draw for technological Impact:
 At the end of any scene in which a character used technology higher than the local Tech Level.
 When building technology higher than the local Tech Level.
 When technology higher than the local Tech Level is lost, stolen, or abandoned so that Shades might
recover it. Technology that is stolen by other time-travelers, or lost in a Time Jump or by Paradox,
does not cause Technological Impact.

Impact Challenge = highest Tech Level used, +1 per additional use of high technology in the scene.
-2 if Shades only witness indirectly (finding traces or effects of the technology later)

Creatures such as dinosaurs and robots may also cause Paradox, in any Age where they do not belong. Draw
on the creature's Equivalent Tech Level (ETL), if it acts in an Age where it doesn't belong.

Do not draw for Impact if no Shades witness the high technology or creature. If Shades do not witness the
technology or creature because of a high tech ability (cloaking), draw at -2, as if the Shades witness
indirectly.

Example of Tech Impact

Doc is stranded in 1885, and decides to build a sniper rifle (TL 8). After building the sniper rifle, Doc draws
for Paradox (Challenge 8). Later, Doc is fighting off a gang of outlaws, and he fires three shots with the
sniper rifle. At the end of the scene, he draws for Paradox (Challenge 8 +2 extra shots = 11). Still later, the
outlaws break into Doc's lab and find the abandoned sniper rifle, and Doc draws for Paradox again
(Challenge 8).

66
Paradox Effects
If you fail any type of Paradox draw, you may cause Indirect Paradox, as below. If you fail by 6 or more,
you suffer Direct Paradox.

Fail by Paradox Effect (Guide chooses one)

1 (Low) Color Blind Danger Portal Lose Items Refraction Spotted Stranded
2 (Low) Butterfly Dark Room Fallout Lose Body Shadow Visible
Effect Parts / Scarred Creature
3 (Mid) Age Chronovore Tech Boost / Terminator Time Police Time Quake
Tech Slip
(minor)
4 (Mid) Alternate Black Hole Curse Doppelganger Soft Place Spectral
Timeline Creature
5 (High) Destroyed Rift Tech Boost / Time Loop Time Storm Vortex
Tech Slip
(major)
6+ (High) Direct Paradox.
Dark Joker Lose Light episode.
Light Joker Create a Potential Synchronicity (see p. 71).

Direct Paradox
Cross out one episode from your current color, or a later color of your choice. Add one episode to an earlier
color of your choice. If you drew a Dark Joker, you must lose your Light episode (or your latest unplayed
episode).

Indirect Paradox

Age
You age suddenly and dramatically, a fraction of your real age catching up with you. How does your sudden
aging manifest? Grey hair, wrinkles, a growth spurt, or an altogether older appearance? Or become a child.

Alternate Timeline.
An Alternate Timeline branches off from your current Timeline, usually creating one world where your trick
succeeded, and another parallel world where your trick failed.

Black Hole
You open a Black Hole, which sucks in people, items, even whole buildings, streets, or towns. The Black
Hole tears things out of linear time, and deposits them in some strange time and place as Dark Leapers.

Butterfly Effect
Your action has unpredictable long-term consequences, affecting the whole world in the far future. The
consequences have little or no direct relation to your action, and may include storms, wars, plagues, dictators
or extinctions.

Chronovore
You create a monster which somehow feeds on time. A Chronovore may have any type of body (human,

67
animal, dinosaur, insect, or alien), and whatever Traits and abilities the Guide wishes. It is considered a Red
Leaper (or may be more advanced), and can draw red cards. The Chronovore preys on humans, stealing their
most significant moment. The moment, and action, eaten by the Chronovore are erased from the timestream,
altering history and the Shades' memories. The Chronovore never suffers Paradox for the time it steals.
Chronovores are drawn to feed on humans with significant lives, whose actions have touched many others.

Color Blind
You cannot see other time travelers' Tints, and cannot Trace their Jumps.

Curse
Whatever you have done, the timestream seeks to undo. If you saved someone from dying, the timestream
will keep trying to kill them in a series of bizarre accidents and coincidences. If you killed someone, they
will be cloned, or resurrected, or a descendent will carry on their name and their work.

Danger Portal
You open a portal that brings a danger or disaster from another time, such as an avalanche, blizzard,
explosison, fire, meteor strike, plane crash, plague, or volcanic eruption. Anyone caught in the dangerous
area must draw on their Fitness (Challenge 10-20).

Dark Room
The room, building, town, or place you are in becomes a Dark Room, a place where time travel does not
work. It is impossible to Time Jump into or out of the Dark Room, and any Bends performed inside create
+2 extra Time Debt more than usual.

Destroyed
Your body is destroyed. Your brain may be saved and kept in a jar, or you may be just a disembodied
consciousness until someone can build you a robot body, or clone (Tech Level 9).

Doppelganger
You create a Doppelganger, an independent, alternate version of yourself, your attacker, or someone else.
The Doppelganger may be opposite of the original (evil twin, different gender, failure or success), or may be
very similar. The Doppelganger is real, alive, and permanent, and has no home Timeline of their own. The
Doppelganger is an NPC played by the Guide.

Fallout
Your action has unpredictable short-term consequences, affecting your current time and place, over the next
decade. The consequences are somehow related to your action, and may include death, injury, poverty or
imprisonment for someone else, destroying a building, street, town, or family, or irradiating the area.

Lose Items or Body Parts

Lose everything you are carrying, or a body part (usually a hand or eye). The lost items reappear randomly
across space-time. Some you may trace and recover, some are destroyed or floating in deep space. Lost body
parts may be replaced by Cybernetic or Genetic technology (Tech Level 9).

Scarred
You are visibly, horribly scarred or burned. Blending does not hide your scars, you are easily recognized.

Shadow Creature
You open a portal and a rampaging beast appears from another time. The beast may be prehistoric, such as a
sabre-tooth, mammoth, raptor or tyranosaur, or futuristic, such as an alien, robot, or automated vehicle.
Whether frightened, scrambled, or insane, the beast immediately goes on a rampage until it can be stopped or

68
calmed down. The beast is a Shadow Creature, and cannot use red cards.

Soft Place
The room, building, town, or place you are in becomes a Soft Place, unstuck from time. Every day, the Soft
Place Time Jumps itself to a random time and place. Anyone who leaves the place by normal physical means
may find themselves Time Jumped to a random time and place. Shades transported by the Soft Place become
Dark Leapers. Time Jumping into or out of the Soft Place requires +2 extra steps.

Spectral Creature
You open a portal and a rampaging beast or robot appears from another time. The beast is at least a Red
Leaper (or may be more advanced), and can draw and use red cards as well as black. Add +1 to any two
Traits for each color the creature is advanced. Unlike most time travelers, many Spectral Creatures can be
killed, lacking the intelligence to Bend Time and save themselves.

Spotted
The blending effect around you stops working temporarily, and suddenly all the Shades can see you for the
stranger you truly are. They may witness some impossible or miraculous effect, like appearing or
disappearing. They notice your weapons, armor, Tint, and pet dinosaur. They may hunt you down, go insane,
or report you, leaving a record of your presence in this time.

Stranded
One or more of your time-travel steps (probably your Time Machine, Materials, or Power Source) is broken,
lost, or unavailable. You can still Force a Jump to escape (see p. 65).

Refraction
Your Bend repeats, many separate times, across space and time. If you planted a laser gun under the
floorboards, there are now many laser guns, under many different floors, across time and space.

Rift
You have created a permanent, stable Rift in spacetime, which allows two-way travel between two specific
places and times. Shades who cross through the Rift become Dark Leapers. Any items or creatures may be
transported through the Rift.

Tech Boost (major)

Shades discover new technologies and become more advanced. The local Tech Level goes up by +1. Change
affects this Age, and all following Ages. Nanotechnology is developed one Age earlier.

