RETURNING TO THE TIMESTREAM
TIMEDICKS
A ONE SHEET RPG SYSTEM
THE CURRENT YEAR IS 1997.
FOR DECADES, AN ELITE ORGANIZATION
OF DETECTIVES HAS BEEN OPERATING
UNDER THE ESTEEMED CODENAME:
THE TIMEDICKS INITIATIVE.
(DICK MEANING DETECTIVE. OUR NAME HASN’T
AGED TOO WELL, BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO?)
TIME TRAVEL
JUMPING THROUGH TIME WILL ALWAYS
REQUIRE:
❖ A TIMEJUMP WATCH
❖ ONE OUNCE OF TIMEJUMP FLUID
(FOR THE WATCH)
❖ THE MECHANISM. (PERMANENTLY AT
TIMEDICKS HQ, AURORA ILLINOIS.)
EACH JUMP THROUGH TIME CREATES A
BRANCH IN A TIMESTREAM–
BUT THIS SPLIT DOES NOT ALTER
THINGS IN THE PRIME TIMELINE AT
ALL. IT IS JUST A COPY OF THE PAST.
A CAVEAT: THERE IS A VERY GOOD
ALWAYS BRINGS A TIMEDICK BACK TO
THEIR ORIGIN IN THE PRIME
TIMELINE…
…AND THE SPLIT THEY INTERACTED
WITH BECOMES UNREACHABLE AND
IRRELEVANT. TO THEM.
EVERY INTERACTION WITH A TIMELINE
THAT ALREADY CONTAINS A TIMEDICK
CREATES ALTERNATE TIMESTREAMS.
ONCE AGAIN, THESE TIMESTREAMS ARE Who invented time travel?
IRRELEVANT. (THE INHABITANTS OF
THAT TIMESTREAM WILL NOT SEE
THINGS QUITE THE SAME WAY.)
CHANCE THAT WHAT SEEMS TO BE YOUR
PRIME TIMELINE--YOUR “PRIMELINE”,
IF YOU WANT TO SOUND LIKE AN
IDIOT--MAY IN FACT BE CONSIDERED
TO BE AN IRRELEVANT TIMELINE BY A
MISGUIDED TIMEDICK FROM AN
ALTERNATE TIMELINE OF YOUR OWN.
USE CAUTION. IF YOU DIE IN A SPLIT,
YOU DEFINITELY DIE IN REAL LIFE.
YOUR MISSION
IS ALWAYS (OR, SUPPOSED TO BE):
❖ WITNESS A PAST-CRIME.
❖ GATHER INTEL.
❖ BE SILENT.
❖ OTHERWISE, BE DEADLY.
❖ RETURN TO THE PRIMELINE.
❖ REPORT FINDINGS.
❖ APPREHEND THE PERP IN THE
PRIMELINE, BACKED BY HQ.
❖ ABOVE ALL ELSE, BE JUSTICE.
F.A.Q
If I die in a split, I die in real
life…? Are we absolutely sure?
❖ YES. SEE ABOVE.
❖ TIME TRAVEL WAS BROUGHT OVER
FROM ANOTHER TIMELINE. UNCLEAR.
Created by Caleb Nelson, Copyright 2023
F.A.Q (continued)
Can I re-interact with a timeline
I’ve made changes in? Is there a way YOU ADD +2 TO YOUR COP SCORE WHEN
to return to a split I created?
❖ NO. THEY ARE IRRELEVANT AND
UNREACHABLE.
Will the universe explode if I
interact with my younger self?
❖ NO. DO WHATEVER TICKLES YOUR
PICKLE. JUST DON’T DIE.
Where does time-fluid come from?
❖ THIS INFORMATION IS CLASSIFIED.
It’s not pee, is it?
❖ IT IS NOT PEE.
Can I be a time-cop with my friend?
