TEXT: Based on the GUMSHOE System by Robin D. Laws
  
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  A roleplaying game of investigation, time travel, and chronal mayhem
  History isn’t written by the victors.
  History is written by the people with the time machines.
  BY KEVIN KULP
  Publishers: Simon Rogers and Cathriona Tobin
  Author: Kevin W. Kulp
  Contributing authors: John Adamus, Heather Albano, 
  Kennon Bauman, Matthew Breen, Dave Chalker, Kenneth Hite, 
  Christopher Lackey, Cindy Maka, Belton Myers, Michael Rees, 
  Corey Reid, Paul Stefko, Jeff Yaus
  GUMSHOE System: Robin D. Laws
  Art Direction: Kevin Kulp and Cathriona Tobin
  Index: Kevin Kulp
  Cover Art: Rich Longmore
  Interior Art: Rich Longmore
  Cover Layout, Interior Layout and Graphic Design: Charles 
  A. Wright, Michael Chaney with Chris Huth
  Includes material from: Ashen Stars and The Esoterrorists 2nd 
  Edition by Robin D. Laws, and Trail of  Cthulhu and Night’s Black 
  Agents by Kenneth Hite. 
  Our thanks to Ben Acker and Ben Blacker of Thrilling Adventure 
  Hour (thrillingadventurehour.com) for kindly allowing us to ref-
  erence characters and content from the show that are related to 
  time travel. 
  Special thanks to the late Poul Anderson, whose Time Patrol 
  stories are at the heart of TimeWatch; to Dan Carlin of Hardcore 
  History (www.dancarlin.com), whose history podcasts first helped 
  inspire this game; and to Robin D. Laws and Kenneth Hite, who 
  built and polished a rules system that fits this genre perfectly.
  Extra Special Thanks to Peggy O’Connell. Saltpetre, Abigail.
  Playtesters, without whom this game would be nowhere near 
  as much fun: 
  Aaron Size, Adam Strong-Morse, Ajit George, Alex Otis, Alex White, Allen Cook, Ari Mozes, 
  Ariel Jaffee, Arnis Kletnieks, Belton Myers, Ben Warfield, Ben Wellner, Betsy Rosenblatt, 
  Bill Gerke, Bill Murdock, Brian Kellner, Bruce Kwartler, Chris Noble, Christopher Cotton, 
  Cindy Maka, Cris Shuldiner, Dan Vorhaus, Daniel Gerke, Dave Heron, Ean Moody, Elaine 
  Seeley, Eric Patacchiola, Frank Michienzi, Fred Hicks, Gabriel Whitehead, Graham Rowat, 
  Guy Sargeant, Ian McLean, James Stuart, James Unick, Jane Coates, Jeff Foley, Jeff Yaus, 
  Jennifer H. Swann, Jennifer Jacob, Jennifer Roy, Jesus Rodriguez, Jim Vincent, Jody Kline, 
  Joe Zantek, John Adamus, Jon McCosh, Jonathan Bagelman, Joshua Drobina, Julian Yap, 
  Kay Strock, Keith Knecht, Kenneth Helvig, Kennon Bauman, Kimberly Such, Kit Yona, 
  Kris McCosh, Krista White, Kristin Size, Laura Cole, Laura Yona, Lauren Marino, Lisa Padol, 
  Lisa van Gelder, Lizzie Oldfather, Lori Otis, Manfred Gabriel, Marissa Kelly, Matthew Breen, 
  Matthew Glickman, Max Rothman, Max Saltonstall, Mike Fehlauer, Mike Longfritz, Natalya 
  Waye, Neal Tanner, Nicole Donner, Paul Perkowski, Paul Stefko, Peggy O’Connell, Philippe-
  Antoine Ménard, Raina Hanson, Rainer Frickanisce, Ric Knutson, Rob Daviau, Rob Zacny, 
  Roko Joko, Sara Lampis, Schyler Versteeg, Scott Moore, Sean Waite, Steve Kunec, Steve Roy, 
  Tim O’Malley, Tom Winter, Tracey Michienzi, Trey Ideker, Tse Yang Lim, William Coffing, 
  and anyone we accidentally didn’t document. Thank you so much.
  Backers whose work appears herein: Aaron Size, John Adamus, Vyv Baker, Kennon 
  Bauman, Joseph Bouthiette Jr., Eric Brennan, Matt Bridgeman-Rivett, Jerry Castaldo, 
  Parker Joseph Cestaric, Ciaran Conliffe, Robert Cruse, Michael Damecour, Rob Daviau, 
  Liam DiNapoli, Nate Doyle, Roberto Flores, Ken Foster, Phil Francis, Gregory Fyhr, Guy 
  Garnett, Will Goring, Mike Grace, Kim Grønbek, Joe Grzesiak, Kairam Hamdan, Patrick 
  Hart, Werner Hartmann, Chris  Hatty, Douglas Haxton, Kyle Hickok, Timothy Hidalgo, 
  Seth Horn, Ariel Jaffee, Jody Kline, Scott Kunian, Marshall Lemon, Tse Yang Lim, Bryan 
  Lyon, Chris Marcellus, Alexander McEmrys, Christopher  Mennell, Chris  Mitsinikos, Chris 
  Noble, Wes Otis, Caroline Pierce, Jerry Prochazka, Simon Proctor, Andrew Raphael, Brett 
  Ritter, Jon Davidson, Bill Sabram, John Sanders, Stephen Seibert, Michael Seidman, Sarah 
  Sheldon, Nikodemus Siivola, Chris Snyder, Emily Thompson, Jonathan Thompson, Charles 
  Thorland, Paul Tomes, Benjamin Warfield, Steven Watkins, Conrad White, Michael Wight, 
  Kit Yona, Michael Zenke
  Elite Backers: “Weird Dave” Olson, A V Jones, A. Quentin Murlin, A. Shultz, Aaron, 
  Aaron “WolfSamurai” Roudabush, Aaron Delisio, Aaron Gallagher, Aaron Most, Aaron Size, 
  Abel Menechlla, Ace Fortune, Adam and Anise Strong-Morse, Adam Boisvert, Adam 
  Crossingham, Adam Krump, Adam Longley, Adam Rajski, Adam Roy, Adam Thornsburg, 
  Adam Waggenspack, Adam Waller, Adam Wimsatt, Adam Windsor, Addison Stumpf, adjec-
  tivemarcus, Adrian Bigland, Adrian Sant, Adrian Smith, Alain “Tusky” Dame, Alan ‘DjinnJah’ 
  Watson, Alan Kohler, Alan Moore, Alasdair Sinclair, Alastair Bell, Alejandro Diaz, Aleksandr 
  Ermakov, Alex “Ghost” Dell, Alex Bell, Alex Fleming, Alex Jeffries, Alex McEmrys, Alex 
  Otis, Alex Reeves, Alex White, Alexander “Lxndr” Cherry, Alexis Cole, Allan Clifton, Allan 
  Shampine, Allan Sugarbaker, Allister Gittins, Alphastream (Teos Abadia), AlwaysToast, 
  Amanda Zalud, Ãmilie et Maude Périard, Anders Gillbring, Anders Håkon Gaut, Andrea 
  Renkel, Andrés Ramírez de Arellano, Andrew “S” Mason, andrew brown, Andrew Byers, 
  Andrew Cherry, Andrew Coombes, Andrew Cowie, Andrew D Devenney, Andrew Kenrick, 
  Andrew Lloyd, Andrew Miller, Andrew Raphael, Andrew Robertson, Andrew Schmitt, Andy 
  Bell, Andy Eaton, Andy Jenkinson, Andy Leighton, Andy Sangar, Andy Terrill, Andy 
  Williams, Angela Craft, Angry Goblin, anonymous1453, Antero Garcia, Anthony Damiani, 
  Antonio “Time Trapper” Manrique, Apollo Haner, Ariel Jaffee, Arlie Alsup, Arne Pietz, Arnis 
  Kletnieks, Arseny Kuznetsov, Arthur Braune, Austin Stanley, Avi Hecht, B Skibell, Barrett 
  Nuzum, Bartosz “Stoperssonn” Stopczyk, battlegrip.com, Bazz Hoftijzer, Beau Yarbrough, 
  Ben Brighoff, Ben Felten, Ben Howard, Ben Madden, Ben McCallum, Ben McKenzie, Ben 
  ‘Red Rook’ Nettleship, Ben Wray, Benjamin Blanding, Benjamin Durbin, Benjamin Koch, 
  Benjamin Sennitt, Benjamin Warfield, Benjamin Wellner, Bernard Gravel, Betsy Rosenblatt, 
  ©2016 Kevin Kulp and Pelgrane Press Ltd. Ltd. TimeWatch is trademark of Kevin Kulp and Pelgrane Press Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
  
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  BFL-0611, Bill “Two Soups” Kahler, Bill Braine, Bill Brickman, Bill Farquhar, Bill Sabram, Billy (Baaby) McCune, Bingming Thum, Blake McLean, BluegrassGeek, Bob Huss, Bob Jamieson, 
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  Zw3rv3r, 권용준
  
  4
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  TIMEWATCH ...................................................................................................................................1
  CREDITS..........................................................................................................................................1
  TABLE OF CONTENTS .....................................................................................................................4
  CHAPTER ONE: THE BASICS ...........................................................................................................9
  How Do THese Rules woRk? ...........................................................................................................9
  wHo ARe You, AnYwAYs?...............................................................................................................9
  How Does Time TRAvel woRk? ........................................................................................................9
  wHo ARe YouR enemies? .............................................................................................................. 10
  sTRucTuRe of A mission ................................................................................................................ 11
  cAmpAign fRAmes ........................................................................................................................ 11
  How To plAY TimewATcH: A new plAYeR cHeAT sHeeT ........................................................................... 12
  CHAPTER TWO: YOUR CHARACTER ............................................................................................. 15
  sTep one: cHoose A concepT AnD oRigin ....................................................................................... 16
  sTep Two: cHoose YouR invesTigATive AbiliTies ..................................................................................23
  sTep THRee: Assign geneRAl AbiliTies ...............................................................................................26
  sTep fouR: builD ouT YouR peRsonAliTY, AppeARAnce, DRive, bAckgRounD, AnD secReTs ..........................28
  HinTs foR cHARAcTeR cReATion ....................................................................................................... 31
  exAmple of cHARAcTeR cReATion .....................................................................................................32
  impRoving YouR cHARAcTeR AfTeR eAcH mission ............................................................................... 34
  invesTigATive AbiliTY DeTAils ...........................................................................................................35
  geneRAl AbiliTY DeTAils .................................................................................................................45
  woRking foR TimewATcH ..............................................................................................................52
  ADvice foR AgenTs ....................................................................................................................... 54
  CHAPTER THREE: THE TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM ....................................................................... 61
  gATHeRing clues.......................................................................................................................... 61
  Time TRAvel .................................................................................................................................64
  StitcheS: timeWatch’S action PointS .............................................................................................65
  RegAining pool poinTs ................................................................................................................. 67
  TesTs ..........................................................................................................................................68
  figHTing .....................................................................................................................................77
  geTTing HuRT AnD keeping upRigHT .................................................................................................85
  pARADox AnD cHRonAl sTAbiliTY: YouR AncHoR To ReAliTY ..................................................................89
  HAzARDs AnD DAngeRs ..................................................................................................................98
  
  5
  CHAPTER FOUR: GEAR ...............................................................................................................105
  geAR AcquisiTion ...................................................................................................................... 105
  esTAblisHing signATuRe geAR ....................................................................................................... 108
  fuTuRisTic weApons in An AncienT woRlD ..................................................................................... 108
  equipmenT cosT ......................................................................................................................... 109
  equipmenT glossARY ................................................................................................................... 109
  sTAnDARD issue TimewATcH geAR .................................................................................................. 109
  weApons ..................................................................................................................................117
  oTHeR weApons AnD Devices ....................................................................................................... 123
  CHAPTER FIVE: ANTAGONISTS .................................................................................................. 145
  TYpes of AnTAgonisTs AnD suppoRTing cHARAcTeRs .......................................................................... 145
  THe impoRTAnce of mooks .......................................................................................................... 146
  villAinY AnD cAmpAign fRAmes .................................................................................................... 147
  builDing An ADveRsARY ............................................................................................................... 147
  gAme sTATs foR mooks, opponenTs, AnD suppoRTing cHARAcTeRs ..................................................... 158
  sAmple sTATs foR ADveRsARies ....................................................................................................... 164
  ADveRsARiAl moTivATions ............................................................................................................ 192
  CHAPTER SIX: GM ADVICE ......................................................................................................... 197
  How To builD A one-sHoT ADvenTuRe ...........................................................................................204
  Building Your mYSterY’S Structure ..............................................................................................208
  doS and don’tS of gming timeWatch ........................................................................................214
  HAcking THe Rules ......................................................................................................................217
  using TimewATcH wiTH oTHeR gumsHoe Rules sYsTems ..............................................................225
  CHAPTER SEVEN: THE PATROL CAMPAIGN FRAME ....................................................................235
  JusT AnoTHeR DAY AT THe office ...................................................................................................235
  cusTomizing THe ciTADel .............................................................................................................235
  TempoRAl eARlY wARning sYsTem..................................................................................................236
  TimewATcH emploYees ................................................................................................................. 237
  fAciliTies ...................................................................................................................................238
  sAfe Houses .............................................................................................................................239
  THe secReT mAsTeRs of TimewATcH................................................................................................240
  AlTeRnATive cHRonAl oRgAnizATions .............................................................................................240
  THe Tone of A pATRol gAme ........................................................................................................242
  CHAPTER EIGHT: ALTERNATE CAMPAIGN FRAMES ....................................................................245
  cHRonAl HoRRoR cAmpAign fRAme ...............................................................................................245
  cinemATic one-sHoT cAmpAign fRAme ...........................................................................................250
  conspiRAcY cAmpAign fRAme ....................................................................................................... 251
  HumoR cAmpAign fRAme .............................................................................................................260
  
  6
  leAp of fAiTH cAmpAign fRAme ..................................................................................................... 261
  mYTHos cAmpAign fRAme ............................................................................................................ 267
  pARAllel ReAliTies cAmpAign fRAme ................................................................................................282
  pulp cAmpAign fRAme .................................................................................................................293
  Rebellion cAmpAign fRAme ..........................................................................................................297
  sTRAnDeD cAmpAign fRAme ..........................................................................................................306
  Time-cRime cAmpAign fRAme ........................................................................................................308
  Time wAR cAmpAign fRAme ..........................................................................................................314
  TouRisT cAmpAign fRAme .............................................................................................................320
  wilD Times! cAmpAign fRAme .......................................................................................................324
  CHAPTER NINE: HISTORICAL MISCELLANY ................................................................................ 331
  noRTH AmeRicA ......................................................................................................................... 331
  souTH & cenTRAl AmeRicA ...........................................................................................................332
  euRope .....................................................................................................................................332
  AfRicA......................................................................................................................................333
  miDDle eAsT ..............................................................................................................................334
  eAsT AsiA .................................................................................................................................334
  souTH & souTH eAsT AsiA ...........................................................................................................335
  sAmple cHARAcTeRs AnD suppoRTing cHARAcTeRs ..............................................................................335
  THe AnTi-HisToRY ........................................................................................................................336
  CHAPTER TEN: TIME SEEDS ........................................................................................................339
  AnTisociAl DARwinism ................................................................................................................339
  AssYRiA TRiumpHAnT ....................................................................................................................340
  Aukisi kongo! ..........................................................................................................................340
  Axis inDiA .................................................................................................................................341
  bATTle of kADesH .......................................................................................................................341
  cARTHAge TRiumpHAnT .................................................................................................................342
  cHRisTopHeR wHo? .....................................................................................................................342
  dead man’S hand ....................................................................................................................343
  dinoSaur’S envoY .....................................................................................................................343
  empiRe of THe mouse ..................................................................................................................344
  gooD inTenTions .......................................................................................................................345
  HApsbuRg JeTs! ..........................................................................................................................345
  THe HeRo engine .......................................................................................................................346
  How noT To fAll ouT A winDow ................................................................................................346
  JApAn sTAYs open ......................................................................................................................347
  lA belle AmeRique ......................................................................................................................347
  magician’S gamBit ....................................................................................................................348
  
  7
  muscovY DefeATeD .....................................................................................................................348
  no geoRge wAsHingTon ...........................................................................................................349
  no mAgnA cARTA .....................................................................................................................349
  Rome fAlls eARlY .......................................................................................................................350
  sAving boTTicelli ........................................................................................................................350
  science foR THe song ................................................................................................................. 351
  THe sHARk ARm cAse .................................................................................................................. 351
  sino-sovieT wAR .......................................................................................................................352
  some DAY mY pRince will come .................................................................................................352
  THe sTRong mAn of euRope ........................................................................................................353
  TecumseH sTAmps His fooT ..........................................................................................................353
  THe wAlls cAme Tumbling Down .................................................................................................354
  A wHolesAle foRm of slAugHTeR .................................................................................................354
  A winTeR cARcAss .....................................................................................................................355
  YeAR wiTHouT A summeR .............................................................................................................356
  CHAPTER ELEVEN: TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES ...........................................................................359
  RecRuiTing cAll .........................................................................................................................359
  queen of THe nile .....................................................................................................................366
  THe once AnD fuTuRe pHoTobombeR .............................................................................................. 373
  QUICK REFERENCE CHEAT SHEETS ............................................................................................378
  INDEX ........................................................................................................................................384
  CHARACTER SHEET  ....................................................................................................................392
  
  8
  
  9
  You are a defender of history, an elite TimeWatch agent 
  plucked out of your native era and trained to stop saboteurs 
  from ripping history apart. 
  TimeWatch’s GUMSHOE investigative rule system keeps 
  the action moving during an investigation. As a highly skilled 
  agent from somewhere in history, you never fail in your areas 
  of specialty. Your training allows you to diagnose disruptions 
  in the time stream and track down the cause, making 
  conclusions that less capable investigators might just guess at. 
  The TimeWatch rules presume that you are a highly competent 
  badass. Who are you to prove them wrong?
  HOW DO THESE RULES WORK?
  TimeWatch uses the GUMSHOE rules system, but it’s fine if 
  you’ve never played a GUMSHOE game before. The crux of 
  TimeWatch characters is this:
  X
  X You have Investigative abilities, where even a single rating 
  point makes you an expert and you automatically succeed 
  in discovering a core clue without spending any points if 
  you have even one rating point. Each rating point gives you 
  a pool point you can spend to get an extra-strong success 
  or nifty benefit, but even when you’re out of points, the 
  ability isn’t “used up,” and you’re still an expert. 
  X
  X You also have General abilities for things where you might 
  succeed or might fail. Each rating point gives you a pool 
  point you can spend to improve die rolls, but once you run 
  out of points, you’re no longer exemplary in that ability. 
  Eight rating points or more makes you an expert. You 
  refresh these abilities by turning in the action points you 
  gained from doing cool stuff.
  The difference between these two ability types is critical 
  to understanding TimeWatch and other GUMSHOE games. 
  It’s also unlike most RPG character systems, so it’s worth 
  mentioning early on. 
  WHO ARE YOU, ANYWAYS?
  You are a particularly talented individual from some point in history 
  who was recruited by a TimeWatch1 agent and given an easy choice: 
  live a life of mediocrity and die right on schedule, or become an 
  elite investigator with an extended life span who fixes problems in 
  the true time stream. Unless you like really, really brief roleplaying 
  games and want to go home early, you chose the latter.
  You may be a particularly bright Neanderthal, a Mongol 
  raider, a famed aerial ace, a psychic cop from a futuristic 
  megacity, a reprogrammed cyborg, or a notorious interstellar 
  con artist. TimeWatch has trained you in history and chronal 
  theory, has given you a time machine and a weapon, and has 
  set you to guarding the history of humankind. 
  Time travel created innumerable threats to our existence, 
  and if you do your job right, we’ll never hear about a single 
  one. If you do your job wrong, you may erase history as we 
  know it. So try not to do that.
  HOW DOES TIME TRAVEL WORK?
  Time isn’t a fragile and precise clockwork where one small 
  change destroys the whole of recorded history, any more than 
  splashing your feet in a river stops the river from flowing. 
  Thankfully for humanity, time tends to correct itself in the 
  long run. Here’s what to remember: 
  X
  X Lasting timeline changes require multiple actions… unless 
  it’s one action at exactly the right time.
  1 TimeWatch (italicized) refers to this game you’re currently reading; 
  TimeWatch (unitalicized) refers to the chronal enforcement agency 
  to which the player characters belong. 
  WHAT IS ROLEPLAYING?
  This book is intended for experienced 
  roleplayers. If you don’t know what roleplaying 
  is, perhaps because you’re a fan of alternate 
  history and the game interested you, there 
  are lots of resources that can help. Look it up 
  on the Internet or ask a knowledgeable friend 
  to run a game for you.
  
  10
  CHAPTER ONE
  X
  X The best way to envision this is through an analogy. Brace 
  yourself. We may get pedantic.
  Think of history as a great twisting and turning river, 
  impossible to stop and difficult to redirect. Small tributaries 
  of parallel universes and timelines meander alongside 
  it, occasionally intersecting, merging, and splitting away. 
  Unconnected time streams of distant timelines flow more or 
  less nearby, parallel, but never actually touching the main river 
  directly. It’s almost impossible for a time traveler to reach one 
  of those distant parallels without passing through the multiple 
  tributaries that connect them to the main river of time. 
  Small to medium changes in time can cause odd currents 
  and eddies, but it normally takes extremely significant and 
  concerted action to reroute the whole flow of time out of 
  the main riverbed; think of it as trying to shift an entire river 
  out of a solid part of its riverbank. Impossible to do, right? 
  Changing history is the same way. 
  If a saboteur strikes at a point where there’s a naturally and 
  logically connected branch, the effort becomes much easier. 
  These are the places to head if you want to dam and redirect 
  the river of time. Reroute the channel of time at a branch 
  point by making a critical change, and the flow of history 
  easily slips into a new channel. Reroute it again, or have that 
  new channel slide farther away from the old branching point, 
  and the world as we remember it may fundamentally shift. If 
  no one fixes it, our world fades and disappears and is replaced 
  by new history. 
  Not many people remember who Aaron Burr is nowadays, but he 
  was a Founding Father of  the United States, he killed Alexander 
  Hamilton in a duel — and he was awfully close to becoming a traitor2.
  Aaron Burr lost the 1800 presidential election to Thomas Jefferson 
  and thus became the third vice president of  the United States. If  a 
  time traveler made Burr president instead of  Jefferson, the flow of  time 
  would be shunted onto a new branch. Most likely that branch would 
  soon merge back into the main flow of  time, as it is wont to do, and 
  there’d be some minor damage to the time stream… but history overall 
  wouldn’t change much in the long run.
  But what if  someone wanted to shift the timeline entirely? Another 
  change would be needed to force history even farther from its normal 
  path. Let’s say that in this alternate tributary of  time, greedy time 
  travelers use Burr’s position as president to create an independent 
  nation in the center of  North America, just as the Burr Conspiracy 
  (and Burr’s actual 1807 trial for treason) suggest he was trying to 
  do. That reroutes history even farther away from the main channel 
  and into a parallel path. If  they are unable to guard their new nation 
  from American invasion, history will be back to normal within a few 
  decades. If  the conspirators are able to maintain a sovereign state, 
  perhaps with the use of  futuristic weaponry, history remains on a new 
  course unless TimeWatch is able to set things right. 
  2 You never hear about this stuff in history class, do you? That’s a 
  shame; there are TimeWatch plot hooks aplenty in any decade you 
  want to name. When planning (and even playing) adventures for 
  TimeWatch, Internet searches and Wikipedia will be your friends. 
  Use them early and often.
  Time as a river.
  
  11
  THE BASICS
  It is at these junctures that your enemies often strike, and your 
  standard job as a TimeWatch agent is discovering disruptions 
  and restoring history. Your team will identify the problem, deal 
  with your foes, and restore history to its normal course — even 
  if you have to cut back and forth through time to do so.
  WHO ARE YOUR ENEMIES?
  Your enemies are legion. The easiest to deal with are newly time 
  traveling do-gooders who think that killing Hitler will solve all 
  the world’s problems, or who want to earn an easy fortune 
  through compound interest and upset the global economy in 
  the process. Occasionally you encounter rogue TimeWatch 
  agents driven insane by chronal instability or whose loyalties 
  have shifted; parallel universe imposters who try to take over 
  their duplicate’s life; and saboteurs from parallel and dying 
  time streams who are trying to redirect time to make their 
  particular future spring back into life. Most dangerous are 
  uncaring alien foes such as the Europan parasitic hivemind or 
  the shape-shifting, insectoid ezeru. They strike at established 
  history from a hundred different angles, and only TimeWatch 
  stands between them and the unraveling of reality. 
  STRUCTURE OF A MISSION
  A typical TimeWatch mission has a team of three to seven 
  TimeWatch Agents alerted to a problem in the time stream. 
  Anomalies are detected by technicians in a field office, or 
  more commonly in the TimeWatch Citadel that sits inside of a 
  quantum singularity just before the Big Bang. Minor anomalies 
  ripple slowly forwards before correcting themselves; major 
  changes cascade forward through time like a flood, carrying 
  away everything they pass over as history is erased and 
  rewritten. Whatever the scope of the problem, TimeWatch 
  analysts identify the approximate starting date and location 
  where they first notice a change, then dispatch your Agent into 
  the past or future to discover what has altered and why. The 
  point where history diverges and where TimeWatch notices 
  history diverge are often quite different.
  For subtle changes in history, it may take you some 
  investigation to put together exactly how history is now 
  different; other times, the changes may be horribly and 
  brutally obvious. The next (and more important question) is 
  why history has changed. To aid your investigation you have a 
  tether (p. 145), a futuristic research and communication device 
  that contains all of known true history and isn’t afraid to tell 
  you about it. You’ll use local research, spying, logic, and role-
  playing to track down the problem.
  You’ll usually end up time traveling one or more jumps 
  to get to the correct time and place where history has been 
  altered. Once there, you will take steps to set things right. 
  This might require additional trips, tasks, or investigation, and 
  probably results in you capturing or killing the antagonists 
  involved. When finished, after making sure that there haven’t 
  been any unanticipated side effects that your team can’t live 
  with, you’ll likely return to TimeWatch’s Citadel or to your 
  favorite point in history for some rest and relaxation prior to 
  your next mission.
  That’s if everything goes smoothly, of course. When 
  it doesn’t, you may be flung into a hostile parallel universe, 
  or be forced to summon reinforcements (including future 
  versions of your own team). You may track down a traitor 
  through political negotiation, or deliberately cause paradoxes 
  that hopefully work themselves out. There’s any number of 
  different styles of TimeWatch missions, and your GM (Game 
  Moderator) will vary those mission styles regularly to make 
  sure the campaign never grows stale.
  CAMPAIGN FRAMES
  Movies, books, and shows about time travel tend to follow 
  very different rules from each other, particularly how paradox 
  is concerned. Doctor Who is very different from Looper, for 
  instance, and the dimension-hopping TV show Sliders is quite 
  different from Simon Hawke’s classic Timewars series. 
  The default TimeWatch setting of “time cops defending 
  history” intersperses action and investigation with fairly 
  realistic consequences and serious challenges. That’s not 
  the only way to play, and the game is designed to support 
  campaign styles from simulationist alt-history, to cinematically 
  pulpy, to downright silly. Whether you prefer missions that 
  explore realistic alternate history possibilities, battles against 
  alien saboteurs, heroic explorers venturing out into the 
  vastness of time and space, or lighthearted jumps into parallel 
  realities where famous literary characters act out the stories we 
  tell about them, the different campaign frames in this game 
  can support your GM’s campaign. 
  Patrol (p. 235). The default, classic sci-fi setting for 
  TimeWatch. You’re a smart and talented time cop who uses 
  futuristic technology and your own wits to stop saboteurs 
  from changing the course of history. 
  Chronal Horror (p. 245). In a world where the threats are 
  supernatural instead of scientific, the agents of TimeWatch 
  combat vampiric infestations and unnatural possessions 
  that would turn history into a short-lived, screaming hell. In 
  a Chronal Horror frame, TimeWatch agents struggle to bring 
  about a future where humanity survives the undead infestation 
  that time travel itself may have unleashed. 
  Cinematic One-Shot (p. 250). Want to fight your own 
  cyborg assassin, hang out with a race car-driving guitar-playing 
  neurosurgeon, hunt down a missing flux capacitor, or be 
  inspired by a dozen or more other movies? Your game, your 
  rules; pick a movie or TV show and adjust the core rules to 
  match it.
  Conspiracy (p. 251). X-Files meets Poul Anderson’s Time 
  Patrol, this campaign frame uses Patrol-style missions as a 
  background to the corruptions and intrigues of TimeWatch 
  itself. Can you trust your fellow agents, or are you living a 
  lie? Is TimeWatch manipulating history to its own ends? This 
  is a campaign frame of secrecy, political maneuvering, and 
  investigation.
  Humor (p. 260). Drama and action are shoved aside to 
  make way for hilarity and satire. Less investigation and more 
  
  12
  CHAPTER ONE
  comedy, this style of game is incredibly fun but works much 
  better as a one-shot instead of as a campaign.
  Leap of Faith (p. 261). A good campaign frame for 
  solo play or particularly small groups, this setting takes its 
  inspiration from TV shows like Quantum Leap. You’ll be body-
  hopping from one time to another, showing up each mission 
  in a different host body. Your Investigative abilities stay the 
  same, but your General abilities may vary wildly depending on 
  whose body you end up inhabiting.
  Mythos (p. 267). A merger of Trail of  Cthulhu and 
  TimeWatch, the Mythos campaign frame allows you to use 
  ritual magic instead of technology to thwart Cthulhian  
  horrors across history. Time travel here requires soul travel and 
  body possession, and fleeing your host may not be enough to 
  spare you from the sanity-numbing horrors of the outer darkness.
  Parallel Realities (p. 282). Instead of time travel, a Parallel 
  Realities campaign has you sliding from one parallel universe 
  to the next, either to try and return home or just for the joy 
  of exploring. If you want a campaign world that changes 
  dramatically from game to game, with no worry about 
  continuity or time travel paradoxes, this is a good choice.
  Pulp (p. 293). Like a Patrol campaign but with more action 
  and less realism, this style of game takes its name from 1930s 
  adventure magazines. If you love the idea of Nazi dinosaurs 
  rampaging through Berlin, this might be the right campaign 
  frame for you. 
  Rebellion (p. 297). Sick of always having to save history 
  instead of improving it? A Rebellion campaign features 
  underdog freedom fighters who seek to make a better world 
  by changing the official timeline. Your enemies are often 
  agents from TimeWatch itself, along with hostile aliens who 
  use the same methods to seek very different goals. A Rebellion 
  campaign may also start you off in a timeline that has already 
  been changed and which is much different than the one you 
  know as a player.
  Stranded (p. 306). A Stranded campaign takes heroes from 
  the future and maroons them in the past (or vice versa). This 
  campaign frame has little or no actual time travel, and focuses 
  on fish-out-of-water roleplaying while using future technology 
  to defeat enemies in past-tech locations.
  Time-Crime (p. 308). Let the suckers save history; your 
  job is to rob it, stealing history’s most amazing treasures from 
  across time and space. If you’ve ever wanted to play a time 
  traveling con artist, Time-Crime is the way to go.
  Time War (p. 314). Alien war comes to Earth, changing 
  history forever, and it’s all hands on deck when the remnants 
  For some enemies you need to bring out the big guns. Very, very big guns.
  
  13
  THE BASICS
  of TimeWatch have to save anything they can. Forget secrecy; 
  time travel is a well-known tactic, and you won’t be the only 
  person using it to try and win the war.
  Tourist (p. 320). Rapid time travel takes a backseat as you 
  explore Earth’s past and future, including the histories of 
  other alien planets across the galaxy. If the chronomorphic 
  technology of your time machine tends to get stuck in the 
  shape of a blue police box, you’re likely in a Tourist-style 
  campaign frame. 
  Wild Times! (p. 324). In the early days of time travel, 
  maverick adventurers braved unstable equipment and 
  unknown hazards to explore history. Venture back to those 
  early days of science, and conquer unknown time streams!
  HOW TO PLAY TIMEWATCH: 
  A NEW PLAYER CHEAT SHEET
  History may be fairly robust, but apply the right pressure at the 
  right time and everything changes. You travel through time to 
  stop other time travelers from messing up the true timeline. 
  You’re incredibly competent, you’ve got a time machine 
  and high-tech gear that hides itself, and you hail from anywhen 
  in the whole of history. You’re an agent of TimeWatch.
  Doing Stuff
  General abilities are how you get stuff done. Sneaking, fighting, 
  running… all these are done with General abilities. If you have 
  a General ability rating of 8 or higher, you’re extremely talented at 
  that activity (and may get access to cool bonus stuff when using 
  it). If you don’t have any rating at all in a General ability, you stink 
  at it and won’t generally succeed. A 0 Vehicles, for instance, lets 
  you drive to the store and back but you’d fail at any task difficult 
  enough to require a die roll. An 8 Vehicles would make you a 
  stunt driver. Similarly, a 0 Scuffle means you’re no good at hand-
  to-hand combat, but an 8 or higher Scuffle would make you an 
  expert martial artist.
  It’s traumatic for your dice bag, but in TimeWatch you’ll only 
  need one die: a d6. Roll it. Your target Difficulty Number 
  is usually 4; if you roll a 4 or higher with a General ability like 
  Athletics, you probably succeed. 
  Obviously, that would mean you only succeed half the 
  time. You raise these odds by spending points from your 
  General ability pools and adding them to your d6 roll. Want 
  to shoot someone? Spend 2 points from your Shooting pool, 
  add it to your d6, and you usually only fail if you roll a 1. 
  Spend 3 points, and you’re guaranteed to hit. When your 
  pool drops to 0, you’re stuck just rolling a d6 until you can 
  refresh your pool. 
  You refresh your General ability pools by spending 
  Stitches, TimeWatch’s action point. The GM and other players 
  will hand them to you for being awesome, so remember to be 
  awesome. While you can also use them for a few other things, 
  Stitches can be turned in at any time to refresh one pool by 
  2 points. When you start running low, turn in some Stitches.
  Learning Stuff
  Ignore your General abilities for a second and look over 
  at your Investigative abilities. These are broken into 
  three sections to make things easier to find — Academic, 
  Interpersonal, and Technical knowledge — but they all work 
  pretty much the same way. If  you have 1 or more points in 
  any of  these, you’re an expert at it. This matters because 
  during the game, all you need to do is tell the GM that you’re 
  using an appropriate ability and you’ll automatically get 
  a clue if there is one. Yes, automatically, no roll required. 
  The fun here is in what you do with that information, not 
  how you get it.
  So let’s say you’re searching old birth records for clues. The 
  GM may ask, “Do you have any rating points in Research?” If 
  you say yes, she’ll tell you everything you can find out. No roll is 
  ever required.
  You can spend these points to get cool in-game 
  advantages. Take the Interpersonal ability Charm, for 
  instance, and pretend for a second that you have a rating of 2 
  or 3 in it. You meet the evil mastermind’s attractive assistant. 
  Tell the GM you’re using Charm to flirt with the supporting 
  character, and the assistant will let slip important clues. Tell the 
  GM you’re spending 1 or more Charm points to get cool stuff 
  while you’re flirting, and the assistant may fall in love with you. 
  Spend 2 points, and the assistant may double-cross the boss 
  out of love for you. 
  Just remember, spending a point from an Investigative 
  ability doesn’t stop you from knowing that topic. It just limits 
  how many times in a game you can ask for special cool stuff.
  And really? That’s all you need to know before 
  starting play.
  
