Roleplaying in a Dangerous Future
The Alliance has prophesied complete development of the known universe by
the turn of the millennium. Huge, powerful mega-corporations run it all from
behind the scenes. The Twelve Races of the Alliance work as caretakers,
testing the horizon of knowledge, extending to touch the farthest reaches
of space. Frontier Colonies populate neighboring bodies: Andromeda, Fornax,
Spirax (M33), and the Magellanic Clouds. Posts dot the cluster galaxy of
M32 in Ursa Major, some 100,000 light years from Terra. The continuing
battle rages onward to drive out the Arachnids. Reports of ghost ships all
filter their way across the vast, empty nothingness to the hearts of the
bold, strong, and curious. There is a demand for warriors, for men and
women with the metal and vision to protect the lives of the innocent. The
call for assistance can be heard across the galaxies, as colony worlds
struggle to survive in the morass of conflict, uncertainty, and danger. The
word goes out from the isolated reaches of The Thendrax Empire in Spirax to
the urban centers of the Industrial Provinces of the Fornax galaxy. "Come.
Bring your weapons. Bring your courage. Bring your honor. It's showtime!"
And so the mega-corporations have hired on a few good men to get the job
done. They are referred to as Battlelords. Some are veterans of war. Others
are not. But they all have one thing in common. Each believes that he can
make a difference. They come from everywhere, from the vast savannahs of
Cashoulis, to the infernal volcanic regions of Trishmag. From the methane
hell of Eridine, to the great Seas of Pythos, these warriors come. They are
energy controllers, bounty hunters, Swordsaints and changelings, aliens
from different worlds, with different agendas, thrown together in a morass
of danger to carve out a common destiny together.
Mega-corporations run everything from behind the scenes, wielding more
power and influence than the central government, which acts more as a
figurehead than a leading body. Loyalty is not to the Alliance as much as
it is to the company. Loyalty to the company never upstages loyalty to the
team. The mercenary team embodies everything that is valued in society,
esprit de corps, honor, and valor. At least that is what the papers say. In
reality, it is nothing more than a bunch of individuals, more often than
not allied by common needs than by common goals. The mercenary's job is a
simple one, do anything and everything to stay alive. And when in doubt,
Lock-n-Load. Balance is the key to everything and a well trained mercenary
unit can take on just about anything. The company gets all the press. The
merc picks up his paycheck. And nothing is usually said about methods and
tactics, so long as the job is done on time!
Roleplaying Something Besides Elves
The challenge to Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century is playing aliens whose mindsets are completely different from elves and dwarves, or anything else you've become used to playing. It was the interaction of these races in a hostile environment that our playtesters found to be the most enjoyable when playing the game. In short, the company has hired to perform difficult
and dangerous missions, a bunch of individuals who fundamentally don't get along with each other. Killing one another is out of the question because that is destroying company property, which carries the Death Penalty.
Given in the menu below are the general mindsets of the various races in Battlelords and their general disposition toward life and others around them. They are given as a guideline for roleplaying and are not meant to be absolutes.
Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century is a d100, skill based system, that allows you to create a player character that is a complete individual. Hundreds of skills and thousands of pieces of weaponry and equipment allow you to make your character whatever you want. We've got a race for everyone to play: from the Eridani Swordsaints, with their strict code of honor, to the fun loving Orion Rogue, to the huge but dimwitted Ram Python who's favorite saying is "If it moves, kill it. If it doesn't move, pick it up and kill it." Some races wield Matrix Powers, like the Mutzachans, allowing them to affect the fabric of time and space. The system is balanced between realism and fast playability. Battlelords is all about releasing your
imagination. Unlike many RPGs, you have a whole universe to adventure in; anything can happen. Battlelords is a game, and like all of our products, is designed so you can have fun. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us via email using the Contact SSDC button, or sign up for the Battlelords discussion list. There are a lot of helpful people there who would be glad to answer your questions.
|