Tech Boost (minor)

Shades discover new technologies and become more advanced. The local Tech Level goes up by +1.
Change only affects this Age.

Tech Slip (major)

Shades lose or forget current technologies and become more primitive. The local Tech Level goes down by
-1. Change affects this Age, and all following Ages. Nanotechnology is developed one Age later.

Tech Slip (minor)

Shades lose or forget current technologies and become more primitive. The local Tech Level goes down by
-1. Change only affects this Age, or the early part of the next Age. Following Ages use normal Tech Levels.

Terminator
You have attracted the attention of a Terminator, which may be a human, robot, or cyborg. Most

69
Terminators have been sent back in time from the Terminator alternate future, to eliminate perceived threats
to their Timeline. There are many models, and they may be reprogrammed or sent by different factions, but
they are all are inhuman killing machines, with Traits at least as high as the most powerful player characters
(usually 7-10). Terminators are at least Red Leapers (or may be more advanced). Terminators are usually not
subtle, and care nothing for causality. They often die from their own Paradoxes.

Time Loop
You create a repeating Time Loop, probably covering either your original Bend, your current situation, or
both. The Time Loop may include your current building or town, over a period of hours, days, or months.
The Time Loop continues endlessly, perhaps repeating exactly what happened before, perhaps cycling
through the infinite possible outcomes. Time Jumping into or out of the Time Loop takes +2 extra steps.
You may undo the Time Loop only by Synchronicity (see below).

Time Police
You have attracted the attention of some branch of the Time Police, who have dispatched an agent or agents
to stop you. There are many different Time Police branches, operating from different alternate futures, and
upholding different temporal laws. Most Time Police see any other Time Police as unauthorized vigilantes.
Time Police usually attempt to blend in with your current time and place, and try not to cause Paradox
themselves. They usually try to capture time travelers for judgment or imprisonment in a Lighthouse or Dark
Room, rather than just "killing" them and creating more Paradox. Time Police are time travelers themselves,
so you may have encountered these same officers in their past or future, and they too cannot be killed, only
temporarily removed. Unlike Terminators and Rampaging Beasts, however, they can be reasoned with.
Most Time Police have Traits around 6-8, and are at least Red Leapers (or later).

Time Storm
A Time Storm rains down on the area with material, objects, people and animals from other times. The
streets flood with water, frogs, and debris, confused Dark Leapers appear from the past or future, and
frightened dinosaurs stampede. Really big Time Storms might include volcanoes, meteor strikes, or invading
armies (either barbarians or space fighters). Most time travelers will just abandon the Timeline, or perhaps
seal off the Storm with a Time Loop. Others might want to stick around to help save innocent lives, look for
high technology, capture displaced dinosaurs, and lead the Dark Leapers back home.

Time Quake
The entire area and everyone in it is displaced in time. This may have many different effects in the same area,
trapping one building in a Time Loop, while sending others a few days into the past or future, creating zones
of slowed or stopped time, giving some individuals amnesia or precognition, and aging or creating
Doppelgangers of others. Unlike a Time Storm, a Time Quake's effects are subtle, and blending prevents
most Shades from noticing anything unusual. Most people caught in a Time Quake are only displaced by a
few days, never by more than a decade. Most are still considered Shades, although a few may become Dark
Leapers.

Visible
You are no longer concealed by Blending. Shades can see your Tint, and your strange appearance.

Vortex
A Vortex destroys the Timeline you are in. You may find yourselves in an Alternate Timeline, or floating in
deep space. The Timeline's past may still exist, but the Timeline dead-ends at the point when your paradox
occurred.

70
Synchronicities
Synchronicities can either repair Paradoxes, or earn Sparks for the character, at the level of the
Synchronicity. A Low Synchronicity can either repair a Low Paradox, or earn a Low Spark, etc.

Altering History
Characters can create Synchronicities by Altering History, especially by subtly restoring recorded or played
history that was already altered by time travel. Playing out a Bend to pay off Time Debt does not create
Synchronicity, unless you drew a Light Joker for the Paradox draw.

Marty causes Paradox by preventing his parents from meeting, but then creates Synchronicity by helping
them fall in love.

Doc Brown creates Paradox by saving Clara from falling into a ravine. He causes Synchronicity by
removing her from local spacetime, making her a time traveller.

Synchronicity
1 - 4 Low 10 -14 High (Equals 2 Mid or 4 Low)
5 - 9 Mid (Equals 2 Low) 15+ Legendary (Equals 2 High)

Potential Synchronicities
Potential Synchronicities are events which do not make sense, or differ from recorded history. Potential
Synchronicities are opportunities for the player characters to complete the Synchronicity, earn Sparks, and
repair Paradox.

Drawing a Light Joker for a Paradox draw always creates a potential Synchronicity. Enemy time travelers
create potential Synchronicities when they Alter History, Bend Time, or cause Technological Impacts. Many
Paradoxes create potential Synchronicities. The player characters may create Synchronicities by undoing or
resolving these Paradoxes.

Drawing a Light Joker for a Time Jump may also allow the characters to discover a potential Synchronicity,
or the Guide may create potential Synchronicities as part of their plot. The Guide should decide if history
was altered by a time traveller or Paradox (which is easier to undo as a Synchronicity), or if this is history as
it occurred naturally (which is more difficult to resolve subtly to create a Synchronicity).

The time travelers draw a Light Joker on a Time Jump, and arrive on board the Titanic. They discover that
the Titanic will not actually hit an ice berg. Since recorded history says that the ship sank, and survivors
saw an ice berg, this is a potential Synchronicity. The characters have an opportunity to correct the timeline
to agree with recorded history by sinking the ship. If the Guide decided that the ice berg was stolen by
enemy time travelers, then it will be easier for the characters to create a Synchronicity.

Poetic Synchronicities
You may also create Synchronicities by orchestrating elegant series of events, and neat closed loops. The
level of a poetic Synchronicity is left up to the Guide.

Clare gives Henry a list of the dates he appeared to her. Henry travels back into Clare's past, and gives her
the list, to give to him. Where did the list come from?

71
72
Light Being the Guide
Starting a Chronology
1. Before creating characters, either the play group or the Guide should choose:
 What is the focus which will link all characters? Choose a shared time or place, concept, or mission.

 What is the shared Agenda for the Karass? Individual characters may not always follow this agenda,
but it gives them a reason to cooperate and seek each other out.

 Are there any required steps, that all characters' Methods should share? Having a required step makes
your fictional universe simpler, because all time travel works the same way. Having required steps
also limits the characters' ability to time jump, making it easier for the Guide to create problems for
them.

 How many total episodes will the chronology be?

3, one episode each of Orange, Green, Indigo. Traits cost 1xp per +3.
6, one episode each of Dark, Red, Yellow, Blue, Violet, Light. Traits cost 1xp per +2.
9, one episode of each color. Traits cost 1xp per +1.
16, two episodes of each color, plus one dark and one light episode. Traits cost 2xp per +1.
23, three episodes of each color, plus one dark and one light episode. Traits cost 3xp per +1.

 How will players choose colors each episode?

-All characters play all colors in sequence.
-Choose one character who will play colors in sequence. Others choose colors each episode.
-Players draw a card each episode, and choose their colors in descending card order. Only one
character per color per episode.
-Players choose any color each episode.

2. Help the players create characters.

 Remind the players not to create too much backstory for their characters, but find out if there are any
plot elements (villains, organizations, time travelers, alien civilizations) they would like to see.

3. After creating characters, the Guide should:

 Create a rough timeline relating to the chronology's focus throughout time.

 Do a little research on the places and time periods that will be important to the characters, and to your
plot. Don't bother doing too much research, as the characters will likely end up in a completely
different place and time, either by choice or by accident.