  14
  
  15
  This chapter shows you how to create characters. It’s intended 
  for both players and GMs.
  Creating a TimeWatch character is a simple four-step process. 
  At each step, consult with your GM and the other players to 
  ensure you have covered all the abilities your group needs, and 
  that you have a good variety of characters concepts.
  X
  X 	Step one: Choose a character concept and your time 
  and place of origin. You may wish to scan the character 
  competencies on p. 18 for ideas. If you’re short on time, 
  ready-to-play digital character sheets with a variety of 
  character competencies are available on the Pelgrane Press 
  web site. Just pick a character concept and go.
  X
  X 	Step two: Choose your Investigative abilities, the 
  knowledge and research skills you’ve learned that help 
  you gather information and drive the plot forward. (These 
  abilities always work when gathering clues. If you spend 
  points from them, they work even better.) You have a certain 
  number of points to distribute when choosing abilities, as 
  detailed on p. 26, and you receive Timecraft 1 for free. You 
  don’t have to assign all of these points at the game’s start.
  X
  X 	Step three: Assign your General abilities, the skills that 
  help you survive while you’re gathering information and 
  solving problems. (You roll a single 6-sided die and spend 
  points to see if these work.) You have 50 points to distribute 
  when choosing abilities, as detailed on p. 26, and you receive 
  Health 6 and Chronal Stability 6 for free. 
  X
  X Step four: Build out your personality, Drive, 
  background, and secrets. This tells you why you’re 
  risking your life time traveling instead of sleeping on a 
  tranquil tropical beach somewhere, or instead of hijacking 
  time for your own purposes. 
  Alternatively, you can create your character by starting out 
  with your Agent’s personality and history, and then choose 
  Investigative and General abilities to complement it. This 
  method may work best if you have a strong vision you want 
  to try and match.
  Lori has been reading about the 16th-century Medici family of  
  Florence, and wishes to play a sly and conniving former assassin and 
  power broker from the family who has instead joined TimeWatch. She 
  already knows what she wants; she just has to choose abilities to match.
  Brendan isn’t sure yet what he wants to play, so he scans the 
  character competencies. He notices “24th-century cyborg” as an 
  example for “hacker,” and that sounds like a lot of  fun. He combines 
  it with the character competency “thug” to build a futuristic bruiser, 
  then figures out who he is and where he came from. 
  “WAIT TILL YOU SEE HOW I DID THAT.”
  TimeWatch uses the GUMSHOE rules, and GUMSHOE 
  rules define your character by what he or she can accomplish 
  in an investigative scenario. The rules don’t care if your 
  Intimidation ability is terrifying malevolence, sly menace, a 
  spectacular talent for blackmail, or psychic powers that terrify 
  your subject so much that he spills every secret he knows. You 
  can explain how your abilities work however you like when 
  describing your character to others, but the game effect is 
  what’s important. All that matters is how you solve cases and 
  overcome other obstacles arising from them. That means that 
  you should have fun and be creative when deciding how your 
  character’s abilities work.
  This distinction gives you a lot of flexibility when describing 
  your character. It’s up to you whether you use precise martial 
  arts or a brutally powerful frenzied flailing, but 8 points in the 
  Scuffling General ability means that your character is going to 
  kick butt in a fistfight either way. Use this to your advantage 
  when creating a fun, memorable character.
  RATINGS AND POOLS
  The number you assign to each ability is called a rating. You 
  may choose to improve it gradually over time, but ratings 
  remain static over the course of the typical game session.
  For each ability, your character has a pool of points which 
  fluctuates over the course of each session. Your pool can 
  never be higher than your rating. Imagine that each ability 
  is a bucket. Your rating is the size of the bucket, and your 
  pool is how full the bucket currently is. You begin each 
  mission, or scenario, with pool points equal to your rating. 
  You will spend points as you carry out the mission, and 
  refresh those points by spending Stitches (action points, 
  explained on p. 65). 
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  16
  TimeWatch agent and former big-game hunter Mace Hunter is in 
  a life-or-death struggle with a Borgia spy in 15th-century Renaissance 
  Italy. He spends 7 of  his 8 Scuffling points to knock the spy 
  unconscious. His Scuffling rating remains 8, but his Scuffling pool 
  stays at 1 point until he’s able to refresh it back to a maximum of  8. 
  It cannot rise higher than 8.
  The distinction between ratings and pools is a crucial one; 
  keep it in mind as you read and interpret the TimeWatch rules. 
  See p. 67 for rules on refreshing pools. 
  STEP ONE:  
  CHOOSE A CONCEPT AND ORIGIN
  WHAT DEFINES YOU?
  The first step is deciding on a character concept. It’s much 
  easier to choose your abilities on the character sheet once 
  you have a clear image in your head of what your character 
  looks like, what they sound like, and what they can do. The 
  two easiest ways to quickly define their capabilities is to think 
  about their job and their origin.
  If you think your character is best defined by their previous 
  job, decide what that job was: a soldier, a detective, a diplomat, 
  a thief, a scholar? Choose something you think would be fun 
  to play, as your job is going to help define your abilities. A 
  former coal miner will be burly, athletic, and possibly good at 
  Scuffling; a former scientist will be scholarly and inventive; and 
  a former thief will likely be good at Burglary, Unobtrusiveness, 
  and Spying.
  If you think your character is best defined by their time and 
  place of origin, decide that first instead. You may be excited to 
  play someone from medieval England, or the American Old West, 
  feudal Japan, ancient Rome, or a futuristic megacity. The culture 
  of the place you come from will help define your character. A 
  Neanderthal will be superb at Outdoor Survival and hunting 
  skills, while a character from the 2120 Lunar colony may be an 
  expert on Science!, Hacking, and similar technological abilities. 
  One of these choices may suggest the other. “Medieval 
  England” screams out for “noble knight” or “scurrilous 
  outlaw,” just as “Old West” suggests “steely-eyed gunslinger,” 
  “brilliant wilderness scout,” or “slightly crazed prospector 
  who likes to blow things up.” Professions give you more range 
  of choice. “Soldier,” for instance, suggests any number of 
  possibilities such as ancient Greece or ancient China, the US 
  Civil War, a world war, a future war that you make up, and 
  many other possibilities. “Detective” suggests a modern cop, 
  a 1970s PI, a 19th-century member of Scotland Yard, or a 
  WHAT YOU DO
  You are a member of the secret organization 
  TimeWatch, a group of elite agents from 
  across time that stands between true history 
  and world-altering chaos. You are trained to 
  remove anachronisms, avoid paradox, fix 
  chronal interference, and to use time itself as 
  a weapon against your foes. Your skills and 
  equipment allow you to travel throughout 
  history, fitting in seamlessly and identifying 
  sabotage that changes the flow of history. 
  Your job is usually to change it back, or to 
  stop it from being changed in the first place.
  YOUR ORGANIZATION
  TimeWatch 
  is 
  organized 
  by 
  squads, 
  encouraging agents to live and work closely 
  with their teammates. Each squad usually 
  has a handler or briefing officer who assigns 
  them missions. Agents typically disguise 
  themselves as appropriate for the culture 
  and time period they are entering, assuming 
  fake identities for the duration of their stay. 
  TimeWatch forbids its agents to reveal 
  anything about time travel to outsiders, and 
  agents seldom allow their true identity to 
  be publicly known. Mistakes in maintaining 
  cover can lead to disaster: more than one 
  successful agent has been eliminated by an 
  enemy killing off her ancestors, removing her 
  from existence and requiring every mission 
  she ever accomplished to need redoing by 
  other agents. 
  Most agents sleep and live at the TimeWatch 
  Citadel at the beginning of time, so that 
  they’re on site (and unaffected by any 
  historical changes) when their team is 
  scrambled on a mission. Teams stick together 
  and often socialize with their peers between 
  missions. New teammates are shuffled in as 
  old ones are killed and erased from existence 
  by paradox. Agents may be rookies entirely 
  new to TimeWatch, new clones of deceased 
  agents, or seasoned pros who are transferred 
  out of other teams.
  Mission alerts at the Citadel are typically 
  triggered by your handler, accompanied by 
  skilled chronal technicians and analysts who 
  monitor the true timeline with chronal sensors. 
  These sensors seldom indicate the exact 
  problem with history, but they’re good at 
  providing advance notice of an unexpected 
  change. The sensors are accurate enough to 
  provide agents with a reasonable time and 
  location to begin their investigation. 
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  17
  future freelance law enforcement officer who solves crimes 
  for money.
  Some people find it easiest to define their character by what 
  they can’t do. Deciding “my character is awful at Charm,” or 
  “I’m lousy at anything mechanical,” helps you assign your 
  build points more easily.
  Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box, even if that 
  means taking a time and place you don’t know much about 
  yet. You’ll learn. When in doubt, pick something that makes 
  you say “hell yes!” over something that makes you say “meh.” 
  Just remember that TimeWatch tends to recruit the best, 
  and TimeWatch agents are assumed to be extraordinarily 
  competent at their job. 
  Make sure you talk to your GM before falling in love with 
  your character concept. If she’s using one of the alternate 
  campaign frames, you’ll want to make sure your character 
  concept matches what she has in mind for a game. An 
  intelligent psychic dinosaur from an alternate timeline, for 
  instance, may not fit into a particular GM’s gritty cop drama. 
  Characters are usually individuals of high potential who 
  vanished, disappeared, or died suddenly without living out 
  a full lifespan. Most characters are wholly imaginary, but 
  that’s not required if you’d rather play someone real who 
  vanished before their time. Searching the Internet for “list of 
  people who disappeared mysteriously” brings up a wealth of 
  creative ideas. With your GM’s permission, you might play 
  the mysterious skyjacker D. B. Cooper, or Amelia Earhart, or 
  Jimmy Hoffa, or Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt, or a 
  hundred other interesting choices. It’s up to you, and to the 
  style of your GM’s campaign. 
  EXAMPLES OF CHARACTER CONCEPTS
  X
  X 	a cynical philosopher from ancient Greece
  X
  X 	a Roman spy from the time of Emperor Vespasian
  X
  X 	a samurai from 12th-century Japan
  X
  X 	a politically adept noble assassin from the Renaissance
  X
  X 	a Sioux scout from the early 1800s
  X
  X a police detective from Victorian England
  X
  X 	Nikola Tesla’s former research assistant
  X
  X 	a 1950s private eye from New York City
  X
  X 	a late 21st-century genetically engineered, superintelligent 
  spider monkey 
  X
  X 	a 22nd-century Chinese research scientist
  X
  X 	a 24th-century psychic street rat from a subterranean global 
  megacity
  19th century explorer Mace Hunter, Uurrk the Neanderthal, Altani the Mongol Princess,  
  Skegg the sophosaur and starship pilot Kelfala: ready for action!
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  18
  X
  X 	a 26th-century suborbital soldier
  X
  X 	a 31st-century hovering, disembodied psychic brain
  X
  X 	a memory-damaged clone of a famous slain agent, trying to 
  live up to a reputation she doesn’t deserve
  X
  X 	a TimeWatch lab technician or chronal anthropologist who 
  received a field promotion to full agent
  DON’T PANIC
  One of the real challenges here is analysis paralysis; there are 
  so many possible choices that it’s difficult to pick just one. 
  Glancing at the character competencies below to identify 
  certain core abilities may give you some ideas.
  We suggest narrowing down your choices and going for a 
  quirky, specific concept, maybe one based off of a favorite 
  movie or literary character. A quick Internet search may give 
  you ideas, and it’s good to look up details of actual historical 
  eras you find interesting. If choosing an Agent who comes from 
  the future, you should make up a few sentences about a future 
  society and propose it to your GM. Chances are she’ll say yes, 
  and then together you can add details to make it come alive.
  Once you decide on your job and your origin time and place, 
  write them down. Now talk to the other players about what 
  your role in the group might be. You want to make sure that 
  you don’t accidentally trod over each other’s choices, since two 
  22nd-century scientists or 19th-century Manhattan socialites 
  might interfere with each other’s niche.
  Don’t worry about picking a character who doesn’t seem to 
  be smart or educated enough to function well in TimeWatch. 
  The agency trains everyone; even a Neanderthal recruit 
  will receive neural conditioning and high-intensity cultural 
  instruction that allows her to function well as an agent. A sailor 
  recruited from ancient Greece may consider his high-tech gear 
  to be akin to magic, but he’ll still have a solid grounding in 
  “correct” history and will be able to thrive in the field.
  WHAT TO AVOID
  Health and Chronal Stability both start at a rating of 6 for 
  free, but consider putting at least a few points into both unless 
  you like living dangerously. When assigning General abilities, 
  don’t leave a 0 rating in any ability you want to have a chance 
  of succeeding in.
  Unless the GM specifically okays it (such as in a “Bill and 
  Ted”-style humor game), don’t play anyone who is completely 
  goofy or grossly incompetent. It can be hilarious at the right 
  time, but it doesn’t fit the default tone of TimeWatch very well, 
  and you’re far less likely to have fun.
  If you don’t have explicit permission from your GM, 
  avoid creating characters who are linked to fictional or 
  literary creations. For instance, you can easily play a London 
  street urchin, but not one of Sherlock Holmes’ Baker Street 
  Irregulars; you can play a French musketeer, but not Athos, 
  Porthos, or Aramis. Doing so changes a sci-fi time travel game 
  into more of a fantasy game, which can be fun but might strain 
  suspension of disbelief (and that’s saying something in a game 
  which could feature Roman soldiers equipped with ray guns). 
  If the GM gives you permission, of course, all bets are off.
  CHARACTER COMPETENCIES
  If you want a starting spot for character creation, choose 
  some archetypal character competencies. These aren’t quite 
  backgrounds or character histories; instead, they’re pre-calculated 
  bundles of abilities that let you quickly specialize in different skills. 
  If you want to be good at one or more of these competencies, 
  invest at least that many points in the specified abilities.
  You can tweak and change these as much as you’d like. 
  Add or subtract suggested abilities, or hey, completely ignore 
  them and build your character from scratch. Using character 
  competencies doesn’t save you or cost you any build points; 
  they’re just a shortcut for modeling certain areas of expertise. 
  Feel free to use them as a starting spot when constructing 
  your character.
  You can easily combine competencies. When two or more 
  competencies suggest you take points in the same ability, don’t 
  add the points together; instead, just take the higher of the 
  two. Note that all TimeWatch characters start with Timecraft 1, 
  Health 6, and Chronal Stability 6 for free, so in the point totals 
  for each entry below, Timecraft, Health, and Chronal Stability 
  only count points above this default starting level. 
  Becky wants a high-tech con artist and thief, a character who is 
  superb at stealing, impersonating people, and hacking. She takes 
  the Chameleon, Hacker, and Thief  character competency packages 
  to make sure her character does what she wants it to. Grabbing a 
  RACISM AND SEXISM SUCK
  Using a combination of training and 
  technology, TimeWatch agents can fit in 
  anywhere or anytime so long as they do not 
  attract excessive attention to themselves. This 
  is true regardless of the agent’s sex, gender, 
  skin color, or even species. TimeWatch isn’t 
  a simulation; racism and sexism may be 
  rampant throughout history, but they’re no 
  fun whatsoever in a roleplaying game unless 
  that’s a historical issue you’re specifically 
  looking to address. TimeWatch’s Disguise 
  and Unobtrusiveness rules help explain why 
  personal prejudice doesn’t have to be the 
  focus of every historical mission. Choose 
  your concept and origin accordingly, and 
  trust your GM not to violate this principle. 
  Conversely, we suggest that you don’t play 
  a racist or prejudiced character without 
  running it past your GM first. For more on 
  historical racism, see p. 215.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  19
  character sheet and referring to the competencies, she lists out the 
  abilities this character should have: 
  Investigative: Authority 1, Charm 1, Falsehood Detection 1, 
  Forgery 1, Hacking 2, High Society 1, Notice 1, Reassurance 1, 
  Research 1, Science! 1, Spying 1, Streetwise 1, Taunt 1.
  General: Athletics 4, Burglary 8, Disguise 8, Preparedness 4, 
  Tinkering 8, Unobtrusiveness 8.
  This uses up 14 of  her 16 Investigative build points (if  there were 
  fewer players she’d have more points to spend, as noted on p. 218). 
  She decides to drop Hacking to 1 and boost Spying to 2, and she adds 
  History (Future) 1 and Paradox Prevention 1. This spends all her 
  Investigative points.
  She’s used 40 of  her 50 General build points, more than she’d like. 
  She still needs to boost her Health and Chronal Stability and add a 
  combat ability. She drops Burglary to 6, freeing up 2 points that she 
  uses to boost Athletics from 4 to 6. She puts 1 point each in Scuffling 
  and Vehicles, 6 points in Shooting, and adds 1 point each to her 
  starting scores of  6 in Chronal Stability and Health. 
  She’s done. Her character is superb at technology (including hacking), 
  stealth, and disguise, and decent at burglary, athletics, and shooting. When 
  Becky gets more build points after she completes missions, she’ll use the first 
  few to boost her Athletics and Burglary to 8 each. That gains her useful 
  Boosters that raise her Hit Threshold and help her be a better thief. Then 
  after further missions she’ll boost her Health and Chronal Stability from 7 
  to 8 each, making her harder to kill.
  Analyst
  You’re an expert at combining disparate historical information 
  and on-site field reports to make accurate theories and 
  assumptions. You have the knowledge and analysis skills to 
  weigh theories and draw realistic conclusions.
  Specific Examples: 5th-century Egyptian astrologer, 16th-
  century adviser and counselor to Queen Elizabeth I, 22nd-
  century NavSci LLC International Security analyst
  Investigative Abilities (9 points): Anthropology 1, 
  Bureaucracy 1, Forgery 1, History (Ancient) 1, History 
  (Contemporary) 1, History (Future) 1, Military Tactics 1, 
  Research 2
  General Abilities (0 points): None
  Chameleon
  You’re an expert at both short-term and long-term disguise, 
  infiltration, and impersonation. Not only do you fit in 
  anywhere, you can convince complete strangers that they’ve 
  met you before — and pick their pockets while they’re asking 
  you how you’ve been. 
  Specific Examples: 14th-century Renaissance con artist, 
  17th-century Japanese assassin, 21st-century undercover law 
  enforcement agent
  Investigative Abilities (9 points): Authority 1, Charm 1, 
  Falsehood Detection 1, Forgery 1, High Society 1, Notice 1, 
  Reassurance 1, Spying 1, Streetwise 1
  General Abilities (16 points): Burglary 4, Disguise 8, 
  Preparedness 4
  Chronal Expert
  You’re an expert on time travel; you may even have invented 
  a time machine yourself, the act of which probably got you 
  noticed and recruited by TimeWatch. You can withstand a 
  fair amount of chronal instability, and you’re good at helping 
  others withstand it as well.
  Specific Examples: crazed and discredited 19th-century 
  scientist, mid-20th-century occult archaeologist, 23rd-century 
  chronal architect
  Investigative Abilities (7 points): Hacking 1, History 
  (any) 2, Paradox Prevention 1, Science! 2, Timecraft 2
  General Abilities (18 points): Chronal Stability 8, Reality 
  Anchor 8, Tinkering 8
  Diplomat
  Who needs violence when you can talk your way out of 
  trouble? Not only do you have a silver tongue, you know how 
  to make your enemies furious enough to make stupid mistakes.
  Specific Examples: 13th-century ambassador for Genghis 
  Khan, 17th-century Shakespearean actor, 20th-century career 
  politician, 27th-century criminal grifter
  Investigative Abilities (7 points): Charm 2, Falsehood 
  Detection 1, High Society 1, Reassurance 2, Taunt 1
  General Abilities (4 points): Reality Anchor 4
  Explorer
  You have few concerns about setting off into an untrammeled 
  wilderness, whether it’s a Triassic jungle or a radioactive 
  wasteland.
  Specific Examples: 13th-century Native American, 19th-
  century jungle explorer, 29th-century planetary researcher
  Investigative Abilities (7 points): Anthropology 1, 
  Architecture 1, Notice 1, Outdoor Survival 2, Research 1, 
  Trivia 1
  General Abilities (32 points): Athletics 8, Burglary 4, 
  Preparedness 4, Scuffling 6, Tinkering 4, Vehicles 6
  Gadgeteer
  You can build it, fix it, invent it, or hack into it. You’re adept 
  at improving your own weapons and subverting other people’s 
  machinery. 
  Specific Examples: one of the three Banū Mūsā scholars 
  from the 9th century, 20th-century race-car mechanic, 29th-
  century spaceship engineer
  Investigative Abilities (4 points): Hacking 1, Notice 1, 
  Science! 2
  General Abilities (18 points): Burglary 4, Preparedness 6, 
  Tinkering 8
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  20
  Hacker
  Need to break into computer systems, security systems, and 
  encrypted technology? Most useful when facing antagonists in 
  contemporary and future eras, hacking can gain you information 
  or power. When information is locked away, hacking is your key
  Specific Examples: 20th-century teenaged computer 
  savant, 22nd-century security consultant, 24th-century cyborg.
  Investigative Abilities (7 points): Forgery 1, Hacking 2, 
  Notice 1, Research 1, Science! 1, Spying 1
  General Abilities (16 points): Burglary 4, Preparedness 4, 
  Tinkering 8
  Historian
  When you know what should have happened, it’s easy to tell 
  what’s gone wrong. Historians know history so well that it’s 
  easy for them to track down both answers and assistance.
  Specific Examples: Greek scribe at the 3rd-century-BCE 
  Library of Alexandria, 19th-century Oxford University librarian, 
  24th-century escaped genetically engineered bio-computer
  Investigative Abilities (8 points): Anthropology 1, 
  Architecture 1, Bureaucracy 1, History (Ancient) 1, History 
  (Contemporary) 1, History (Future) 1, Research 1, Trivia 1
  General Abilities (4 points): Unobtrusiveness 4
  Physician
  Whichever era you’re from, you’ve studied physiology enough 
  to know how the body works. You can diagnose disease, treat 
  injuries, and heal the sick.
  Specific Examples: 15th-century Aztec shaman, 19th-
  century grave robber, 23rd-century cloning technician
  Investigative Abilities (7 points): Bureaucracy 1, 
  Falsehood Detection 1, Medical Expertise 2, Notice 1, 
  Reassurance 1, Science! 1
  General Abilities (12 points): Medic 8, Preparedness 4
  Pilot
  You’re hell on wheels, and you can drive anything with an 
  engine. Heck, you don’t even need an engine! From goat cart 
  to race car to fighter jet to starship, your TimeWatch training 
  will let you pilot it.
  Specific Examples: 4th-century-BCE Roman charioteer, 
  21st-century race car driver, 31st-century starship pilot
  Investigative Abilities (3 points): Science! 1, Streetwise 
  1, Taunt 1
  General Abilities (12 points): Tinkering 4, Vehicles 8
  Scientist
  You’re steeped in scientific fundamentals, from astronomy 
  and chemistry to physics and engineering. You recognize clues 
  that less educated (or talented) agents would miss, and you can 
  use your knowledge to produce remarkable technology.
  Specific Examples: 15th-century scientific prodigy, 
  21st-century teenage roboticist, 22nd-century corporate 
  biochemist, 24th-century military weapons designer
  Investigative Abilities (5 points): Hacking 1, Notice 1, 
  Research 1, Science! 2
  General Abilities (14 points): Medic 2, Preparedness 4, 
  Tinkering 8
  Sharpshooter
  You’re an expert with ranged weapons, able to acquire the 
  best firearms from throughout history, take multiple shots in 
  a round, and use your military knowledge to take better aim. 
  Specific Examples: 14th-century Mongol archer, 19th-
  century British sharpshooter, 20th-century police officer, 
  25th-century starship gunner
  Investigative Abilities (3 points): Authority 1, Military 
  Tactics 2
  General Abilities (14 points): Preparedness 6, Shooting 8
  Soldier
  Whether it’s hand-to-hand combat, ranged combat, or urban 
  assault, you know how to be a soldier and you know how to 
  defend yourself.
  Specific Examples: 6th-century-BCE Spartan warrior, 
  19th-century South Seas pirate, 20th-century WWII veteran, 
  25th-century survivor of the second Matriarchy Wars
  Investigative Abilities (7 points): Authority 1, Bureaucracy 
  1, History (any) 1, Intimidation 1, Military Tactics 1, Outdoor 
  Survival 1, Streetwise 1
  General Abilities (22 points): Athletics 8, Health 8, 
  Scuffling 6, Shooting 6
  Spy
  Whether you obtain it through stealth or guile, you’re an expert at 
  getting information from people who don’t want to give it to you. 
  Specific Examples: 16th-century palace spy, 20th-century 
  Cold War foreign agent, 21st-century investigative reporter, 
  22nd-century deep-cover double agent
  Investigative Abilities (11 points): Charm 1, Falsehood 
  Detection 1, Forgery 1, Hacking 1, High Society 1, Notice 1, 
  Reassurance 1, Spying 2, Streetwise 1, Trivia 1
  General Abilities (28 points): Athletics 6, Burglary 4, 
  Disguise 4, Preparedness 4, Tinkering 4, Unobtrusiveness 6
  Thief
  You want what others have, and you have the skills to take 
  it. Since they’re given access to almost unlimited funds, 
  TimeWatch agents who were professional thieves are 
  reformed… mostly.
  Specific Examples: 6th-century-BCE Persian street rat, 
  18th-century European highway robber, 20th-century urban 
  pickpocket, 28th-century interstellar smuggler
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  21
  Investigative Abilities (5 points): Falsehood Detection 1, 
  Notice 1, Spying 1, Streetwise 1, Taunt 1
  General Abilities (28 points): Athletics 4, Burglary 8, 
  Disguise 4, Preparedness 4, Unobtrusiveness 8
  Thug
  Sometimes, the most useful talent is to be terrifyingly 
  intimidating and deadly in combat.
  Specific Examples: 10th-century bandit, 17th-century 
  Ottoman harem guard, 20th-century gang muscle, 23rd-
  century interrogator
  Investigative Abilities (4 points): Intimidation 2, 
  Streetwise 1, Taunt 1
  General Abilities (26 points): Athletics 8, Health 8, 
  Scuffling 8, Shooting 4, Vehicles 4
  ALTERNATE SPECIES AND CONSTRUCTS
  Just about every TimeWatch agent is human, even if they’re 
  recruited from a huge range of historical eras. Still, that 
  doesn’t have to be the case. If you want to build a nonhuman 
  character such as an uplifted monkey using its native speed 
  and dexterity to stay alive in a world full of humans, or an 
  alien species trying to right old wrongs despite mistrust and 
  suspicion, just build the character using the normal rules and 
  describe their abilities differently. 
  Kristin decides to play an uplifted squirrel monkey from the future 
  who was previously an astronaut. She focuses on science- and stealth-
  related abilities, vehicle skills, and abilities that emphasize speed, 
  manual dexterity, and accuracy over brute strength (such as using 
  Athletics for brachiation). She keeps her Scuffling rating low and her 
  Shooting rating high. With the GM’s okay, Kristin plans to roleplay 
  her Agent’s Taunt ability by staying out of  her foes’ reach while 
  throwing whatever comes to hand.
  Meanwhile, Sean wants to play a shape-shifting alien as his 
  TimeWatch character, one who had been captured and imprisoned 
  by the government and who escaped into TimeWatch. He builds 
  his character normally, putting lots of  points into Burglary (for 
  oozing under doors), Disguise (for shape-shifting into other people or 
  objects), Preparedness (for actually forming his body into objects), and 
  Unobtrusiveness (for not being noticed when he’s trailing someone). 
  He and the GM agree on his species’ name and description, as well 
  as a few good behavioral characteristics and plot hooks that make it 
  unique, and he’s good to go.
  Remember that characters from a parallel universe or 
  timeline may have a slightly more difficult time withstanding 
  chronal instability in our own timeline; see p. 89 for details.
  You and your GM may have to tweak the game’s rules to 
  make your character vision a reality. For instance, an intelligent 
  uplifted canine isn’t necessarily going to be wielding pistols 
  with his paws if you don’t want him to. You’re operating 
  in a world of super-science, however, and TimeWatch rules 
  deliberately let you describe an effect however you like so long 
  as the mechanical effect is the same. Giving the dog genetically 
  engineered venomous saliva that stuns people, but works 
  exactly like a neural disruptor, is a fine solution. 
  It’s the GM’s job to make sure you aren’t trying to give 
  yourself an advantage over other characters. If you want to be 
  better in combat, assign yourself more points in your Scuffling 
  and Shooting pools instead of trying to invent a character 
  concept that might gain innate combat bonuses. 
  A few nonhuman species are slightly more common, and 
  have specific characteristics. You’ll notice that the unique 
  bonuses and penalties are deliberately kept low powered; 
  unique powers and characteristics should only be assigned 
  when they’re otherwise impossible to emulate using the 
  normal rules for abilities, gear, and Investigative spends.
  Androids/Synthetics 
  Robotic characters are typically sentient but are not living 
  organisms. 
  X
  X The Medic ability has no effect when used on your 
  android, although you can use your Medic ability on other 
  characters. Androids regain Health by using the Tinkering 
  ability as if it were Medic. Every 1 point of Tinkering 
  spent by the android restores 1 Health to itself; other 
  characters can restore 2 Health to the android for every 1 
  Tinkering point spent. 
  X
  X 	Androids retain 1 point of Armor even when not wearing 
  their TimeWatch uniform. This armor applies to all Health 
  damage, including energy damage, not just damage incurred 
  through Scuffling and Shooting.
  X
  X 	An android that fails a Consciousness test due to injury 
  typically shuts down until repaired.
  X
  X Androids can typically spend Science! to give themselves 
  superhuman powers for a scene, such as the ability to 
  jump higher than normal, or greater than normal strength 
  (typically adding +1 to Scuffling damage). These effects 
  are in line with any super-science device that another 
  character would produce with Preparedness, as detailed 
  on p. 48.
  Disembodied Brains
  When you care more about style than appearance, it’s hard 
  to go wrong with playing a psychic or mechanically encased 
  disembodied brain. Showcased in books like Julian May’s Jack 
  the Bodiless and innumerable comics and movies, and even as 
  disembodied heads in Futurama, brains unencumbered by 
  bodies are a classic way to showcase how far humankind may 
  evolve in the far future. 
  X
  X Psychic disembodied brains can telekinetically manipulate 
  anything they’d normally use their hands for. This only 
  works at Point-Blank range (i.e., within normal arm’s 
  reach). Similarly, brains in their own armored braincase 
  have mechanical tentacles or arms to manipulate items 
  near them.
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  22
  X
  X 	Since they don’t have legs, psychic disembodied brains 
  hover about 2 meters off the ground and can maneuver 
  at the pace of a fast walk. The Athletics General ability 
  works normally, representing the brain’s ability for finely 
  controlled movement and faster-than-normal hovering 
  speed. Mechanically encased brains either hover or have 
  spider legs attached to their braincase.
  X
  X 	Disguise — an important ability for a brain! — is typically 
  achieved by projecting a hologram or mental construct. 
  The Unobtrusiveness ability works similarly, with the brain 
  clouding minds so that it cannot be seen.
  X
  X 	Agents who are actually disembodied brains should expect 
  sudden horror and extremely negative reactions when they 
  fail their Unobtrusiveness or Disguise rolls.
  X
  X 	Want unique psychic or mind control effects? You can 
  fake it with an Investigative spend. For example, spending 
  a point of Intimidation allows you to describe how you’re 
  using your psychic powers to mentally cow and break down 
  your target; spending a Science! point allows you to imitate 
  a super-science device for a scene.
  X
  X 	Similarly, Preparedness tests create effects directly instead 
  of just producing objects that provide effects. For example, 
  any player character could normally use Preparedness to 
  acquire a jetpack that lets them fly for a scene. A psychic 
  disembodied brain could use Preparedness to temporarily 
  gain the ability to fully fly with no physical jetpack required. 
  Same roll, same effect, slightly different description. A 
  brain within its mechanical armored fishbowl could use 
  Preparedness or Tinkering to temporarily create such a 
  device from its own mechanical attachments.
  X
  X 	Normal Scuffling or Shooting attacks for a psychic brain are 
  described as purely mental psychic attacks; armor protects 
  against them as per normal. A Preparedness or Tinkering 
  test can supply different weapon effects for a scene, just 
  as Preparedness or Tinkering would be used by a more 
  traditional character to acquire or build a unique weapon.
  X
  X 	Most standard issue TimeWatch gear is assumed to be 
  incorporated into the psychic brain’s normal abilities; for 
  instance, language translation for a disembodied brain 
  doesn’t need a device to function. The Armor 1 gained from 
  TimeWatch armor can either be described as a hovering, 
  physical damage-resistant braincase or as an invisible psychic 
  shield, at the player’s preference. For mechanically encased 
  brains, the crystalline fishbowl around the brain protects it 
  like normal armor.
  X
  X 	Disembodied brains are considerably more vulnerable to 
  Stun effects than most creatures. All Stun tests made by 
  the brain have their Difficulty increased by 1; for example, 
  shooting a brain with a PaciFist instigates a Stun 6 test 
  instead of the normal Stun 5 test to remain conscious.
  Great Apes 
  No Pulp game of time travel would be complete without a 
  hyper-intelligent gorilla scientist as an antihero. It’s unclear why 
  they often end up as albinos — tradition, perhaps — but they 
  have a predilection for brilliant scientific experiments and an 
  underdeveloped sense of humor. Any scurrilous rumors that 
  they’re required to engage in ethically questionable experiments 
  on humanity are just that, and should clearly be disregarded.
  X
  X 	An Anthropology Investigative spend by an ape character 
  can recruit a troop of apes, instead of an isolated tribe of 
  humans, that respects your dominance or worships you as 
  divine; see p. 36.
  X
  X 	Unarmed Scuffling damage from an uplifted ape has a 
  Damage Modifier of +0, not −1 as with default species.
  X
  X 	The Difficulty of Athletics tests to climb or swing is typically 
  reduced by −1 for great apes.
  X
  X 	Unless the ape is using specially made tools, the Difficulty 
  for time-sensitive Tinkering tasks that require delicate 
  manipulation and human-sized fingers may rise by +1. 
  X
  X 	Apes may need to get their clothing custom-tailored (if they 
  prefer to wear clothing), and they likely use holographic 
  generators for disguise when in the field.
  Sophosaurs
  Intelligent psychic dinosaurs from an alternate timeline, 
  sophosaurs (Greek for “wise lizards”) are one of the most 
  persistent enemies that humanity never expected. Like the 
  iconic character Skegg, you can play one that is working 
  Skegg finds out that Mongols and  
  sophosaurs don’t necessarily mix.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  23
  for TimeWatch as a full agent. Detailed information about 
  sophosaurs can be found on p. 184.
  X
  X 	Most sophosaur Interpersonal abilities are described as 
  psychic powers, even if they do not differ mechanically 
  from normal use of those abilities. For instance, a 
  sophosaur spending a point of Charm to have a supporting 
  character become infatuated with him does so by psychically 
  manipulating the pleasure centers of the character’s brain, 
  instead of through flirting like a human might. 
  X
  X 	Sophosaurs are never considered unarmed when using 
  Scuffling, and have a +1 Damage Modifier (equivalent to a 
  sword) with their bite or claws.
  X
  X 	Sophosaurs typically use a mental blast that is mechanically 
  identical to a Stun 5 PaciFist neural disruptor.
  X
  X 	Disguise becomes particularly important for a sophosaur. 
  You can decide that you disguise your true form psychically 
  (in which case you’ll likely be seen by video cameras), with a 
  holographic projector, or with some other method. 
  X
  X Sophosaurs originate from a parallel dimension, and 
  thus may suffer a 1-point penalty to the Difficulty and 
  potential Loss of Paradox tests while in our timeline. See 
  p. 89 for details.
  STEP TWO: CHOOSE YOUR 
  INVESTIGATIVE ABILITIES
  Investigative abilities are central to any TimeWatch character; 
  they enable you to gather information and drive the plot 
  forward. 
  INVESTIGATIVE BUILD POINTS
  The number of points each player spends on Investigative 
  abilities varies according to the number of regularly attending 
  players, according to the following table. 
  # of players
  Investigative Build Points
  1–2
  23
  3
  20
  4
  18
  5+
  16
  TimeWatch thoroughly trains agents in basic chronal theory 
  and proper time travel procedures. Every TimeWatch Agent 
  gains Timecraft 1 for free. 
  Players who can only attend every now and then get the 
  same number of Investigative build points as everyone else, 
  but are not counted toward the total when deciding how 
  many points to allocate. New players joining an existing group 
  get the same number of points as everyone else had to start 
  their characters. The GM leads the group through the list of 
  Investigative abilities, checking whether each one is covered by 
  at least one member of the crew. It’s not mandatory for that to 
  be the case, as you can often draw on resources to cover your 
  weak areas, but your GM will want to know what Investigative 
  abilities your group is lacking. 
  GM OPTION: EXPERIENCED 
  AND NOVICE AGENTS
  These build points are for competent but 
  new, relatively inexperienced characters. 
  If you wish to model more experienced 
  Agents, simply add 3 Investigative build 
  points to each starting character. If you wish 
  to model less competent Agents, subtract 3 
  build points from each starting character.
  If you’re planning a multi-session series of 
  TimeWatch games, remember that Agents 
  gain experience as they complete missions. 
  Rules for advancing characters are on p. 34.
  COVERING THE BASES
  TimeWatch is designed to make sure that 
  your characters discover clues that you’re 
  looking for. Your GM may require that every 
  Investigative ability be covered by at least 
  one member of your team; investigations are 
  more fun to play and are easier to design 
  when your GM knows that you’ve got the 
  bases covered. The number of Investigative 
  build points you get when creating your 
  character takes this into account. 
  If your GM doesn’t require you to have 
  every Investigative ability covered by at least 
  one team member, assign your points freely. 
  You’ll just need to be more creative with 
  investigations and problem-solving, coming 
  at mysteries from slightly more angles to find 
  the clues that your enemies have left behind.
  GMs should see p. 218 for more information 
  and advice for altering this rule. 
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  24
  SUMMARY OF INVESTIGATIVE ABILITIES
  This is a list of Investigative abilities, along with a brief 
  summary of each. Detailed descriptions are found on p. 36, 
  where you’ll find sample spends.
  Anthropology (Academic): You’re an expert on ancient 
  cultures and artifacts, probably because you’ve gone back in 
  time to watch them in person.
  Architecture (Academic): You know buildings and 
  construction, whether you’re trying to find an exit, find a 
  hiding place, or find the best way to blow one up.
  Authority (Interpersonal): You know how to present 
  yourself as the person in charge. Armed forces and law 
  enforcement officers accept you as one of their own.
  Bureaucracy (Interpersonal): You know how to navigate 
  labyrinthine organizations and cut through red tape. 
  Bureaucrats either fear or love you — sometimes both.
  Charm (Interpersonal): Whether through flattery or flirting, 
  you’re so charming that other people are willing to reveal their 
  secrets just to get your attention.
  Falsehood Detection (Interpersonal): You can usually tell 
  when you’re being lied to. 
  Forgery (Technical): From official identification to 
  ancient art, you can probably fake it or tell when it’s 
  been faked.
  Hacking (Technical): You’re a computer genius who’s 
  skilled at math, logic, and digital infiltration.
  High Society (Interpersonal): You fit in with the upper 
  crust, who accept you as one of their own.
  History (Ancient) (Academic): You’re familiar with 
  history from the start of recorded civilization to the end of 
  the 13th century, and you have a working knowledge of the 
  periods of history prior to human civilization. 
  History (Contemporary) (Academic): You’re familiar 
  with history from the start of the Renaissance in the 14th 
  century to the mid-21st century.
  History (Future) (Academic): You’re familiar with history 
  from the mid-21st century onwards.
  Intimidation (Interpersonal): You can terrify others into 
  doing what you want or into telling you what they know.
  Medical Expertise (Technical): You have the medical 
  training to diagnose diseases, treat illnesses, and determine 
  cause of death.
  Military Tactics (Academic): You understand troop 
  movements, military logistics, and the tactics of both minor 
  skirmishes and large-scale battles. 
  Notice (Technical): You have a remarkable eye for detail 
  and notice small and unusual details around you, seeing clues 
  that others might miss.
  Outdoor Survival (Technical): You can survive in the great 
  outdoors without starving or freezing to death.
  Paradox Prevention (Technical): You recognize when time 
  has become twisted, and you know how to use paradoxes to 
  your own advantage. 
  Reassurance (Interpersonal): You keep people calm and 
  relaxed even in the most stressful of circumstances.
  Research (Academic): When you don’t know a fact, you 
  know how to look it up or find someone who does.
  Science! (Technical): You’re a knowledgeable scientist 
  with a wide range of expertise; you can run experiments, 
  synthesize chemicals, and create high-tech devices. This 
  blanket ability covers astronomy, chemistry, physics, electrical 
  engineering, and just about every other science-type ability 
  you can name.
  Spying (Technical): You’re an expert at spying and 
  surveillance.
  Streetwise (Interpersonal): You’re good at interacting with 
  low-status individuals, and you thrive in urban environments.
  Taunt (Interpersonal): You can make people so furious 
  they reveal their secrets.
  Timecraft (Academic): You know how time travel and 
  chronal theory works. You start with Timecraft 1 for free.
  Trivia (Academic): A catchall knowledge ability; you know 
  a ridiculous amount about myriad, unrelated subjects.
  HOW DO YOU PICK INVESTIGATIVE ABILITIES?
  Think about the character you envisioned in step one. If they’re 
  tech-based, start adding 1 or more points to appropriate tech 
  abilities. If they’re scholarly, starting adding scholarly abilities 
  that you think are interesting. Consider how your character 
  interacts with people, and put points in the appropriate 
  Interpersonal abilities. 
  Similarly, decide what your character probably stinks at, and 
  don’t put any points in those Investigative abilities. If you 
  have no talent with computers, for instance, you won’t want 
  to put any points in Hacking. 
  You’ll probably want at least one History ability, Research 
  (which helps you look up things you don’t already know), and 
  1 point or more in Paradox Prevention so that you know 
  when history changes around you. Don’t worry too much 
  about this process. It’s a little daunting, but your GM will likely 
  let you move points around after your first game if you aren’t 
  happy with your choices. You can save points and assign them 
  during your game instead, if you prefer.
  HOW DO INVESTIGATIVE ABILITIES WORK?
  TimeWatch is a game that assumes excellence and expertise. 
  Players used to moderately competent characters in other 
  investigative game systems may be surprised to learn how 
  effective even a single rating point is.
  Any rating in an Investigative ability indicates a high 
  degree of professional accomplishment, technological 
  support, or impressive natural talent. If you have an ability 
  relevant to the task at hand, you automatically succeed in 
  discovering any information or overcoming any obstacles 
  necessary to propel you from the current scene further into 
  the story. All you’ll need to do during a game is tell the GM 
  that you’re using that Investigative ability. After all, a certain 
  popular regenerating time traveler never bumbles around for 
  half an episode unaware of his surroundings; he’s an expert in 
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  25
  all eras of history, and that means quickly identifying whatever 
  time and place he finds himself in.
  You may ask to spend points to gain special benefits. 
  Sometimes the GM will offer you the chance to spend points. In 
  other circumstances she may accept your suggestions of ways 
  to gain special benefits. Use them wisely; spent Investigative 
  points do not return until the next mission begins. Regardless, 
  spending Investigative points does not stop you from using 
  that Investigative ability to gather clues.
  The Interpersonal ability Taunt works by making a supporting 
  character so angry that they blurt out clues. If  you spend a point in 
  Taunt, however, you can use the ability to draw an enemy’s attention 
  to you in battle, perhaps saving the life of  a fellow agent at the expense 
  of  being targeted yourself. 
  Spending that point doesn’t stop you from continuing to goad 
  supporting characters into giving you useful clues for the rest of  the 
  mission. Your spent point is refreshed at the end of  the mission.
  When creating characters, it is useful that you coordinate with 
  your fellow players to make sure that at least one member of the 
  group possesses each of the Investigative abilities — or, at least, 
  that you and your GM know where your gaps in knowledge lie. 
  Successful groups also ensure that the various General abilities 
  are all accounted for. When in doubt, perform a roll call of 
  abilities to make sure you’ve covered all the abilities.
  Once all of the abilities are covered, if you wish you may 
  save any remaining build points to spend as situations arise 
  during play. You may assign yourself additional abilities, or 
  increase your ratings in the ones you’ve chosen, as seems 
  appropriate to your character and the situations he finds 
  herself in. When you choose to do this, you are not suddenly 
  acquiring abilities on the spot, but simply revealing for the first 
  time what the character has been able to do all along. If your 
  GM is running an ongoing series of TimeWatch games, you will 
  accumulate additional build points during play that you can 
  spend immediately or save to spend during play.
  INVESTIGATIVE ABILITY BENCHMARKS: 
  WHAT’S A GOOD RATING?
  When choosing Investigative abilities it is better to get a large 
  number of abilities with fairly low ratings. Even a 1-point 
  rating is worth having. You’ll rarely want to spend more than 
  3 points on any one Investigative ability, and it may be worth 
  leaving a few points unspent so that you can assign them 
  during play.
  INTERPERSONAL ABILITIES AFFECT YOUR PERSONALITY
  The Interpersonal abilities you choose — and perhaps more to the point, the ones you skip — say 
  something about your character’s demeanor and behavior. When your rating in an ability is 0, you 
  can never get information or other benefits by using that persuasive tactic. So if you, as the player, are 
  convincingly buttering up a contact but then have no Charm to back that up, you can’t succeed. This 
  reveals something about his ability to impress his personality on others.
  How this expresses itself is up to you. Having no Charm, for example, might suggest that:
  X
  X  you’re a lousy liar
  X
  X  you’re too tongue-tied to let loose a flow of soothing compliments
  X
  X  you can’t stand to cater to others’ transparent emotional needs
  X
  X  egotism forbids you from shining the spotlight on anyone but yourself
  X
  X  you’re not empathetic enough to tell what those needs might be
  X
  X  you get nervous when romancing someone who might otherwise find you attractive
  Likewise, a Falsehood Detection of 0 might imply that you’re gullible, bad at reading subtle emotional 
  cues, or prefer to take people at face value. Intimidation 0 could suggest that you’re not particularly 
  scary, that you dislike leaning on people, or that you’re so frightening that witnesses freeze up in your 
  presence. Taunt 0 might mean that you don’t tend to annoy or anger people, or that when you try 
  you’re just no good at insults.
  You can work out the implications of your Interpersonal ability choices in advance, or you can wait 
  until your use of, or lack of, an ability comes up in play, and then explore how that manifests itself in 
  your actual behavior.
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  26
  WHAT DOES A ZERO INVESTIGATIVE 
  ABILITY RATING MEAN?
  If you have a 0 rating in an Investigative ability, you aren’t 
  knowledgeable enough to use it for gathering clues. With a 0 
  Streetwise, for instance, you won’t easily know where to find 
  a trustworthy local informant in ancient Tyre, and you’d be at 
  a loss when stranded in the 22nd-century urban megalopolis 
  of New Tokyo. 
  If you put 1 or more points into an Investigative ability, you 
  have a rating in it. You must have a rating in an Investigative 
  ability to get useful information from it. However, as noted 
  above, if you have a positive rating but spend the point for a 
  special benefit you still get all core clues associated with the 
  ability.
  A few Investigative abilities are particularly useful for a 
  TimeWatch Agent. Science! gives you access to super-science 
  devices. Timecraft pays off when trying to sort out the twists 
  and turns of time, and even when you aren’t familiar with 
  History, the Research ability will make sure you can track down 
  the information you need. Likewise, Paradox Prevention can 
  pull your fat from the fire if things go horribly wrong. An 
  Agent with a 0 rating in these abilities may be at a disadvantage 
  when forced to work alone.
  TRADING POINTS
  One optional rule to knit together a team allows players to 
  swap points among themselves. Ask your GM for permission 
  if you have interest in doing this. When using this rule, a 
  player may trade 1 Investigative build point for 3 General 
  build points from another player — or, obviously, vice versa. 
  Thus, the cerebral roboticist can give 6 General ability points 
  to the menacing soldier (for Athletics and Scuffling, say), and 
  get 2 Investigative ability points from that Agent’s pool (for, 
  say, Science! and Hacking). Both players get to increase their 
  Agents’ “spotlight” abilities, and the team becomes more 
  focused. Everybody wins.
  STEP THREE:  
  ASSIGN GENERAL ABILITIES
  General abilities use different rules than Investigative ones, 
  and allow for possible failure. They help you survive while you 
  are investigating and adventuring. When choosing General 
  abilities, you’ll want to concentrate your points among a few 
  abilities, giving you comparatively higher ratings than you want 
  in the Investigative category. 
  GENERAL BUILD POINTS
  Each player gets 50 points to spend on General abilities, 
  regardless of group size. You start the game with an additional 
  6 free points each in Health and Chronal Stability. 
  Although there is no set cap on abilities, the second highest 
  rating must be at least half that of the highest rating. 
  Aaron wants his character to have a Shooting rating of  20. This 
  requires him to take at least one other ability at 10. This would leave 
  him only 20 points to spend on all of  the other General abilities. 
  Aaron reconsiders, opting for a lower but still impressive Shooting 
  rating of  12 so he can spend his other points more freely.
  SUMMARY OF GENERAL ABILITIES
  This is a list of General abilities, along with a brief summary 
  of each. Full descriptions are found on p. 46.
  Athletics: You can run, jump, duck, throw, and climb. 
  Burglary: You can go where you’re not wanted and steal 
  what’s there.
  Chronal Stability: These points represent your ability to 
  stay anchored in reality, even when the river of time threatens 
  to sweep you away.
  Disguise: You can make yourself look like a different 
  person. 
  Health: These points represent how hard you are to kill.
  Medic: You can restore lost health to yourself and others.
  Preparedness: Either you have exactly what you need, or 
  you know how to get it.
  Reality Anchor: When you or others become chronally 
  unstable, this ability stops them from fading out of existence. 
  Scuffling: Whether with your fists or a weapon, this combat 
  ability is how you kill, knock out, or restrain your foe.
  Shooting: You are adept with firearms, ranged weapons 
  such as crossbows, beam weapons, and your nonlethal PaciFist 
  neural disruptor.
  Tinkering: This engineering ability lets you both create 
  and destroy, whether programming computers, building 
  mechanical devices, or blowing things up.
  Unobtrusiveness: Sometimes it’s better not to be seen 
  or noticed, and that’s where Unobtrusiveness comes in. 
  GM ADVICE:  
  HARDENED AGENTS
  These build points are for new, relatively 
  inexperienced characters. If you wish to 
  model more experienced Agents without 
  unbalancing the game, simply add 2 free 
  General ability build points to the starting 
  Health and Chronal Stability for each new 
  character, giving them a rating of 8 instead 
  of 6 in these abilities. Use this optional rule 
  in conjunction with the “Experienced and 
  Novice Agents” sidebar on p. 23 to create 
  more powerful, veteran Agents.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  27
  Spotting an ambush and avoiding surprise also falls under 
  this ability.
  Vehicles: From a farm wagon to a space ship, this ability 
  lets you drive and pilot vehicles. 
  HOW DO YOU PICK GENERAL ABILITIES?
  Think about the character you envisioned in step one. How 
  athletic are they? Are they good at sneaking and infiltration? 
  Are they always prepared; are they good with machines; are 
  they incredibly sneaky?
  Once you think of a rough idea, start putting in a rating from 
  1 to 8 for each General ability you want. You can adjust them 
  later to hit exactly 50 assigned points; don’t worry about that 
  fine-tuning just yet. You certainly don’t need a rating in every 
  General ability, but it’s worth investing 1 point in any ability 
  you don’t want to be completely hopeless at. Don’t forget to 
  add points to Health and Chronal Stability as well. You can go 
  higher than 8, but save that for the abilities you want to be best 
  at. A good rule of thumb is that 8 or more points in a General 
  ability makes you an expert. For most General abilities an 8+ 
  rating also gets you a Booster, an additional benefit that is 
  only available to experts (see p. 45).
  Once you have an approximate rating in every General ability 
  you’re interested in, including Health and Chronal Stability, 
  count them up and see how far over (or under) you are from 
  50 points. Now you make the hard decisions, fine-tuning your 
  selections to hit exactly 50 points. You can also save some points 
  and assign them during play. Remember that you also start with 
  6 free points in both Health and Chronal Stability.
  WHAT ARE GOOD GENERAL RATINGS?
  General abilities use a different set of rules and are measured on 
  a different scale than Investigative abilities; while Investigative 
  abilities run from 1 to perhaps 5, General abilities run from 1 
  to 14 or higher, with a rating of 8 or higher usually indicating 
  an expert. 
  The two ability sets are handled differently because they do 
  different things. The rules governing General abilities introduce 
  the possibility of failure into the game, creating suspense and 
  uncertainty. Uncertain outcomes make scenes of physical action 
  more exciting, but can stop a mystery story dead if applied to 
  the collection of information. This division may seem a little 
  odd when you first encounter it, but as you grow used to the 
  GUMSHOE system you’ll see that it works well.
  GUMSHOE focuses not on your character’s innate traits, 
  but on what they can actually do in the course of a storyline. 
  Why they can do it is up to each player. Your characters are as 
  strong, fast, and good looking as you want them to be.
  GENERAL ABILITY BENCHMARKS
  A rating of 1–3 indicates that the ability is a sideline, 4–7 is 
  solid but not off the charts, and 8 or more suggests a dedicated 
  talent that will be immediately apparent to observers when 
  they see you in action.
  We recommend ratings of at least 7 in core abilities, such 
  as Health, Chronal Stability, and Shooting or Scuffling, 
  and 4 in important ones such as Athletics, Disguise, 
  Unobtrusiveness, and Reality Anchor. A rating higher 
  than 10 in a General ability other than Health indicates an 
  impressive level of specialization.
  LOW–MEDIUM–HIGH
  Having trouble deciding? Start by only 
  putting a 0, a 4, or an 8 in your General 
  abilities ratings. This helps you discover the 
  abilities that are important, that are only 
  sort of important, and that aren’t important 
  at all. Once you know this, you can adjust 
  your ratings up and down as you like, but it 
  quickly breaks through the decision logjam 
  caused by too many choices.
  Why those numbers? They’re a shorthand 
  for lousy (a rating of 0 means that you can’t 
  succeed in that ability), okay (a rating of 4 
  means that you can succeed in that ability 
  at least once before needing to refresh 
  your ability pool), and good (a rating of 8 
  means that you get a Booster, and that you 
  can succeed in that ability at least 2–3 times 
  before needing to refresh your ability pool).
  A 3 MEANS ONE 
  AUTO-SUCCESS
  Since you’ll normally be aiming for a 
  Difficulty Number of 4, it’s good to remember 
  that putting a rating of 3 in a General ability 
  means that you’ll usually be able to manage 
  at least one auto-success if you spend all 
  those points at once. When you’re using 
  Athletics to try and avoid falling to your 
  death, that can be particularly handy.
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  28
  WHAT DOES A  
  GENERAL RATING OF ZERO MEAN?
  If you have no rating in a General ability, you have put no 
  build points into it, and you cannot make a test on that ability. 
  There’s one exception, detailed on p. 148: you can still try to 
  fight (or more accurately, flail about poorly) with a 0 rating in 
  Scuffling or Shooting. That is not to say you can’t do the thing 
  at all; it’s only if you want to attempt something requiring a 
  test that you will not succeed. You character might be able to 
  drive, but with a Vehicles rating of 0 you will not be able to 
  deal with a car chase or potential crash. A 0 pool in an ability 
  with a positive rating allows you to test — you just won’t have 
  points to spend.
  When you choose to have ratings of 0 in certain basic 
  abilities, you’re defining your character. An Athletics of 0 
  implies a surprising feebleness and lack of coordination for a 
  TimeWatch agent. A Chronal Stability of 6 puts you at more 
  risk of being destroyed by an accidental paradox, and a Reality 
  Anchor of 0 means that you have difficulty settling in and 
  adjusting to any time period you visit.
  STEP FOUR: BUILD OUT YOUR 
  PERSONALITY, APPEARANCE, 
  DRIVE, BACKGROUND, AND SECRETS
  PERSONALITY
  You may have done some of this in step one, but a character 
  is a lot more than a page of statistics. It’s a tone of voice, 
  an attitude, a way of holding yourself, a code of honor, a 
  collection of grudges and resentments, all driven by who you 
  think that person really is. A bully is a different person than a 
  meek, shy victim; consider who your character is and how they 
  act around others. 
  A good way to do this is to think about what actor might 
  play him or her in a movie. Then start thinking about your 
  character as if they were that actor. You don’t have to do this 
  slavishly, but it’s a good way to begin if you need a shortcut. 
  “Dr. Leah Breen would be played by Tina Fey” is a good way 
  to quickly get a quick visual on her appearance, personality, 
  and possible quirks. Change things from there.
  We recommend you write three or more adjectives to describe 
  your character’s personality. The 1840s TimeWatch Agent Mace 
  Hunter, big game hunter, might have adjectives like Bold, Risk-
  taker, Hunter, Brutally honest, Womanizer, Lovelorn. Dr. Leah Breen, 
  a TimeWatch Agent from 2219, might have adjectives like Self-
  involved, Brilliant, Amoral, Creative, Lonely, Vindictive. 
  You only need enough to define your PC and remind both 
  your GM and yourself when you’re doing a great job roleplaying.
  APPEARANCE
  Be prepared to describe your appearance to the other players 
  around the table. Most agents are (or appear) human, but 
  explaining your Disguise ability as a holographic projector 
  means that you don’t have to be human if you don’t wish to be. 
  What do you look like; how do you dress; what mannerisms do 
  you have? TimeWatch agents have a vastly extended lifespan, 
  but what’s your apparent age? Do you sport visible tattoos or 
  wear jewelry, and do you have any customized gear? What kind 
  of clothing do you prefer to wear when you aren’t on a mission?
  One reminder: TimeWatch doesn’t have a Size stat, but think 
  carefully before you make a character that is particularly small 
  or particularly large if your Agent is nonhuman. Smaller than 
  a dog means that you’re going to have some challenges with 
  weaponry and doorknobs, and larger than a gorilla means that 
  you’ll have trouble fitting through doors or into cars. 
  DRIVE
  Drive is a key to personality. Your Drive is a fundamental 
  personal quality that pushes you into adventuring and sets 
  you to saving the world. A good Drive rewards boldness and 
  discourages boring, cowardly choices; pick or create one that 
  you think will be fun to roleplay. 
  GM ADVICE: ZERO RATINGS 
  AND A CHANCE AT SUCCESS
  There’s a strong argument that characters 
  should be allowed to just plain be bad at 
  some things. It’s certainly true in cinema and 
  literature; having some characters be useless 
  at certain abilities allows niche protection 
  for the characters who are good at them. 
  TimeWatch agents work as a team, and that 
  means depending on your fellow Agents 
  when you don’t have the skills to accomplish 
  something yourself.
  We suggest you stick with this rule, especially 
  because 0-rated abilities can be improved 
  with experience gained after completing 
  missions. If you disagree, allow a character 
  with a 0 rating to still attempt a test at +2 
  Difficulty. That means a normal Difficulty 4 
  task only succeeds on a roll of 6, and tasks 
  that are more difficult than normal are out of 
  the Agent’s reach unless other Agents offer 
  assistance. This alternate rule gives Agents 
  a 1-in-6 chance at succeeding on most tasks 
  they have no training in. See p. 219 for other 
  ways to tweak this rule.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  29
  Choosing Your Drive
  You choose your character’s Drive at the beginning of play. 
  It should be something that defines you and pushes you into 
  action. The more memorable and personalized, the better. 
  “Paying for My Many Sins” is a more interesting name than 
  “Altruism,” for instance, because it suggests that the character 
  has many past sins that need to be repaid. Drives can change 
  over time; when dramatically appropriate, and with your GM’s 
  approval, feel free to change your Drive. 
  Mace Hunter’s first love has been inextricably executed by villains 
  hoping to teach Mace a lesson about interfering with their plans. Mace 
  temporarily discards his current Drive in favor of  Vengeance. He’ll 
  likely return to his earlier Drive once his new enemies have been dealt 
  with, painfully and with malice aforethought.
  There’s no official list; use the following generically named 
  Drives as suggestions, and feel free to propose to the GM a 
  custom Drive that fills the same function as the ones given 
  here. Write up an explanatory paragraph in the same vein as the 
  supplied Drives. If not immediately apparent, your GM may ask 
  you to supply hypothetical examples of situations in which the 
  Drive will keep the Agent making active, interesting choices in 
  solving the mystery or advancing the operation at hand.
  Altruism: You’re trying to help others, and there’s no 
  better way to do so than TimeWatch. If you can thwart minor 
  regulations enough to help a few folks during missions, you’ll 
  make the world a better place. Samples: Charity Is Next to 
  Godliness; Death to the Strong, Kindness to the Weak
  Ambition: You’re tired of being under-recognized, under-
  appreciated, or under-challenged, and you’re ready to start 