❖ TIMEDICKS CAN JUMP TO THE SAME ❖ IF YOU USE A SPECIFIC KNACK
TIMELINE TOGETHER IF THEY ALL
USE THE MECHANISM AT HQ, AT THE
SAME TIME. JUMPING BACK AT THE
SAME TIME IS NOT REQUIRED, BUT
RECOMMENDED.
TIMEDICK ASSESSMENT
YOUR BASIC STATS ARE TWO NUMBERS.
❖ ROLL 3 D6. ADD THE TWO SMALLEST
NUMBERS. THIS IS YOUR COP SCORE.
❖ ROLL 3 D6. ADD THE TWO HIGHEST
NUMBERS. THIS IS YOUR HEALTH
SCORE.
❖ CHOOSE 4 "KNACKS", WHICH ARE YOUR
SIGNATURE TRAITS AS A TIMEDICK.
KNACKS
HAVING A KNACK FOR SOMETHING LETS
USING THIS SKILL, ATTITUDE, OR
PERSONALITY TRAIT.
❖ EXAMPLES OF KNACKS ARE:
DEDUCTION, OBSERVATION,
BRAWLING, FIREARMS, TINKERING, ❖ IF SOMETHING WERE TO CAUSE A
OFFERING BRIBES, ACCEPTING
BRIBES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY,
ALCOHOLISM, CONSPIRACY AND
PARANOIA, LOOSE CANNON, ROOKIE, COMBAT
AND SENSE OF JUSTICE.
❖ KNACKS ARE NOT LIMITED TO THIS
LIST.
DURING A CASE, EVEN ONE YOU
DON’T CURRENTLY HAVE BUT ARE
ATTEMPTING TO DEVELOP, INCREASE
IT BY ONE AT THE END OF THE CASE. ❖ SNEAK AND DISTANT RANGED
ROLLING & BASIC PLAY
❖ BEING REDUCED TO ZERO HEALTH
MEANS YOU ROLL A D6; IF YOUR
SCORE IS EVEN, YOU SURVIVE BUT
ARE UNCONSCIOUS. IF YOU ROLL
ODD, YOU DIE. FOREVER.
❖ DOING THINGS THAT ARE STRENUOUS
OR COMPLEX REQUIRE YOU TO ROLL
3 D6. IF YOUR ROLL IS LOWER THAN
THE VALUE OF YOUR COP SCORE, YOU
SUCCEED. ROLLING EQUAL TO YOUR
SCORE IS A NARROW SUCCESS, WITH
POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES. ROLLING
ABOVE IS FAILURE. YOU MAY ADD AN
EXTRA D6 TO ANY ROLL BEFOREHAND
BUT SUCCESS WILL BE PARTIAL IF
YOU DO. ATTEMPTING THINGS THAT
A DETECTIVE WOULD NORMALLY DO
WILL NOT REQUIRE A ROLL AT ALL.
DISADVANTAGE, SUBTRACT FOUR
FROM A COP SCORE ROLL.
❖ WHEN ENGAGING IN COMBAT, ALL
INTERACTIONS ARE BETWEEN TWO
COMBATANTS, EACH ROLLING
AGAINST EACH OTHER WITH A D6 VS
A D6, REROLLING ON TIES. WHOEVER
WINS THE ROLL DEALS DAMAGE, NO
MATTER WHO STARTED IT.
ATTACKS REQUIRE A COP SCORE
ROLL CHECK FIRST, THEN A COMBAT
ROLL, BUT IF SUCCESSFUL, DEALS
DOUBLE DAMAGE. IF UNSUCCESSFUL
THE TARGET DOES NO DAMAGE BUT
WILL DETECT THE ASSAILANT.
❖ INJURY WITH A GUN ALWAYS DOES 4
DAMAGE, IF IT HITS. INJURY WITH A
KNIFE DOES 3. INJURY WITH FISTS
OR A BLUNT WEAPON ALWAYS DEALS A
NON-LETHAL 2. EXPLOSIONS DEAL 8
DAMAGE.
TO BE CONTINUED IN SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS
Created by Caleb Nelson, Copyright 2023