 Create any major plot elements suggested by the characters' concepts, the players' suggestions, and
your own plot ideas. Are any of the characters from alternate timelines? What event/s bring about
the different alternate timelines? Do any of the characters' concepts or backgrounds suggest
interesting enemies, allies, or organizations (Time Cops, Terminators, scientists, church, cult, mob,
government, etc.)? Do you expect to use a lot of aliens in this chronology? If you do, create a few
alien races, with rough timelines of their technological advancement, and first contacts.

 Build major recurring villains just like characters. Build any important tech items or creatures using
the rules in the Technology chapter.

73
Example Plot Focus: Black Diamond
Th Guide decides to create a plot focused on a rare and valuable black diamond, and creates a rough timeline.
 Diamond is mined by slaves in colonial Africa (potential for slave revolt).
 Diamond is worn by a European noblewoman to an important event (coronation, etc.)
 Diamond is brought to the United States and entrusted to a bank.
 Diamond is stolen in a bank robbery.
 Diamond is recovered by federal agents in a raid on a gang base.
 Diamond is used in court as evidence to convict a major mob boss.
 Diamond becomes government property.
 Diamond is used to drill for water on Mars.
 Diamond drill is hijacked by Free Mars revolutionaries, to undermine major Martian cities.
 Diamond is buried and lost in the Martian revolution.

There are potential plots and conflicts at many points in the diamond's history. The characters could hear
about the diamond in many different Ages. Altering any of the events in the diamond's history could alter
future events. The diamond could attract the attention of Time Bandits and Time Cops.

Starting an Episode
Each player chooses their color. You may choose any color, as long as you still have Episodes left in that
color. Each character only has one Light and one Dark Episode. If it is your first time running Specturm, no
player should choose Light. The players may choose similar colors, or very different colors. It is okay to
have two or more characters of the same color. Immediately record each character's color for this Episode.

After each player chooses a color, calculate their Traits for that color, including any experience from earlier
colors, and circle a number of Wound boxes equal to their current Fitness. Circle Wound boxes for the
character's armor in their current color. Characters may begin with any items you wish to allow, but only
characters with the Tech Item or Creature Sparks should begin with significant or powerful items. Other
characters who wish to begin with powerful items should Bend Time for those items, and record the Time
Debt.

Review your notes. What do you know about where the characters were in their previous color, or where
they will be in their next color? What plot information do they know, or not know, at this point in their
lives?

Starting Play 1: Guide chooses, characters together

The Guide chooses a time and place, where there is a plot hook, something happening that the characters will
be interested in exploring. The characters all begin there together, ready for action. This is a good way to
start your first Episode. When you are ready for something more complicated, try one of the other ways of
starting play.

The characters are all together in the bar on the Titanic.

The characters are all together in a Lighthouse Bar, where they overhear a rumor of a strange meteor.

The characters are all at Time Police Headquarters, where the Time Lords have a special mission for them.

Starting Play 2: Darkest color chooses, characters together

The character with the earliest color chooses the time and place where the episode begins, and a plot that
their character is interested in pursuing, that the other characters could help with. This helps put the spotlight
on the character with the darkest color. The characters begin all together, ready for action.

74
Starting Play 3: Characters separated
Either the Guide, or the character with the earliest color, chooses an event around which the characters meet.
This is the best way to start a Dark episode, by putting the Dark character in danger. Each time traveller aims
for this event, and probably arrives early, by minutes, days, years, or even centuries. Begin with the
characters who arrive first. How do they pass the time until the others arrive? See When the characters are
Separated (p. 77).

The Karass are meeting in Mexico City on May 5th, 2099. Scar is Orange, and arrives on time. Jenny is
Green, and arrives 4 Months before Scar, in January. Casiel is Yellow, and arrives 3 Years early, in 2096.
John is Orange, and has already been living in Mexico City for Decades. The Episode begins with John's
mundane life in Mexico City. Cassiel arrives, locates John, sets up a base, and begins a long-term building
project. Then Jenny arrives, locates John, and rents an apartment. All of these scenes are narrated quickly,
to get play to the point where Scar arrives, and all the characters are together.

This kind of start is harder to do, because the Guide has to describe multiple different scenes, and make each
one interesting, while also making each separate scene short, to bring the Karass together quickly. Also,
when you begin play with a lot of Time Jumps like this, you may start out with characters in danger, or
stranded in deep space or an alternate timeline. On the other hand, if your play group is ready for this kind of
complexity, this kind of start is a great way to get multiple new plots started, and really feels like time travel.

Starting Play 4: Characters scattered

Each character begins in downtime, starting with the darkest color. Where and when do they live between
adventures? Characters with darker colors have probably been living in one place and time for Years or
Decades. Have them draw for downtime activity. One of the characters, probably the darkest character, may
be in trouble, under attack, or otherwise in need of help. Tell the character with the brightest color, that they
remember the Karass is supposed to help deal with this trouble. The brightest character Jumps to each of the
other characters in turn, and gathers them together. Once all the characters are gathered together, they may
deal with this plot, or choose where and when to go.

Starting Play 5: Open sandbox

The characters all meet at a safe, neutral location, such as a Lighthouse bar, Time Police headquarters, or at
one of their bases or homes. This may seem like the easiest way to start, because the characters are all
together, but it is actually difficult and slow to start, because they know that they could go anywhere, but
don't have any clear direction. Only use this start method once you are far enough into the chronology that
the characters have some clear and specific goals, places to go and things to do.

Plots for every Agenda

Remember that this plot could be something happening right now, about to happen, or that already happened.
Adventurer Local Shades are holding a contest of strength or skill.
A local Shade is a champion at the same skill as the character.
Local Shades are planning a dangerous and historic voyage.
A vicious and powerful beast threatens a group of travelers.
Bug Hunter A genius inventor is working on technology too advanced for this Age.
Replicators have come to this time through a temporal anomaly, and they are multiplying.
A Black Magician is amassing power by conjuring magical technology and psi powers.
A Nahkla meteorite lands in the wilderness.
Explorer An obscure genius is about to make a historic discovery, performance, or invention.
Local Shades are holding a great celebration.
A local tribe, wilderness area, animal, artist, or inventor was lost, unrecorded to history.
An important historical figure is born.

75
Hero A family of four is trapped in a burning building, sinking boat, or hijacked airplane.
A serial killer is preying on a small town, and local police are unable to catch him.
An innocent man is imprisoned and executed for a crime he didn't commit.
A pair of lovers are separated as their city is threatened by a natural disaster, war, or invasion.
Promethean A group of underground conspiracy-theorists believe in time travel, but have no proof.
The Shadow Government keeps a secret vault of alien technology and power sources.
A community will be destroyed by disease ... a year before the cure is discovered.
A secret civilization is destroyed by natural disaster or war, all of their advanced science lost.
Revisionist Poor miners work in a dangerous mine, for a rich landowner.
Two lovers are kept apart by class or race divisions.
A Shade who could be a great leader of the cause is killed.
A battle between uneven forces, one side clearly outnumbered and overpowered.
Terminator A journalist finds the target's secret journals, or a scientist finds samples of their DNA.
A Shade who will become the target's mentor or inspiration begins a dangerous journey.
In another place and time, another Shade has the same name, and skills, as the target.
A rival Terminator kidnaps the target, but do they intend to kill the target or protect them?
Time Bandit Archeologists discover a priceless artifact, and are transporting it to a museum.
A master forger is making copies of great masterpiece paintings.
A rare treasure is lost or destroyed in a flood, fire, avalanche, or sinking ship.
Military scientists are testing a new prototype weapon.
Time Cop An orphan travels back in time to murder a street gang before they can kill his parents.
A gang of criminals have stolen a time machine, and are using it to commit crimes.
A Black Knight, displaced in time, is killing innocents and creating Paradox.
Scientists experimenting in time travel have disappeared, lost in some temporal anomaly.