  clambering up the ladder of success. You strive to achieve for 
  personal reasons, to prove to others that you’re as worthy as 
  you know (or hope) yourself to be. Samples: King of the Hill; 
  Agent of Change
  Atonement: You, or an alternate timeline version of you, did 
  something truly awful. Every day you seek to make up for that 
  sin, atoning as best you can for a debt you’ll never truly repay. 
  Samples: Begging for Forgiveness; Unworthy and Unclean
  Curiosity: If there’s a secret of the ages, you’re determined 
  to ferret it out. There are near-infinite worlds out there, a 
  multitude of different choices and fascinating people you 
  can meet, and you have the technology to see it all! Samples: A 
  Boring Life Is Poorly Lived; Secrets Are Meant To Be Shared
  Duty: You signed on to TimeWatch, and you’re determined 
  to see it through no matter what the cost. You’re a loyal agent; 
  you’ll do your duty, follow the rules, capture the miscreant, 
  punish the guilty, and save the world. Samples: Refer to the 
  Rulebook; Code of Honor
  Experimenter: What would happen if North American 
  diseases wiped out European explorers instead of the other way 
  around? Would the Mongols conquer North America if Kublai 
  Khan’s emissaries discovered the Pacific Gyre and reached the 
  west coast of North America? In TimeWatch, you can find 
  these things out — and still set time back on its proper path. 
  Samples: In the Name of Knowledge!; It Looked Good on Paper
  Exploration: You have so very much left to see. The 
  explosion of Krakatoa, the Gibraltar Falls, the lost kingdoms 
  of South America: you may not be able to save them, but you 
  can walk amongst them again. Samples: Where No One Has 
  Gone Before; See Where the Road Leads
  Former Enemy: You were a rebel trying to destabilize 
  time, and you were recruited by TimeWatch. They convinced 
  you that they were on the side of the angels, and they showed 
  you how your actions could destroy the world. Your old 
  friends haven’t forgiven you, though, and your new allies 
  don’t necessarily trust you. It’s a lonely place to be, and you’ll 
  have to prove yourself to overcome it. Samples: Forced Into 
  Friendship; Traitor to Your People
  Friendship: You both like and trust your fellow Agents, 
  and there’s at least one person on your team that you’d give 
  your life for. If your team is willing to risk their lives for 
  TimeWatch, who are you to do otherwise? Samples: Loyalty 
  Before Life; Unbreakable Bonds
  Hubris: Who dares set their will against TimeWatch, and 
  why? They are no match for the technology, experience, and 
  skill that has been set against them. Teach them this lesson, 
  and teach it well. Samples: How Dare They?; Always Teach a 
  Lesson
  Lovestruck: You became an agent because of love, either 
  because you’re smitten by someone else in TimeWatch or 
  because the person you love rejected you and there’s no other 
  real choice. One way or another, anything you do, you do for 
  them. Samples: Anything for Love; Heartbroken and Hunting
  Nowhere Else to Go: You live a long time as a TimeWatch 
  agent, and you’re forbidden by regulations to go back and 
  see the people you love. There’s nothing left for you there, 
  anyways; your love married your best friend, your family’s 
  fortunes have crumbled, and now that you’re a time traveler 
  you know exactly how small a difference you really made. 
  Your old life is dead, cold and buried. Your new family is 
  TimeWatch. Samples: Unwelcome Elsewhere; Hunted
  Risk-Taker: You vastly prefer to live on the edge; gambling 
  — with your safety, your life, your money, or your reputation 
  — makes you feel alive, and you yearn for the chance to 
  test your luck and throw yourself into danger. You consider 
  setbacks a personal insult, one you’re determined to overcome 
  no matter what the odds. Samples: Never Tell Me the Odds; 
  Good Idea at the Time
  Thrill-Seeker: You can ski down prehistoric mountains, 
  surf tsunamis, ride a dinosaur, and run with (or from) the 
  Zulu. You may not love coming face-to-face with death, but 
  the adrenaline-filled excitement from new experiences that 
  accompanies your work is too much of a rush to ignore. 
  Samples: Safety Is for Cowards; Just Do It
  Vengeance: Someone has wronged you, and you’re not the 
  forgiving type. You may stop when you settle the score, or 
  you may not be able to stop until their evil is wiped out for 
  good. Working on a mission that aids your enemy is one of 
  the roughest challenges you can face. Samples: They’ll Rue the 
  Day; Vengeance Is Best Served Cold
  Make Up Your Own: None of these quite right? Come 
  up with your own and have your GM approve it. As long as it 
  pushes you into action, it will be fine. 
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  30
  Not all campaign frames require Drives, and not all 
  Drives are appropriate for all campaign frames. For 
  instance, a humorous game full of funny anachronisms and 
  time-related mayhem wouldn’t use a Drive called “bitter 
  vengeance,” and a gritty futuristic cop drama wouldn’t 
  have a Drive named “Hey baby, there’s a hot alpaca in my 
  pantaloons, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.” 
  Well, no setting should have that Drive. But you see our 
  point. Use good judgment.
  Following Your Drive
  Drives are a huge help in any scene where you aren’t sure what 
  to do next. If your imagination is lacking or you have too 
  many choices in front of you, following your Drive gives you 
  a foundation to forge ahead. 
  If you really dive in and roleplay your character’s Drive, 
  possibly at great risk to your character, you should be rewarded. 
  When this happens, another player or the GM should hand 
  you a Stitch (TimeWatch’s action points; see p. 65), rewarding 
  your character’s inner certainty that comes from following 
  deep-seated psychological motivations. Don’t be shy about 
  reminding the GM if no one tosses you a Stitch! Nobody but 
  you remembers what your Drive is, especially at first, so it’s 
  fine to tell the GM. It’s unlikely you’ll have to do this more 
  than a few times before people start remembering your Drive. 
  Also, get in the habit of handing Stitches to other players 
  when they roleplay their Drives, too.
  Avoiding Your Drive
  Drives don’t encourage suicidal recklessness, but they remind 
  you not to over-protect your character when you’d really be 
  having more fun leaping into a crisis armed with loaded guns 
  or a confident swagger.
  Most of the time, a GM who realizes you’ve slipped into 
  over-cautious mode and are holding up the progress of the 
  story can spur you to action simply by reminding you of your 
  Drive. She might explain to you why your Drive would spur 
  you to action. Better yet, she could prompt you to explain why 
  you’re hanging back. 
  When invoking Drives, GMs should take care not to guide 
  the player’s specific response to the situation. The goal is to 
  lead the player to move forward, not to force a particular 
  choice. Avoid this by listing several viable choices, if the player 
  has been stumped by his own caution.
  If the player digs in and refuses to have his character move, 
  the GM may assess a stress penalty. This reflects the Agent’s 
  loss of concentration as he acts against his fundamental 
  nature. The cost of all Investigative spends increases by 1, 
  as does the Difficulty of all General tests, until the Agent 
  returns to form. Most games unfold without a single stress 
  penalty coming into play, as players willingly follow the path 
  they themselves have chosen.
  Dr. Leah Breen’s Drive is Hubris, fitting in to the player’s 
  evolving theme of  creating something of  a mad scientist. She 
  approaches missions with the intent of  humiliating those who dare 
  stand against her and TimeWatch. Clearly, Dr. Breen has a few 
  issues to work out.
  BACKGROUND
  You won’t want to fill this in with too much detail, because 
  it’s most fun to discover during play, but you’ll want a few-
  sentence description of your background. Who were your 
  family members, and who were your friends? Did you leave 
  behind anyone that you loved, or any unfinished business? 
  Why (and where) were you recruited? Answering these 
  questions will help you roleplay, and giving this information 
  to your GM will help her create missions that are particularly 
  relevant to you. 
  For example, Dr. Breen’s player jots down her background:
  “Some ignoramuses used to call me mad. Me, mad? Ha ha 
  ha ha ha! Hardly. They just said that because I don’t often 
  brush my hair or pay attention to ethics or talk in terms that 
  the uneducated can understand. Or perhaps it’s that I’m a great 
  inventor who happens to produce extraordinary inventions on a 
  whim. Mad? Hardly. I am not mad. I am a genius, and I’m 
  helping save the world. 
  “There’s a very good chance I invented time travel. I was one 
  of  the inventors, at least, and I was in the process of  sabotaging 
  other people’s chronal experiments to make sure I was the only 
  inventor when I was stopped by TimeWatch. Since there was clearly 
  a great deal I didn’t know, I jumped at the opportunity to become 
  a TimeWatch agent and fix tears in the continuity of  the space-
  time continuum. It’s been tremendously satisfying. I love my job as 
  a time agent, and the experiences I gather help satisfy my boundless 
  curiosity. I like to interview other agents from varying times, finding 
  out how they’re fitting in and offering to experiment on them. 
  History fascinates me, and I miss the days when I could change it on 
  a whim to see what happened.
  “It’s a lonely life, though. Someday I hope to settle down. I’ll have to 
  find the right person first. Someone who can stand up to me. Someone 
  bright, and strong of  will.”
  That’s a background that’s fun to play, eccentric enough 
  to stay interesting, and which gives the GM plenty of fodder 
  to bring in interesting plot complications. Not all have to be 
  that detailed, just so long as you know where the character 
  came from.
  SECRETS
  These are secrets that you keep from the other Agents on 
  your team. They’re probably secrets from before your life 
  in TimeWatch, and they can be as large or small as you 
  like. Having a secret is far from mandatory, but you’ll find 
  it’s fun, and often ties into compelling story arcs for your 
  character. A character with a secret has something to live 
  for and something to hide, making for more interesting 
  interactions. Secrets are no use unless they come up in play, 
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  31
  so chose them with the expectation that your GM will make 
  use of them.
  Dr. Leah Breen’s secret:
  “Back when I was busy sabotaging other inventors’ time machines, 
  I may have slightly flung a few scientists randomly through the time 
  stream. I worry a bit that this might have made things more difficult 
  for TimeWatch, and always wonder if  that’s going to come back to 
  bite me.”
  HINTS FOR CHARACTER CREATION
  You’ll also find hints for general play on p. 54, but here are 
  some ideas and hints to get you started:
  X
  X 	Pick a fun concept that makes you think “hell yeah!” Having 
  all of time and space to play with can be overwhelming, but 
  don’t suffer from analysis paralysis. Just pick something that 
  you think would be fun to play, hit the Internet to learn a 
  little bit about the origin time and culture, and get started. 
  There are a lot of TimeWatch agents out there, and teams 
  get shuffled all the time; if for some reason your character 
  concept turns out to not be as interesting as you hoped, 
  your GM will likely let you swap out the Agent at the end 
  of a mission or adjust your character’s point distributions. 
  For an ongoing series or campaign, you’re probably best off 
  playing a character from a historical time (past or future) 
  that you’re particularly interested in. 
  X
  X 	For General abilities, put at least 1 point into any ability 
  you want to have a chance of using. You may not be very 
  good at picking locks with a Burglary of 1, but you’ll have 
  a chance! If your Burglary was 0, you’d simply be unable to 
  succeed. That’s fine if it’s part of your character concept 
  (and you may have to make some tough choices), but you 
  don’t want to do this by mistake.
  X
  X 	As long as one member of your group is loaded down with 
  8+ points of Unobtrusiveness or Vehicles, their ability 
  Boosters (see p. 45) and the Piggybacking rules may allow 
  you to get away with assigning relatively few points to these 
  important abilities. That will only help when you’re close 
  enough to your fellow Agents for them to help hide you, or 
  when they’re leading a chase. If you head off solo, you’re on 
  your own.
  X
  X 	If you want to play a particularly intellectual character and 
  your friend wants to play a more physical one, or vice versa, 
  consider trading points (see p. 26.)
  X
  X 	Have enough Health. PaciFist-style neural disruptors only 
  knock your character unconscious, but your Agent will 
  encounter plenty of people enthusiastic about killing them 
  in other interesting and painfully creative ways. Keeping 
  your Health at 6 points may lead to a short-lived PC, while 
  much over 14 Health might be overkill.
  X
  X 	Don’t disappear into time. Your Chronal Stability pool allows 
  you to survive time damage when aliens or paradoxes start 
  cropping up, and the ability Reality Anchor helps keep your 
  team robust even when reality starts to unravel. Keeping 
  your Chronal Stability at 6 points can be dangerous, and at 
  least a few points of Reality Anchor might just save the day 
  when other time travelers try to erase you from the universe.
  X
  X  Another way to remember this: think of Chronal 
  Stability as Health points for your ability to stay 
  anchored in space and time, and Reality Anchor as 
  the Medic ability that keeps you there.
  X
  X 	High Athletics means a better chance to dodge when a 
  Spanish conquistador or a Roman centurion is trying to 
  impale you on the end of a pointy sword. Hit Thresholds, 
  the target Difficulty Number that foes need to equal or 
  exceed to hit your character in combat, start at 3 and rise to 
  4 when you have 8+ points of Athletics; and Athletics can 
  be spent on Evasive Maneuvers to go on the defensive in a 
  fight, making yourself harder to hit (see p. 82). Unless you’re 
  playing a notably frail or out-of-shape character, this may be 
  a worthwhile investment of points. High Athletics allows 
  more exciting maneuvers in combat and adds significantly 
  to your character’s survival.
  X
  X 	Invest in Paradox Prevention. This Investigative ability tells 
  you when a paradox has occurred, and spending Paradox 
  Prevention points can let you get away with time tricks like 
  having your future self help you directly. If you have excess 
  Investigative points left over after character creation and 
  you don’t want to save them for future use, you could do 
  worse than putting them here.
  X
  X 	Balance your Investigative points. You’ll seldom want more 
  than 2 or 3 points in any ability unless your Agent is a world-
  class specialist. A TimeWatch team tends to have every 
  Investigative ability covered by at least one Agent, so you 
  may wish to learn a wide array of Academic, Interpersonal, 
  and Technical abilities. 
  X
  X 	After creating your character, save some Investigative points 
  if you can spare them. It’s nice to have the flexibility of 
  assigning them on the fly when you really need them.
  X
  X 	If you need to break some minor rules to achieve your 
  vision of your character, talk to the GM. She may allow you 
  to do so if she thinks the change is balanced and doesn’t 
  give you an advantage over other Agents. She’s very unlikely 
  to give you extra build points, but she may be willing to 
  interpret an ability in a new and particularly fun way; giving 
  your rocketeer from the future an easier-than-normal-to-
  obtain jet pack that uses Vehicles points, for instance, might 
  pass muster.
  X
  X 	Remember, the TimeWatch rules don’t care how your 
  Investigative and General abilities work so long as they 
  do work. If you have the Interpersonal ability Taunt, for 
  instance, it doesn’t matter whether you decide you’re using 
  pheromones, mind control, or a bitter and insulting sarcasm 
  to goad other people into giving you clues; the ability 
  works regardless. That means you have great flexibility in 
  describing how your character interacts with the world. 
  Just make sure you and the GM share the same vision, as 
  you don’t want to try playing “Bill and Ted” if your GM’s 
  campaign is about gritty time-based investigation. 
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  32
  EXAMPLE OF CHARACTER CREATION
  Cindy knows exactly what she wants in a character, and it’s a 
  little unusual. She wants to model a T-1000 from the Terminator 
  movies. Can the core TimeWatch rules model a liquid metal 
  shape-shifting assassin cyborg from the future? She decides 
  to find out. 
  First she decides to change the background. Her cyborg is 
  Punjabi in origin, a relic of an India-Pakistani limited nuclear 
  exchange in 2043 that she makes up on the spot. She makes a 
  note to tell her GM about it so that she can change the date if 
  necessary. Cindy decides that her assassin cyborg was designed 
  to function in the radioactive zone, that it achieved sentience 
  and was recruited into TimeWatch, that it was reprogrammed 
  by TimeWatch to be less about assassination and more about 
  investigation, and that the cyborg doesn’t remember much 
  from those times; the memories have somehow been wiped.
  Her next step is to assign Investigative abilities. Cindy 
  is going to be in a big group of five players, so she gets 16 
  Investigative points to spend (see p. 23). So the question is, 
  what does a near-future assassin cyborg know? 
  For Academic abilities she puts 1 point each in History 
  (Contemporary), History (Future), Military Tactics, Research, 
  and Trivia. She gets 1 point of Timecraft for free. These 
  choices will let her be good at research, knowledgeable about 
  recent history, and an expert on military tactics. Five points 
  (plus 1 free point) of her 16 point budget are spent so far. 
  For Interpersonal abilities she puts 1 point each into 
  Authority, Falsehood Detection, Intimidation, and Streetwise. 
  She lacks a lot of human emotions, but can emulate stern when 
  needed. She decides that the cyborg’s biometrics measure bio-
  signs such as heartbeat and skin temperature, telling her when 
  someone is lying. The point in Streetwise will help her quickly 
  adapt to unfamiliar cities. She’s spent a total of 9 Investigative 
  points. 
  For Technical abilities she puts 2 points in Hacking, an 
  ability she wants to excel in as a cyborg. She puts 1 point each 
  in Forgery, Notice, Paradox Prevention, Science!, and Spying. 
  With that, she has a pretty good emulation of a T-1000’s skill 
  set, at least the version of one she wants to play. She’s spent all 
  16 Investigative points.
  Now, General abilities. These are trickier; how is she going 
  to model the cyborg’s ability to run quickly, heal instantly, and 
  shape-shift? She gets 50 points to distribute. She starts with 
  raising Health to 12 and keeping Chronal Stability at a fairly 
  low 6; since she starts with 6 Health and 6 Chronal Stability 
  automatically, she only spends 6 points to get this. Those 
  ratings will keep her alive, but she doesn’t have a lot of leeway 
  if a paradox or an enemy causes her chronal instability. She 
  decides to take the risk.
  She puts 8 in Athletics, 3 in Burglary (since Burglary includes 
  infiltration, she decides this models shape-shifting through or 
  under doors), and 3 in Disguise (since she can instantly change 
  her appearance). She’d like that to be higher but probably won’t 
  A viking learns the hard way that liquid metal shapeshifting cyborgs can be TimeWatch agents, too.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  33
  Name: Vidhvansaka-5 
  Nationality: Punjabi
  Origin Time: 2047
  Profession: Assassin
  Age: 4 (physical age 27)
  Drive: Duty 
  Hit Threshold:
  4
  Armor:
  1
  Special Boosters:
  Hard to Hit (Athletics):  
  Hit Threshold = 4, not 3
  That’s Gotta Hurt 
  (Scuffling): Scuffling Pool 
  spend = min base dmg
  Chronal Stability
  General Abilities
  Investigative Abilities
  Gear
  Academic Abilities
  Technical Abilities
  Interpersonal Abilities
  Health
  6
  5
  4
  3
  2
  1
  0
  -1
  -2
  -3
  -4
  -5
  -6
  -7
  -8
  -9
  -10
  -11
  -12
  Max: 
  6
  12
  11
  10
  9
  8
  7
  6
  5
  4
  3
  2
  1
  0
  -1
  -2
  -3
  -4
  -5
  -6
  -7
  -8
  -9
  -10
  -11
  -12
  Max: 
  12
  Athletics
  8
  Burglary
  3
  Chronal Stability**
  6
  Disguise
  3
  Health**
  12
  Medic
  4
  Preparedness
  5
  Reality Anchor
  0
  Scuffling
  8
  Shooting
  4
  Tinkering
  3
  Unobtrusiveness
  3
  Vehicles
  3
  Anthropology
  Architecture
  History (Ancient)
  History (Contemporary)
  1
  History (Future)
  1
  Military Tactics
  1
  Research
  1
  Timecraft*
  1
  Trivia
  1
  Forgery
  1
  Hacking
  2
  Medical Expertise
  Notice
  1
  Outdoor Survival
  Paradox Prevention
  Science!
  1
  Spying
  1
  Authority
  1
  Bureaucracy
  Charm
  Falsehood Detection
  1
  High Society
  Intimidation
  1
  Reassurance
  Streetwise
  1
  Taunt
  Extra Investigative Points?
  0
  Stitches
  Extra General Points?
  0
  Autochron (portable 1-man time machine)
  Impersonator mesh (+3 Unobtrusiveness until 
  drawing notice)
  MedKit (lets you use Medical skill effectively)
  MEM-Tags (for memory modification of unconscious 
  subjects)
  PaciFist disruptor (Close range, Stun 5, subtle)
  Tether (holographic PDA linked to subdermal 
  earbud)
  TimeWatch Uniform (chronomorphic, armor 1)
  Translator (instant, 2-way, unnoticeable)
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  34
  need a lot of different disguises quickly, so she can use Stitches 
  to refresh the pool when needed. She’s spent 20 points so far 
  from her budget of 50.
  Four points go into Medic; normally Medic only heals you 
  1 Health per point spent on yourself and 2 Health per point 
  spent on someone else, but modeling the T-1000’s ability to 
  quickly heal is really important. Cindy decides to ask her GM is 
  she can break the rules a bit: is it okay if her Medic ability heals 
  her 2 points per point spent if she can’t heal anyone else at all? 
  The GM considers it and provisionally says yes.
  Preparedness gets 5 points, as it models her liquid metal 
  cyborg’s ability to make simple tools and weapons out of its 
  own body parts. Cindy puts no points into Reality Anchor, 
  deciding to depend on her friends instead (a decision that 
  may be risky). She puts 8 points in Scuffling and 4 points 
  in Shooting, 3 points in Tinkering (since her Hacking and 
  Science! abilities make Tinkering more flexible), 3 points in 
  Unobtrusiveness (so she can hide in plain sight by flattening 
  herself against the floor), and 3 points in Vehicles. With luck, 
  her GM will let her count her own robotic legs as a vehicle to 
  occasionally run faster than normal. If not, no huge loss.
  That’s 50 points. Her Boosters are Hard to Hit (from her 
  Athletics 8), raising her Hit Threshold from 3 to 4, and That’s 
  Gotta Hurt (from her Scuffling 8), allowing her Scuffling 
  spends during combat to set her minimum damage. She notes 
  them down on her character sheet.
  Cindy’s in trouble if paradoxes or time travel knock down her 
  character’s Chronal Stability when she isn’t near a friend with 
  Reality Anchor to help restore it. But what’s adventure without 
  risk? When she gains build points through completing missions 
  (see p. 34), Cindy can use those to build up her lower rankings.
  This is a character whose concept depends more on General 
  abilities than Investigative abilities. Cindy may want to ask her 
  GM if she and another player can trade points (as described 
  on p. 26). If the answer is yes, Cindy would trade about 3 
  Investigative points for 9 General points, which she’d spread 
  across her General abilities. 
  Cindy scribbles down her gear, names her cyborg 
  “Vidhvansaka-5,” picks a Drive, notes a few personality 
  adjectives, writes down a secret, and she’s ready to play.
  IMPROVING YOUR CHARACTER 
  AFTER EACH MISSION
  At the end of each mission, each player gets 1 build point 
  for each session they participated in. This assumes a small 
  number of three-to-four hour sessions; if you play in shorter 
  bursts the GM will reduce the total amount. GMs may give an 
  additional 1-point bonus at a mission’s end for a challenging 
  mission or for particularly entertaining play. Players who had 
  characters die in the course of the investigation only get points 
  for each session involving their current character.
  Your GM may increase or decrease the base number of 
  build points awarded, depending on the expected length 
  of her campaign. The longer the campaign, the fewer build 
  points per mission.
  These build points can be spent to increase either 
  Investigative or General abilities. You may acquire new 
  abilities or bolster existing ones. If necessary to preserve 
  credibility, rationalize new abilities as areas of expertise 
  you’ve had all along but are only revealing at the time, abilities 
  that TimeWatch has educated you on using their futuristic 
  teaching devices, or skills that you’ve specifically gone back 
  in time to practice.
  After every mission you may also reassign 1 or 2 build 
  points from one ability to another, justifying it as skill atrophy: 
  “I’ve let my Outdoor Survival become quite rusty, what with 
  all the Tinkering I’ve been doing.” This may reflect in-game 
  experiences, or just your changed priorities for the character.
  GM ADVICE:  
  REASSIGNING POINTS
  It’s our experience that GMs should allow 
  players a more liberal point reassignment 
  after the first session with any new character, 
  letting them move points around freely to 
  achieve the character they were shooting for, 
  so long as all Investigative abilities remain 
  covered by at least one team member. This 
  makes the game more fun for everybody.
  GM ADVICE: THE FLEXIBILITY 
  OF BUILD POINTS
  When building a new character, Investigative 
  ability points are worth roughly 3 General 
  ability points. So why can points acquired 
  through play be used for either Investigative 
  or General abilities? Two reasons. Simplicity, 
  certainly, and because TimeWatch is an 
  investigative game. Having the value of 
  earned build points apply equally to either 
  Investigative or General abilities encourages 
  players to stay focused on investigation. 
  As a player, there are worse tactics than 
  keeping earned build points unassigned until 
  needed. This flexibility can be incredibly 
  effective during a crisis.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  35
  INVESTIGATIVE ABILITY DETAILS
  The following abilities are what make TimeWatch tick (yeah, 
  we’re sorry about the pun, too). Using these abilities, just 
  telling the GM that you’re using them or roleplaying them out, 
  will gain you clues if there are any clues to be had. 
  You only need to read this section when you want more 
  detail on Investigative abilities, what they do, and what you 
  might get for spending them. Ability descriptions consist of 
  a brief general description, followed by examples of their use 
  in an investigation. Creative players should be able to propose 
  additional uses for their abilities as unexpected situations 
  confront their characters. Examples are given for possible 
  benefits when spending one or more points; benefits are 
  certainly not limited to these suggestions, and it’s important to 
  remember that spending points from an Investigative pool does 
  not stop the character from still using that Investigative ability.
  Certain specific actions may overlap between a couple of 
  abilities. For example, you can identify a uniformed soldier’s 
  allegiance from either Military Tactics or a History ability. 
  Some abilities, like Research and the History skills, are 
  broadly useful and will crop up constantly. Others, like 
  Hacking or Anthropology, may be called for many times in the 
  course of one scenario and not at all in others. When building 
  your character, strike a balance between the reliable workhorse 
  abilities and their exotic, specialized counterparts.
  Investigative abilities are divided into the following sub-
  groups: Academic, Interpersonal, and Technical. The purpose 
  of the subgroups is to allow you to quickly find the best ability 
  for the task during play, by scanning the most likely portion of 
  the overall list.
  USING INVESTIGATIVE  
  ABILITIES TO, WELL, INVESTIGATE
  During play, you’ll use your Investigative abilities to uncover 
  clues over the course of the mission. You never need to roll a 
  die or spend any points to succeed in this; as long as you have 
  at least 1 rating point in the ability, and you tell the GM you’re 
  using the ability, she’ll give you a clue if there’s one to be had.
  In Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, Holmes 
  never misses a clue because he rolls badly. Holmes has at least 1 point 
  of  Notice (and almost certainly more). If  Holmes examines the 
  ground, he’ll notice the suspicious pipe ash scattered beside a tree, and 
  because he has at least 1 point of  Trivia, he’ll be able to automatically 
  identify exactly what type of  tobacco produced it. 
  Sometimes you’ll want to tell your GM you’re using an 
  ability. Sometimes your GM will tell you something she thinks 
  you’d automatically know due to your abilities. 
  TimeWatch agents are investigating a murder scene in the late 21st 
  century, where a computer scientist has vanished utterly, changing the 
  future of  computing.
  GM: The purple light from your autochrons fades, and you’re 
  standing in her apartment, crammed into the bathroom with the door 
  open. Using your Charm on the door attendant means you know she 
  came up the elevator five minutes ago, and you already know that she’s 
  reported missing when she skips her dinner date tonight. The lights in 
  the apartment are off. What do you do?
  Altani, Mongolian Warrior Princess: I have Notice. I 
  sniff  the air and listen. Is she in the apartment?
  GM: You don’t think so. You don’t hear anything except for 
  some people walking by out in the hallway near the elevator. There’s a 
  strange acrid smell in the air, and it smells fresh. 
  Altani: “Listen! …You smell something? Careful, it could be 
  poison gas.” Hey, what kind of  strange is it? I don’t have Science! 
  or Medical Expertise, so if  it actually is poison gas, I probably can’t 
  identify it. If  it’s a creature, I probably can.
  Dr. Leah Breen, Chrono-Scientist: I have both those 
  abilities. I say, “Silence, fool! Let me work!” and I check my tether. 
  I’m using the chemistry part of  Science! to check the air quality. 
  GM: That totally works. Your tether instantly spits back the 
  answer: There’s been a chemical dump in the next room within the 
  past five minutes. You detect a slight abundance of  oxygen, hydrogen, 
  nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus, but it’s equalizing and diffusing 
  by the second.
  Dr. Breen: Uh-oh. No abundance of  carbon? I walk into the 
  living room and flip on the lights. What do I see? 
  GM: Most of  the apartment looks untouched, other than the 
  owner being a slob. There’s a puddle of  something shiny over by the 
  front door.
  Altani: I go check it out.
  GM: Altani, it shimmers and bubbles slightly as you walk over; it 
  looks like greyish slime. You don’t have Science! or Hacking, Altani, 
  but Dr. Breen does. Hey, Breen, have you ever heard the phrase “grey 
  goo” before?
  Dr. Breen: Dammit! “Altani, don’t touch that! Back off!” I 
  use Hacking to have my tether check for nanorobotic electromagnetic 
  signals. Am I looking at what’s left of  a human being, dissolved by 
  carbon-consuming nanobots? Because if  I am, we’re going to have a 
  tough time saving her life.
  GM: You are, and yes.
  Dr. Breen: Well, at least now we know where she disappeared to. 
  Altani: I have Spying. Tomorrow I’m going to go back in time 
  to yesterday and plant micro-cameras all over this apartment. So let’s 
  download that video right now to my tether and see who placed the 
  nanites. I don’t want to watch her get eaten, though.
  Dr. Breen: Why not? Squeamish?
  Altani: Nope. If  we don’t see her get eaten, we can still save her 
  life without causing any paradox. Someone got eaten, but it wasn’t 
  necessarily the woman we’re trying to protect. We can always go back 
  in time to five minutes ago and meet her in the hallway instead to 
  save her.
  GM: Good thinking. So make your Travel tests for the time travel 
  to place those cameras, and let’s see what’s on that video!
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  36
  Not all those terms will be familiar to you yet, but you get 
  the idea: when you have a non-0 rating in an Investigative 
  ability, you can find clues linked to it. Sometimes you’ll want to 
  mention your ability use first, and sometimes the GM will ask 
  you, but she can’t remember everything; don’t be shy about 
  telling the GM what you want to look for and how you’re 
  going about looking. She’ll give you clues if they’re there to 
  be found. This is how you’ll piece together mysteries, and how 
  you’ll advance the investigation. 
  SPENDING INVESTIGATIVE  
  ABILITY POINTS FOR SPECIAL BENEFITS
  Each Investigative ability below has an example of a benefit 
  that might be gained by spending a point, but there are many 
  other possibilities. Spending a point never makes you less 
  knowledgeable in that subject; it just limits the number of 
  times you can get special benefits related to that ability during 
  the mission.
  The other thing that spending an Investigative ability point 
  can do is put the narrative focus on your character. Like a 
  sci-fi movie that spends a few minutes following everything 
  a particular character is doing, spending a point is your way 
  of telling the GM, “I want to do something particularly cool 
  with this, so please pay attention!” It’s a means of grabbing 
  narrative control to accomplish something exciting you may 
  not have otherwise been able to pull off.
  The following general advantages apply to most Investigative 
  abilities. Spend an Investigative point to:
  X
  X 	gain a +3 bonus on a related General ability test (this can be 
  a suboptimal use of an Investigative point spend, but there 
  will be times when your Agent is out of options and can’t 
  risk failure; gaining +3 means you’ll auto-succeed at most 
  tests)
  X
  X 	completely obviate the need for a Difficulty 4 General 
  ability roll, such as spending a point of Science! instead of 
  making a Tinkering roll, or spending a point of Paradox 
  Prevention to succeed at a Difficulty 4 Paradox test
  X
  X 	gain an advantage (such as +1 on every roll, or +2 on a 
  handful of rolls) in a future contest of General abilities, 
  such as a chase through time or a fight 
  X
  X 	give supporting characters a favorable impression of you
  X
  X 	time travel to meet a supporting character who’s influential 
  or an expert on an appropriate topic 
  X
  X 	stretch the definition of the ability you’re using, granting you 
  a core clue that would ordinarily be gained with a different 
  ability than the one you have (assuming you can rationalize 
  the crossover)
  X
  X 	securely plant or hide physical and data evidence
  X
  X 	persuade people to keep quiet about the truth, or feed them 
  a different version of events that they’ll believe
  X
  X 	speed up an investigation, such as running DNA samples or 
  chemical analyses in minutes instead of hours
  ANTHROPOLOGY (ACADEMIC)
  You are an expert in anthropology and archaeology, making 
  you knowledgeable about the study of historical artifacts, 
  historical structures, and human cultures across time. You can:
  X
  X 	identify artifacts, customs, and rituals of a given culture
  X
  X 	distinguish real artifacts from fakes
  X
  X 	extrapolate the practices of an unknown culture from 
  similar examples
  X
  X 	spot well-disguised graves and underground hiding places
  X
  X 	unerringly time travel to surreptitiously observe a culture, 
  then return to the point in time that you’d just left
  Sample spend: Spending 1 or more points of Anthropology 
  may get you an isolated ancient or postapocalyptic civilization 
  that worships you like a god, but does so in a way that doesn’t 
  ripple through the timeline. You can take refuge there to heal 
  or recover without fear of being betrayed, and for 2 points 
  (or 1 point and a point of Military Tactics) you might briefly 
  recruit its citizens to act as cannon fodder for your own 
  personal army. 
  ARCHITECTURE (ACADEMIC)
  You know how buildings are planned and constructed. You can:
  X
  X 	navigate unknown structures
  X
  X 	judge the relative strength of building materials
  X
  X 	identify a building’s age, architectural style, original use, and 
  history of modifications
  X
  X 	construct stable makeshift structures
  X
  X 	identify elements vital to a building’s structural integrity
  X
  X 	travel back in time to stealthily observe the building in 
  question being built
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Architecture lets you go 
  back in time after the mission is over, swap out architectural 
  plans, and surreptitiously insert a secret room, hidden wall 
  compartment, or back door into the construction. Obviously, 
  this is more plausible in large buildings than small houses or 
  shacks.
  AUTHORITY (INTERPERSONAL)
  You know how to present yourself as the person in charge, 
  whether that’s a CEO, a government official, a military 
  commander, or a police officer. You speak the lingo of soldiers 
  and law enforcement authorities from Roman centurions to 
  freelance interstellar investigators, and you know how to make 
  people feel confident and relaxed in your presence. You can:
  X
  X 	command the attention of people who need problems 
  solved
  X
  X 	impersonate a law enforcement officer
  X
  X 	coolly ply cops and soldiers for confidential information
  X
  X 	fit in smoothly in any sort of military organization, with 
  people assuming you’re a soldier or an officer
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  37
  X
  X 	get excused for minor infractions
  Sample spend: You can spend 1 point of Authority to 
  get crowds to follow your orders, particularly in chaotic 
  circumstances. Spending 1 point of Authority might get you 
  put in charge of your own body of troops, or gain you access 
  to a local law enforcement authority’s supply of weaponry and 
  armor without needing to use Preparedness. You might also 
  spend 1 point when impersonating a cop or military officer to 
  have any irregular orders be unerringly obeyed.
  BUREAUCRACY (INTERPERSONAL)
  You know how to navigate a bureaucratic organization, 
  whether it’s Queen Elizabeth’s court or the governmental 
  peons controlling security access to a 24th-century arcology. 
  You know how to get what you want in an expeditious manner 
  and with a minimum of ruffled feathers. You can:
  X
  X 	convince officials to provide sensitive information
  X
  X 	gain credentials on false pretences
  X
  X 	convince people you’re an official government or corporate 
  bureaucrat
  X
  X 	find the person who really knows what’s going on
  X
  X 	locate offices and files
  X
  X 	borrow equipment or supplies
  X
  X 	show familiarity with the criminal and civil laws of your 
  origin’s time period, and be broadly acquainted with legal 
  systems from throughout history
  Bureaucracy is not a catchall information-gathering ability. 
  Bureaucrats usually wish to convey the impression that they are 
  busy and harried, whether or not they actually are. Most take 
  a profound, secret joy in directing inquiries elsewhere. When 
  you repeatedly attempt to use Bureaucracy to gain information 
  more easily accessible via other abilities (such as Research), 
  your contacts may snidely advise you to look elsewhere.
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Bureaucracy allows you 
  to manipulate someone specific in the mid-level bureaucratic 
  chain of command, whether you decide they’re your friend or 
  blackmailed enemy. Whether freely or grudgingly, this person 
  will attempt to help you and speed you on your way.
  In a less-serious game, spending 1 point of Bureaucracy may 
  also gain you better perks as a TimeWatch agent, including 
  more attractive uniforms, a trendier autochron model, 
  friendlier AI in your devices, better food and lodging back at 
  base, and a shorter wait in any lines. These benefits don’t have 
  much of a mechanical effect but are fun for someone who 
  wishes to rub in their inimitable sense of style.
  CHARM (INTERPERSONAL)
  You’re good at making people want to help you, whether you 
  utilize compliments, flattery, or flirting. You can get them to:
  X
  X 	reveal information
  X
  X 	perform minor favors
  X
  X 	regard you as trustworthy
  X
  X 	become enamored with you
  Some Agents with Charm are devious and coldly 
  manipulating; others may be genuinely likeable. It’s up to you 
  whether a high rating in Charm means that you are physically 
  alluring, charismatic, and delightful to talk to, or simply exude 
  a sexual magnetism unrelated to your looks. 
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Charm might cause your 
  target to consider you a trusted friend, loyal servant, or reliable 
  resource. They may entrust you with information or resources 
  without ever considering that you might not have their best 
  interests in mind.
  Spending one or more points of Charm while flirting with 
  someone attracted to you is likely to cause that person to fall 
  in love (or lust) with you, with everything that entails. For a 2+ 
  point spend, don’t be surprised if a henchperson betrays his or 
  her boss for you, revealing their treason at the most dramatic 
  opportunity.
  It is worth noting that procreation while time traveling is 
  strictly forbidden by TimeWatch regulations, as becoming your 
  own grandparent leads to some really annoying paradoxes. 
  People will mock you, and TimeWatch may pull you from 
  active service. Try to avoid it.
  A Neanderthal without Charm and High Society  
  is a lonely Neanderthal indeed. 
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  38
  FALSEHOOD DETECTION (INTERPERSONAL)
  Whether through high-tech sensors, psychological insight, or 
  by trusting your own intuition, you can tell when most people 
  are lying. You can:
  X
  X 	tell when most people say something they believe to be 
  untrue
  X
  X 	detect when a person is acting out of character due to stress 
  or coercion
  X
  X 	detect when a human is mind controlled or is part of an 
  alien hivemind
  You must usually be interacting with them or observing 
  them from a close distance, but sometimes you can spot liars 
  on audio or video, too. Unfortunately, nearly everyone lies, 
  especially when facing possible trouble from the authorities. 
  Sometimes you can infer why they’re lying, but it’s hard 
  to reliably discern motive or get at the facts they’re actively 
  working to obscure. This sense doesn’t tell you what they’re 
  lying about, specifically, or see through their lies to the truth.
  Not all lies are verbal. You can tell when a person is attempting 
  to project a false impression through body language. This also 
  usually tells you when a nonhuman, such as an alien or parallel 
  timeline species, is impersonating a human. All but the most 
  skilled impersonators leave subtle signs and clues about their 
  origin species that you can detect. 
  Certain individuals may be so adept at lying that they never 
  set off your falsehood detector. Some people believe their own 
  falsehoods. Psychopathic personality types lie reflexively and 
  without shame, depriving you of the telltale tics and gestures 
  you use to sense when a person is deceiving you.
  While Falsehood Detection will not function on everyone, it 
  will never give you a false positive or false negative. 
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Falsehood Detection 
  might give you great insight into why a person may be lying, 
  even if it doesn’t tell you what the truth actually is. This shared 
  knowledge of the lie may allow you to manipulate them or pry 
  out the truth. 
  Need to lie to someone and really have it stick? A spent point 
  of Falsehood Detection makes it less likely that other people 
  question your lie, because your body language and delivery are 
  flawless. Improbable information may still be questioned, but 
  others are unlikely to believe that you’re deliberately telling a 
  falsehood. This is how to pass lie detector tests.
  FORGERY (TECHNICAL)
  You fake documents, art, and identification. Given time, originals 
  (or good copies), suitable materials, and work space, you can:
  X
  X 	create a false identification, license, traveling paper, or other 
  government credential
  X
  X 	quickly create digital records and a false Internet history
  X
  X 	forge handwriting with a sample to work from
  X
  X 	fake a book, pamphlet, newspaper, or other published work
  X
  X 	forge a sculpture, painting, or other objet d’art
  X
  X 	artificially age paper and ink (or authentically age paper and 
  ink through the use of a time machine)
  X
  X 	spot forgeries, and make intelligent deductions about the 
  forger
  X
  X 	undetectably open and reseal a sealed envelope, document, 
  pouch, or other “soft” container
  X
  X 	create an attractive, if somewhat uninspired, work of art on 
  a subject of your choosing
  Forgery is also useful for larger, detail-oriented investigative 
  work. You can also use Forgery to construct a fake crime 
  scene, or to clean up an actual crime scene so as to make it 
  look as if no crime occurred. After secretly searching a room, 
  the visual memory you gain from Forgery will tell you if 
  you’ve accidentally left any item out of place.
  Sample spend: A 1-point Forgery spend could make a forged 
  identity completely legitimate by actually going back in time to 
  establish your bona fides years in the past. Spending 1 point 
  could allow you to create art forgeries without access to the 
  original work by “borrowing” it from the future or past to 
  use as an example. Alternatively, a 1-point spend, along with 
  spending 1 point of Paradox Prevention, might allow you to 
  avoid extra work by simply stealing the artwork from a parallel 
  dimension that’s unlikely to miss it.
  HACKING (TECHNICAL)
  You use computer and electronic technology to retrieve and 
  enhance information on computers and other information 
  devices, from punch cards to far-future technology. Your 
  tether (a personal holographic information system described 
  on p. 112) allows you to hack most equipment wirelessly. 
  You’re also an expert in math, logic, and the making and 
  breaking of codes. Given time and computing power, you can 
  unravel everything from simple ciphers to the supercomputer 
  algorithms of the future. You can:
  X
  X 	hack into secure computer systems to gather clues
  WHY NO LYING ABILITY?
  TimeWatch does not treat lying as an ability 
  unto itself. Instead, characters employ it 
  as a tactic while using any of the various 
  Interpersonal abilities. With Bureaucracy, 
  you tell functionaries what they want to hear. 
  Using Authority, you convince commanders 
  that you’re their kind of soldier, and so on. 
  There’s a little bit of deception in nearly 
  every successful interpersonal interaction 
  — particularly when you’re tasked with 
  unobtrusively 
  stopping 
  reality 
  from 
  unraveling itself and you can’t reveal that 
  you’re a time traveler.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  39
  X
  X 	recover hidden, erased, or corrupted computer files
  X
  X 	increase the clarity of audio or video recordings, zeroing in 
  on desired elements
  X
  X 	break codes in any language you can read
  X
  X 	deduce logic puzzles and calculate complex mathematical 
  formulas
  X
  X 	use Burglary to break into particularly high-tech security 
  systems
  X
  X 	use Tinkering as a computer skill, should a Hacking-related 
  General ability test be needed for any reason (such as active 
  opposition by an opposed hacker)
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Hacking gives you a 
  previously prepared back door through the firewall of online 
  computer systems, allowing you instant access later in the 
  mission. What you do with that access is up to you.
  HIGH SOCIETY (INTERPERSONAL)
  You know how to interact with the rich and powerful, and can 
  make small talk with them without triggering their suspicions. 
  You are as comfortable with the 13th-century Mongol Khans 
  as you are with the 7th-century Japanese Imperial Court, the 
  19th-century French aristocracy, or 21st-century merchant 
  bankers. You can:
  X
  X 	dress fashionably for any occasion or culture
  X
  X 	pass gatekeepers to gain access to exclusive parties, 
  gatherings, and clubs
  X
  X 	blend in culturally with the rich, dropping names or 
  mentioning trends as needed
  X
  X 	identify the best wine, liquor, food, jewelry, and other luxury 
  goods
  X
  X 	successfully arrange an introduction to someone rich, 
  powerful, or famous
  X
  X 	recall specific or relevant gossip or news about the tastes, 
  lifestyle, or predilections of a rich or famous person
  X
  X 	know where and when the best parties, most culturally 
  important openings, or other gala events in any location are 
  due to happen
  X
  X 	obtain drugs or otherwise find the seamy side of any high-
  society functions
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of High Society might 
  cement your cover identity’s reputation as a prestigious and 
  well-regarded figure who is best to be respected, admired, or 
  feared. If you want to be renowned for throwing a celebrity 
  party that the rich and powerful want to attend, or to have a 
  reputation as a reclusive foreign princess, the easiest way to 
  gain that is through a point spend. A spent point could also 
  establish that you know how to play the piano, cello, violin, 
  or other musical instrument associated with the upper crust; 
  these instruments may occasionally overlap with those gained 
  through a Streetwise spend.
  HISTORY (ANCIENT) (ACADEMIC)
  Note that the designation “History (Ancient)” is to help players 
  quickly remember which history ability is which; the time period 
  it references is absolute. Whether your character is a Neanderthal 
  or a space pilot, History (Ancient) knowledge ends in the 1300s.
  With an emphasis on political, military, and economic and 
  technological developments, you’re an expert in recorded human 
  history from the beginning of human recorded history up until 
  the start of the European Renaissance in the 14th-century. You 
  also have a good working knowledge of prehuman history, from 
  the formation of Earth up until the birth of humanity. You can:
  X
  X 	know what geological period a particular extinct plant or 
  animal originates from
  X
  X 	follow the chronological cause and effect of chained 
  historical events
  X
  X 	recognize obscure historical allusions
  X
  X 	recall capsule biographies of famous historical figures
  X
  X 	tell where and when an object made during historical times 
  was fashioned
  X
  X 	identify the period of an article of dress or costume
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of History (Ancient) might 
  let you instantly create a residence, reputation, and identity in 
  a particular ancient time, establishing that you’ve already been 
  living there (make a note to be sure you do so after the mission 
  concludes). Spending 1 point might also give you an old friend 
  in an ancient era; you can befriend the person instantly by 
  making sure after the fact that you’ve known them for years. 
  If you like, that friend can be a merchant who will sell you a 
  particular type of object (like armaments).
  HISTORY (CONTEMPORARY) (ACADEMIC)
  With an emphasis on political, military, economic and 
  technological developments, you’re an expert in recorded 
  human history from the start of the Renaissance in the 14th-
  century up until the mid-21st century. 
  This ability functions like History (Ancient), but for 
  the more recent time period. As before, the name History 
  (Contemporary) refers to a specific period in time, and the eras 
  it covers do not vary based on the origin of your character.
  HISTORY (FUTURE) (ACADEMIC)
  You’re an expert in all recorded human history from the mid-
  21st century until the end of recorded time, whenever the GM 
  declares that to be. Benefits and sample spends mirror what’s 
  possible with the prior two History abilities. For instance, 
  spending a History (Future) point might gain you friendship 
  with a subject-matter expert in the 26th century who’d be 
  pleased to give you advice on her area of expertise. 
  As with the prior abilities, the name History (Future) refers to 
  the specific period in time after the mid-21st century, and the eras 
  it covers do not vary based on the origin of your character.
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  40
  INTIMIDATION (INTERPERSONAL)
  You elicit cooperation from suspects by frightening them. 
  Usually this is accomplished by seeming physically imposing, 
  invading their personal space, and adopting a psychologically 
  commanding manner. Intimidation may involve implied or 
  direct threats of physical violence but is just as often an act of 
  mental dominance. You can:
  X
  X 	gain information
  X
  X 	inspire the subject to leave the area
  X
  X 	encourage a particular behavior (“or else!”)
  X
  X 	quell a subject’s desire to attempt violence against you or 
  others
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Intimidation might cow 
  a supporting character into continuing to obey you even after 
  you have departed the area, as the supporting character is 
  terrified by your possible reprisal and remains eager to carry 
  out your instructions.
  MEDICAL EXPERTISE (TECHNICAL)
  You are trained in carrying out medical examinations of living 
  human subjects, performing autopsies on the deceased, and 
  forming diagnoses based on your findings. With 2 or more 
  points of Medical Expertise you are likely a trained and 
  certified doctor. You can:
  X
  X 	establish a person’s general level of health
  X
  X 	prescribe treatment for a treatable condition
  X
  X 	perform autopsies
  X
  X 	diagnose probable causes of addiction, disease, sickness, 
  injury, poisoning, or death
  X
  X 	tell if a subject is a shape-shifted nonhuman
  X
  X 	perform DNA analysis on subjects, identifying their likely 
  ancestors or descendants
  X
  X 	interact with medical professionals as a peer, understanding 
  medical jargon and practices from throughout history 
  X
  X with a rating of Medical Expertise 2 or higher, accelerate 
  the recuperation time for Seriously Wounded Agents  
  (see p. 87)
  Sample spend: A 1-point spend might tell you the most painful 
  place to hurt someone, allowing all your attacks to inflict +1 
  damage for the remainder of the fight. Spending 1 point 
  of Medical Expertise might let you fake someone’s death, 
  pharmaceutically suppressing their vital signs long enough for 
  them to be pronounced dead and letting you secretly revive 
  them up to several days later. As long as you have a rating of 1 
  PSYCHIC TALENTS AND 
  INTERPERSONAL ABILITIES
  These rules don’t care how you utilize your 
  Interpersonal abilities to gain clues. As a 
  result, it’s easy to link their effectiveness to 
  psychic ability instead of native talent. If 
  your Agent is from the future and you’d like 
  to have developed mental talents, and the 
  GM approves, go for it! You’ll just want to 
  ascribe your use of Falsehood Detection to 
  a psychic probe, your use of Intimidation to 
  psychic fear generation, your use of Charm 
  to pheromones, and so on. Any limitation of 
  an Interpersonal ability continues to apply.
  A psychic explanation of Investigative abilities 
  carries no further default benefits such as 
  precognition, telepathy, or object reading, 
  although a GM may wish to allow such effects 
  with the expenditure of an appropriate pool 
  point. When in doubt, the GM and players 
  should choose whatever solution is most fun 
  for the style of game you wish to play.
  Altani doesn’t have to use a firearm for Intimidation. .  
  But it helps.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  41
  or more in Medic, spending 1 point of Medical Expertise gives 
  you a pool of 3 Medic points to immediately spend healing 
  yourself or an ally, if you have a non-0 Medic rating.
  MILITARY TACTICS (ACADEMIC)
  You are a student of warfare, probably trained as such in a 
  military academy or through hard experience on a battlefield. 
  This expertise includes a knowledge of military history, 
  strategy, and tactics, and the weapons, technologies, and 
  engineering techniques of the battlefield. You can:
  X
  X 	identify an unknown military or paramilitary force by 
  examining the weapons, uniforms, or insignia they use
  X
  X 	deduce a soldier’s training and assignment history from his 
  demeanor and use of slang and jargon
  X
  X 	spot weaknesses in an enemy’s fortifications or tactics
  X
  X 	know the key turning point of a historical battle
  X
  X 	deduce whether a battle is being won through the use of 
  anachronistic technology or tactics
  X
  X 	analyze the effectiveness of an enemy’s battle tactics
  X
  X examine traces of a hand-to-hand skirmish and recreate 
  the fight
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Military Tactics might 
  give you a +1 on all Shooting rolls for the session by linking a 
  futuristic (and possibly obviously anachronistic) holographic 
  gun sight to your tether and your firearm. When commanding 
  troops, a spent point also might allow you to avoid the 
  classic battlefield problems of incompetency, mutiny, or 
  misunderstood orders in your troops. For the duration of a 
  scene, it might alternatively be used to give a small bonus to 
  the Shooting or Scuffling rolls of generic troops (but not your 
  fellow Agents) under your command. If you somehow find 
  yourself promoted to the rank of general and needing to win 
  a Civil War battle to preserve history, there are worse uses you 
  could pick.
  NOTICE (TECHNICAL)
  You are adept at noticing subtle details and finding important 
  clues. This is the generic ability for spotting a hidden clue or a 
  disguised imposter, maintaining general situational awareness, 
  or noticing a nonthreatening visual anomaly. You can:
  X
  X 	spot hidden objects and objects of interest at an investigation 
  site
  X
  X 	notice subtle errors in a disguise
  X
  X 	case a location to spot guards, cameras, multiple entrances, 
  potential security response, and the like
  X
  X 	notice signs of a previous search of the location
  X
  X 	find anachronistic technology that is currently in use, or 
  signs of future tech that has recently been used in a location
  X
  X 	note relationships between objects at a crime scene, 
  reconstructing sequences of events
  X
  X 	cold read someone, analyzing their body language and 
  behavior to draw conclusions about them
  Sample spend: The most common use of a Notice spend is 
  to gain an Alertness Modifier of +3 on your Unobtrusiveness 
  test to notice hidden or unexpected foes, or to notice non-
  clue items. Although she’s unlikely to tell you why, your GM 
  may occasionally ask you if you wish to spend a point to help 
  notice something. 
  Spending 1 point of  Notice prior to a fight might ensure 
  that you get to act first in the initiative order; an alternate 
  use usually offered by the GM might be noticing that your 
  vehicle has been sabotaged before you start up its engines.
  Against an armored enemy during a fight, spending 1 or 
  more points of Notice might allow you to target unarmored 
  portions of their body for several rounds, ignoring part or all 
  of their armor when calculating damage. 
  OUTDOOR SURVIVAL (TECHNICAL)
  You have lived and worked outdoors and in the wild, possibly 
  during a rural upbringing or isolated military service. You can:
  X
  X 	accurately determine the weather for the next day
  X
  X 	tell when an animal is acting strangely
  X
  X 	tell whether an animal or plant is natural to a given area 
  and time
  X
  X 	hunt, fish, and find edible plants
  X
  X 	ride a horse (using Athletics to determine how well)
  X
  X 	make fire and survive outdoors at night or in bad weather
  X
  X 	navigate overland
  X
  X 	track people, animals, or vehicles across grass or through 
  forests
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Outdoor Survival might 
  allow you to thrive outdoors, instead of merely surviving. 
  Spending 1 point allows you to stave off the penalties for 
  extreme heat or cold for one scene. An alternate use would 
  be to identify the best method for triggering a devastating 
  avalanche or landslide. 
  PARADOX PREVENTION (TECHNICAL)
  If you’re a time traveler, you’re bound to run into paradoxes. 
  This ability allows you to recognize them, predict them, solve 
  them, and even use them to your advantage. When a historical 
  change ripples through everyone around you, you’ll notice and 
  remember true history.
  You can:
  X
  X 	know what sort of actions might cause paradoxes and 
  chronal instability
  X
  X 	notice when time has changed around you, and retain a 
  memory of previous timelines (although that memory may 
  be fuzzy or incomplete)
  X
  X 	sense when you interact with a change in the correct timeline 
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  42
  X
  X 	determine methods for fixing disrupted timelines
  X
  X 	recognize anachronisms by touch (such as neural disruptor 
  rifles disguised as blunderbusses)
  X
  X 	recognize an anachronistic individual by touch (and 
  occasionally sight), regardless of their disguise
  X
  X 	by touch (and occasionally sight), recognize an individual 
  who has been absorbed by the timeline due to chronal 
  instability or paradox (see p. 95)
  Sample spend: Spending a point of Paradox Prevention can 
  have a number of uses. You can:
  X
  X 	spend 1 point to add +3 to a Paradox test (automatically 
  making most tests)
  X
  X 	spend 1 point to gain aid from your future self when that 
  aid would normally result in a paradox, such as your future 
  self writing your past self a note with useful information 
  (your GM may limit this information to avoid ruining the 
  adventure, may write something that could be misleading, 
  may ask you to make a Paradox test as well, or may charge 
  you more than 1 Paradox Prevention point) 
  X
  X 	spend 1 or more points to arrange a convenient circumstance 
  in your favor, such as a usefully timed rainstorm caused by a 
  particular butterfly’s wing-flap or a short-lived, newly created 
  holiday resulting in a parade that blocks your quarry’s escape 
  route
  X
  X 	spend 1 or more points to literally have your future self 
  come back and help you fight; this will still trigger a Paradox 
  test (see p. 89), and requires permission from your GM
  X
  X 	obtain other sorts of brief assistance from your future self 
  through a 1-point spend, such as picking a door lock from 
  the other side of the door
  X
  X 	travel to a parallel timeline (with the GM’s permission and 
  assuming they exist in your game) by spending 1 or more 
  points of Paradox Prevention when time traveling
  REASSURANCE (INTERPERSONAL)
  You get people to do what you want by putting them at ease. 
  This may involve a convincing lie, genuine sympathy, or just a 
  calming presence. You can:
  X
  X 	elicit information and minor favors
  X
  X 	allay fear or panic in others
  X
  X 	keep a mob from exploding into violence
  X
  X 	convince frightened or worried witnesses that they saw 
  nothing unusual 
  X
  X 	instill a sense of calm during a crisis
  Sample spend: When someone is terrified or suspicious of 
  you, particularly if you’ve done something inexplicable in 
  their time period, a 1-point Reassurance spend can keep your 
  reputation intact and convince them they saw something 
  completely normal. A 1-point Reassurance spend can calm a 
  panicking crowd, and a 2- or 3-point spend can calm a large 
  angry mob.
  A 1-point spend in the middle of a fight can often get your 
  antagonist to stop and talk to you for at least a few seconds 
  instead of continuing to attack. This conversation lasts until 
  anyone attacks the reassured enemy, or until it’s dramatically 
  appropriate for the conversation to conclude. This use of 
  Reassurance is handy for buying time when it’s needed the 
  most, and for solving misunderstandings that led to combat.
  RESEARCH (ACADEMIC)
  You know how to find factual information from books, records, 
  your tether, and official sources. You’re as comfortable with 
  wall niches of ancient scrolls as you are with public libraries 
  and holographic search engines. When trying to determine 
  what has changed in a given time period, conducting Research 
  in a library or newspaper repository will often give you clues, 
  although such research can require mere minutes to several 
  days worth of work. When you need information and don’t 
  have an appropriate History ability, Research is a good way to 
  GM ADVICE:  
  WHEN SHOULD PARADOX 
  PREVENTION BE SPENT?
  TimeWatch is a game where players can try 
  some remarkably creative tactics for solving 
  problems, including doubling back to help 
  themselves in combat or risking paradox 
  by stopping a known assassination before it 
  ever occurs. You want these solutions to be 
  possible, but as exceptions instead of the 
  rule; done too often they can destroy both 
  game balance and suspension of disbelief. 
  As a result, Paradox Prevention point spends 
  are a gating mechanism for game balance. 
  Every time a player wants to do something 
  time related and your first reaction is “even 
  with a Paradox test, that’s ridiculously 
  overpowered. I’d never let them do that all 
  the time,” charge 1–2 Paradox Prevention 
  points to allow it. That means that players 
  will save these tactics for dramatically 
  appropriate scenes, just as you’d want. If 
  your first impression is “I’d never allow that 
  at all,” you can disallow the action entirely 
  or (more amusingly) allow it with unintended 
  consequences. 
  Tactics that require Paradox Prevention 
  point spends often trigger a Paradox test as 
  well. See p. 89 for details on when this is 
  appropriate.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  43
  obtain the background you need. You can:
  X
  X 	Learn obscure information not generally contained in the 
  official historical record
  X
  X 	Find a clue as to how a given time period might be different 
  from the original timeline
  X
  X 	Locate a particular individual, along with their vital records 
  and family’s historical data 
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Research might get you 
  instantaneous information with no delay whatsoever, or 
  perhaps access to an expert on the subject who will be happy 
  to pontificate and theorize at length.
  SCIENCE! (TECHNICAL)
  You’re a scientific and engineering expert, knowledgeable 
  about astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, and other forms 
  of science. If you have 1 or more points in this ability you may 
  use the General ability Tinkering to fix advanced, high-tech 
  machinery that the GM might otherwise not let you repair. 
  This ability does not cover chronal mechanics, which fall 
  under the ability Timecraft. Computer-related knowledge falls 
  under the ability Hacking.
  You can:
  X
  X 	quickly develop theories and conclusions about scientific 
  phenomena
  X
  X 	make rapid mathematical calculations and determine orbital 
  mechanics
  X
  X 	identify drugs and synthesize most chemical compounds if 
  given an adequate laboratory
  X
  X 	determine the usage of mysterious scientific equipment or 
  control panels in an unfamiliar ship or laboratory
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Science! allows you 
  to activate or deactivate an unfamiliar scientific device, or 
  temporarily improve your existing equipment. Spending a 
  Science! point can give you a 3-point General ability pool for 
  use in a Preparedness or Tinkering test to acquire or build a 
  super-science device. Such devices aren’t limited to what’s in 
  this book’s Gear chapter, and details on adjudicating this type 
  of device can be found on p. 126.
  The GM may also ask you to both spend 1 or more Science! 
  points and roll Preparedness if you request something 
  particularly powerful or unlikely, and may ask you to roll 
  Tinkering if there’s any question of how well constructed your 
  device is. 
  Dr. Breen wants a Xen plasma rifle (see p. 122), but with a 
  Difficulty 9 test needed (and worth it!), she doesn’t currently have a 
  high enough Tinkering pool to easily build one herself. She spends a 
  point of  Science! to gain +3 to her Tinkering test, spends 4 Tinkering, 
  and with a +7 bonus she hopes to roll a 2 or higher. 
  SPYING (TECHNICAL)
  You’re adept with the art of spying, including spycraft, 
  countersigns, safe houses, electronic surveillance, and the 
  use of surreptitious photographic and sound-recording 
  equipment. Using either your tether or contemporary 
  technology, you can:
  X
  X 	trace phone calls
  X
  X 	hijack security cameras
  X
  X 	plant secret listening devices, and locate devices planted by 
  others
  X
  X 	make and enhance high-quality visual records and audio 
  recordings
  X
  X 	realistically manipulate audio, photographs, or video images
  X
  X 	ensure with some certainty that you are not being spied 
  upon
  X
  X 	pass as a spy, whether to someone looking to hire a spy or 
  to an actual agent in the intelligence community
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Spying could 
  ensure that you get crystal-clear recordings of whatever 
  interactions you need, even if doing so requires time travel 
  into the past to plant the hidden cameras. It could also 
  provide you with a much-needed safe house where you 
  won’t easily be detected or disturbed, or show you that an 
  otherwise secure internment camp has a gap in its fence. A 
  1-point spend can also give you a +3 Stealth Modifier on an 
  Unobtrusiveness test used to infiltrate a location or shadow 
  someone without being seen, which is useful when guards 
  are particularly alert.
  STREETWISE (INTERPERSONAL)
  You know how to behave among crooks, gangs, thugs, 
  assassins, cults, grifters, and other inhabitants of the criminal 
  underworld throughout history. You can:
  X
  X 	deploy criminal etiquette to avoid fights and conflicts (or 
  start them)
  X
  X 	identify unsafe locations and dangerous people
  X
  X 	tell when crowds or passersby are behaving oddly
  X
  X 	deal with fences, black marketers, arms runners, and so 
  forth
  X
  X 	get hired for a criminal operation
  X
  X 	interact on friendly terms with the local poor, homeless, or 
  vagrant community
  X
  X 	tell when practiced criminals and con artists are lying, as 
  with Falsehood Detection
  X
  X 	gather underworld rumors
  Even when you aren’t using it as an Interpersonal ability, 
  Streetwise is also useful for surviving in cities. You can:
  X
  X 	navigate an unfamiliar urban street layout and locate 
  buildings without looking like a stranger to the city
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  44
  X
  X 	find open sewer gratings, easily climbed walls, and 
  conveniently unlocked doors
  X
  X 	navigate the megacities and arcologies of the future, 
  avoiding streets by using public transportation and public-
  works conduits
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Streetwise might allow you 
  to manipulate a street gang into gathering useful intelligence 
  for you, acting as spies or combatants to harass your foe. A 
  spent point could also establish that you know how to play the 
  harmonica, guitar, banjo, drums, or other musical instrument 
  associated with street musicians or dive bars; these instruments 
  may overlap with those gained through a High Society spend.
  TAUNT (INTERPERSONAL)
  Don’t expect this ability to make you many friends. You are 
  an expert at infuriating others, driving them to such fury 
  that they let their secrets slip. This may be accomplished 
  through sarcasm, disdain, mocking, insults, public humiliation, 
  or (when appropriate to your character background) such 
  methods as psychic manipulation or cybernetically enhanced 
  pheromone manipulation. 
  However you manage it, you know how to make people 
  angry enough to talk before thinking, and you know how to 
  steer the conversation once you do. You can:
  X
  X 	gain clues by making a subject too angry to think straight
  X
  X 	drive an antagonist into a furious monologue
  X
  X 	know when a threat is sincere, and when it’s just posturing
  X
  X 	cause a supporting character to boast about her plans while 
  insulting or threatening you in return
  X
  X 	make a subject desire to attempt violence against you or others
  Sample spend: You can spend 1 point of Taunt to 
  manipulate an individual into following a precise pattern 
  of behavior over the next 24 hours, such as performing 
  an assassination attempt or heroic sacrifice that the Agent 
  knows is historically appropriate.
  Spending 1 point of Taunt can incite a large crowd to chant 
  insulting slogans or erupt into mob violence against someone 
  you wish targeted. If you want the entire crowd at a Roman 
  coliseum to shout insults to someone, this is how you would 
  get them to do so. Spending 1 point of Taunt will also draw 
  a particular enemy’s attention to you in a fight, making them 
  hate you so much that they will usually forego wiser plans 
  in order to punish you. This usually results in you needing 
  significant medical attention, but can be extremely useful for 
  luring enemies into traps or distracting them away from an 
  injured ally. Consider using Evasive Maneuvers (see p. 82) 
  when using Taunt in this way.
  If you announce “I’ve got aggro!” after spending a point of 
  Taunt, the GM is cordially invited to throw a d6 at you just on 
  general principle. Plan accordingly.
  TIMECRAFT (ACADEMIC)
  You know the official rules and procedures of TimeWatch, 
  including techniques for cleanly re-establishing a diverted 
  timeline and how to operate all official TimeWatch technology. 
  If you have two or more points of Timecraft, you are an 
  expert on chronal theory, including the knowledge of other 
  nonhuman species and organizations that are opposed or 
  allied with TimeWatch. 
  Every player character begins with 1 free point in Timecraft.
  You can:
  X
  X 	operate a time machine
  X
  X 	operate chronomorphic technology to disguise futuristic 
  devices
  X
  X 	identify timeline changes that create parallel timelines or 
  paradoxical time loops
  X
  X 	predict how timeline changes ripple outwards, and predict 
  the scope and strength of those timeline changes
  X
  X 	identify signs of alien influence and mind control in others
  X
  X 	use a time machine to reach the Citadel, TimeWatch’s secret 
  headquarters that resides outside of the normal flow of 
  history
  X
  X 	use a time machine to track a quarry through time by 
  following their time vortices (see p. 76)
  X
  X 	if your GM and campaign frame allow it, identify the 
  location and existence of parallel dimensions and time 
  streams
  X
  X 	use the MEM-tagging process to remove anachronistic 
  knowledge from unconscious witnesses (see p. 111.)
  X
  X 	remove traces of your true identity and origin before 
  departing a timeline
  X
  X 	with 2 points of Timecraft and the Tinkering ability, repair 
  a time machine or install chronomorphic technology
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Timecraft might allow 
  you to:
  X
  X 	gain a +1 bonus on every Vehicles roll during a time chase 
  X
  X eliminate the need for repeated Travel tests during a 
  time chase
  X
  X 	time travel to the precise physical location you desire, no 
  matter how far through time you travel to get there
  APPORTIONING YOUR POINTS
  Paradox Prevention, Science!, and Timecraft 
  are three Investigative abilities where more 
  than 3 points may be particularly fun, 
  especially if you love creating future-tech and 
  time travel–related mayhem. No need to 
  start that high during your first game, though. 
  You’ll receive at least 1 build point after each 
  mission; you can always add points then.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  45
  A 2-point spend might allow you to: 
  X
  X 	set up a temporary chronal dampening field that, for one 
  scene, prevents anyone within Long range from time 
  traveling into or out of the area
  X
  X 	break through someone else’s chronal dampening field
  X
  X 	see alternate futures and pick the one you prefer. When 
  spending two points, pick a single General ability. For the 
  rest of the scene, any time you use that ability you can roll 
  two d6s and choose the result you prefer. This can work for 
  combat abilities (such as Shooting) and noncombat abilities 
  (such as Unobtrusiveness); it has no effect on General 
  abilities where you don’t roll a die to make a test, such as 
  Medic or Reality Anchor
  X
  X travel into parallel and alternate timelines if your GM and 
  campaign frame allow it, by spending multiple Timecraft points 
  TRIVIA (ACADEMIC)
  You’re a font of eclectic information from throughout history 
  that would stand you in good stead on a quiz show. You’re 
  especially good with names, dates, music, and seemingly useless 
  historical tidbits that turn out to be incredibly important. 
  This catchall ability also allows you to know any obscure 
  fact not covered by another GUMSHOE ability. (In moments 
  of improvisational desperation, your GM may allow you to 
  overlap with abilities which none of the players at the current 
  session possess, or which no one is thinking to use.) 
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Trivia might allow you to 
  know enough technical music theory to conduct an orchestra 
  or write an opera, to rattle off an essential piece of knowledge 
  off the top of your head without having to look anything up, 
  or to win a pub quiz.
  GENERAL ABILITY DETAILS
  General abilities use a different set of rules than Investigative 
  abilities. General ability pools run on a linear scale from 0 
  (completely unskilled) to 8 (an expert) or higher, potentially 
  reaching 15 or more. Larger pools give you more options 
  and effectiveness in an action scene. You roll to succeed 
  in a General ability against a target Difficulty Number (or 
  Difficulty). The normal Difficulty is 4, but this may rise or 
  lower depending on the challenge of the task. 
  In TimeWatch, target Difficulty Numbers are sometimes 
  abbreviated with a D, so a Difficulty 4 test might be noted 
  as D4. Unlike other RPGs, this doesn’t refer to types of dice. 
  Go figure.
  You may spend points from a General ability pool to 
  increase your die roll, giving you a better chance of success. 
  General abilities refresh during the operation, but you spend 
  them faster during combats, chases, and other action scenes.
  FINDING CLUES WITH GENERAL ABILITIES
  Many General abilities also function as Investigative abilities, 
  either when used to gather a clue (rather than to overcome 
  opposition) or to interact with people devoted to those abilities’ 
  use. Scuffling, for example, can be used as an Investigative 
  ability to infiltrate a 5th-century Shaolin temple and to gather 
  information or gossip from the monks within. A minimum 
  rating of 4 in the General ability, indicating that you are more 
  skilled than a casual dabbler, is needed to gain this benefit.
  BOOSTERS: REWARDING SPECIALIZATION
  Almost every General ability has a Booster, a feature that 
  kicks in when the character has 8 or more rating points in it. 
  Most Boosters function constantly; Agents can always use a 
  Booster’s special benefit, even if their pool in that ability has 
  dropped to 0. Boosters exist to reward specialization, to mark 
  the point where “competent” becomes “expert,” and to make 
  sure that players get more bang for their buck when they focus 
  on a limited number of General abilities. 
  Higher Booster Thresholds
  GMs interested in slightly less action-y action can raise the 
  threshold for Boosters from 8 to 10 or 12 rating points. This 
  also increases niche protection, as individual players have to 
  spend more to specialize in their favorite abilities, rather than 
  building full-spectrum, well-rounded Agents. 
  Even if the GM raises the level for other Boosters and 
  options, though, an Athletics rating of 8 or more still provides 
  a Hit Threshold of 4. 
  GM ADVICE: WHY TWO 
  TYPES OF ABILITIES?
  The two ability sets are handled in different 
  way because they fulfill distinct narrative 
  functions. The goal of any TimeWatch mission 
  is to solve a problem — stop an assassination, 
  uncover a mystery, identify a saboteur — 
  and then confront the forces behind it. That 
  confrontation must be suspenseful, which is why 
  General abilities have a possibility of failure. 
  But the confrontation must also occur for the 
  story to satisfy, which is why investigating the 
  problem — in order to get to the confrontation 
  — must succeed. A well-designed TimeWatch 
  scenario rewards players for cleverly or 
  stylishly solving the mystery by making the 
  confrontation more exciting, more survivable, 
  or more intellectually interesting. (For more 
  on scenario design, see p. 197.)
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  46
  ATHLETICS 
  Athletics allows you to perform general acts of physical 
  derring-do, from running and jumping to throwing dynamite 
  to swinging off the rigging of a pirate ship. Any physical 
  action not covered by another ability probably falls under the 
  rubric of Athletics. With a successful Athletics test, you can:
  X
  X 	throw a grenade
  X
  X 	race after someone
  X
  X 	climb walls
  X
  X 	jump between cars on a speeding train
  X
  X 	dive for cover without using an action
  X
  X 	ride a horse (particularly well if you also have 1 or more 
  points of Outdoor Survival)
  X
  X 	use the Evasive Maneuvers combat action to make yourself 
  harder to hit; see details on p. 82
  Booster: Hard to Hit. If your Athletics rating is 8 or more, 
  your Hit Threshold — the Difficulty Number your enemies 
  use when attempting to hit you in combat — is 4. Otherwise, 
  your Hit Threshold is 3.
  BURGLARY
  You’re good at placing yourself inside places you have no right 
  to be, and you’re good at taking things once you’re there. With 
  a successful Burglary test, you can:
  X
  X 	pick pockets 
  X
  X 	unobtrusively search a target’s pockets 
  X
  X 	plant objects on unsuspecting subjects
  X
  X 	pick locks
  X
  X 	deactivate or evade security systems (although particularly 
  high-tech security systems might require you to have a point 
  in the Investigative ability Hacking)
  X
  X 	find suitable places for forced entry, and use them
  Many locks require specialized tools that can be produced 
  with a Preparedness test; such tools range from simple lock 
  picks to sonic high-tech multi-tools. Complex or tricky locks 
  may have a higher than usual Difficulty to open them speedily, 
  to avoid noise or damage, or to relock afterward. 
  If locked in jail and lacking your lock picks, don’t forget that 
  you’re in a time travel game. Your GM might allow you to make 
  a Burglary test to open doors you’d otherwise be unable to 
  reach, if you pay a Paradox Prevention point and state that your 
  future self has come to break you out of prison (see p. 41).
  Booster: Fast Hands. Once per round when in a close-
  quarters fight, you can pick one antagonist’s pocket without 
  taking an action to do so. The Difficulty of this Burglary test 
  is usually Difficulty 4 but may be higher or lower depending 
  on your GM’s judgment. If you don’t mind your antagonist 
  noticing that you just picked their pocket, the Difficulty is 
  typically 1 point lower. 
  Your target must be at Point-Blank range, and you can try 
  to pick their pocket either when they make a Scuffling attack, 
  or when you do — your choice. You can use your Burglary 
  action to either remove something or add something to their 
  pockets. For this reason alone, it’s useful to use Preparedness 
  to have a grenade handy… assuming you can get out of the 
  blast radius in time!
  CHRONAL STABILITY
  Chronal Stability is a measurement of your ability to stay 
  anchored in time, even when paradox and chronal forces try 
  to jar you loose and erase you from reality. A combination 
  of personal resolve and inherent attachment to the fabric 
  of reality, it’s as important an ability as Health; dropping far 
  below 0 Chronal Stability can literally turn you into a different 
  person or erase you from existence. The higher your Chronal 
  Stability, the better your ability to adapt to new time eras 
  without accidentally becoming trapped in time or removed 
  from history.
  See p. 89 for details on Paradox tests. 
  Lost Chronal Stability does not come back with rest and 
  cannot be restored with standard pool refreshes. It must be 
  restored with the General ability Reality Anchor (see below), 
  and is otherwise restored at the end of a mission.
  All TimeWatch characters start with Chronal Stability 6 
  for free.
  Booster: None.
  GIDDY-UP!
  The ability to ride horses effectively is 
  covered under the Investigative ability 
  Outdoor Survival; with Outdoor Survival, a 
  mounted character can use Athletics points to 
  determine the winner of a chase. Without it, 
  a character can use Athletics to stay perched 
  on a moving horse’s back, but not a whole lot 
  more. At the GM’s discretion, a player might 
  be able to make a reasonable argument that 
  their character background or a point spend 
  from another Investigative ability such as 
  Military Tactics should grant the ability to ride 
  effectively. If so, the player can simply spend 
  an Investigative point to gain the ability for 
  the scene and be ready to go.
  A character in a horse cart, chariot, or 
  wagon uses Vehicles instead, and Outdoor 
  Survival isn’t needed to pilot the vehicle 
  effectively.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  47
  DISGUISE
  Disguise is the skill of using technology or stagecraft to alter 
  your own appearance, posture, and voice. You can make 
  yourself unrecognizable, or you can fit in seamlessly with any 
  given location and time period. This ability also covers selling 
  yourself as a different person: vocal mannerisms, altered body 
  language, dress, motion sense, and realistic-seeming reactions. 
  This is how you pretend to be a Roman soldier, Civil War 
  general, Elizabethan noble, Chinese peasant, or pagan priest 
  when your Unobtrusiveness fails and people take note of 
  you (proper costumes or identification papers obtained with 
  Burglary or Forgery can help with that). If everyone needs 
  to disguise themselves as Spanish conquistadores to infiltrate 
  Montezuma’s palace, use a Piggybacked Disguise test (see p. 71) 
  to make sure nobody screws up.
  You don’t roll for Disguise when you first decide how 
  you want to change your appearance. Instead, you roll at the 
  moment a stranger of consequence notices you. This prevents 
  a loop of “do I look disguised? No? I’ll try again” tests, 
  and ramps up the tension for when that Disguise roll really 
  matters to a mission’s success. Additional Disguise tests may 
  be required when the disguise seems somewhat compromised, 
  such as when a fake hairpiece goes astray or when your 
  sophosaur Agent using a hologram to look like a kind old lady 
  decides to eat a passing pet. Your common sense will tell you 
  when, or if, additional Disguise tests are needed. 
  The nice thing about being a time traveler is that you 
  have access to high technology. While it doesn’t affect your 
  roll, feel free to describe your disguise as stemming from 
  chronomorphic fabric and a personal holo generator instead 
  of makeup. It’s your character, so use whatever explanation 
  you think is the most fun.
  Successfully disguising yourself as an actual person already 
  known to those you’re interacting with is extraordinarily 
  difficult. Brief voice-only mimicry pits you against a Difficulty 
  of 4. Face-to-face impersonation requires a successful roll 
  against a Difficulty of 7 for every five minutes of sustained 
  contact between you and the object of your impersonation.
  Disguise doubles as an Investigative ability when used to 
  gain a clue, such as when you:
  X
  X 	create and maintain a cover identity among unsuspecting 
  people, in order to learn important information 
  X
  X 	impersonate a generic figure, such as a security guard, waiter, 
  or messenger, in order to eavesdrop
  X
  X 	briefly misrepresent yourself, such as on the telephone or in 
  a vestibule
  As always with Investigative abilities used to find clues, you 
  won’t need to roll a Disguise test in these sorts of cases. 
  Uurrk uses Disguise as an Investigative ability when he 
  impersonates a eunuch guard to infiltrate a 15th-century Ottoman 
  sultan’s bed chambers, hoping to find proof  that the sultan’s close 
  adviser is a rogue time traveler. In finding the proof, he accidentally 
  sets off  a high-tech alarm — proof  enough right there! He now must 
  escape the palace with his life. Since he’s no longer obtaining a clue, 
  Uurrk’s Disguise use while escaping is a standard General ability test, 
  and he’ll need to roll for success.
  GM ADVICE:  
  STOP HITTING YOURSELF!  
  STOP HITTING YOURSELF!
  Want an Agent to get in a fistfight with 
  himself? If you want to run a less stringent 
  treatment of causality, something closer to Bill 
  and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Futurama, or 
  Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, one way 
  to do so is to lower the Difficulty Numbers 
  and potential Loss for Paradox tests, or even 
  remove them (and the Chronal Stability 
  ability) entirely. Less danger encourages 
  goofier, wilder abuses of time travel. If you 
  want players to ride a T. rex through the Old 
  West, this is a good strategy to use. Just be 
  sure to tell your players up front, so that they 
  don’t invest lots of points in an ability that’s 
  less essential.
  Skegg uses a holographic generator for Disguise.  
  After all, who would want to try and zip up a human suit?
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  48
  Booster: Don’t I Know You? If your Disguise rating is 8 
  or higher and you make a successful Disguise test, you can 
  convince the person you’re talking with that you are a distant 
  acquaintance from some point in their past. “Remember? We 
  met at the Feast of Lenaea a few years back, but the wine 
  was certainly flowing. How have you been?” If you wish to be 
  particularly stylish, you may want to state that after the mission 
  is over you go back and actually meet the person when you said 
  you did. 
  HEALTH
  Health measures your ability to sustain injuries, stay conscious, 
  resist infection, and survive the effects of toxins. When you 
  get hit by a non–neural disruptor weapon in the course of a 
  fight, your Health pool is diminished. A higher Health pool 
  allows you to stay in a fight longer before succumbing to your 
  injuries. 
  When your Health pool is depleted, you may be Hurt, 
  Seriously Wounded, or pushing up the daisies. For more on 
  wounds and dying, and for details on spending Health points 
  to avoid being stunned, see Injuries on p. 87. 
  All characters start with 6 points of Health for free. When 
  building a character, it’s slightly unusual to have less than 8 or 
  more than 14 Health. 
  Booster: None.
  MEDIC
  You can restore Health points to your teammates, and can 
  perform first aid on sick or injured individuals. Unlike most 
  other General abilities, you do not roll a d6 when spending 
  Medic points. Should you be using a medkit, every point 
  you spend from your Medic pool restores 2 Health points to 
  someone else or 1 Health point to you. If you do not have a 
  medkit available, the Medic ability works at half effectiveness. 
  It’s always good to carry around a spare medkit or to produce 
  one with the Preparedness General ability. 
  See Healing Injuries on p. 85 for additional details. 
  Rarely, Medic tests are used for actions other than healing; 
  for instance, a Difficulty 3 Medic test can stabilize someone 
  who is Seriously Wounded (see p. 87); a Difficulty 4 Medic 
  test can reawaken someone who is stunned (see p. 83), quickly 
  remove the psi-active cocoon around the victim of an ezeru, or 
  help someone suffering from uncontrollable nausea. In such 
  cases, roll a d6 normally and add Medic points in order and try 
  to hit a Difficulty Number. Such spends do not simultaneously 
  restore Health points.
  Booster: Heal Thyself. If your Medic rating is 8 or more, 
  you can heal yourself as efficiently as you can heal others, 
  gaining 2 points of your own Health back for every point of 
  Medic you spend. 
  PREPAREDNESS
  There are two ways to look at Preparedness. In the first, 
  you expertly anticipate the needs of any mission by packing 
  nonstandard gear efficiently. Assuming you have immediate 
  access to your nonstandard gear (which isn’t necessarily the 
  case if you’re disguised and under cover), you can produce 
  whatever object the team needs to overcome an obstacle. You 
  make a simple test (as explained on p. 70); if you succeed, you 
  have the item you want. You needn’t do this in advance of the 
  adventure, but can simply sort through your nonstandard gear 
  (provided you’re able to get to it) as the need arises. 
  Note that every Agent on a mission typically is equipped with 
  certain standard gear, as explained in Standard Issue TimeWatch 
  Gear on p. 109. Unless this equipment has been taken from you, 
  you don’t need Preparedness to produce it. You also don’t need 
  to use Preparedness to produce minor and inconsequential 
  gear (money, fashion accessories, period dress), gear that it’s 
  clear your character would have with him (such as a cane for 
  someone with a limp), or basic tools that allow your abilities 
  to function (basic audio/visual bugs if you have Spying, some 
  explosives if you have Tinkering, etc). You do generally have to 
  roll Preparedness if you’re trying to produce a nonbasic weapon 
  or device that will be used in combat. For instance, you won’t 
  need to roll if you say you are carrying a knife; you will need to 
  roll if you hope to produce a plasma rifle.
  In the second way of looking at Preparedness, don’t forget 
  that you’re playing a time travel game! We call this the “Bill and 
  Ted” method1. It’s tremendous amounts of fun to arrange for 
  a particular item after the fact. Being thrown into an oubliette 
  with no belongings is much less worrisome when you can say 
  “I’ll need to remember to come back here six months prior 
  and hide a lock-picking multi-tool behind that stone right 
  there.” Roll your Preparedness, and you’ll have done so. Just 
  be careful to avoid items that may cause paradox and chronal 
  instability, such as giving yourself a future version of an item 
  you already possess, a note about what to do next, or an 
  anachronism you’d have to leave behind. 
  If you have a round to spare, you can even pull out your 
  autochron, clock out into the future or the past, and clock 
  back in with the needed item a millisecond after you departed. 
  For simplicity’s sake, using Preparedness to quickly grab an 
  item from elsewhere in time does not trigger a Travel test (see 
  p. 76) unless the GM says it does.
  Preparedness 
  covers 
  general-purpose 
  investigative 
  equipment, plus oddball items that suddenly come in handy in 
  the course of the story. The sorts of items you can produce 
  at a moment’s notice depend not on your rating or pool, 
  but on narrative credibility. If the GM determines that your 
  possession of an item would seem ludicrous and/or out of 
  genre for the campaign frame she’s running, you don’t get 
  to roll for it. You simply don’t have it and can’t acquire it, 
  or you may need to spend one or more Investigative ability 
  1 If you haven’t yet seen the movie Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, go 
  find it! TimeWatch’s Preparedness will suddenly become your favorite 
  ability. Also, we’re a little worried that you have a favorite ability in 
  the first place.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  49
  points (such as Science!) to produce it. Any item which elicits 
  a mocking laugh from the group when suggested is probably 
  out of bounds.
  Inappropriate use of the Preparedness ability is like 
  pornography; your GM will know it when she sees it.
  Booster: Flashback. If your Preparedness rating is 8 or 
  more you can narrate a flashback where your group prepared 
  a secret plan in the past, even if no one had been aware of it 
  until now. Examples include:
  X
  X 	without previously announcing it, declare that a smoke 
  bomb or incendiary goes off as a diversion
  X
  X 	the power is suddenly cut off to a building at the perfect 
  time for your team
  X
  X 	a cattle stampede rampages through town
  X
  X 	a gun smuggled in earlier is pre-positioned beneath your chair
  X
  X 	a briefcase turns out to be previously switched for an 
  identical one with different contents
  X
  X 	with two armed guards threatening you, you announce your 
  fellow Agent has previously bribed one extensively
  You must have had opportunity and the means to set up the 
  action, which can include the help of fellow Agents even if 
  you haven’t filled their players in on the Flashback plan until this 
  very moment. (This, by the way, is an excellent reason to keep 
  pre-mission planning as loose as possible: you’ll have more 
  “blank space” available for preparation.) You must still make 
  a Preparedness test, and you must still convince the GM that 
  your precaution is credible. If the action required a test (of 
  Burglary, Disguise, Tinkering, etc.) you or your collaborators 
  must make it successfully.
  The difference between a Flashback and a standard 
  Investigative or General point spend is fourfold:
  X
  X 	your plan can involve other Agents and their abilities
  X
  X 	you can present your plan to the GM as a fait accompli; 
  you don’t need to go back and roleplay your fellow Agents 
  placing those smoke bombs or severing the power supply. 
  You just grab narrative control, state what occurs, roll your 
  own Preparedness test, and then each Agent involved 
  spends whatever points are needed to make it happen
  X
  X 	you don’t usually need to time travel to pull off your plan 
  X
  X 	the plan can’t create or involve a paradox (see p. 89), 
  although you’re encouraged to think through methods for 
  avoiding paradox so that your Flashback can still succeed
  A suspect steals the Agents’ vehicle and tries to flee. Using the 
  Flashback Booster, Mace Hunter reveals that he previously had Dr. 
  Breen use her Tinkering ability to rig the vehicle’s engine for remote 
  disabling. This is a complete surprise to Dr. Breen’s player, but she’s 
  enthusiastic about the plan. Mace Hunter makes a Preparedness test, 
  Dr. Breen makes a Tinkering test, and the vehicle grinds to a halt 
  before it’s 50 meters away.
  What Mace can’t do with his Flashback is announce that Dr. 
  Breen immediately time travels back three hours to completely stop the 
  vehicle from ever starting at all. That would create a paradox, since the 
  Agents have already seen the vehicle start to drive away. 
  REALITY ANCHOR
  In the same way that the Medic ability restores Health, the Reality 
  Anchor ability restores lost Chronal Stability to yourself and 
  other Agents. This can save an Agent from literally disappearing 
  out of existence when the universe decides he no longer belongs 
  in it. Since Chronal Stability represents an Agent’s determination 
  to fight back against an uncaring time stream that seeks to erase 
  him, Reality Anchor helps reinforce and bolster that willpower, 
  literally talking a fellow Agent (or yourself) back from the edge 
  of extinction. Whether in person or on a communicator, you 
  must be in verbal contact with the person you’re using Reality 
  Anchor on. You remind them who they are, why they’re there, 
  and of your shared past. Doing so helps re-anchor them in 
  reality by restoring lost Chronal Stability.
  Unlike most other General abilities, you do not roll a d6 
  when spending Reality Anchor points to help someone. Every 
  point you spend from your Reality Anchor pool restores 2 
  Chronal Stability points to someone else or 1 Chronal Stability 
  point to you. Chronal Stability cannot be refreshed in any 
  other way during a mission, but Reality Anchor pools can be 
  refreshed by Stitches as per normal. 
  PARADOX, 
  PREPAREDNESS, AND YOU
  Messing around with time is always easier if 
  you leave yourself as much wiggle room as 
  possible. Let’s say you want to use Preparedness 
  to leave yourself a grappling hook hidden in 
  a nearby cabinet, and you decide to do it by 
  having your future self time travel it in. If you 
  haven’t opened and examined the cabinet 
  yet, there’s no paradox involved with using 
  Preparedness to put one there. If you’ve 
  already looked inside the cabinet, though, 
  and know it’s empty, using Preparedness to 
  put a grappling hook there is a paradoxical 
  action because it contradicts what you know 
  is true. The universe is tricky like that. It’s up to 
  you to think of a solution that doesn’t result in 
  paradox, such as putting the grappling hook 
  under a loose floorboard instead. 
  If you want to perform a paradoxical 
  action anyways, your GM may flat-out 
  disallow it. If she does allow it you’ll need 
  to make a Paradox test, and the GM 
  may also ask you to spend 1 point of the 
  Investigative ability Paradox Prevention. 
  Otherwise, the paradoxical Preparedness 
  test automatically fails.
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  50
  Rarely, Reality Anchor tests are used for actions other than 
  restoring lost Chronal Stability; for instance, a Difficulty 4 
  Reality Anchor test can temporarily restore memories to a 
  Subsumed time traveler (see p. 49). In such cases, roll a d6 
  normally and add Reality Anchor points in order and try to 
  hit a Difficulty Number. Such spends do not simultaneously 
  restore Chronal Stability points.
  Booster: Grounded. Time traveling gets easier if your Reality 
  Anchor rating is 8 or more. You automatically succeed at 
  your first four standard Travel tests (Difficulty 4 / Loss 2; see 
  p. 76) in any scene. This saves you from a slow erosion of 
  your Chronal Stability when time traveling, and frees up your 
  Stitches for something other than negating Travel tests. Note 
  that this Booster has no effect on other Paradox tests you may 
  suffer from enemies or paradox, or on the rare Travel test that 
  is more difficult than normal. If you time travel or teleport 
  more than four times in a given scene, you start rolling Travel 
  tests normally until the next scene. 
  SCUFFLING
  You can hold your own in a hand-to-hand fight, whether you 
  wish to kill, knock out, or restrain your enemy. The Scuffling 
  ability includes both hand-to-hand and weapon use, including 
  improvised weapons and the PaciFist neural disruptor (which 
  can double as a ranged weapon). See p. 82 for typical weapon 
  damages; as you’d expect, even impromptu weapons will hurt 
  your foe more than punches or kicks will. It’s worth noting that in 
  a pinch, your inactive autochron makes an extremely handy club.
  If you successfully Scuffle from Point-Blank range and 
  choose to inflict no damage, you can Restrain your foe to 
  stop them from moving. See p. 83 for details. Agents with 
  a high Burglary ability can attempt to pick their foe’s pocket 
  while Scuffling (see p. 46).
  You’re encouraged to describe and narrate your actions; 
  both require a simple Scuffling roll, but it’s much more fun 
  and entertaining to say “I kick him in the crotch and then slam 
  his face into the desk” than it is to say “I hit him,” even though 
  the amount of damage your foe suffers doesn’t vary.
  Booster: That’s Gotta Hurt. Punching and kicking does less 
  damage than weapon attacks, as you’d expect in real life; this 
  Booster helps make sure those Scuffling points count. If your 
  Scuffling rating is 8 or more, your minimum Scuffling damage 
  (before any modifiers) is the number of Scuffling points you 
  spend on the attack. This maxes out at 6 points of guaranteed 
  damage; you can spend more than 6 Scuffling points in an 
  attack, but you don’t get an additional benefit for them. 
  Mace Hunter has a Scuffling rating of  8, so he gains the That’s 
  Gotta Hurt Booster. He spends 3 Scuffling points to successfully 
  punch an enemy in the face. Due to this Booster, Mace’s minimum 
  damage before any modifiers is 3. If  he rolls more than that on 
  the damage die he uses the die roll, and if  he rolls a 1 or a 2 for 
  damage he uses 3 instead. Punching normally inflicts 1d6 − 1 
  damage (see p. 82), so at worst he’ll inflict 2 points of  damage on 
  his foe. If  he was using a sword, which normally inflicts 1d6 + 1 
  damage, his minimum final damage would be 4.
  If  Mace had spent 6 Scuffling on the attack instead, his damage die 
  can’t be less than a 6. Mace’s final damage for any punch would be 5, 
  and his final damage for any sword blow would be 7.
  Any Stitches spent to raise damage on an attack are considered a 
  modifier, and so are added after determining minimum damage.
  SHOOTING
  You are adept with PaciFist neural disruptors and other 
  personal firearms, including their field stripping, repair, and 
  identification. For game-mechanical simplicity, this ability 
  also covers bows and arrows, crossbows, beam weapons, 
  neural disruptors, squad weapons (mortars and machine 
  guns), shoulder-fired missiles, and the like. See p. 82 for 
  typical weapon damages.
  Operating heavy artillery requires either Vehicles (for self-
  propelled guns, weapons mounted on tanks, and weapons 
  mounted on air or watercraft), or Tinkering (for catapults, ballistae, 
  trebuchets, and the like). Throwing grenades uses Athletics.
  The most common ranged weapon used by TimeWatch 
  agents is the PaciFist, a chronomorphic neural disruptor 
  which only works at Point-Blank or Close range (and which 
  can double as a Scuffling weapon for Agents who prefer that 
  ability). A PaciFist knocks its victim unconscious with an 
  invisible and silent energy beam. See p. 112 for details.
  As with Scuffling, go ahead and narrate your Shooting 
  actions. Saying “I fire off a hasty shot that hits her mid-chest, 
  knocking her backwards and splattering blood!” makes the 
  game a lot more fun than saying “I shoot her.”
  Booster: Double Tap. If your Shooting rating is 8 or more, 
  you can shoot a second time during the same action. The 
  second shot is performed at a +2 Difficulty. It doesn’t need 
  to be announced until after the first shot is resolved, and does 
  not have to be aimed at the same target. 
  Shooting multiple targets can be expensive, but short of 
  automatic weapons, throwing grenades, or chronally duplicating 
  yourself (a dangerous proposition!) it’s the only easy way to target 
  more than one enemy in the same attack. Use this for quickly 
  taking down Mooks and other antagonists with low Health.
  TINKERING
  You’ve got a talent for engineering, making you skilled at 
  building, disabling, repairing, and operating both mechanical 
  and technological devices. You can:
  X
  X 	set and detonate explosives, and you’re considered trained 
  with high explosives — it’s assumed you start with one 
  instance of explosives if you want them, and you can use 
  Preparedness to gain more if needed
  X
  X 	create jury-rigged devices from odd bits of scrap, given 
  access to plausible components — this use of Tinkering 
  mirrors the Preparedness ability, although it usually takes 
  some time and a safe workplace to construct a device
  X
  X 	briefly rig beam pistols and neural disruptors to be more 
  effective (see p. 120)
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  51
  X
  X 	construct and fire siege engines
  X
  X 	build and repair devices ranging from classic pit-and-
  pendulum traps to high-performance vehicles
  X
  X 	create or repair electronics, obscure future technology, and 
  super-science devices, if you also have one or more points 
  in Science!
  X
  X 	write software and make contested computer-related and 
  hacking-related rolls, if you also have one or more points in 
  Hacking
  X
  X 	build or repair a time machine, or construct chronomorphic 
  technology that changes its shape to match its current time 
  period, if you also have two or more points in Timecraft
  Tinkering doubles as an Investigative ability when used to:
  X
  X 	evaluate the quality of workmanship used to create an item
  X
  X 	determine the identity of a handmade item’s maker by 
  comparing to known work by that individual
  X
  X 	examine explosives or the site of an explosion
  Booster: Rapid Deployment. If your Tinkering rating is 8 
  or more, you can complete a Tinkering task in half the time it 
  would take someone without this Booster. For Tinkering tasks 
  that normally take one round, such as overcharging a PaciFist 
  to boost its Stun rating or range (see p. 112), you can perform 
  the Tinkering action in the same round as you fire the weapon. 
  UNOBTRUSIVENESS
  You’re good at noticing other people trying to be unobtrusive, 
  just as you’re skilled at hiding and avoiding notice. It’s up to 
  you whether you use skill, technology, minor psychic prowess, 
  or a combination of those to blend into the background. With 
  a successful Unobtrusiveness test, you can:
  X
  X 	spot someone trying to hide or be sneaky
  X
  X 	avoid being surprised in combat
  X
  X 	surprise others in combat
  X
  X 	follow someone without being noticed
  X
  X 	hide in plain sight within a crowd
  X
  X 	blend into the shadows to hide
  X
  X 	escape from someone following you
  X
  X 	pass unnoticed despite being the sort of person who would 
  normally attract attention
  GM ADVICE:  
  AVOIDING ANNOYANCE
  The +3 bonus granted by impersonator mesh 
  means that even a lousy Unobtrusiveness test 
  result is a 4 or higher, making such a roll an 
  automatic success. If a test would automatically 
  be successful, there’s no need to roll a die for it.
  This technology exists in TimeWatch because 
  it’d be incredibly annoying to play an unusual 
  Agent in an alternate time without it. If you’re 
  playing a Neanderthal on a mission to 19th-
  century France, for instance, you don’t want 
  to have to make a separate Unobtrusiveness 
  test every time you enter a new room just 
  to avoid people screaming and staring. Skin 
  color, sex, and height could all sidetrack or 
  torpedo an adventure in many times and 
  societies, and that’s not particularly useful 
  or fun. This is an adventure and investigation 
  game, not a racism simulator. GMs should 
  treat it accordingly and give Agents the 
  benefit of the doubt.
  With 
  impersonator 
  mesh 
  and 
  the 
  Unobtrusiveness 
  ability, 
  an 
  Agent’s 
  appearance is casually masked by an 
  “Ignore Me!” field until they interact with a 
  supporting character or draw attention to 
  themselves. You can neatly disregard the 
  “why aren’t people pointing?” question until 
  they do, which is when Disguise becomes 
  relevant. That saves Unobtrusiveness tests for 
  exciting, dramatically interesting moments.
  Dr. Leah Breen’s idea of a fun night is Tinkering with a super-
  science death ray. Dr. Breen doesn’t get out much.
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  52
  A player character with the Notice Investigative ability may 
  not be fooled by Unobtrusiveness, at the GM’s discretion; 
  the Difficulty Number to hide from such people is usually 3 
  higher than normal if the player chooses to spend a Notice 
  point. Many antagonists may have Stealth or Alertness 
  Modifiers that increase or lower the default Difficulty, and 
  moving past devices such as motion-sensing alarms or metal 
  detectors generally raises the Difficulty as well. Spend points 
  accordingly.
  Impersonator Mesh: The impersonator mesh that TimeWatch 
  agents are issued grants each agent a +3 bonus on 
  Unobtrusiveness rolls so long as they have not already brought 
  attention to themselves in some way. As soon as they have, 
  the impersonator mesh’s effect ceases for the remainder of 
  the scene. This ensures that time traveling Agents only need 
  to make dramatically important rolls, and can pass unnoticed 
  by most people most of the time. Note that impersonator 
  mesh adds a bonus to a roll, not to your rating or pool, an 
  important distinction. Impersonator mesh’s bonus is never 
  included when making an Unobtrusiveness test to avoid being 
  surprised. See p. 111 for more details.
  Booster: Nothing to See Here. If your Unobtrusiveness 
  rating is 8 or higher, and you take the lead on Piggybacking 
  an Unobtrusiveness test (see p. 51), characters who are unable 
  to pay the 1 point only raise the Difficulty of the attempt by 1 
  instead of 2. This is tremendously useful when trying to sneak 
  your entire team into a location.
  Talk to your group during character creation; if one 
  character focuses on Unobtrusiveness and plans to lead most 
  group tests, the other characters may be able to get away with 
  investing fewer points in the ability.
  VEHICLES
  You’re a skilled driver and pilot, able to wring high performance 
  from vehicles ranging from Roman chariots to race cars, from 
  zeppelins to spaceships, and from sailboats to submarines. 
  This includes precision operation of your autochron or other 
  time machine, as appropriate to your campaign.
  With a successful Vehicles test, you can:
  X
  X 	evade or conduct pursuit
  X
  X 	avoid collisions, or minimize damage from collisions
  X
  X 	perform driving or piloting stunts
  X
  X 	spot tampering with a vehicle
  X
  X 	conduct emergency repairs
  X
  X 	maintain control of teams of horses, oxen, or other animals
  X
  X 	successfully drive off road (or pilot through difficult 
  seas) without bogging down or wrecking, assuming even 
  minimally hospitable terrain
  You know how to operate one type of vehicle for every 
  rating point you have of Vehicles. You do not need to specify 
  every vehicle type before play begins. A vehicle type added at 
  an opportune moment does not represent suddenly learning 
  how to drive a hovercraft, but simply previous training or 
  retroactive experience you’ve never had call to mention until 
  now. (You’re in a time travel game, however. If it’s more fun 
  to announce that you quickly clock out, take lessons, learn the 
  new skill, and then clock back in at the exact same instant you 
  left, then go for it. The game effect is exactly the same, and it’s 
  probably more fun.) 
  For riding horses, see p. 46.
  Booster: Keep Up. If your Vehicles rating is 8 or higher, your 
  allies can Piggyback during a chase or time chase scene even 
  when they would not normally be allowed to do so (due to 
  characters piloting separate vehicles). If you take the lead on 
  Piggybacking a Vehicles contest (including a chase through 
  time; see p. 76), characters who are unable to pay the 1 point 
  only raise the Difficulty of the attempt by 1 instead of 2. Note 
  that Keep Up doesn’t work with horseback chases, because 
  riding horses uses Athletics instead of Vehicles.
  Talk to your group during character creation; if one 
  character focuses on Vehicles and plans to lead most group 
  tests during chase scenes, the other characters may be able to 
  get away with investing fewer points in the ability.
  WORKING FOR TIMEWATCH
  For more details on TimeWatch’s internal organization and the 
  Patrol campaign frame, please see p. 235. 
  RECRUITMENT
  Perhaps you were recruited at the last second. Remember when 
  you should have died? Time slowed into a purple haze, a figure 
  in a formfitting uniform strolled into the scene of your imminent 
  or untimely demise, and you were given a choice: perish, as you 
  would naturally, or join a corps of agents who save the world. All 
  of the world. For many people, it’s not a difficult choice. 
  Or perhaps you’re the one who made first contact. If you 
  lived a life where you had great unrealized potential, you’re 
  as likely to have unknowingly approached TimeWatch as 
  TimeWatch is to have approached you. Some agents are 
  identified and recruited after applying through testing 
  programs listed in classified ads. Some potential agents are 
  identified from data culled from secretive biometric and 
  psychoanalytic government testing. And some potential 
  agents just manage to impress a field agent on the job, who 
  then recruits them personally. Interestingly, it isn’t unusual for 
  these agents to continue to live their normal lives when they 
  aren’t on TimeWatch missions. They usually invent jobs that 
  require travel as an excuse for occasionally being unavailable 
  to their friends, but some agents have left a party for a smoke, 
  headed out to a mission that took (in relative time) years to 
  complete, then returned to the party as if they never left. It’s 
  a difficult life to maintain, but some find it preferable to a 
  life without the normal anchor of hearth and home. Agent 
  relationships with “normals” don’t often last long. The secrecy 
  tends to drive a wedge between even close relationships. 
  Possible recruits who wash out or decline the offer are 
  MEM-tagged and returned to their life the moment they 
  left it. They seldom remember anything other than what 
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  53
  TimeWatch wishes them to. Cases where residual memories 
  stick around are usually attributed to alien abductions. If any 
  of these potential but failed recruits have later caused trouble 
  for TimeWatch, it hasn’t been recorded in the official histories. 
  All others are typically whisked away from their own time 
  and into the TimeWatch Citadel.
  TRAINING
  Before being sent out on your first mission, you will undergo 
  extensive training and equipping. Subdermal communication 
  gear is implanted under your skin, memetic implants and 
  deep-learning protocols are implanted into your brain, you’re 
  given access to physical conditioning, and you’re thoroughly 
  briefed on time travel theory and practice. During this stage 
  you learn how to use vital high-tech equipment, and become 
  acquainted with your own personal tether. Any rumor that 
  subconscious conditioning happens during this stage is 
  completely unfounded2, and is nothing but propaganda spread 
  by anti-TimeWatch rebels. 
  During training, you’re vaccinated against all known 
  historical diseases. You may also opt for reversible subdermal 
  birth control, as generating new life when time traveling has 
  a bad habit of disrupting history. It’s also at this point that 
  life extension techniques are applied to your Agent, causing 
  them to age more slowly than normal. It isn’t unusual for 
  agents to gain 200 years or more to their lifespan. In practical 
  2 At least in most campaigns.
  terms, it means that a 20-year-long deep-cover mission isn’t 
  unreasonable to consider, and that your Agent won’t die of 
  old age until you want them to.
  MISSION ASSIGNMENT
  Missions are either standard or scramble urgency.
  When a standard mission is assigned, you’re typically 
  summoned via their tether to your handler’s briefing room. 
  Your handler lays out what’s known about the problem 
  and gives you the time and place where your team should 
  start an investigation. You’re welcome to jump forwards or 
  backwards in time from there. It’s common for handlers to 
  give a paucity of initial information, either because more 
  isn’t known or because your handler doesn’t wish to set you 
  up for unnecessary paradox.
  A scramble mission is one that doesn’t even leave enough time 
  for a briefing, either because the Citadel is directly threatened or 
  because time-ripples from a major change are cascading through 
  history, wiping out more events as they go and thus making the 
  investigation more challenging than it would be otherwise. In a 
  scramble mission, you’re simply given a rendezvous coordinate 
  somewhere in history, you meet your team there, and then if 
  you’re lucky you get an abbreviated briefing from your tether. 
  Since some chronal sabotage can wipe out access to the Citadel, 
  scramble missions get you outside of the Citadel before you’re 
  effectively trapped and unable to affect history.
  TIMEWATCH AND THE LAW
  If you break a law and then your actions cause that time loop to never have existed, did you actually 
  break the law? TimeWatch agents often consider themselves above local laws, adhering instead to a 
  code of conduct that allows them to fix the timeline while causing a minimum of further disruption in 
  the path of history. 
  In general, the rules concerning illegal activity are:
  1.  Don’t break the law unless you have to.
  2. Break rule one only when the safety of the timeline is at stake, and only if the cost of inaction is  
   significantly greater than that of action.
  3. Don’t tell anyone about TimeWatch or time travel.
  4. If you are imprisoned or detained by legitimate authorities, sit tight and allow your teammates to  
   get you out.
  5. If you are imprisoned or detained without hope of rapid release, or by illegitimate or corrupt   
   authorities, do your best to escape. This is particularly true if they’re working for someone trying  
   to sabotage the timeline.
  6. Don’t get caught.
  7.  Leave a plausible explanation for your escape; no locked room mysteries.
  Much to the annoyance of their superior officers, TimeWatch agents break these rules all the time. 
  How severely they’re rebuked for doing so (if at all) depends on how bureaucratic TimeWatch’s 
  headquarters currently is in your own game.
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  54
  PERSONAL TIME
  When not on a mission, you’re typically off duty on your own 
  recognizance. Agents without strong family ties typically use 
  this time to pursue private investigations, train, exercise, study, 
  or tour eras of time that they’d always longed to see. Agents 
  who do have strong family ties might spend time between 
  missions living with their families back in their own native era. 
  This is always a gamble, because missions might require you 
  to be away from your loved ones for two subjective decades or 
  more, even if to your family it seems like you’ve only popped 
  into the basement for a few minutes. It’s not uncommon 
  for agents to slowly feel isolated from the people they love. 
  Physical changes in your appearance begin to add up as well, 
  with the occasional cybernetic repair or hideous scar needing 
  to be disguised before you can return to the people who knew 
  you best in civilian life. 
  It’s up to the GM and each player as to how an Agent 
  balances their work as a time cop with a private and personal 
  life back in their native era. Managing a secret identity and 
  career might be exhausting, but it’s a joy if you want additional 
  narrative complication and the potential for mayhem in your 
  personal life. 
  Never mind the fact that you need to make sure Attila the Hun 
  dies of  a nosebleed on his wedding night, your husband in the 1930s 
  suspects that you’re having an affair because you keep disappearing 
  from closed rooms, and the private eye he’s hired to keep an eye on 
  you is throwing off  the effects of  the eighth MEM-tag you’ve had 
  to use on him to wipe his memory. Your daughter has noticed that 
  something seems different about you (mostly because you were away 
  in deep cover for two years in the middle of  her sixth birthday party, 
  and accidentally changed your hairstyle when you returned), and your 
  handler has warned you that he thinks time traveling assassins might 
  know your true identity. It’s going to be a long week. 
  Players who don’t want to balance their character’s personal 
  and professional lives shouldn’t be required to. Frankly, a lot 
  of players get enough practice trying to manage their own 
  work/life balance in the real world. If you wish to, however, 
  you should present the GM with your character’s family and 
  professional situation, and trust the GM to riff off of your 
  suggestions. Complications arising from personal crises are a 
  good method for earning Stitches in play.
  THE CITADEL
  TimeWatch maintains innumerable safe houses, vacation spots, 
  and equipment depots throughout the ages. Headquarters, 
  however, is the Citadel. It resides prior to normal time in the 
  uncollapsed quantum singularity that will one day lead to the Big 
  Bang, and by all accounts it is unassailable by physical means. Its 
  37th-century technology screens all incoming time travelers for 
  diseases and parasites as they arrive in the central transport bay. 
  If it has been successfully invaded by its innumerable enemies, 
  those rumors aren’t discussed. TimeWatch presents the image 
  of a shining, incorruptible gem.
  That metaphor goes farther than just an image. The interior 
  of the structure itself is made from some sort of shimmering, 
  beautiful crystal that pulses with the light of dying stars — 
  unusual, considering that before the Big Bang there aren’t 
  any stars to die. Rooms often have additional walls of other 
  materials, but the translucent stone that forms the structure 
  is unlike anything else in history. No one is quite sure who 
  built it or how TimeWatch found it in the first place. There’s 
  been a lot of speculation about this amongst TimeWatch 
  theologians, including the theory that excessive paradox in the 
  Citadel actually leads to the Big Bang and the creation of the 
  universe. If that’s true, TimeWatch’s days are numbered and a 
  paradox one of the agents causes may bring its end about. No 
  one’s sure when (or if) that day will come, though, so in the 
  meantime it’s business as usual.
  Agents are instructed not to sabotage already completed 
  missions and to minimize paradox. It takes experience to 
  know when to ignore these guidelines, and it isn’t uncommon 
  to see mission teams time traveling forward to find out if 
  their mission was successful or time traveling to the past to 
  warn themselves about useful facts, but doing so inevitably 
  creates paradoxes and chronal instability that the team needs 
  to withstand in order to succeed. 
  Agents are also forbidden from time traveling to past and 
  future eras of the Citadel. The stated reason for this is the 
  aforementioned reduction of potential paradox. Autochrons 
  and tethers are programmed accordingly; they keep track 
  of real time and won’t allow agents to cross over themselves 
  back at headquarters. There are ways around this, of course; 
  any technology can be hacked by an adequately brilliant expert, 
  and stealing an autochron from an earlier or later time traveler 
  might get you into the Citadel’s past or future. Violating this rule 
  typically leads to suspension, disciplinary hearings, and reams 
  of paperwork, and it’s worth noting that agents who attempt 
  this have a bad habit of disappearing. Whether they are forcibly 
  retired to protect others, are stranded somewhere, are given 
  suicidally dangerous missions, or simply just vanish isn’t known. 
  Most agents are never told the identity of TimeWatch’s 
  secret leaders. It’s widely believed that TimeWatch is run by 
  hyper-evolved humanity, humans who have transcended 
  physical boundaries to become ageless and eternal energy 
  beings. Some agents believe instead that TimeWatch is run 
  by aliens who have humanity’s best interests at stake, while 
  others think that a vast human-cyborg conglomeration tracks 
  histories and corrects ripples in the time stream. Whether you 
  believe that TimeWatch is correcting history for the greater 
  good or that the leaders have an agenda of their own, it’s well 
  known that TimeWatch missions work to restore true history, 
  history as we know it without the interference of time travel, 
  and that by doing so you save time itself from unraveling. 
  ADVICE FOR AGENTS
  As a starting Agent you may be lucky enough to have it 
  easy; journey back to an easily identified junction, dissuade 
  some good-intentioned activists from saving a beloved 
  historical figure’s life, and then it’s back home to TimeWatch 
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  55
  headquarters for a new assignment. Most missions don’t go 
  that easily. When push comes to shove, when the forces of 
  a parallel timeline enemy are fully arrayed against you and it 
  looks like you have no hope of completing the assignment, it’s 
  time to get tricky. Sometimes you have to work backwards or 
  forwards to stop a problem before it ever occurs. 
  KNOW YOUR ENEMY
  There’s a variety of antagonists you may have to face during 
  your long career as a TimeWatch agent, and your enemies’ 
  skill at chronal sabotage may vary a great deal from mission 
  to mission. It’s important to recognize that different enemies 
  have different goals, and they use different tools and different 
  chronal powers to achieve their ends. 
  X
  X 	Random, unorganized time travelers may be tourists who 
  want to see a dinosaur and accidentally step on the wrong 
  insect, egotists who seek self-aggrandizement and replace 
  their own son for the infant baby Jesus, or bitter sociopaths 
  who have a personal axe to grind and so save (or kill) a 
  particular person in history. Not all of these changes ripple 
  forward to fundamentally change the future, and these 
  antagonists may have good intentions in mind when they 
  sabotage history, but their wrong action at the wrong time 
  could be disastrous. 
  X
  X 	Defectors and rebels from TimeWatch pose a true threat, 
  as they have access to advanced technology, they know 
  TimeWatch’s methods, and they know chronal theory. 
  Chimeras, insane agents driven to madness by chronal 
  instability, are often the most dangerous of foes. Such rebels 
  typically seek to destroy the formation of TimeWatch itself, 
  and in doing so erase all the good that TimeWatch has ever 
  accomplished.
  X
  X 	Imposters from alternate or parallel timelines may seek 
  to change our key historical events in order to reroute 
  the course of true history through their own temporal 
  backwater, changing the future for everyone else. 
  X
  X 	Alien species may interfere with humanity’s development, 
  using their own time travel to conquer Earth in both the 
  past and the future. Some of these species are shape-
  shifters, making their identification amongst humans even 
  more challenging.
  X
  X 	Nonhumans from a parallel timeline in Earth’s far future 
  may take action in the past, attempting to ensure their own 
  evolutionary development and continued existence.
  FROM STRUCTURE TO STORY
  The GM’s structure notes aren’t a story. The story occurs 
  as you and your friends decide how to proceed through the 
  adventure. The actions of your characters moving from scene 
  to scene bring the story to life. 
  To move from scene to scene, and to solve the overall 
  mystery, you must gather clues. They fuel your forward 
  momentum. Your characters gather clues from locations in 
  space and time, as well as from supporting characters run by 
  the GM. Some of those characters may be friendly, and some 
  may be hostile antagonists, but almost every encounter results 
  in clues that push the investigation forward. 
  As you perform legwork, collecting information that tells 
  you more about the current mission, each scene contains 
  information pointing to one or more new scenes. Certain 
  scenes may put a new twist on the investigation, as the initial 
  mystery turns out to be just one aspect of a much bigger story. 
  As clues accumulate, a picture of the case emerges, until your 
  characters arrive at a climactic scene, where all is revealed, 
  changes in history are (hopefully) repaired, and the bad guys 
  are confronted. A wrap-up scene accounts for loose ends 
  and shows the consequences of your success — or, in rare 
  instances, failure. 
  One thing unique to TimeWatch is that you can arrive at a 
  scene which is the correct physical location but in the wrong 
  time period. If that happens, don’t be shy about jumping 
  forwards and backwards several days (or months, or decades, 
  or centuries) to quickly check for ripples of the event you’re 
  investigating. Your time machine’s operation isn’t predicated 
  on limited fuel cells, and Reality Anchor easily refills lost 
  Chronal Stability, so it’s almost always better to make a quick 
  jump or two forwards and backwards to double-check before 
  writing off a likely scene as a red herring.
  GREAT PLAYER TACTICS
  TimeWatch offers players some subtle tactics that it’s possible 
  to miss, especially when playing for the first time. Many 
  of these rules are explained later in the book, but here are 
  some strategies that you’ll want to come back to, especially 
  when your Agents are in trouble and you’re looking for some 
  creative solutions. 
  You’re going to get hurt a lot. Plan for it. Attack pools 
  mean that your foes often hit you the first time they attack; 
  enemies’ accuracy will decrease as they get more tired. Expect 
  that a significant antagonist is likely to hit you, so have enough 
  Health that you’re not going to drop right away. It’s hard to stay 
  conscious once you hit −6 Health; if you never increase your 
  Health over the starting value of 6, you’ll be able to withstand 
  about three or four typical hits. Bumping your Health to 8 
  or 10 points during character creation, increasing your Hit 
  Threshold to 4 (by having an Athletics rating of 8 or higher), 
  having a dedicated team medic, using Evasive Maneuvers (see 
  p. 82), or increasing your armor or Hit Threshold through 
  Preparedness or Science! spends (such as with a personal force 
  field — see p. 123) will help you stay alive.
  Stitches speed things up. You can use Stitches (see p. 65) 
  to do more damage, take less damage, avoid making a Travel 
  test when time traveling, refresh pools enough that you can 
  guarantee success on an important roll, and offer teamwork 
  that helps an ally succeed. Do so. They’re around to make the 
  game more convenient for you, and they usually get handed 
  out often, so you should spend them accordingly.
  If you don’t have enough pool points, hand out more 
  Stitches. The frequency at which you gain Stitches, and thus 
  