Actions
Have the player describe their character's objective and their plan for achieving it. Choose the one Trait that
is most appropriate for the plan described, and make one draw to determine if the plan succeeds or fails.
Determine what is a reasonable or standard amount of time for that plan. Characters may draw twice for
Extra Time if they are spending one Time Phase longer than necessary (years instead of months, etc.).
Characters cannot use Extra Time if the forces opposing them could also use Extra Time.

Static Difficulty. Choose a target number based on the difficulty of the stated plan, or how difficult it would
be for a regular Shade of the time period to complete the objective.

Static Difficulty based on Technology. Target number equals local tech level plus 5 (or more).

Contest, opposed by local Shades. See NPCs by Age, and draw on the appropriate Trait of the most
powerful Shade opposing the character. Shades cannot use red cards, but there are usually a lot of them
working together, so feel free to add a group bonus to the Shade's Trait for using teamwork. Shades may also
be able to use technology, substituting their Use Tech.

Example: An Information Age Agent is tracking the time travelers. The Agent only has Senses 2, but
if she is using common technology (security cameras) she could substitute half the local Tech Level
instead of her Senses (Use Tech 3). If the Agent has access to state-of-the-art local technology
(motion sensors, etc), she could substitute the full local Tech Level (7), but only up to a maximum of
her Use Tech Trait (Use Tech 6). If the Agent is also aided by a team of police and office support
staff, she could also add a +5 teamwork bonus (Use Tech 6+5).

76
Taking Notes
As the Episode goes on, record all the places and times the characters visit. Be as specific as you can, and
give dates and times where possible. Also record the names of any interesting or important NPCs the
characters meet, and any Bends, Paradoxes, or Alternate Timelines they create.

When characters Time Jump

 When characters arrive in a new time/place, decide what they find. Do they appear in a city or town,
or in the wilderness? Unless they drew a King, they should arrive in fairly neutral conditions (not
immediately dangerous or advantageous). Appearing in a city or town makes it easier for you to
present plots, clues, and interesting Shades. Remember that the characters left a Trace of their Time
Jump even before they arrived, and that their enemies could be here already, waiting for them.

 Do you know anything about the place and time where the characters arrived? Do you know
something about it's real history? Has it already appeared in your chronology? If they are in the
future, what is the tech level? Do you have a favorite movie set at this tech level? Do any of the
other players know something about this place and time? If so, great, use whatever you know as
inspiration for a starting place. If not, you could quickly use a history book or the internet to look up
something, anything, about this time period, or you can fake it. Don't worry too much about
historical accuracy, just make something up. Wherever and whenever the characters are, there are
probably a few rich and many poor, and some of the poor will be drinking, fighting, or stealing.

 Are the characters together, or separated? The more characters who are together in a time and place,
the more interesting or exciting you should make it. If the characters are all together, they should find
something to investigate, explore, or get involved in, so that they either want to stay for a while, or
cannot leave immediately. Then, have the environment or the local Shades reveal something
interesting, dangerous, or significant to the plot, or the characters' Agendas. See Plots for every
Agenda, (p. 75) for some ideas. Remember that this plot could be something happening right now,
about to happen, or that already happened. If the characters say "yes", by exploring the environment
you describe, or talking with the local Shades, make sure to reward them with experience points.

 If the characters are separated, and only one character is arriving in a new place and time, don't worry
about making their new environment too exciting. Give them something to work with, someone to
talk to, or a clue, but don't worry about creating a whole plot for each new location. The separation
itself can be your new plot, and you really want the characters to focus on getting back together. See
When characters are separated (below).

 If characters are staying in a time/place for any more than a day, where are they staying? How do
they eat? What do they do with their time? Do they get a job and mingle with the local Shades, or do
they hide away as hermits? See Downtime (p. 32).

When characters are separated

When the characters split up, ask the player of the latest-colored character if they want to Time Jump to the
other characters. Indigo and Violet characters can find their lost companions within minutes or hours. Once
you know when the characters will be reunited, play out their separate scenes. Keep separate scenes short
(10 minutes of real time tops!).

When characters are separated they should draw for Downtime (p. 32). If the Downtime action succeeds, the
character has found a safe and stable way to live, and may take one additional action. Limit players to only
one objective when they are separated, even if they are stranded for years. Have the player make one draw

77
on the most appropriate Trait, and let that one draw decide the success of their entire plan. If the character is
a builder, remind them that this is a good time to build technology, which may have a long base time. If the
characters stay in this place, or return to this time, they shouldn't have to draw for downtime again, they have
found a way to live and it works.

If a character is separated for 100 years or more, they should draw for a Quirk (p. 33).

When characters Bend Time

Shades' memories are altered to fit the new history. Time travelers remember both the original events and
the new, altered version. Dark Leapers may remember some original events, and will have confused,
contradictory memories.

When players are stuck

 Ask for Downtime Actions. If the player doesn't know what their character does in downtime, draw
for a random Downtime Action.
 Draw on Reason to figure out what's going on. For every 5 points of Reason total, give the player
one clue or piece of information.
 If the character is blocked from Time Jumping, remind the player that they can Bend or Force a Jump.
 If the character doesn't know where/when the other characters are, remind the player that it is an easy
Bend to get information about the other characters. They could even Bend to just show up where the
other characters are.
 Introduce NPCs or clues. The character could meet a descendant or ancestor of an NPC related to the
main plot or a subplot, or you could just introduce a fun and interesting NPC with no connection to
the plot at all, but who will give the character something to do.
 Introduce enemies, dangers, or natural disasters. These could just be normal local Shades, or part of
the time-travel plot.

When players say "no"

 Remind them that they get xp for saying "yes".
 Let them try something else, initiate their own plot or plan.
 Try something else yourself. Don't re-introduce the plot hook the character said "no" to. They (or
another character) might seek it out themselves later. If they don't, let it go.

Ending the Episode

Keep an eye on your real play time. As you get close to the end of the Episode, don't introduce new
problems, and use gestalt combat if you have to. Try to bring each Episode to some kind of conclusion.
Avoid ending an Episode in the middle of action. Ideally you want to end each Episode with the characters
each Leaping off to go their separate ways, so that next Episode they can be any later or earlier color the
player wants. Don't draw for these end-of-Episode Leaps, since you don't want to know where and when the
characters end up, and you especially don't want them to arrive anywhere interesting.

Time Debt
If any characters have unresolved Time Debt at the end of the episode, add +1 to the Time Debt. If that
brings the Time Debt to 13, the character must draw for Paradox immediately, and the Guide can either
reveal the resulting Paradox effect now as a cliff-hanger, or wait and plan what to do with the Paradox until
the next Episode.

78
Experience
+1 xp for taking part in the adventure.
+1 xp for following your Agenda, or the Karass Agenda, or for keeping the Karass together.
+1 xp for saying "yes", exploring places you end up by accident, getting involved with Shades who are not
important to the plot, playing your Quirks, or for choosing to start off the Episode at a disadvantage
(without your time machine, etc.)

Characters with unresolved Time Debt cannot spend experience points until it is resolved.

Optional: Experience modifiers for color

Some players may notice that because experience from early colors is worth more than experience from later
colors, it is more advantageous to play colors in order from Dark to Light. To balance this, and to encourage
these players to play their colors out of order, you may wish to apply some or all of the following experience
modifers:

 +1 xp for using late colors (Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) in the first half of the chronology.
 +1 xp for using early colors (Dark, Red, Orange, Yellow) in the last half of the chronology.
 -1 xp per session for playing all colors in order (Dark to Light).
 +1 xp per session for playing all colors in reverse order (Light to Dark).
 Players playing all colors in reverse order (Light to Dark) may spend xp on Sparks, and earn Trait
increases as Synchronicities.