  CHAPTER TWO
  56
  the frequency in which your character is able to refresh their 
  pools, is almost entirely in the hands of the players. If it feels 
  like you don’t have enough, other players feel that way too; 
  set a standard by rewarding behavior that you think is fun, 
  clever, or awesome. This might be as simple as tossing one to 
  someone who is kind to another player, or giving a Stitch to 
  the guy who brought snacks. Once your group gets the hang 
  of positively reinforcing awesome behavior, you’ll probably 
  find you have enough to make interesting tactical decisions. 
  And hey, if you don’t, your GM can always award Stitches to 
  the group (or allow you to refresh combat pools) to make sure 
  you can stay in the fight. Remind her if necessary.
  If you’ve hit your Hoarding Limit but are given a 
  fourth Stitch, spend one of the ones you have. Having 
  more Stitches than you can use is a good problem to have. 
  If you’re at the max of 3, and you get more, use your existing 
  Stitches immediately to refresh pools that aren’t maxed out. 
  If you need to, use Medic or Reality Anchor to help a fellow 
  Agent recover damage, then refresh your pool. In a worst-case 
  scenario, use Preparedness to establish that you have a piece 
  of particularly cool or useful technology that you expect to 
  need — who doesn’t need a ray gun? — and then refresh your 
  Preparedness pool. 
  Don’t hang on to Stitches greedily. The game is most fun 
  when they come and go quickly.
  Remember your armor. If you’re wearing your TimeWatch 
  uniform, subtract 1 point from every instance of Shooting 
  and Scuffling damage you take. 
  Use Taunt to draw an enemy’s fire. The Investigative 
  ability Taunt does more than just make people so angry at you 
  that they reveal what they know. Spend 1 point in a fight, and 
  you can draw an enemy’s attention (and attacks) away from 
  someone else. They may even chase you. If you can survive it, 
  it’s a good way to draw someone into an ambush.
  When you absolutely positively don’t want to get hit, 
  try Evasive Maneuvers. On p. 82 you’ll see that every 2 
  Athletics points you spend boosts your Hit Threshold by 1 
  until the beginning of your next action, up to a maximum of 
  +3. Of course, you probably aren’t going to hit anything — 
  your enemies’ Hit Thresholds go up by +2 every time yours 
  goes up by +1 — but who cares? Your job for the round is 
  surviving. If you’ve just spent a point in Taunt to get your 
  foes’ attention, and you’ve used Evasive Maneuvers to boost 
  your Hit Threshold to 7, they’re all going to be too busy trying 
  and failing to shoot you for you to mind your own inaccuracy.
  Use Stitches to reduce damage. Even with your armor, 
  are you getting smacked for more damage than you want to 
  take? Each Stitch you spend reduces damage by 1 point. It 
  may save your life.
  Don’t charge a gun-wielder. A foe who has a ranged 
  weapon drawn and ready will get a free bonus attack on you 
  if you try and rush him. That’s why people in movies don’t 
  charge people with guns. If you don’t want to get shot, wait 
  until he’s distracted by something before closing, or try to 
  create a distraction yourself (possibly with time travel or by 
  spending an Investigative point) before closing in.
  If you can close with him, he’ll be at a disadvantage unless 
  he switches to Scuffling. As noted on p. 78, Shooters in close 
  combat have a 1 in 6 chance to shoot themselves or an ally 
  by mistake. 
  Make ludicrous Paradox tests, just make sure you have 
  friends with Reality Anchor there to back you up. We’ve 
  found in playtest that players are often very conservative 
  with their Chronal Stability and Reality Anchor points. These 
  abilities exist in part so that you can use them to do cool 
  time tricks when more conventional tactics can’t solve your 
  problem, so don’t be afraid to use them when your back is 
  up against the wall. Reality Anchor restores other people’s 
  Chronal Stability by 2 points for every point you spend, and it’s 
  an efficient way of restoring someone who’s just endangered 
  himself to try something clever.
  Time heals all wounds. If you can get away from combat 
  and time travel without being followed in a time chase, you 
  can go to a future hospital and get medical treatment. A day or 
  two of rest and recovery, and you can return to the fight with 
  full Health and full pools of Athletics, Scuffling, Shooting, and 
  Vehicles. The tricky part, of course, is getting away from the 
  fight safely.
  In a pinch, and assuming that you have a Medic rating of 1 
  or higher, don’t forget that you can exchange an Investigative 
  point of Medical Expertise for 3 points of Medic. That’s 
  enough to heal allies 6 points of damage. 
  You could also trade Preparedness or Tinkering for Medic. 
  It’s not unreasonable to assume that a technological device 
  could provide you with a temporary medical-related benefit 
  in case of emergency — either restoring a small amount of 
  Health points, or keeping you automatically conscious for a 
  Consciousness test. An Agent with Flashback (the Booster 
  gained with 8 or more rating points of Preparedness) can even 
  state after the fact that such a medical Booster was acquired 
  and in place. It’s not much, but it’s much better than dying. 
  If the GM gets lucky and rolls well, fall back and 
  TIP FOR PLAYERS: 
  CONTAINING SPECULATION
  Investigative scenarios often bog down into 
  speculative debate between players about 
  what could be happening. Many things 
  can be happening, but only one thing is. 
  If more than one possible explanation ties 
  together the clues you have so far, you 
  need more clues.
  Whenever you get stuck, get out and 
  gather more information. Never “turtle,” 
  withdrawing into your metaphorical shell to 
  safely consider limited options. That’s usually 
  boring and stops the action dead in its tracks. 
  If you keep investigating you’ll learn more, 
  you’ll gain more options, you’ll have more 
  fun, and the game will move faster.
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  57
  regroup. You’re exceptionally competent agents, but you 
  aren’t invulnerable and you aren’t superhuman. You’re much 
  better off negotiating or retreating than you are dying. 
  Sometimes, combat is far from the best solution.
  Recruit allies. Spending Investigative points from History 
  or Anthropology might allow you to recruit allies from out 
  of history. If your plan depends on an extinct and ancient 
  Pacific Island tribe that worships you as a god, or a doomed 
  spaceship crew from the far future, you might as well get use 
  out of them by leading them into battle. Likewise, you can 
  make friends with the best and brightest minds in history. 
  Nothing’s more amusing than discovering that the Mona Lisa 
  is actually a painting of your own character, just because you 
  spent a History point and turned out to be an old friend of 
  Leonardo da Vinci.
  Play the long con. TimeWatch agents gain an extended 
  lifespan, so don’t be afraid of the long path to success. Need 
  to live with someone for a few years as their roommate so 
  that forty years hence they’ll tell you what you need to know? 
  Need to go back in time a few months and get a job as a 
  laboratory guard, just so you’re there at the right time to let 
  in your friends? If you can spare the time, it’s sometimes a 
  creative solution. 
  Boost your damage with Tinkering. If you have points in 
  Tinkering and are worried you won’t have cause to use them, 
  never fear. A Tinkering test on your ranged weapon during 
  downtime will increase the amount of damage the next shot 
  does by 1 point. If you tinker with a PaciFist, you can raise 
  the Stun level from 5 to 6. Better yet, if you have 8 or more 
  rating points in Tinkering, you can do this quickly enough 
  that it becomes part of your combat action. Combined with 
  spending Stitches for extra damage, it’s a good way to quickly 
  inflict pain on your foes.
  Spend Investigative points to boost attacks. If you can 
  justify it, you can spend any Investigative point to gain +3 on 
  a General ability test. Out of Scuffling points and need to hit 
  someone? Spending a Military Tactics (“I’ve studied tactics”), 
  Intimidation (“I raise my fist, and while he’s flinching, I hit 
  him”), Streetwise (“I know dirty fighting; I’ll kick out his 
  knee”), or even Authority (“He’s ex-military? I scream, 
  ‘Attention!’ like a drill sergeant and hit him while he’s trying 
  not to instinctively salute”) point can boost your roll by +3 
  — and if you’re clever about how you do it, the GM or one 
  of your fellow players will probably toss you a new Stitch for 
  doing something fun.
  When attacking an antagonist with a prohibitively high 
  armor rating, spend Investigative points to ignore all or part 
  of its armor. You may also be able to use Investigative ability 
  spends to boost your damage instead. Spending 1 point of 
  Medical Expertise, for instance, reasonably lets you know the 
  most painful place to hit a foe, letting you raise all the damage 
  you inflict by +1 for the rest of the fight.
  Spend Investigative points to disrupt combat. Losing a 
  fight horribly? Want to pause it long enough to get a word in 
  edgewise with diplomacy, or to try to escape? Spending 1 or more 
  points from a social ability might cause hostilities to cease for a 
  minute against all but the most determined foes. Of course, make 
  a hostile move and you can expect the fight to spring back up.
  Use the initiative system to your advantage. As explained 
  on p. 79, you have great control over who goes when in a 
  round. Ask your fellow players who wants to go next, and you 
  can make sure they do. Be wary of letting the bad guys go last 
  in a round; it means that if they want to, they’ll be able to go 
  twice in a row.
  Flee into time. You can use the initiative system to escape 
  a fight in your autochron without risking its destruction from 
  stray fire. If the bad guys have already gone in the round, fire 
  up your autochron, and then just make sure that your character 
  goes first in the next round before your antagonists have a 
  chance to act. It’s a little sneaky, but it’s completely legitimate. 
  Just hope that your enemies don’t have the ability to chase you 
  through time; if they do, ready yourself for a time chase when 
  they come after you.
  Use Science! points for concentrated awesomeness. 
  Want nifty gear — force fields, more powerful weapons, or 
  concentrated explosives? Spend a point of Science! along 
  with your Preparedness or Tinkering test. You can convert 1 
  Investigative ability point into 3 General ability points with the 
  GM’s okay, so it’s a fast way to add points to your Preparedness 
  test when you want a particularly fun but expensive device.
  Imagination counts. You have access to the future, and 
  that means you can describe just about any technology you 
  want to the GM. She’ll increase the Preparedness cost for 
  acquiring more powerful gear, of course, but feel free to 
  consider high-tech solutions to simple problems. Night vision 
  contact lenses, portable EMP generators, zero-point gravity 
  guns, jetpacks; fun and useful! Acquiring something like this is 
  a good use of Preparedness, especially when you have more 
  Stitches than you need and can immediately refresh your 
  Preparedness pool.
  Adopt a signature weapon or piece of gear. As noted 
  on p. 108, you can spend build points to start each game 
  with a piece of unique tech that you particularly love. If your 
  character is always known for his disintegrator pistol or jet 
  pack, that’s how to always have it around.
  Help yourself — literally. When you’re in dire straits and 
  need backup, you can be your own backup. Declare that you’re 
  going to remember to have your future self show up and save 
  you. You’ll need to spend a Paradox Prevention point and 
  make a Paradox test, but your duplicate arrives fully healthy 
  with General ability pools fully refreshed, and that means 
  that you can double your attacks. Sure, if your younger self 
  dies anyways you’ve created massive paradox (and triggered 
  a Paradox test for your fellow Agents), but you’ll probably be 
  beyond caring at that point, and the extra help may just save 
  the day.
  Help others. Is your friend dying, but you can’t get to him 
  in time? Pay 1 point of Paradox Prevention, make the Paradox 
  test, and your future self can show up to heal him. This is just 
  like duplicating yourself to help be your own ally in a battle, 
  but it lets you provide tactical support to an ally instead.
  Save a few build points. If you can, save a few build points 
  when creating your character or after each mission. These 
  don’t disappear if you don’t immediately assign them; instead, 
  you can assign them on the fly during a mission to immediately 
  get access to an ability. 
  
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  58
  Paradox Prevention points: your wild card. If you 
  want a clever time- or causality-related effect, but it’s a little 
  too powerful to do casually, ask your GM if you can spend 
  a Paradox Prevention point to do so. These serve as “wild 
  card” points for temporal effects, letting you take unique time-
  related actions without over-balancing the game. Paradox 
  Prevention points, like all Investigative points, don’t refresh 
  until the end of the mission; plan their use accordingly.
  Spend Paradox Prevention to save Chronal Stability. 
  You can sometimes get in a bind with low Chronal Stability, 
  needing to spend more points than you’d like in order to make 
  a test that you can’t afford to fail. Consider spending an extra 
  point of Paradox Prevention instead. This gives you +3 on your 
  Paradox test, making it automatically in all but the most dire of 
  circumstances, without lowering your Chronal Stability further.
  Note that this is different than the point of Paradox 
  Prevention you’ll need to spend for certain chronal hijinks like 
  duplicating yourself in a scene.
  Finish off foes. Badly injured antagonists are at a 
  disadvantage in combat, but not a huge one. If your enemies 
  aren’t Mooks (antagonists with Health 3 or less), your team is 
  best off focusing fire to drop one target before moving on to 
  the next. You’re better off having one downed foe and two 
  uninjured ones than three slightly injured enemies.
  If you’re fighting Mooks or any Opponents with low Health 
  (you’ll probably be able to guess by the GM’s description), take 
  out as many as you can as quickly as possible. They hit hard 
  but drop fast. And hey, as you’d expect in a cinematic game, 
  eliminating the unnamed characters before taking on the main 
  villain is practically traditional.
  Stun those Mooks. Unlike more important Opponents or 
  Adversaries, Mooks don’t even have the opportunity to make a 
  Stun test when affected by a neural disruptor. If you hit them 
  with your PaciFist, they’ll automatically go unconscious. It’s a 
  good tactic when you want to avoid egregious bloodshed. This 
  is an especially good tactic for Agents with 8 or more points in 
  Shooting, who can fire twice in a round.
  You may fight an enemy more than once. The tricky thing 
  about time travel is that you may fight an elderly Adversary, 
  then later on fight one or more younger versions of the same 
  person — and you can’t kill the earlier incarnations without 
  triggering a major Paradox test, because doing so would create 
  paradox. You may have to think creatively to get around this 
  restriction.
  Make sure someone knows how to drive. You need to 
  put physical distance between yourself and anyone chasing 
  you through time, and that means outrunning them during a 
  time chase. These get much easier and much more fun when 
  at least one Agent has 8 or more points of Vehicles. You won’t 
  need it every mission, but you’ll be grateful for it when it’s 
  needed.
  A closed door is your friend. Why? Because thanks to 
  Preparedness and time travel, it hides exactly what you need 
  right now, which you are going to put behind it later.
  Beam weapons are deadlier than firearms. They’re also 
  a lot more obvious, as you’d expect when shooting a laser 
  pistol in a science fiction game. Nevertheless, beam weapons 
  do more damage on average than other weapons, and can 
  have some handy improvements like disintegration. They’re a 
  reasonable use of Preparedness points. 
  Use weapons when Scuffling. Just like in real life, 
  smacking someone with a weapon does more damage than 
  hitting them with your fist. You’re encouraged to describe 
  your Agent grabbing weapons from the environment to use, 
  but you’ve got a fallback. A deactivated autochron is nice and 
  sturdy, and serves as a handy club. 
  When to stun, when to kill. Stun attacks (p. 83) are 
  mechanically balanced with firearms. Shoot or hit someone 
  with a PaciFist, and if they’re not stunned it may seem like you 
  wasted your attack. Not so. Three things happen when a foe 
  successfully makes a Stun test: 
  X
  X 	They’re Impaired from the unsuccessful stun, so the 
  Difficulty goes up on any other tests they make (including 
  more Stun tests) between your attack and their next turn. 
  This makes them easier for other Agents to stun. 
  X
  X 	They’ve likely spent some Health points to boost their 
  chances of success, so you’re about as well off as you’d be 
  if you shot them with bullets. That’s even more true if the 
  foe is heavily armored, because the armor doesn’t apply to 
  spent Health points.
  X
  X 	Mooks drop immediately when shot with a neural disruptor 
  — no Stun test required.
  PaciFists keep the target alive, and are great for stealth. 
  Bullets, beam weapons, knives, and fists leave the target 
  marked and bloody, and (beam weapons aside) don’t run 
  the risk of appearing like magic or future technology to less 
  advanced societies. Which you choose depends on the effect 
  you want to achieve.
  Think outside the box. This is a time travel game. If the 
  building gate guard doesn’t let you in, time travel in. Or go 
  back in time and get a job in building security yourself. Or go 
  RESOLVE YOUR OWN PARADOX
  In an early playtest adventure, Agents clocked 
  in to find themselves being ambushed by 
  local troops yelling, “The prophet’s warning 
  was true! Witchcraft!” The Agents escaped, 
  but wracked their brains to figure out who 
  had tipped off the local military leader about 
  their arrival. One player said, “… What if 
  we tipped him off? Let’s go back in time a 
  week. Maybe one of us presents ourselves 
  as a prophet, and proves our prophetic 
  power by directing troops to come ambush 
  us during our arrival just now. I mean, we 
  already know we survive the ambush. That 
  way the local leader will trust us, our time 
  traveling Adversary doesn’t know we’re 
  here, and there’s no paradox at all.”
  