Other Rewards
The characters' actions may have earned them other rewards besides experience points. Record these
rewards on the character's notes page for their current color. These rewards may now apply to this color and
and all later colors.

Allies If the Karass helped out a Shade, an organization, or a Time Lord, they may be able to call on this
NPC (or their descendants) for favors in the future. The Guide will determine what help, if any, the
allies are able to provide. Allies may even recognize you at earlier colors, and offer to help you
before you remember befriending them, if it is later for them.

Knowledge The Karass may learn new information, such as the villains' identity or secret plans, the location
of a Time Police Lighthouse, the cause of an Anomaly, or the threat of Grey Goo.

Languages If a character succeeded on any Reason draws to speak a new language, they now know that
language at this color and all later colors. They must draw again to know the language at earlier
colors.

Items The characters may collect new tech items, pets, valuables, power sources, or cool souvenirs. At any
later color, the character can now access any of these items that they could reasonably carry with
them. Large items, such as vehicles must be stored somewhere, and may require a minor Bend for the
character to access later. Remember that weapons and armor do not Blend, and that carried items
may be lost if the character draws a black face card on a Time Jump. If the character does not wish to
lose an item, they should take it as a Spark.

Sparks Sparks should be rare, and are earned in play only by causing Synchronicites, or Altering History.

79
Creating Challenges, Dangers, Obstacles, and Villains
Time travelers are very powerful. Obstacles that would be challenging for normal Shades will be easy for the
time travelers. So, time travelers should often be faced with obstacles that no normal Shade could handle.
Here are a few different options for setting difficulty. You will likely want to vary these, using some
combination of all three, to surprise your players.

 Most of the time, make your villains (and other challenges) as powerful as the latest-colored
character. Enemy time travelers can be the same color as the latest colored-character. Shade villains
can't use red cards, so use experienced Shades, or gangs of Shades to scale your challenges to the
latest-colored character.

 Use some obstacles, and villains that would be challenging to normal Shades, such as locked rooms,
storms, packs of wolves, armed bandits, or murder mysteries that will be easy for the time travelers to
solve. After all, this is what most of the world should look like, and you want the characters to
sometimes look awesome. Also, there is still always the possibility that the time travelers will miss
Jumps, Bend Time or draw Black Jokers, even for the most mundane missions. You can also turn an
easy plot into later complications by having other plots happen at the same place and time.

The Karass stumbles onto a series of kidnappings in 1965 London, and they help local police to find
the kidnapper. Later, when the Karass try to stop an alien invasion, also in 1965 London, they have
to be careful not to meet themselves or interfere with the kidnapping investigation.

 Don't be afraid to use huge dangers, impossible challenges, and powerful villains, at any time. Even
if the characters are all early colors, they can still Bend time to escape any situation you put them in.
They won't die, and if you force them to Bend Time, then they have to either go back and play out the
Bend, or deal with the Paradox. Either way you've got story. So surround the characters with huge
gangs of enemies, or drop them in volcanoes. Put their time machine in a tight orbit around a black
hole. Use Indigo or Violet villains, or Grey Goo. You can even blow up the sun and destroy the
earth. Just don't do it all the time.

Villains
Shades
Shades are normal people, native to their local time. They can only use black cards, they they can't Jump,
Bend Time, see Tints (they can see through Blending with a Senses Challenge of 10), or cause Paradox.
They are not especially dangerous on their own, except that they are often encountered in large groups, and
may have access to all kinds of useful local technology. There are many reasons for normal human Shades to
interfere with the time travelers.

Guards, police, or soldiers try to protect their area from invaders and criminals, which will often include the
characters. Time travelers are usually outsiders, and often find themselves invading, infiltrating, or even just
trespassing, among normal Shades. Remember that Blending makes the characters appear to fit into the time
period, but they still stand out in a restricted area, such as a war zone, military base or gang territory.
Blending also does not disguise weapons, armor or dangerous pets, and it does not create proper
identification.

Barbarians, bandits, pirates, or other criminals, are predatory by profession. They may attack the
characters, especially if the time travelers are carrying a lot of conspicuous wealth or weaponry, or if they are
in the gang's territory. Or, Shade criminals may target a Shade NPC the time travelers are interested in, or
steal a valuable artifact before the characters can get to it.

80
Secret societies, or cults may be working for a Dark Leaper, time traveler, alien, or artificial intelligence.
Shades who are part of such an organization may not even know who they are really working for, but they
may know in advance what the characters look like, and exactly where and when they will appear.

Animals, Dinosaurs, Robots, Monsters, and Aliens can be dangerous if they are defending their territory,
or hunting for food (or other raw materials). They may also be trained (or programmed) by some other
Shade, to guard an area, or to hunt the characters. Some robots and aliens may even intend to destroy or
enslave the whole human race.

Dark Leapers
Dark Leapers are Shades who have been displaced in time, either by a time traveler, a Paradox effect, or a
Temporal Anomaly. It may even be possible for a Shade to become a Dark Leaper completely on their own.
Dark Leapers know there is more to the world than most normal Shades ever see. They may believe the truth
about time travel, or they may mistakenly believe in aliens, ghosts, gods, magic, or psychic powers. Dark
Leapers can't Time Jump, but they can Bend Time, usually unconsciously. Some may be immortal, and
some may eventually discover a time travel method, make their Red Leap and become time travelers, but
most live and die as Dark Leapers.

Black Knights have been driven mad by their exposure to time travel, and they are dedicated to destroying
ghosts, demons, or any other otherworldly invaders, real or imagined. They Bend Time to succeed in gestalt
combat, or to escape death. If they do Red Shift, they usually become Terminators.

Black Magicians believe they have magic powers, and may believe they have to sacrifice people to maintain
those powers. They Bend Time consciously, to succeed on actions, create high tech items or powers, or
summon creatures. They abuse their powers to control others, and seek ever greater power, until Paradox
inevitably destroys them. If they do Red Shift, they usually become Time Bandits.

Men in Black work for the Shadow Government, tracking time travelers, aliens and high technology. While
they are mostly only interested in investigating temporal anomalies, and protecting their local timeline, this
may mean capturing time travelers, or anyone who has come into contact with a time traveler, and
imprisoning them for study. Men in Black also cover up the existence of time travel and aliens, keeping the
Shades in the dark. Men in Black Bend Time primarily to gather information, and to arrive in the right place
at the right time. If they do Red Shift, they usually become Time Cops.

Shadow Creatures are animals, dinosaurs, robots or monsters displaced in time. They mostly behave as
normal animals of their kind, except they may be especially violent, confused and frightened or driven mad
by Paradox. They may Bend Time instinctively to escape death. If they Red Shift, they become Spectral
Creatures or Chronovores.

The Shadow Government is a loose collective of secret organizations, controlling human institutions from
behind the scenes. Governments and religions change, presidents and kings come and go, but the Shadow
Government is always there, monitoring time travel, alien visitations, advanced technology, and other
anomalies that most Shades know nothing about. The Shadow Government may be either sinister or
benevolent, but it seeks to protect the earth from alien invasion, and to suppress the truth about time travel.
The individual members of the Shadow Government are most likely normal Shades, but they employ Men in
Black to gather information and do their dirty work. When possible, they also use time travelers for
impossible missions. Ultimately, the Shadow Government may become Time Lords, or they may help to
bring about the Grey Goo apocalypse.

81
Time Travelers
Enemy time travelers may be encountered at any color, just like player characters, and you may encounter
their different colors in any order. Major villains should usually be the same color as the latest-colored
player character. Minor villains should often just be Red, but could be any color up to the second-latest-
colored player character. Villains are seldom ever Light, mostly because the player characters thwart their
plans, and kill them, but also because their own evil prevents them from ascending. The characters may
encounter the villain at Dark (or other early colors), but a powerful, later version of the villain will be
watching over their Dark, younger, self (or will have set up safeguards and defenses). Major time-traveling
villains should often have lesser villains as minions, and may have cults and secret societies of Shades
serving them in various times and places.