  YOUR CHARACTER
  59
  back in time and become a family friend of the gate guard. Or 
  spend 1 point of Architecture to go back and alter the building 
  blueprints, giving you access that no one else knows about. Or 
  spend an Authority point to go back in time and become his 
  new boss.
  Similarly, you’ll have multiple options when taking down 
  a bad guy. Go back to stop him before he ever started his 
  plans, or in the middle of them before they succeed, or right 
  at the key moment; just be careful not to risk severe Paradox 
  tests by causing paradox. You can often get around that with 
  some clever planning that makes history work out correctly, 
  but you’ll want to consider your line of attack. Contradicting 
  events that you already know to be true can cause problems.
  Pick your future. Spend 2 points of Timecraft at once, and 
  as noted on p. 45, for the rest of the scene you get to choose 
  the immediate future you prefer. You’ll pick one General 
  ability; until the end of the scene, roll two d6s instead of one 
  when using that ability and choose your preferred result. This 
  is best used when you have to make multiple ability tests with 
  one single ability over a long scene, such as a chase (using 
  Athletics or Vehicles), a fight (using Scuffling or Shooting), or 
  a difficult infiltration (using Unobtrusiveness). 
  Research locks down reality. When history has changed, 
  you usually have the option of time traveling into the future 
  and reading about an event in (alternate) history books. Doing 
  so, however, locks it in as an established fact; change it after 
  that, and you’ll need to make a Paradox test as time shifts away 
  from what you know is true.
  
  60
  
  61
  This chapter describes the basic GUMSHOE rules system 
  customized for TimeWatch, and is addressed to players and 
  GM alike.
  GATHERING CLUES
  TimeWatch has you unravel mysteries, and that means 
  investigation. Investigation means looking for and finding clues.
  Gathering clues is simple. All you have to do is 1) get 
  yourself into a scene where relevant information can be 
  gathered, 2) have the right ability to discover the clue, and 
  3) tell the GM that you’re using it. As long as you do these 
  three things, you will never fail to gain a piece of necessary 
  information. It is never dependent on a die roll. If you ask 
  for it, you will get it.
  You can specify exactly what you intend to achieve: “I 
  use Trivia to determine if the opera was really written by 
  Mozart,” or “I use Timecraft to figure out whether this 
  dinosaur was naturally born here in Madagascar, or whether 
  someone imported him from the past via a time machine.”
  Or you can engage in a more general informational fishing 
  expedition: “I use Notice to search the murder scene,” or “I 
  use Medical Expertise to examine the corpse.”
  If your suggested action corresponds to a clue in the 
  scenario notes, or just makes sense that it would tell you 
  something interesting and relevant, the GM provides you the 
  information arising from the clue.
  Agent Leah Breen, chronal scientist, arrives in London in the mid-
  1500s and is tracking down why the feudal system in England never 
  died out. She starts searching for clues on what is different, and the 
  GM mentions that there are more people in London than expected. 
  Dr. Breen’s player, Raina, says, “I use History (Contemporary) 
  to determine whether the population is unnecessarily high.” “Yes,” 
  says the GM, “much higher than it should be historically.” “I use 
  Medical Expertise,” says Raina. “Is there a big disease that didn’t 
  happen?” This is all she needs to do to get the information to proceed 
  to the next clue. “You check a cemetery,” says the GM, “and based 
  on the gravestones, it looks like the Black Death never occurred in 
  England! Considering that it should have killed almost 2 million 
  people, that’s a big deal.” Raina asks, “With my History ability, 
  do I know where and when it first showed up?” “You do,” says the 
  GM, “a Weymouth Harbour ship dock in June 1348,” and they’re 
  off  onto the next scene in the adventure. 
  Some clues would be obvious to a trained investigator 
  immediately upon entering a scene, such as the increased 
  population mentioned above. These passive clues are 
  provided by the GM without prompting. Scenarios and 
  common sense suggest which clues are passive and which 
  are active, but your GM will adjust these in play depending 
  on how much guidance you seem to need. On a night when 
  you’re cooking with gas, the GM will sit back and let you 
  prompt her for passive clues. When you’re bogging down, 
  she may volunteer what would normally be active clues.
  CORE CLUES
  For each scene, the GM designates at least one core clue. This 
  is a clue you absolutely need to move to another scene, and 
  thus to eventually complete the entire investigation. GMs will 
  avoid making core clues available only with the use of obscure 
  Investigative abilities. (For that matter, the character creation 
  system is set up so that the group as a whole will have access 
  to all, or nearly all, of these abilities.) The ability the GM 
  designates is just one possibility, not a straitjacket — if players 
  come up with another plausible method, the GM should give 
  out the information. Core clues never require a spend.
  In the previous example, in order to move on, the player needed 
  to realize that England never suffered from the Black Death. This 
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  62
  is the core clue, uncovered with either History (Contemporary) or 
  Medical Expertise. There are many methods for communicating 
  this, including:
  X
  f too large a population
  X
  f prominent living people whose whole families should have died
  X
  f medical records (or talking to a physician)
  X
  f talking to any local citizen who can off-handedly mention 
  “Europe’s Black Death that by the grace of  God spared us”
  X
  f graveyards
  X
  f newspapers and local historians
  X
  f famine caused by unchecked population growth
  X
  f feudal system, with serfs, still strong and active
  Once the player is on the right track, details can be handed to 
  them as passive clues as needed. Really, the only thing that must 
  be communicated is that there should have been a plague, there 
  wasn’t, and history knows when that plague should have started. 
  The players will take it from there.
  SPECIAL BENEFITS
  Many scenes and abilities allow you to gain special benefits 
  by spending points from the relevant Investigative ability 
  pool. These are one of the most interesting and flexible 
  parts of your character’s abilities, and give you a special 
  benefit or more information about a clue. During your first 
  few scenarios, your GM may offer you the opportunity to 
  spend additional points during play. After that it’s also up to 
  you to ask if it there’s anything to be gained by making an 
  Investigative spend. Feel free to propose specific benefits, 
  even if they’re not listed as examples under the ability’s 
  description. The GM may allow it if your suggestion is 
  persuasive or entertaining.
  Each benefit usually costs either 1 or 2 points from the 
  relevant pool, depending on the difficulty of the additional 
  action and the scope of the reward. When asking you if you 
  want to purchase the benefit, the GM (almost) always tells 
  you how much it will cost. She may also give you a choice, 
  such as “you can spend 1 point of History to befriend an 
  important noble, or 2 points to be in the good graces of 
  Queen Elizabeth herself.”
  Additional information gained from clues provides flavor 
  but is never required to solve the case or move on to a new 
  scene. Often special benefits makes the character seem clever, 
  powerful, or heroic. It may grant you advantages that become 
  useful later in the scenario, frequently by making a favorable 
  impression on supporting characters. The benefit may also be 
  helpful in reducing or eliminating the inevitable fallout in the 
  time stream after the mission’s conclusion; if you accidentally 
  taught baseball to Revolutionary War troops and want to 
  make sure it doesn’t ripple forward to the modern day, an 
  Investigative point spend is one easy way to do so. 
  Purchasing a benefit may allow you to leap forward into 
  the story by gaining a clue that would otherwise only become 
  apparent in a later scene, perhaps by using time travel to your 
  advantage. On occasion, the additional information adds an 
  emotional dimension to the story or ties into the character’s 
  past history or civilian life. If you think of your TimeWatch 
  game as a TV series, an extra benefit gives the actor playing 
  your character a juicy spotlight scene.
  “Can I tell whether anyone waiting for the ship is unusual?” 
  asks Raina. The GM knows that this information isn’t necessary 
  to move forward, because if  she waits Raina’s character will see 
  a bystander move forward to secretly inoculate the sick sailor. It 
  would be impressive if  she could answer the question ahead of  time, 
  however, and the GM suspects that it could cause some particularly 
  fun twists in the adventure she’d planned. 
  “Do you want to spend a Medical Expertise point?” asks the 
  GM. Raina worries that she’ll need it for disease-related spends, and 
  proposes instead that Dr. Breen spend 1 point of  Notice. The GM 
  agrees, and Raina reduces her Notice pool from 1 to 0. That doesn’t 
  stop her from using Notice later on to gather clues, but this is the last 
  nifty bonus she’ll get from it during this adventure. 
  The GM explains as follows: “You can’t see everyone, and the 
  fashion of  the day is to be clothed in so much fabric that it’s surprising 
  that people can ever recognize each other, but an older man further 
  down the pier has the unmistakable profile of  an Alexandrian, that 
  Greek cult from the alternate timeline where Alexander never died 
  and Greece rules the world. In their existence they wiped out disease, 
  but you’re not sure why this guy is here now.”
  Dr. Breen spots an anachronistic Alexandrian waiting to cure 
  the plague before it ever reaches Britain’s shores.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  63
  Dr. Breen rolls her eyes. “Interfering troublemakers,” she says, 
  and the character strides over to confront the time traveler from a 
  parallel universe.
  The act of spending points for benefits is called a spend. 
  The GM’s scenario notes may specify that you get Benefit x 
  for a 1-point spend or Benefit y for a 2-point spend. Often 
  minor non-core information is available at no cost.
  GMs who feel comfortable granting their players influence 
  over the details of the narrative may allow them to specify 
  the details of a special benefit.
  If you wish to make a spend in a situation where the GM 
  has no special benefit to offer you, and cannot think of one 
  that pertains at all to the investigation, you do not lose the 
  points you wish to spend.
  ZERO-POINT CLUES
  Not all free information is a core clue. If you have a rating 
  in an ability, your character is highly skilled in that ability, and 
  the GM will give you a lot of relevant information without 
  any spend — anything a character with that ability would 
  know. Not all of it is necessarily key to solving the mystery.
  INCONSPICUOUS CLUES
  Sometimes the characters instinctively notice something 
  without actively looking for it. Often this situation occurs in 
  places they’re moving through casually and don’t regard as 
  scenes in need of intensive searching. The team might pass by 
  a concealed door, spot the slight bulge of a laser pistol beneath 
  an Old West gunslinger’s leather duster, or approach a vehicle 
  with a bomb planted beneath it. When in doubt for what 
  ability to use for a basic search, the GM defaults to Notice. 
  Interpersonal abilities can also be used to find inconspicuous 
  clues. The classic example is of a character whose demeanor 
  or behavioral tics establish them as suspicious..
  It’s unreasonable for the GM to expect players to ask to 
  use their various abilities in what appears to be an innocuous 
  transitional scene. Otherwise, they’d have to spend minutes of 
  game time with every change of scene, running down their 
  abilities in obsessive checklist fashion. That way lies madness.
  Instead, the GM picks the most narratively appropriate 
  character who has that ability, picks the character with the 
  ability who hasn’t done anything cool in the longest amount 
  of time, or asks which character has the highest current pool 
  in the ability in question. If two or more pools are equal, it 
  goes to the one with the highest rating. If ratings are also 
  equal, their characters find the clue at the same time.
  Dr. Breen has retired to the local pub, where she’s joined by Mace 
  Hunter. Together they discuss their options for making sure the Black 
  Death happens on schedule. Before their beer can reach their table, the 
  waitress is intercepted by a less ethical Alexandrian who intends to 
  drug both Agents. The GM decides that the Spying ability will alert 
  them to a suspicious delay in their waitress’ arrival. Both characters 
  have the ability; Dr. Breen has 1 point in her pool, while Mace has 2.
  “Mace,” says the GM, “your drinks really should have been here 
  by now. You look up, and the waitress has just finished talking to a 
  customer whose face you can’t see. He’s blocking your view of  the beer 
  tray. He then heads straight for the door without looking around, 
  which could be considered a bit odd, but here comes the waitress with 
  your foaming beer.”
  “Foaming more than normal?” Mace asks. The GM knows 
  that Dr. Breen has multiple points in Science!, and that Science! 
  includes chemistry.
  “Oh yeah,” says the GM. “Dr. Breen, something may have been added.”
  “Dammit,” says Mace, “and I was thirsty, too.”
  SIMPLE SEARCHES
  Many clues can be found without any ability whatsoever. 
  If an ordinary person could credibly find a clue simply 
  by looking in a specified place, the clue discovery occurs 
  automatically. You, the reader, wouldn’t need to be a trained 
  investigator to notice a bloody footprint on your carpet, a 
  futuristic rifle tossed in your rubbish bin, or 300 bewildered 
  Spartan warriors laying siege to Paramus, New Jersey. By that 
  same logic, your character doesn’t require specific abilities 
  to notice such things, either. When you specify that your 
  character is searching an area for clues, you’re performing 
  what we call a simple search.
  In other GUMSHOE games, simple searches usually 
  involve searching a physical location for clues. In TimeWatch, 
  simple searches more often involve searching a particular era 
  and location for clues about what in history has changed. 
  Both are effectively the same, just with a different scope.
  The GM will vary the way she runs simple searches 
  according to pacing needs and the preferences of your group. 
  Some players like to feel that their characters are interacting 
  with the imaginary environment. To suit them, she’ll use a 
  call-and-response format, describing the scene in a way that 
  suggests places to look. The player prompts back by zeroing 
  in on a detail, at which point she reveals the clue:
  GM: “As your autochron cycles in and the purple light fades 
  away, you’re standing in an abandoned tenement building in Berlin. 
  NOTE THE CLUES
  We’ve found in actual play that it’s best to 
  have at least one player taking notes of active 
  leads and clues found during an investigation. 
  We haven’t found a group where at least 
  one person isn’t keen to do this. If no one 
  wishes to, the GM should be liberal about 
  occasionally summarizing known clues for the 
  players. The Agents’ tethers may have perfect 
  recall, after all, but players don’t.
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  64
  The year is 1865, and it’s winter. What time of  day do you want 
  it to be?”
  Player: “Night? This is where TimeWatch suggested we start. 
  I’ll go buy or find the local newspaper and do a quick scan to see if  
  anything jumps out.”
  GM: “Sure. Oddly, there’s no one on the street — and I mean 
  pretty much no one. Buildings have lights, but there isn’t a single 
  pedestrian. You can see a guard standing under a lantern at the end 
  of  the block.” 
  Player: “Can I see what uniform he’s wearing?”
  GM: “A high-tech flak jacket, and his machine gun has a laser 
  sight.”
  At other times, or for players less interested in these  
  small moments of discovery, she might cut straight to  
  the chase:
  GM: “You arrive in Berlin in 1865, as you wanted, but you 
  may not want to immediately leave cover; the Prussian guard 
  outside down the street is sporting a machine gun with a laser sight. 
  That’s… unusual for 1865. What do you do?”
  In the first case, the player who first voices interest in the 
  detail finds the clue. In the second, at the GM’s discretion, 
  it goes to:
  X
  X the character to whom the clue seems most thematically 
  suited (for example, if it’s established as a running joke 
  that Agent Hunter always stumbles on the really disgusting 
  clues, and this clue is disgusting, your GM will tell his 
  player the bad news)
  X
  X a player who hasn’t had a win or spotlight time for a while
  X
  X the character with the highest rating in the appropriate 
  Investigative ability
  TIME TRAVEL
  Time machine functions, effects, and logistics may vary with 
  types of time travel and GM fiat. Time machines are detailed 
  on p. 64 and 110. 
  THE TRAVEL TEST
  Every instance of time travel requires a Travel test, a 
  simple Difficulty 4 / Loss 2 Paradox test described on p. 89. 
  Effectively, roll a d6; roll 1–3, and lose 2 points of Chronal 
  Stability. Paying a Stitch per trip bypasses the need for a 
  Travel test. 
  HOW TIME MACHINES WORK
  The autochron, TimeWatch’s standard time machine, 
  usually lands you exactly when you want to arrive with split-
  second accuracy, along with a physical accuracy that’s close 
  but not precisely where you’re aiming for. Intended arrival 
  locations get less accurate the farther in time you travel, and 
  autochrons are programmed to seek out arrival spots that 
  are unobserved by locals (although this can be overridden 
  as needed). You can teleport with an autochron, moving 
  physically but not in time. A Travel test is still required.
  When autochrons clock out from a location within two 
  rounds of each other, only one needs to set a destination 
  time and space. The others can automatically follow the first 
  time machine to depart. This can be used to pursue someone 
  attempting to flee you; see time chases on p. 76 for details. 
  No accuracy roll is needed to time travel with an autochron, 
  and autochrons typically require no fuel. After completing 
  a jump, autochrons require two full rounds to recycle their 
  power before they can time travel again. This is usually only 
  relevant in time chases and cases where an Agent wishes to 
  clock in, steal something, and clock back out.
  Skegg needs to steal a famous diamond to run a scam on a 19th-
  century Indian maharajah. She makes a Travel test and clocks 
  into the treasure vault where it is kept, hoping to get it and get out 
  quickly. Her autochron spends the next two rounds recycling, so 
  Skegg will be able to make another Travel test and clock out with 
  the gem on her third round or later. 
  Kelfala’s autochron tunnels its way through  
  an endless ocean of time.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  65
  Rarely (and purely at the GM’s discretion), chronal storms 
  and temporal interference make autochrons malfunction or 
  be less accurate than normal. When that occurs, your arrival 
  time and location may be different than you expect.
  STITCHES:  
  TIMEWATCH’S ACTION POINTS
  It’s been said that in GUMSHOE games your entire character 
  sheet is made out of action points: spend your pools, get better 
  results on your dice. TimeWatch is no exception, so TimeWatch’s 
  actual action points (called Stitches, as in “a stitch in time 
  saves nine”) are a little different. Representing a time traveler’s 
  minor control of the vicissitudes of time, Stitches speed up 
  or slow down action. They allow you to hang on longer in an 
  action scene, or to raise or lower combat damage.
  DISTRIBUTION
  The GM puts a bowl out on the table with 3 markers in it 
  (such as poker chips or glass beads) for every player at the 
  table, excluding the GM. (For instance, 5 players = 15 chips.) 
  The GM doesn’t refill this when it empties out, but spent 
  Stitches are returned to the center bowl. In a virtual game 
  held online, the GM simply puts the markers next to her 
  computer and removes them from or puts them back into 
  the pile when they’re handed out or used.
  Players automatically start the game with 1 Stitch each.
  When someone makes the table laugh, follows their Drive, 
  roleplays superbly, solves a clever clue, keeps a team moving 
  through an investigation, or makes the game better for other 
  players, they should get a Stitch from the bowl in the middle of 
  the table. As a player you can’t give one to yourself, but you’re 
  encouraged (and pretty much required) to hand out Stitches 
  from the central bowl to other players, thus ensuring that a 
  distracted GM isn’t the only person granting them. Giving 
  another player a Stitch is a way of saying “that was cool!” or 
  “you were awesome.” Pay attention to the other players at the 
  table; you’ll always have one player who is quieter than the rest, 
  and make sure they’re rewarded for interacting as well. 
  The most important thing to remember here is that you 
  don’t need the GM’s approval every time you hand a Stitch to 
  another player. She’ll thank you for taking the initiative, and 
  can always tell you if she thinks they’re being handed out too 
  often or too seldom. If so, you can adjust from there.
  Your GM may also hand out Stitches if she makes a 
  narrative decision that disadvantages a PC for the good of 
  the plot. If she decides that an explosion knocks the group 
  out and that you wake up captured, because the game is more 
  fun to start a scene that way, she’ll hand out one or more 
  Stitches to anyone affected. This should be used sparingly 
  by GMs, but is a good balance for rewarding players if their 
  characters are disadvantaged for the good of the game. 
  It’s up to the GM how many Stitches a player can have 
  at one time; this is called the hoarding limit. In most 
  games, the hoarding limit is usually 3 at once. If you’re at 
  your hoarding limit, you must spend one or more Stitches 
  before you can earn any more. If someone tries to hand you 
  a Stitch when you’re already at the hoarding limit, you can 
  immediately spend one or more of your existing Stitches to 
  refresh pool points, and then accept the newly proffered one.
  You’ll probably have the most fun when Stitches flow 
  frequently and you don’t hoard too many at once. Players should 
  endeavor to not end the game with any Stitches; they don’t carry 
  over from game to game, even if the mission isn’t complete at 
  the end of a play session. GMs should endeavor to award more 
  Stitches at the very beginning of a mission, to remind players 
  what they’re for, and fewer as the adventure progresses. The 
  other players will likely be handling it for the GM by then.
  WHAT STITCHES DO 
  Stitches can be used for five things: slightly refreshing a pool, 
  aiding another character through teamwork, simplifying time 
  travel, boosting your weapon damage, or reducing weapon 
  damage inflicted on you. The Teamwork benefit aside, you 
  can never normally spend Stitches on behalf of someone else.
  Pool Refreshes: At any time, spend one or more Stitches 
  to refresh one or more General ability pools by 2 points per 
  Stitch. 
  After an extended fight that exhausted his resources, Uurrk’s 
  player decides to spend 3 Stitches on pool refreshes. He could refresh 
  GM ADVICE: 
  TWEAKING THE HOARD
  If you wish, the hoarding limit may rise to 
  5 in a Pulp game, Humor game, or in any 
  less gritty campaign frame. Just be aware 
  that as the limit rises, antagonists becomes 
  less dangerous, characters become more 
  dangerous, and players are able to more 
  easily refresh their General ability pools 
  on the fly. More Stitches means fewer 
  hard choices for players to make, so play 
  becomes less challenging (and possibly less 
  fun) as the hoarding limit rises. 
  A less extreme house rule allows players to 
  have 4 Stitches at once, but only if the 4th 
  Stitch comes from a player’s own personal 
  hoard. It’s a way of saying “that was 
  amazing!” that has a personal cost.
  For grittier or horror-filled games, limit 
  Agent resources by dropping the hoarding 
  limit to 2 or fewer.
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  66
  Athletics, Shooting, and Scuffling by 2 points each; he could refresh 
  Athletics by 6 points; or he could refresh 4 points of  one pool and 
  2 points of  another. 
  This is the primary way that you refresh your General 
  pools. You can never exceed your ability’s rating; for instance, 
  if your Scuffling rating is 5 and you’re down to 0, spending 3 
  Stitches on refreshes will bring it back up to 5 and no higher. 
  This is specifically a refresh, not a bonus to a roll. 
  Vidhvansaka needs to open a Difficulty 5 locked door. Her 
  Burglary rating is 3, and she hasn’t used any points yet, so her 
  current Burglary pool is 3 as well. She currently has 3 Stitches that 
  she’s earned. Spending all 3 Burglary points gives her +3 on her 
  Burglary roll and brings her pool to 0. She rolls a 1, however, and 
  1 + 3 is less than the Difficulty of  5, so she fails to open the lock 
  (and can’t retry unless she improves her odds; see Simple Tests on  
  p. 70). She can spend 1 of  her 3 Stitches to refresh her Burglary 
  pool back up to 2, or spend 2 Stitches to refresh it fully up to 3 
  (losing the extra point). Stitches don’t add extra points to her die 
  roll, so she’s stuck with the failure. 
  Stitches can never restore points to any Investigative 
  pool, to Health (which is restored with the Medic ability), 
  or to Chronal Stability (which is restored with the Reality 
  Anchor ability). 
  Teamwork: Teamwork is a fast, easy way to give an ally +1 
  on a roll. As long as you can explain to the GM how you’re 
  helping, you can spend 2 Stitches to slightly aid another player 
  in a General ability test. Spend 2 Stitches before or after the 
  other player rolls his die, and you give him a +1 bonus on 
  the die roll. This is the only method in the game for giving a 
  bonus after the die is already rolled, and the bonus cannot be 
  greater than +1. The GM can disallow this if she feels your 
  description of how you’re helping wouldn’t work. 
  At the GM’s discretion, and if it makes sense, multiple 
  players can use teamwork to help the same character before 
  they roll their die. This is different from the Cooperation 
  rules on p. 71 in that it doesn’t require an action, can be done 
  on someone else’s turn, and provides a maximum bonus of 
  +1 per assisting character.
  Dr. Breen is trying to disarm a nuclear bomb that is seconds from 
  going off. Uurrk doesn’t know much about bombs, but he’s willing 
  to try and help. He grunts, “No big fire big pain!” as he points to 
  what he believes is the right wire. Uurrk’s player spends 2 Stitches, 
  and Dr. Breen gains a +1 bonus on her difficult Tinkering test to 
  disarm the bomb.
  Simplify Time Travel: Normally, every instance of time 
  travel requires characters to make a Travel test to avoid losing 
  2 points of Chronal Stability (see p. 74). Spending a Stitch 
  when time traveling negates the need to make a Travel test. 
  You can’t spend a Stitch to negate other Paradox tests, though. 
  Boost Combat Damage: You can spend Stitches after 
  rolling the damage die to increase damage inflicted on 
  a 1-for-1 basis. Successfully punch someone for 1d6 − 1, 
  spend 3 Stitches, and your damage is instead 1d6 + 2. This 
  has no effect on PaciFist Stun tests (see p. 110) or other non-
  damage effects.
  Reduce Combat Damage: After you’ve been told how 
  much Health damage your character has just taken, you can 
  spend Stitches on a 1-for-1 basis to reduce damage that’s 
  inflicted on you. Spend 3 Stitches, for instance, and take 3 
  points less damage. This has no effect on PaciFist Stun tests 
  or other non-damage effects.
  Describing the Effect
  Because Stitches represent your Agent’s ability to slightly 
  manipulate time, you’re encouraged to describe the effect 
  every time you use one or more Stitches to affect damage. 
  You may describe your fist suddenly accelerating to 
  supersonic speed when you empty your hoard of Stitches 
  and boost your Scuffling damage by +3 points, or you 
  GM ADVICE: WHEN STITCHES 
  AREN’T QUITE ENOUGH
  We guarantee that your players will be 
  thinking, “How am I going to recharge my 
  pools enough to be effective?” A few pools 
  are recharged automatically after a 24-hour 
  rest (see p. 67), and Health slowly recovers 
  2 points per day with extended rest, but most 
  General pools require Stitches to refresh. We 
  want the players to manage their resources 
  and feel a sense of danger, but there’s 
  always a balance to this. One challenge 
  we saw during playtesting is that Stitch 
  distribution by the players slowed down near 
  the end of each session. That might leave 
  your characters resource-starved going into 
  an important scene. In addition, some groups 
  are hesitant to reward Stitches for good play.
  If this happens in your group, feel no hesitation 
  about helping players refresh depleted 
  pools by giving all players extra Stitches. 
  We recommend a bonus of 2 or 3 Stitches 
  at a time, once or twice per session at most; 
  players who already have Stitches when this 
  bonus is granted can avoid the hoarding limit 
  by spending any extra ones immediately. You 
  can reward this bonus at any time, preferably 
  just before or just after the characters do 
  something momentous. It will give them a 
  small resource boost when they need it most, 
  and you can easily skip it when you feel the 
  players aren’t resource deprived.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  67
  may describe your foe’s bullet slowing down so much that 
  it barely hurts you when you subtract 3 from the Shooting 
  damage you take. Description isn’t mandatory, but it does 
  make the game more fun. Describe it well enough, and you 
  may earn another one on the spot.
  REGAINING POOL POINTS
  Spent points from various pools are restored at different 
  rates, depending on their narrative purpose.
  REFRESHING GENERAL POOLS ON THE FLY
  Stitches can be turned in at any time to refresh any General 
  ability pool (other than Health and Chronal Stability) by 
  2 points per Stitch. GMs may reward superlative play by 
  granting additional Stitches, allowing for more refreshes. In 
  either case, pools can never be refreshed higher than their 
  initial rating.
  REGAINING GENERAL POOL POINTS  
  AFTER RESTING
  Pools for the physical abilities of Athletics, Scuffling, 
  Shooting, and Vehicles are fully restored whenever 24 hours 
  of game-world time elapses since the last expenditure. The 
  remaining General abilities refresh at the end of each case, 
  like Investigative abilities.
  Injured characters may attempt to use their autochrons 
  and escape from a fight mid-combat, only to spend several 
  restful days elsewhere in time and return seconds after they 
  left with their combat pools restored. Fortune may favor the 
  bold, but this valid tactic is made extremely dangerous by 
  the time chase rules (p. 76) and the vulnerability of active 
  time machines (see p. 110). Escaping mid-combat is a good 
  method for breaking your time machine, but it’s incredibly 
  effective if you can get away with it.
  WHAT DO POOL POINTS REPRESENT?
  Pool points are a literary abstraction, representing the way that characters get their own time in the 
  spotlight in the course of an ensemble drama. When you do something remarkable, you expend a little 
  bit of your spotlight time. More active players will spend their points sooner than less demonstrative 
  ones, unless they carefully pick and choose their moments to shine.
  Remember, TimeWatch characters are remarkably competent. Pool points measure your opportunities 
  to exercise this ultra-competence during any given scenario. Even when pools are empty, you still 
  have a reasonable chance to succeed at a test, and you’ll always get the information you need to 
  move forward in the case.
  Pool points do not represent a resource, tangible or otherwise, in the game world. Players are aware 
  of them, but characters are not. The Agents’ ignorance of them is analogous to sci-fi characters’ 
  obliviousness to chapter breaks, the unwritten rules of scene construction, and the tendency of 
  cliffhangers to occur at season-ending episodes. 
  However, where a pool could be seen to correspond to a resource perceptible to the characters, we 
  handle refreshment a little more realistically. Characters’ ebbing Health scores are perceptible to the 
  characters in the form of welts, cuts, pain, and general fatigue1. Chronal Stability is less tangible but 
  can be subjectively measured in the characters’ ability to feel connected to a new timeline, resisting 
  the universe’s attempt to eradicate the paradox of time travel. 
  Physical abilities like Shooting, Scuffling, Athletics, and Vehicles also depend on sharpness of reflexes; 
  taking a little R & R in the middle of a mission after a big gunfight is reasonable, because the characters 
  know they’re tired and stressed, even if they don’t know that their Shooting pool is down to 0. Doing 
  something amazing in a fight might earn the player a Stitch, but as far as the character knows, they’ve 
  gotten a last-minute boost of hope or determination that spurs them on to even greater action.
  1 We use Health to show how likely it is that a character is going to die horribly. A supporting character with 1 Health might 
  be badass, but will drop the first time he’s hit because either he’s not important to the narrative, or his death is.
  