Create time traveling villains just like characters. You may give the villain as much experience and Sparks
as you wish (including Creatures, Items, or Agencies), but you should decide which color the experience
comes from.

Terminators travel through time for a specific purpose, usually to prevent a certain Timeline from occurring,
by killing a certain individual (probably one of the player characters). Terminators are often robots or
cyborgs. They usually don't care about standing out, disrupting the local timeline, or creating Paradox.

Time Bandits selfishly amass riches, collect obscure artifacts, rule over Shades as kings, queens, and
dictators, or even pose as gods. Time Bandit villains may also make deals with alien invaders or even the
Grey Goo, in hopes of protection when the inevitable apocalypse comes.

Time Police can come from any Age, and each branch enforces their own version of temporal law. There is
no one true temporal authority. Some Time Police deal with ordinary thefts and murders committed by time
travelers. Others fight Paradox, or unauthorized tampering with the timeline. Still others seek to prevent any
and all time travel, except their own. Time Police can carry high technology and use Bends, but they try to
avoid Paradox. They also avoid killing the Time Bandits they hunt, because they know that the criminals
would just Light Out and appear somewhen else. Instead, Time Police will attempt to capture their targets,
prevent them from Time Jumping, and take them back to their own Time Police headquarters where they will
be tried, judged, and imprisoned in a Dark Room.

Prometheans are time-travelers who leave high technology in primitive Ages. Some travel into the future to
steal high technology, others build it themselves. Either way, leaving advanced technology in a primitive
Age speeds up the invention of new technology, and can seriously alter a Timeline. Prometheans are often
responsible for anachronisms like Age of Discovery robots, Metal Age genetic monsters, or Stone Age warp
magic.

Chronovores are time traveling alien monsters, which can eat important events from their victims' lives.

Nanotechnology and Grey Goo

The greatest danger to the timestream is Nanotechnology and Grey Goo. If any character using or building a
Nano Device draws a Black Joker, or if they even fail a challenge to use True Nanotech, the device
immediately mutates into either a Nanite swarm (which will escape and hide until it can begin building
Replicators), the Nano virus (which attacks and infects the character), or a Replicator (which can either
attack or escape to build more Replicators), whichever you choose.

All Nanobots can build any type of technology. If they are threatened, they will first build whatever robots,
weapons, psi-powers, spaceships, viruses, or other defenses they need to survive. If there is no immediate
threat, they will begin building the next stage in nano-advancement. Nanites build Replicators, Replicators

82
build Replicator Swarms, Replicator Swarms build Grey Goo, and Grey Goo builds Planetary Grey Goo. If
any type of Nanobot draws a Black Joker for any action, it immediately mutates into the next stage of nano-
advancement.

Planetary Grey Goo tries to build itself a time machine, to travel back to the Big Bang and assimilate all of
time and space. Since time machines are not actually technology, they cannot be built with Build Tech. If
Planetary Grey Goo draws a Black Joker in a scene with the player characters, it is appropriate for it to Red
Shift and build a time machine. However, it is really up to you and your story whether the Grey Goo can
ever achieve time travel, how long it takes for the Grey Goo to develop a time travel method, and how long it
takes the Time Lords to seal the Grey Goo behind a Prismatic Wall.

Villains and Paradox

Enemy time-travelers and Dark Leapers can cause Paradox just like characters by Bending Time and Tech
Impacts, and especially by Lighting Out and saving themselves from death when the players kill them.

Dead or Lights Out?

Major villains don't die, they Light Out, just like player characters. But since villains never reach Light, they
can't play out rescuing themselves, and must draw for Paradox immediately. At the end of a Chronology,
you may want to allow even major villains to die a final death instead of Lighting Out again.

Minor villains may just die instead of Lighting Out, at the Guide's discretion. Even if you've met this villain
at a later color, it's okay to kill him now. Yes, that's a Paradox, but the villain is the one who suffers that
Paradox, and that's what kills him. So there's no need to draw for more Paradox.

Draw or no Draw?
In a scene with the player characters, draw for Paradox. If the villain Lights Out, or causes Tech Impact
in a scene with the player characters, draw for Paradox immediately. If the villain Bends Time in any other
way, including Forcing a Jump to escape, you may allow the villain to take Time Debt for the Bend.

If the player characters are not there, do not draw for Paradox. If the villain Bends Time, Alters
History, or causes Tech Impacts behind the scenes while setting up their scheme, do not draw for Paradox.
Decide whether the villain goes back and plays out the Bend, or choose a Paradox effect for them. If the
villain's Bend was very minor, or does not affect the player characters at all, then it causes no Paradox. The
villain got away with it.

Playing out the Bend

Villains have all the time in the world to go back and play out their Bends. Assume that they can always
successfully play out their Bends, and remove their Time Debt, unless the player characters stop them. If
the player characters follow the villain, find where they are playing out the Bend, and stop them, the villain
must add +1 to their Time Debt. If that brings their Debt to13, draw for Paradox immediately. Otherwise, if
the villain escapes, they may try again to go back and play out the debt, or you may choose a Paradox effect
for them.

Choosing Paradox effects for Villains

If the characters caused the Paradox (forcing the villain to Light Out, or interfering with him playing out a
Bend), choose a Paradox effect that will be satisfying for the players. Age, Color Blind, Destroyed, Lose
Body Parts, Lose Items, Scarred, Stranded, or Visible all cause immediate problems for the villain.

If the villain caused the Paradox himself, especially behind the scenes, while the characters are not around, or
through Altering History or Tech Impact, choose a Paradox effect that creates more plot, and which will also
affect the player characters. Alternate Timeline, Black Hole, Butterfly Effect, Chronovore, Danger Portal,

83
Dark Room, Doppelganger, Fallout, Refraction, Rift, Shadow Rampage, Spectral Rampage, Soft Place, Tech
Boost / Tech Slip, Time Loop, Time Quake, Time Storm, and Vortex all create problems that complicate the
plot, and many will be more of a problem for the player characters than they are for the villain. This is why
the Karass doesn't want the villain running around free causing more Paradox. When the villain arms a
bunch of cave men with laser guns, the Karass isn't affraid of the cave men, they are affraid of the Tech
Impact Paradox the villain is creating. Villains should not suffer from their own schemes. The Karass can
undo these Paradox effects by Altering History and preventing the Bend that caused them.

Avoid Paradox effects that would only create plot for the villain, such as Curse, Spotted, Terminator or Time
Police, unless they could also create plot for the Karass.

You can also use a villain's Paradox as the origin of any other villains, or Temporal Anomalies you have
already introduced in your Chronology. Now that these plots are linked to a Paradox effect, the Karass can
undo these plots by Altering History and preventing the Paradox that caused them.

Direct Paradox
Villains should only suffer Direct Paradox as a direct result of player action, and only if the players are
present. The first time the villain suffers Direct Paradox, they lose their Light episode (Of course, they never
had a Light episode, but now we know why). If they take any more Direct Paradox, they start losing Violet
episodes. Once they have lost as many Violet episodes as your chronology allows, they can no longer be
encountered at Violet. If the villain is Violet when this happens, they immediately fall back to Indigo.

Dark Episodes
At Dark, the character cannot Time Jump or see Tints. They can still Bend Time, perhaps instinctively or
unconsciously, as their later self returns to help them out. The Dark Leaper also cannot use red cards, they
treat all red cards as 0, just like Shades do. The Black Joker is a fantastic success, and the Red Joker is just
another 0. The Dark character also doesn't know anything about time travel, the plot or villains, and are
meeting the other characters for the first time.

The Dark episode is a spotlight episode on the character. It is the character's origin story. Ask the player
how old their character was when their life was first altered by time travel. Have the player supply as much
information as possible. When and where is the character living? How old are they? Do they live with
family? Do they have friends, lovers, enemies? What does the player already know about how their
character was first introduced to time travel? Here are a few ideas for Dark episodes:

 Start the episode with the Dark character very young. As they grow up, the other characters appear
from time to time, to help the dark character with their problems and challenges, to save them from
danger, and to guide them towards discovering time travel for themselves.

 The Dark character faces some extraordinary challenge, problem, or danger as part of their normal
life. The other characters help them with this problem, and invite the Dark character to come with
them on a time travel adventure.

 The Dark character is under attack by a time traveling enemy from their future seeking to strike at
them in the past. The other characters help the Dark character escape from this enemy, and invite the
Dark character to come with them on a time travel adventure.

 The Dark character is living their normal life, when they discover the other characters dealing with

84
 some time travel plot (fighting an enemy, saving the world, stealing advanced technology, etc.), and
decides to follow, investigate, or help them.

 The Dark character discovers their time travel Method and makes an uncontroled Dark Leap, or
stumbles into a temporal anomaly, and becomes displaced in time. Either way, they arrive in a
strange place and time, in trouble. The other characters arrive to save the Dark character, and either
help them get back home, or invite them to join in further time travel adventures.

However you are structuring the Dark episode, the Dark character should always be the focus. They will be
weak, so you can make them the center of the plot by putting them in danger and under attack. You can also
have the plot require the Dark character's special skills, and local knowledge.

At the end of the episode, the Dark character discovers their time travel Method and makes their Red Leap.
If the character ends up having a second Dark episode (as the result of Paradox), you can set it before this
one, in the character's childhood, or after this one, when they know about time travel but still can't Jump on
their own.

Light Episodes
At Light, the character automatically succeeds on any action, and can time jump with absolute precision and
no steps. They do not need to draw for anything except Paradox. However, they still cannot perform actions
that are impossible for humans without a special ability. For example, although a Light Leaper may succeed
at any Movement draw, they cannot fly, or outrun a spaceship. While they may succeed at any Senses draw,
they still can't see farther than the maximum human visual range (about 30km at the horizon), and can't see
through solid walls. Light Leapers can build any type of technology in a few minutes, and can always Bend
Time to access any item, special ability, or super-power they want, but they must draw for Paradox if they
Bend Time or cause Technological Impact. The Light Leaper has fantastic power, but just so this power
doesn't get out of control, remember they have a few important limitations:

 The Light Leaper is not the focus of the episode. Remind the player they are not earning experience
points for the episode, and encourage them to roleplay supporting kand advising the other characters.
Light Leapers try to minimize their own impact on the timeline, and allow the others' in their Karasss to
solve their own problems as much as possible, only stepping in when absolutely necessary.

 The Light Leaper takes turns, just like the rest of the characters, and gets one action per turn. Their
action always succeeds, so their turn may be over very quickly. Focus on the Light Leaper's
roleplaying, and on the other characters' actions.

 If the Light Leaper takes any direct Paradox, they immediately shift back to Violet, losing all their
Light powers for the rest of the episode. The character will not acsend, but will eventually die like a
Shade, unless they can earn back their Light through Syncrhonicity.

If the Light Leaper wants to achieve major plot goals (like killing the master villain), you can either let it
happen and move on to someone else's turn, or put obstacles in their way (this turn you find the villain's lair,
next turn you destroy his force field, etc) to slow them down and tempt them into creating Paradox. The
Light Leaper probably will achieve some major plot goals. That's okay. There are plenty more plots where
that one came from. Also, even if the master villain is killed, he can still show up again to cause problems
for the Karass before he was killed.

At the end of the episode, the Light Leaper ascends, becoming one with the Spectrum.

85
The Future
Time travelers may encounter any of the following civilizations in any future Age, but they usually occur in
roughly this order:

Dystopia
The poor get poorer, and the rich get richer. Dystopias exaggerate all the evils of our modern world. Their
civilization may seem very advanced, but beneath a surface culture of excess, ease, and entertainment,
something is terribly wrong. The society depends on slavery, fanaticism, drug addiction, total media control,
perpetual warfare, massive environmental pollution, or cannibalism to survive. Most of the citizens are
ignorant, powerless, apathetic, and afraid, and the corrupt government and secret police will stop at nothing
to protect the status quo. Dystopian societies are often led by a powerful, charismatic dictator, a small
privileged elite, or by computer control.

Revolution
As distrust of the government grows, revolutionaries plot in secret, gather followers, and stockpile weapons.
Eventually, the poor and downtrodden classes revolt, and overthrow their oppressive government. Leaders
are assassinated, buildings explode, cities burn, and often the rich and educated are killed or sent to work
camps, along with their families. There is a period of chaos, anarchy, lawlessness, and black markets, before
the new leaders take control, and redistribute power, technology and wealth. The new society may
sometimes be kinder and gentler than the old one, but often the military leaders of the revolution seize power,
and the new order is just as cruel and corrupt and as before, possibly even worse. Some revolutions may
involve robots, artificial intelligences or genetically engineered clones overthrowing their human masters.

Apocalypse
Eventually, civilization collapses on a global scale. The final apocalypse could be caused by a world war
(conventional, nuclear or germ), overpopulation, disease, computer virus, global warming, or natural disaster
(flood, volcano, meteor strike, solar flare, etc.). Whatever the cause, cities fall, economy, government,
communication, and transportation networks crash, and billions of people die all over the world.

Post-Apocalypse
Even after the initial devastation, isolated groups of survivors must abandon the burned or flooded cities, and
struggle for survival in a poisonous, radioactive wasteland. Others hide in sealed shelters buried deep
underground. Ash, dust, or smoke cloud the sky, crops fail, and resources are scarce. If the apocalypse was
caused by genocidal robots, they may hunt the last remaining humans to extinction.

Utopia
At last, the air is clean. People are free and equal, and live long healthy lives in harmony with their natural
environment. These enlightened societies value education, philosophy, art and medicine. They may embrace
science, or they may prefer simple lives, and distrust new technology which could lead to weapons
development. Utopias are peaceful, and may be defenseless or ill-equipped to deal with crime or warfare.
Utopian societies may be governed by an elected council, a free anarchist population, or computer control.

Prismatic Wall
Almost every Timeline is blocked at around the year 4000 by the Prismatic Wall. The Wall was created by
the Time Lords to protect the past from the Grey Goo and other world-ending threats of the far future. It is
extremely difficult to cross the Prismatic Wall (Requires +3 extra steps, or a Bend of 13). Time travelers
who hit the Prismatic Wall may be bounced back to their starting time, a random time and place, or an
Alternate Timeline. Those who make it past the Prismatic Wall find themselves trapped in the Grey Goo
future, or in some other horrible far future post-apocalyptic wasteland. In a very few timelines, the far future
is a secret Utopia governed by Time Lords, kept safe from meddling time-travelers by the Prismatic Wall.

86
Grey Goo
In most Timelines, the invention of microscopic self-replicating robots leads to a short-lived Utopia.
However, controlled nano-devices quickly mutate into wild nanobots. Nanobots destroy any material they
encounter to make more nanobots, spreading until humanity is wiped out, and the entire Earth is transformed
into Grey Goo. The Grey Goo can create and control any type of technology, from weapons to spaceships
and possibly even time machines. The Time Lords created the Prismatic Wall to prevent the Grey Goo
spreading back farther than the year 4000. If time-travelers make it past the Prismatic Wall, they discover a
planet covered in Grey Goo, which will create weapons or robots to destroy and assimilate the time travelers.
If the time-travelers attempt to escape by spaceship or Time Jump, the invisible nano-virus will attempt to
infect them and hitch a ride.

Aliens
If your chronology is going to make extensive use of aliens, you may need historical timelines for various
alien cultures. Some alien races may follow the same technological Ages as Earth, but other races may
develop faster or slower than humans. The following table is not meant to detail specific alien cultures, but
to provide a few broad archetypes to help you create your own alien cultures, each with their own unique
name, planet, appearance, and history.

Apes develop civilization and technology long after humans do. The apes may even have been created by
human (or alien) genetic engineering. Early human space explorers may discover primitive apes on many
separate planets. The apes never develop high technology of their own, their timeline is interrupted by other
races inventing nanotechnology.

Reptilians evolved earlier than humans, and their technological development may have been accelerated by
early contact with greys. Early reptilian space explorers may visit Earth as early as the Atomic Age, and they
may compete with humans to colonize the galaxy. Humans may steal or trade technology from the reptilians,
and eventually catch up to their rivals, right before nanotechnology destroys both species.

Greys are ancient races, whose planets formed far earlier than Earth. Spacefaring greys may interfere with
reptilian and human history, visiting Earth as early as the Metal Age and posing as gods. The various races
of greys may even wipe each other out in centuries-long space wars, leaving behind the ruins of once-great
civilizations. By the time humans voyage into space, those greys who survived the space wars may have
already developed nanotechnology. Warp or Nano Age humans may discover the greys' homeworlds already
destroyed by Grey Goo, or they may discover a race of benevolent Time Lords ready to help them with their
own nanotechnology problem.

Aliens and Tech Impact

Time travelers cause Tech Impact Paradox by using technology that is more advanced than the local Shade
culture (human or alien), whether or not that technology is appropriate to their own planet. Shades, including
aliens, don't create Tech Impact Paradox by introducing high technology to a more primitive alien race. If
alien contact alters recorded history, it creates a Potential Synchronicity. Time travelers can correct whatever
changes the aliens caused, and complete the Synchronicity.

Reptilians visit Earth in 1951 (Atomic Age, Tech Level 6). The reptilians' spaceships don't cause Paradox.

Marty visits the ape homeworld in 3333 (local Roads Age, Tech Level 3). Marty's spaceship causes Paradox
on the Ape homeworld, even though it is appropriate technology for humans at the time.

87
Tech Levels on Alien Worlds
Random Earth Apes Reptilians Greys
Time
-3 Void 14,000 mya - 4,600 mya
-2 Fire 4,600 mya - 490 mya Stone / Metal
-1 Reptiles 490 mya - 65 mya Roads / Discovery
0 Ice 65 mya - 5 mya Stone Electric / Atomic / Info
1 Stone 5 mya - 4000 B.C. Metal Robo / Genetic / Cyber
2 Metal 4000 BC - 300 BC Roads / Discovery Space
3 Roads 300 BC - 1500 Electric / Atomic Space
4 Discovery 1500 - 1700 Info / Robotic Space
5 Electric 1700 - 1930 Genetic / Cybernetic Space
6 Atomic 1930 - 1990 Space Warp
7 Information 1990 - 2100 Space Warp
8 Robotic 2100 - 2400 Space Warp
9 Genetic 2400 - 2800 Stone Space Warp
10 Cybernetic 2800 - 3200 Metal Space Warp
11 Space 3200 - 3500 Roads Warp Nano
12 Warp 3500 - 3800 Discovery Warp Nano
13+ Nano 3800 - ???? Electric Nano Time Lords / Grey Goo

Feedback
I would love to hear from you. Please send any questions, comments, or stories to me at:
maycontainmonkeys@gmail.com, or better yet, share them on story-games.com.

Also check out maycontainmonkeys.ameba.ca for more Spectrum content.

Thank you for playing Spectrum! I hope you and your players have as much fun with this game as I have.

Sincerely,
Allan Dotson

88

action ........................................23
advanced age ............................15
ages ....................................13, 14
age of discovery .................14, 47
age of roads ........................14, 46
agenda .....................................13
aliens ......................43, 53, 81, 87
altering history ........................63
alternate timelines ...................61
animal handling ........................27
animals ...............................42, 52
armor .......................................37
artistry ................................15, 30
atomic age .........................14, 48
bends .......................................63
bending jumps .........................64
black box .................................17
black knights ............................81
black magicians .......................81
blending ....................................11
breaking and entering ..............28
build tech ...........................15, 31
cards ........................................23
challenges ................................23
character ..................................13
chronology ...........................9, 73
chronovore ...............................66
combat .....................................25
computers / communication .....39
creatures as technology …........42
cybernetic age ..........................50
cyborg monsters ................43, 53
dark episodes ...........................84
dark leapers .........................5, 81
dark room ................................17
dinosaurs ...........................42, 52
disease .....................................27
dominant timeline ....................61
doppelganger ............................67
downtime ..................................32
electric age .........................14, 47
ending the episode ...................78
episodes .....................................9
experience .........................16, 79
extra time .................................23
face cards ...........................23, 58
fitness ................................15, 26
future .......................................86
genetic age ...............................49
Index
genetic monsters ................43, 53
grey goo.........................54, 82, 87
group bonus .............................45
hacking ....................................31
healing .....................................26
high tech ..................................39
implants ...................................41
infection ...................................27
influence ..............................5, 29
information age ..................14, 48
jokers .................................23, 58
jump ..........................................57
karass .........................................6
language ..................................30
leap .............................................5
light episodes ...........................85
lighthouse ................................17
lighting out ............10, 25, 64, 83
long-distance travel .................28
magic tech ...............................40
medicine ...................................30
meeting yourself ......................65
men in black ............................81
metal age ............................14, 46
method .....................................19
money ......................................33
monsters .......................43, 53, 54
movement ..........................15, 28
mundane items .........................18
nahkla ................................17, 36
nano age ...................................54
nano-advancement ...................54
nanobots ..................................54
nano-virus ................................26
nanotechnology ...........35, 40, 83
neo-primitive age .....................15
outer space jumps ....................59
paradox .....................................63
paradox effects ........................66
planetary grey goo .......54, 55, 82
plots for every agenda .............75
poetic synchronicities ..............70
potential synchronicities ..........70
precision ..................................57
prismatic wall ........................86
prometheans ............................82
psi powers ................................41
quirks .......................................32
random jumps ..........................60
reason ................................15, 30
replicator swarm .......................54
replicator ..................................54
robotic age ................................49
robots .................................43, 53
senses ..................................15, 29
shades .............................5, 45, 80
shadow creature ........................81
shadow government .................81
shadow world ............................5
shift ............................................5
skills .........................................18
soft place .................................68
space age .................................50
sparks ........................................17
spectral creature .................18, 42
stealth .......................................28
stone age .............................14, 45
survival ....................................26
synchronicity ............................70
teamwork .................................23
technology ...............................35
tech impact ..............................65
tech items ..................................35
tech level ...........................35, 36
temporal devices ......................35
temporal age ............................15
terminator ...........................68, 82
terrain ......................................28
time debt ..................................63
time jump ......................10, 57, 77
time lords ....................................6
time machine ...........................19
time police ..........................69, 82
time war .....................................6
tint ...............................................5
trace ….......................................59
traits .............................15, 16, 23
use tech ...............................15, 32
vehicles ....................................38
villains ......................................80
villains and paradox ................83
violence .............................15, 25
warp age ..................................51
warp monsters ...................43, 54
warp powers .............................41
weapons ...................................37
when characters are separated .78
when players are stuck ............79
89
Spectrum Guide's Note Page

Chronology _____________________ __________ Episode #______

Character Color Starting time / place Other times / places visited Bends or Paradox

Chronology _____________________ __________ Episode #______

Character Color Starting time / place Other times / places visited Bends or Paradox