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  68
  REGAINING INVESTIGATIVE POOL POINTS
  Investigative ability pools are restored only at the end of 
  each mission, without regard to the amount of time that 
  passes in the game world. Players seeking to marshal their 
  resources may ask you how long missions typically run in 
  real time. Most groups finish scenarios over two to three 
  sessions. Players may revise their sense of how carefully to 
  manage point spending as they see how quickly their group 
  typically disposes of its missions.
  GMs running extremely long, multipart investigations 
  may designate certain story events as break points where 
  all Investigative pools are refreshed. For example, a time-
  hopping investigation where the team deals with chronal 
  catastrophes in five different eras might allow refreshment 
  of Investigative pools after each chronal disaster is repaired.
  REGAINING HEALTH AND CHRONAL 
  STABILITY POOL POINTS
  You can’t directly refresh Health through the use of Stitches. 
  Instead, use the Medic ability to restore Health points to 
  yourself or others over the course of a session. The Health 
  pool also refreshes over time, at a rate of 2 points per day 
  of restful activity. (Seriously Wounded characters heal at a 
  different rate, over a period of hospitalization; see p. 87.) 
  You can’t directly refresh Chronal Stability through the use 
  of Stitches. Instead, use the Reality Anchor ability to restore 
  Chronal Stability points to yourself or others over the 
  course of a session. Full refreshment otherwise only occurs 
  between missions. It is possible only when the character is 
  able to spend calm, undisturbed quality time with friends and 
  loved ones; for instance, an Agent who chooses to stay in a 
  war zone at mission’s end may not automatically recover any 
  lost Chronal Stability. In campaigns where the teammates’ 
  personal lives are a matter of background detail only, 
  Chronal Stability automatically refreshes between missions. 
  If a character has permanently lost Chronal Stability rating 
  points due to being Subsumed (see p. 95), these points never 
  refresh and can only be restored with build points gained 
  from completing missions. 
  TESTS
  A test occurs when the outcome of an ability use is in doubt. 
  Tests apply to General abilities only. Unlike information-
  gathering attempts, tests carry a fairly high chance of failure. 
  They may portend dire consequences if you lose, provide 
  advantages if you win, or both.
  There are several types of test: simple tests, continuing 
  challenges, player-facing contests, and full contests (including 
  chases and time chases).
  DIE ROLLS
  All die rolls in GUMSHOE use a single 
  ordinary (six-sided) die.
  GENERAL ADVICE
  Success at a Cost
  Generally speaking, failure is boring and consequences are 
  interesting. Make failure more interesting by putting Agents 
  at a disadvantage. 
  Where it is essential to overcome an obstacle to reach a 
  core scene, and the obstacle requires a test, the question 
  stops being “will they succeed?” and becomes instead “how 
  successful are they?” In these cases the GM should allow 
  success whatever the result but give a negative consequence 
  other than flat-out failure for the test. For example, the 
  character sneaks onto the rogue starship but is injured, 
  recorded on sensors, beamed to the ship’s brig, or something 
  similar. This rule never protects characters from Health or 
  Chronal Stability Loss.
  This is an incredibly useful technique to keep a game 
  moving, and can be useful even when the Agents are not 
  moving towards a core scene. If the characters try to climb 
  a wall and fail, perhaps they still get over the wall but trip a 
  silent alarm or twist an ankle on the way down. If they fail 
  their Burglary test to open a door, they succeed in opening 
  the door but alert the people on the other side. If they fail 
  their Unobtrusiveness test to infiltrate a Roman stronghold, 
  they’re noticed but are accidentally mistaken for incredibly 
  high profile and well-known personages. 
  You’re encouraged to give players a difficult choice in 
  these circumstances. “You failed your Athletics test, but you 
  can smash through the locked door anyways if you don’t 
  mind them getting a free shot” lets the players decide what is 
  most important to them.
  Difficulty Numbers and Story Pacing
  Just as the GUMSHOE system keeps the story moving by 
  making all crucial clues accessible to the characters, GMs must 
  ensure that tests and contests essential to forward narrative 
  momentum can be overcome, albeit with consequences for 
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  69
  poor rolls. Assign relatively low Difficulty Numbers of 4 or 
  less to these crucial plot points, and reserve especially hard 
  Difficulty Numbers for obstacles which provide interesting 
  but nonessential benefits. Should Agents roll poorly when 
  trying to reach an essential plot point, even against the 
  easier-than-normal target number, they’ll succeed but suffer 
  some consequence.
  The characters have to sneak onto a starship to confront a cocky 
  young captain who has come back in time to kidnap some whales, 
  so the GM assigns the relatively low Difficulty Number of  3 to 
  the task’s Unobtrusiveness test. That gets them onto the starship, 
  where the interesting part of  the adventure takes place. If  one or 
  more of  the Agents fails this even lower-than-normal Difficulty, 
  a self-interested starship crew member notices them and (instead 
  of  reporting them, as he should) tries to find a way to steal their 
  advanced technology for his own use. 
  Only Roll When It’s Important
  Even in the case of General abilities, the GM should call for 
  tests only at dramatically important points in the story, 
  and for tasks of exceptional difficulty. We can’t emphasize 
  that enough. Most General ability uses should allow automatic 
  successes, with possible bonuses on point spends, just like 
  Investigative abilities. For instance, a Vehicles roll is not needed 
  unless the Agent’s car is being chased; an Unobtrusiveness roll 
  is not called for unless someone important could notice that 
  the Agents are somewhere that they aren’t normally allowed.
  SPOTTING HIDDEN THINGS
  Unless noted otherwise, TimeWatch has a fairly simple rule for noticing something hidden that isn’t a clue:
  Spot something hidden with the General ability that was used to hide it.
  That’s only true for non-clues. If something is not key to the mystery, the GM may ask one or more players 
  to make a simple test on a particular ability. Don’t be surprised if she doesn’t tell you what the roll is for 
  first.
  For example, while working to stop an early assassination of Caesar, Dr. Breen is about to get into 
  a Roman chariot that is wired with a high-tech car bomb. Burglary was used to hide it, so the GM 
  asks Dr. Breen’s player to roll a Burglary test for an unspecified reason. On a 4 or higher, the bomb 
  is spotted in time to avoid the worst of the explosion. 
  If the character possesses 1 or more points of the Notice ability, the player at this point may choose 
  to spend 1 point to gain +3 to their roll (often making it automatically) as an Alertness Modifier. 
  This is particularly useful if, in the example above, Dr. Breen has no points in Burglary but her 
  player would really prefer not be taken unawares. We know it’s a little metagamey, but GMs should 
  allow it and offer the choice anyways; Investigative points are scarce resources that are there to be 
  spent, and there are few better ways to show that someone is sharp-eyed than being able to Notice 
  something they would have normally missed.
  This rule applies to ambushes, stealth, and surprising others as well. If someone is hiding with 
  Unobtrusiveness to ambush you (see Surprise on p. 79), roll a simple test of Unobtrusiveness to not 
  be surprised. Your hiding enemy’s Stealth Modifier (if any) adds to the Difficulty of the test, and any 
  Alertness Modifier you have (usually by spending a Notice point) adds to your roll. 
  Likewise, you can Surprise an antagonist by making a simple Unobtrusiveness test to hide or ambush 
  them; their Alertness Modifier (if any) adds to the Difficulty of the test, and any Stealth Modifier you 
  have, such as the bonus from an Agent’s impersonator mesh, applies to your roll. 
  Using his impersonator mesh to blend in with the bushes, Mace Hunter sneaks up on a rogue 
  Tyrannosaurus rex. Mace normally needs to make a Difficulty 4 Unobtrusiveness test. T. rex have 
  an Alertness Modifier of +1, raising the Difficulty to 5, but Mace’s impersonator mesh gives him 
  a +3 Stealth Modifier until he draws attention to himself. So long as he rolls a 2 or higher on his 
  Unobtrusiveness test he’ll succeed, so Mace spends 1 point from his pool to guarantee success.
  None of this applies to gathering clues. Clues, as always, are simply and automatically gathered by 
  telling the GM you’re using an Investigative ability.
  
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  70
  If you want the Agents to expend resources but there’s no 
  time pressure or risk of failure, call for a General spend instead.
  General Spends
  Occasionally you’ll want to create a task at which there is 
  no reasonable chance of failure, but which should cost the 
  characters a degree of effort. To do this, simply charge the 
  character(s) a number of points from relevant General ability 
  pools; 1 or 2 points per character is a reasonable General 
  spend, so a team of four Agents would usually need to reach 
  a target between Difficulty 4 to Difficulty 8 for most tasks. 
  Where tasks can be performed by a team effort, multiple 
  characters may contribute points to them. 
  “You want to break in to the general’s home, and you’ve used time 
  travel to go to a time when there’s no one home? Clever. Spending 
  6 Burglary points gets you past his antiquated security, and I don’t 
  care who or how many people they come from.”
  SIMPLE TESTS
  A simple test occurs when the character attempts an action 
  without active resistance from another person or entity. 
  Examples include driving a treacherous road, jumping a 
  gorge, sneaking into an unguarded building, shooting a 
  target, disconnecting a security system, or clinging to reality 
  in the face of a parallel universe alien horror.
  The GM determines how hard any given action is by assigning 
  it a Difficulty Number ranging from 2 to 8 or more, where 
  2 offers only a slim chance of failure and 8 is exceptionally 
  difficult; the default Difficulty Number is 4. The player rolls a 
  single die; if the result is equal to or higher than the Difficulty 
  Number, the character succeeds. Before rolling the die, the 
  player may choose to spend any number of points from the 
  relevant ability pool, adding these to the final die result. Players 
  who forget to specify the number of points they want to spend 
  before rolling are stuck with the unmodified result.
  Difficulty
  Example
  3 — Easy
  Sneaking past a sleeping guard
  4 — Normal
  Sneaking past an awake guard
  5 — Hard
  Sneaking past an awake, alert 
  guard
  6 — Very Hard
  Sneaking past an awake, alert 
  guard with a guard dog
  8 — 
  Exceptionally 
  Difficult
  Infiltrating 
  an 
  integrated 
  high-
  tech security system that includes 
  guards, laser tripwires, infrared 
  cameras, floor sensors, and video 
  surveillance
  In the game world, expenditure of pool points in this way 
  represents special effort and concentration by the character, 
  the kind you can muster only so many times during the 
  course of an investigation.
  Altani, Genghis Khan’s daughter who has been recruited by 
  TimeWatch, wants to sneak into one of  Napoleon’s military 
  compounds to see if  it’s hiding anachronistic rocket launchers. To do 
  so she needs to use Burglary to open a locked gate. The GM needs 
  the group to get into the compound and therefore assigns the relatively 
  low Difficulty Number of  3 to the task. Altani’s player, Peggy, has 
  6 points in her Burglary pool. She decides that she really wants to 
  succeed and she doesn’t know the exact target Difficulty she needs 
  to reach, so she spends 3 points on the attempt. She rolls a 4. With 
  the 3 points from her pool, this gets a final result of  7. With silent 
  and efficient competence, Altani picks the lock and opens the gate 
  for her fellow Agents.
  The TimeWatch setting is generally meant to be action-
  packed, not horrific or terrifying, but player resource 
  management matters. The GM should usually not reveal 
  exact Difficulty Numbers, but when the information would 
  be evident to the player the GM should indicate whether 
  they are easier, harder, or much harder than normal. 
  “Can I hit him with a throwing knife from here?”
  “Throwing knives work best at Close range. He’s on the other 
  side of  the street on a roof, just barely in Near range. It’s possible, 
  but harder than normal.”
  We don’t recommend it other than on a case-by-case basis, 
  but GMs running GUMSHOE who wish to alleviate any 
  player uncertainty or nervousness about point spends may 
  choose to reveal Difficulties. A further discussion of this 
  recommendation, and times you should flat-out ignore it, are 
  discussed on p. 219.
  The test represents the character’s best chance to succeed. 
  Once you fail, you’ve done your best and cannot retry unless 
  you take some other supporting action that would credibly 
  increase your odds of success1. If allowed to do this, you 
  must spend more pool points than you did on the previous 
  attempt. If you can’t afford it, you can’t retry.
  Dr. Breen has rigged up some improvised explosives with her Tinkering 
  ability, and intends to use them to sink an anachronistic 20th-century 
  warship that is playing merry hell with the Battle of  Trafalgar. With 
  the explosives already in place thanks to her teammates, she attempts 
  to explode them remotely. She gets cocky and spends 2 points from her 
  Tinkering pool on this attempt but rolls a 1, totaling 3 — a failure 
  against the Difficulty Number of  5. The GM decides Dr. Breen will 
  have one more shot at it before the ship is out of  remote detonation range. 
  Now Dr. Breen must spend at least 3 Tinkering points. Fortunately she 
  has 4 points left in her pool. The Agent declares that she’s amplifying 
  the radio signal with her tether, smacks the remote detonator a few times 
  (“You have to show technology who’s boss,” she mutters), spends all 4 
  remaining points and rolls a 6, with a final result of  10. The warship 
  1 Unless you’re using Scuffling, Shooting, or similar abilities in 
  combat. Shoot at someone and miss, and just as you’d expect, 
  you can shoot at him again on your next turn.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  71
  explodes spectacularly, and TimeWatch heads in to collect survivors and 
  hide the evidence.
  Piggybacking
  When characters act in concert to perform a task together, they 
  designate one to take the lead. That character makes a simple 
  test, spending any number of his own pool points toward the 
  task, as usual. All other characters pay just 1 point from their 
  relevant pools to gain the benefits of the leader’s action. These 
  points are not added to the leader’s die result. For every character 
  who is unable to pay this Piggybacking cost, either because he 
  lacks pool points or does not have the ability at all, the Difficulty 
  Number of the attempt increases by 2.
  Altani, Dr. Breen, Uurrk, and Mace Hunter attempt to infiltrate 
  Area 51 to determine whether the supposed alien crash landing was 
  caused by a time traveler. They disguise themselves to look like soldiers. 
  Uurrk, with a Disguise of  8, takes the lead. Altani, Dr. Breen, and 
  Mace have 4, 0, and 2 points left in their Disguise pools, respectively. 
  Altani and Mace pay 1 point apiece; their pools go down to 3 and 1. 
  Because Dr. Breen has no points left to spend, the Difficulty Number of  
  the Disguise test increases from 4 to 6. (If  the group left her behind, it 
  would be easier to stroll in, but she’s the one with the Science! knowledge.) 
  Uurrk spends 4 points on the attempt and rolls a 1. This would have 
  overcome the Difficulty if  it wasn’t for Dr. Breen’s presence. Clearly 
  something looks wrong as the group passes through the gate, alerting the 
  guards that they might require further investigation. 
  In most instances a group cannot logically act in concert. 
  Two characters with Preparedness test their gear for an item 
  in sequence rather than checking at the same time. Only one 
  character can drive a car at a time. Note, however, that a 
  character with the Keep Up Booster (from a Vehicles rating 
  of 8 or higher; see p. 52) can allow allies to Piggyback on 
  their Vehicles rolls during a chase or a time chase.
  Cooperation
  When two characters Cooperate toward a single goal, 
  they agree which of them is undertaking the task directly, 
  and which is assisting. The leader may spend any number 
  of points from her pool, adding them to the die roll. The 
  assistant may pay any number of points from his pool. All 
  but one of these is applied to the die roll.
  Dr. Breen and Mace Hunter have had their autochrons stolen 
  in 1942 Casablanca, and they’re trying to repair a badly damaged 
  old motorcycle so they can escape on it before soldiers arrive to arrest 
  them. Dr. Breen has 3 points left in her Tinkering pool. Mace 
  has 2 points. They decide that Dr. Breen is the main mechanic, and 
  Mace her assistant. Both choose to spend all of  their remaining 
  points on the attempt. Dr. Breen adds 3 points to the die roll. 
  Mace spends 2 points, but adds only 1 to the die roll. Dr. Breen’s 
  player rolls a 3, for a result of  7. This beats the Difficulty Number 
  of  6, allowing them to zoom away on the back of  the old bike as 
  Nazi soldiers sprint towards them.
  For a different method of assisting team members, see 
  Teamwork on p. 66.
  CONTINUING CHALLENGES
  Some tasks, such as battering down a door or disabling a 
  complex security system, simply take more time than a single 
  test represents, whether that test takes a round or a day of 
  effort. Continuing challenges make sense any time there’s 
  a task that both logically and dramatically should require 
  productive, repeated effort. For these continuing challenges, 
  assign the obstacle a Target Difficulty representing the base 
  Difficulty of doing it all at once unaided: this will generally 
  be 8 or higher, often much higher. 
  Kelfala is alone in the 24th century, and his Adversary just 
  piloted her space ship into a nebula in an attempt to escape him. 
  He decides to try and track her. Without any obvious trail to follow, 
  the GM sets the Target Difficulty of  successfully following her at an 
  arbitrarily high 15.
  The Difficulty you set should be predicated on how 
  difficult you think the task is, or how long you think it should 
  take. Kicking down a reinforced door would take less than 
  a minute, while digging your way out of a collapsed tunnel 
  might take hours. You might assign a Difficulty of 16 to the 
  door (four successful Difficulty 4 tests) and a Difficulty of 
  40 to the tunnel (ten successful tests). 
  The players may take turns, Cooperate on each action, or use 
  any other means at their disposal in a series of Difficulty 4 tests: 
  Athletics to batter down a door, or Burglary (if they have the 
  Hacking Investigative ability) to penetrate a complex security 
  system, for example. Some tasks may allow more than one ability 
  to be used. Difficulties may also be higher or lower than 4, as the 
  GM chooses. Add up the totals for each successful test; when 
  this running total equals or exceeds the Target Difficulty, the 
  characters succeed. No points or rolls spent on a failed test add 
  to the total. As with simple tests, once a test with a particularly 
  ability is failed, that ability may not be reused unless you take 
  some action that increases your chance of success.
  Kelfala’s Target Difficulty to find his Adversary in the nebula 
  is 15. With the GM’s okay, he decides to use Tinkering to boost 
  the sensitivity of  his ship’s sensors. He spends 0 points from his 
  Tinkering pool of  3, and rolls a successful 6. That’s a 6 total, and 
  the GM says he gets a faint result. He thinks he’s on her trail. 
  He tries again, spending 1 Tinkering point this time. He rolls 
  a 2 and fails. This failure adds nothing to his total, which remains 
  6 out of  15, and he can’t use Tinkering again unless he increases 
  his odds. 
  Annoyed and worried that she might escape, he moves his ship 
  into the nebula to improve his chance of  success. The GM lets him 
  add this Vehicles test to his total. He spends 2 Vehicles and rolls 
  a 3, so his Vehicles test is a successful 5 and his total is now 11. 
  Now in a better sensor position, Kelfala spends his last 2 points 
  of  Tinkering and rolls a 5; 7 + 11 is 18, more than enough to 
  succeed. Kelfala’s out of  Tinkering points, but he knows where in 
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  72
  the nebula her ship is hiding. He dons a space suit, fires up his 
  autochron and clocks back 20 minutes to her ship’s hidden location. 
  She’s going to get a very big surprise when she finds out Kelfala 
  is both chasing her and already there waiting for her at the same 
  time…
  Some tasks are just impossible no matter how many tests 
  you make: tearing open a vault door barehanded, for example. 
  PLAYER-FACING CONTESTS
  Player-facing contests work exactly the same as simple tests: you 
  roll against a Difficulty, and spend ability pool points to add to 
  your die roll. The one difference: there are no “retries” against 
  active opposition. If you fail, you either suffer the consequences 
  immediately or kick the contest up to a full contest as your 
  enemy gets a chance to counter your failed action.
  It’s called a “player facing” contest because the GM 
  doesn’t roll. To see if an Agent surprises an antagonist, the 
  player makes an Unobtrusiveness test. To see if an Agent 
  is surprised, the player also makes an Unobtrusiveness test, 
  since you spot something hidden with the General ability 
  that was used to hide it. The player character’s fate — the die 
  roll and any spent points — is entirely in the player’s hands. 
  The Difficulty in a player-facing contest is usually 4, unless 
  the GM shifts it up or down. Often, this shift appears in her 
  notes as either an Alertness Modifier or a Stealth Modifier. 
  These modify the player character’s Difficulty in the contest.
  Alertness Modifier
  An antagonist’s Alertness Modifier represents their ability 
  to sense your activities, whether through standard senses 
  like sight and hearing, or exotic ones like radar or telepathy. 
  When you try to sneak past your antagonist, their Alertness 
  Modifier is applied to your base Difficulty (usually 4) of your 
  Unobtrusiveness test. 
  The ability used might vary from Unobtrusiveness. For 
  instance, try to surreptitiously pilot a stolen shuttlecraft into 
  an Adversary’s massive space station, and their Alertness 
  Modifier might apply to your Vehicles test. 
  Alertness Modifiers also apply to Unobtrusiveness tests 
  when you’re trying to observe the antagonist without being 
  observed in turn, when they’re trying to do the same to you, 
  or when you’re using Burglary to enter a building without 
  alerting the guards. The GM might also apply an Alertness 
  Modifier to tests of Burglary, Disguise, or any other activity 
  you covertly attempt under potential observation.
  Spending an Investigative point of Notice typically gives a 
  brief +3 boost to an Alertness Modifier.
  The Alertness Modifier reflects all of the antagonist’s 
  sensing capabilities: natural, psychic, and technological. A 
  drug-addled guard or a sleeping alien entity might have a 
  negative Alertness Modifier, making your Difficulty lower 
  and your contest easier. 
  The guard dog has a +3 Alertness Modifier due to keen hearing 
  and a heightened sense of  smell. Altani’s Unobtrusiveness Difficulty 
  to sneak across the guard compound rises from 4 to 7. There’s also 
  a guard, but he’s asleep and has an Alertness Modifier of  −1; the 
  Unobtrusiveness Difficulty to sneak past him is only 3.
  Stealth Modifier
  An antagonist with a positive Stealth Modifier is significantly 
  harder to spot with Unobtrusiveness, and an antagonist with 
  a negative Stealth Modifier is easier to spot; the modifier alters 
  the Difficulty Number for that or similar tests. In keeping 
  with GUMSHOE’s player-facing approach, the Stealth 
  Modifier appears in lieu of an antagonist’s Unobtrusiveness. 
  Instead of rolling Unobtrusiveness for an antagonist, have 
  an observing player character make an Unobtrusiveness test 
  against a Difficulty of 4, adjusted by the Stealth Modifier. 
  The Stealth Modifier might also apply to Burglary tests 
  made to steal or hide things, and conversely, Burglary tests 
  made to notice that something has been stolen or hidden. 
  Spending 1 point of the Investigative ability Spying is a 
  common way to temporarily gain a +3 Stealth Modifier.
  Impersonator mesh (see p. 111) is standard issue equipment 
  that grants a +3 Stealth Modifier for Agents who have not 
  otherwise attracted attention. 
  Altani’s impersonator mesh gives her a +3 Stealth Modifier 
  until she attracts attention to herself, so she gains +3 on her 
  Unobtrusiveness test to be stealthy. Overconfident, she spends no 
  points and rolls a 1 on her Unobtrusiveness test, so the guard dog 
  with its Alertness Modifier of  +3 notices her regardless. The dog 
  has a +1 Stealth Modifier because it has been trained to attack 
  silently; the Difficulty of  Altani’s Unobtrusiveness test to notice the 
  stealthily approaching dog rises from 4 to 5.
  FULL CONTESTS
  Full contests occur when two characters actively attempt 
  to thwart one another. Often, this is one or more player 
  characters and one or more antagonists controlled by the GM. 
  In a full contest, each character acts in turn. Going first 
  is usually a disadvantage because the first person to fail a 
  roll of the contested ability loses the full contest. The GM 
  decides who acts first. In a chase, the character who bolts 
  from the scene acts first. Where the characters seem to be 
  acting at the same time, the one with the lowest rating in the 
  relevant ability acts first. In the event of a tie, antagonists act 
  before player characters. In the event of a tie between player 
  characters, the player who arrived last for the current session 
  goes first in the contest; that’ll teach ’em to be on time.
  The first character to act makes a test of the ability in question. 
  If he fails, he loses the full contest, almost before it even started. 
  In 13th-century Nottinghamshire, the TimeWatch Agent Altani 
  challenges a local outlaw nicknamed Rabunhod to an archery match 
  in exchange for aid. Altani goes first, foolishly spending only 2 
  points of  Shooting and rolling a 1 — thus failing to reach the 
  Shooting Difficulty of  4. The outlaw wins.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  73
  If the first character succeeds, the second character then 
  makes a test. This continues until one character loses, at 
  which point the other one wins. 
  Typically each character attempts to beat a Difficulty Number 
  of 4. A notable advantage or disadvantage can lower the 
  Difficulty to 3 or raise it to 5 for one or both of the characters.
  CHASES
  Although contests can resolve various physical matchups, in 
  TimeWatch the most common full contests are the chase and 
  the time chase, in which the investigators run away from 
  a Mongol horde or chase a time traveling saboteur through 
  multiple eras of history. The chase rules are a variant of the 
  full contest rules.
  Chases occur when one character is trying to catch up to 
  another character. 
  The Piggybacking rules can always be used during a chase 
  when a character with a rating of 8+ in Vehicles is using the 
  Keep Up Booster. If none of the characters have the Keep 
  Up Booster, it’s rare for a chase to involve the Piggybacking 
  rules unless the characters have an explanation for how 
  they’re helping one another and staying together. When 
  Piggybacking in a chase scene and one side has a member 
  whose pool has fallen to 0, that side can choose to leave 
  that person behind (if the pursuers) or abandon him to be 
  captured (if the quarry) instead of increasing the Difficulty 
  Number by 2 as normal.
  Dr. Breen, Altani, and Mace Hunter are canoeing frantically 
  down the Amazon, being pursued by several war canoes of  Shuar 
  headhunters. All three Agents are in one canoe and can paddle, 
  so they are using the Piggyback rules. Since none of  them have a 
  Vehicles rating of  8+, they don’t get the benefit of  the Keep Up 
  Booster (see p. 52).
  As they negotiate a set of  rapids, Dr. Breen’s Vehicles pool drops 
  to 0. This raises the Difficulty of  any subsequent Vehicles tests by 
  2. “We could drop her overboard,” suggests Altani, who is not Dr. 
  Breen’s biggest fan. “She’s just weighing down the canoe.” Mace 
  demurs, telling Dr. Breen to fire on their pursuers instead, and he 
  and Altani continue to paddle.
  Where the odds of success are skewed in favor of one 
  contestant, the GM may assign different Difficulties to 
  each. A character with a significant advantage gets a lower 
  Difficulty Number. A character facing a major handicap 
  faces a higher Difficulty Number. When in doubt, the GM 
  assigns the lower number to the advantaged participant.
  Running through a Jurassic swamp, Uurrk finds it harder to 
  move quickly than the carnivorous dinosaur pursuing him. In this 
  case he might face a Difficulty Number of  4, while the dinosaur gets 
  the lower Difficulty of  3.
  It’s much easier to consistently win chases if one Agent 
  spends an appropriate Investigative point at the beginning 
  of the chase to give his side a lasting advantage for the scene, 
  thus dropping the Agents’ Difficulty Number or raising the 
  Difficulty Number of their antagonist.
  Uurrk spends 2 points of  Outdoor Survival: one to reduce 
  his Difficulty when navigating the swamp, and one to make the 
  dinosaur’s chase more difficult. He finds firmer ground that gives 
  him better maneuverability, all while maneuvering the dinosaur 
  into a deeper section of  the swamp. Uurrk’s Difficulty Number 
  is lowered to 3, while the dinosaur’s is raised to 4 for the rest of  
  the chase.
  Throughout the contest, GM and players should collaborate 
  to add flavor to each result, explaining what the characters 
  did to remain in the contest. That way, instead of dropping 
  out of the narration to engage in an arithmetical recitation, 
  you keep the fictional world verbally alive. Characters who 
  are not using all their time operating the vehicle can take 
  other actions that may affect success, such as attacking the 
  other competitors in the chase. 
  Simple Chase Rules
  Simple chases are best when you want to jump ahead in the 
  action to the confrontation or escape, and the actual chase is 
  not the focus of the action. 
  Simple chases use the Full Contest rules above; characters 
  roll Athletics or Vehicles tests, and any character who fails 
  a roll is out of the chase. If a quarry fails, pursuers catch 
  up with him and he typically must surrender or fight. If a 
  pursuer fails, he may not continue the chase. The chase ends 
  when all pursuers have dropped out of the chase, or when all 
  quarries have been caught up with.
  During a simple chase, attempting any non-chase action 
  (such as Shooting, trying to hide with Unobtrusiveness, and 
  so on) raises the Difficulty for both that non-chase action 
  and the chase action by +2. The GM adjudicates any unusual 
  actions you try.
  Vidhvansaka and Altani are on foot, chasing a fleeing sophosaur 
  through the gardens of  ancient Babylon. Normally they must each 
  successfully make a Difficulty 4 Athletics test to stay in the chase. 
  Vidhvansaka focuses on the chase, setting her Athletics Difficulty at 
  4 as per normal. Altani prefers a more lethal approach and shoots 
  at the sophosaur as she runs; the Difficulty of  her Shooting test rises 
  by +2, making the raptor’s Hit Threshold 6 instead of  4, and 
  Altani’s Athletics test to stay in the race also rises from Difficulty 4 
  to 6. The players narrate this, Vidhvansaka describing her focused 
  pursuit and Altani describing how she shoots wildly while sprinting 
  to catch up.
  On his turn the sophosaur also has to make an Athletics (or 
  Tempus, if  he doesn’t have Athletics) test to avoid being caught. 
  While running he uses his Scuffling to tip over carts and obstacles 
  in his pursuers’ path, so the Difficulty of  succeeding at both actions 
  rises from 4 to 6. The GM decides that a success raises the Difficulty 
  of  all pursuers’ next Athletics chase test by an additional point. 
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  74
  Advanced Chase Rules
  Whether you’re chasing an Adversary across the rooftops 
  of ancient Constantinople, piloting a spaceship through a 
  nebula hot on the heels of a time traveling serial killer, or 
  being chased by three angry sophosaurs across a Jurassic 
  grassland, there will be times when you want a more detailed 
  chase than the simple “first failed roll loses.” The GM 
  should use these only for major set-piece encounters, and 
  come up with plenty of environmental obstacles, explosions, 
  and thrills ahead of time. Advanced chases work best when 
  both sides are Piggybacking or are in vehicles that keep each 
  group together. For chases where members of each side can 
  become widely separated, use simple chase rules instead.
  The core of the advanced chase is the same as the full 
  contest: an aggressor (the pursuer in a chase) and a defender 
  (the quarry in a chase) repeatedly test a chase ability (usually 
  Athletics or Vehicles) against a Difficulty Number (usually 
  4). The pool of points in the chase ability is called the chase 
  pool. As in any other test or contest, the participants may 
  spend points from their chase pool to influence the chase 
  ability die roll. 
  There are two major differences between an advanced 
  chase and a full contest:
  X
  X The pursuer and the quarry reveal their spends 
  simultaneously, then roll. 
  X
  X The results are applied to the Lead; individual successes or 
  failures do not necessarily end the chase.
  Simultaneous Reveal
  Both the pursuer and the quarry select and record their 
  spends, if any, in secret and then reveal them simultaneously. 
  You can use notes on pieces of paper, poker chips, coins, 
  pips on a die, or any other agreeable method of recording 
  a spend. Once the spends are revealed, the quarry rolls first 
  and adds his spend; the pursuer then rolls and adds hers.
  The Lead
  The Lead is the distance between the pursuer and the quarry. 
  The goal of the pursuer is to reduce the Lead to Point-
  Blank; the goal of the quarry is to increase the Lead to Very 
  Long. These increments use the Combat Range rules on 
  p. 78: Point-Blank, Near, Close, Long, and Very Long. 
  These distances are abstract, however; a Very Long Lead 
  in a footrace is very different than a Very Long Lead in a 
  spaceship chase or zeppelin pursuit. In some cases, the GM 
  may reduce or increase these goals: in King Minos’ labyrinth 
  in Crete, a quarry may only need to open up a Lead of Close 
  to escape; if the pursuers have air cover such as a helicopter 
  spotting for them, the GM might establish that the quarry 
  must exceed Very Long in order to escape. 
  Beginning Lead
  The GM determines the distance of the beginning Lead 
  based on circumstances; if it is not clear, the Lead begins 
  at Near (halfway to the quarry’s goal). The GM can keep 
  track of the Lead on a piece of paper with the following 
  chart, putting one or more markers (one for each separate 
  quarry) in the pursuer’s current range from each quarry. If 
  the pursuers split into two or more groups, use a separate 
  chart for each group.
  Changing the Lead
  The result of the two ability rolls (quarry and pursuer) alters 
  the Lead as follows:
  Each side spends points and adds a d6, then subtracts the 
  Difficulty Number for their side from the result. The side 
  with the higher margin can move the Lead by 1. Ties go to 
  the quarry.
  As in a full contest, the players and GM should improvise 
  and narrate the specific event that shaped the chase: “I run 
  through the square, disturbing a huge flock of pigeons that 
  fly in my pursuers’ faces, slowing them down,” or “No one’s 
  looking? I use my autochron to teleport a block ahead of 
  them, 30 seconds ago. Hopefully they’ll still go that way,” 
  or “I’m spending 1 point of Paradox Prevention to later go 
  back in time, steal a garbage truck, and make sure it’s stalled 
  at the end of the street they’re headed down.” The GM may 
  choose to assign modifiers to both sides’ rolls based on such 
  narration, giving imaginative and creative descriptions a 
  mechanical advantage in the chase.
  The End of the Chase
  If the Lead reaches Point-Blank or below, the pursuer has 
  won. The quarry cannot run anymore; he may have crashed 
  or fallen, run out of fuel, or simply been blocked by a vehicle 
  or a cul-de-sac. If the quarry does not wish to surrender, a 
  combat likely begins.
  The pursuer gets the choice of whether to go first in any 
  ensuing combat.
  If the Lead reaches Very Long (or whatever goal the GM 
  has set) or higher, the quarry has won. The pursuers have lost 
  the quarry; he cannot be found for the remainder of the scene 
  unless he draws renewed attention to himself somehow.
  Quarry is…
  Point-Blank
  Close
  Near
  Long
  Very Long
  To the Pursuer
  Lead Chart
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  75
  The quarry also wins if all of the pursuers have crashed, 
  fallen, or otherwise been taken out of the chase.
  Attacking During Chases
  Passengers in (or unruly strangers climbing onto) a vehicle 
  involved in a chase use their combat abilities at +1 to the 
  target’s Hit Threshold; it’s tricky to shoot someone while 
  leaning out the window of a speeding automobile. Remember, 
  someone in an enclosed vehicle also likely has the equivalent 
  of full cover (see p. 82), so it can be challenging to successfully 
  shoot someone in the car you’re following. 
  Jumping from vehicle to vehicle requires a Lead of Near 
  and an Athletics test of Difficulty 5. You can’t use Scuffling 
  between vehicles or quarries during a chase; if you could, 
  you’d be at Point-Blank range and it wouldn’t be a chase. 
  You can use Shooting, however. The actual pursuers and 
  quarries in a chase — people driving vehicles or running full 
  out — can attack with Shooting, firing “Parthian shots” over 
  their shoulder or shooting PaciFists down range, but it’s far 
  from easy to do so accurately. Attempting to do so raises 
  the Difficulty of both the chase action (usually Athletics or 
  Vehicles) and the non-chase action (usually, but not limited 
  to, Shooting) by +2 for the turn. 
  The non-chase action doesn’t need to be an attack. It 
  could be Unobtrusiveness (ducking into an alley and trying 
  to hide), Scuffling (kicking over obstacles to slow pursuers), 
  Burglary (getting behind a locked door), or other actions. 
  Regardless, attempting a non-chase action raises chase and 
  non-chase Difficulties by +2, and the GM gets to adjudicate 
  the results of successful non-chase actions. 
  Some specifically designed vehicles, such as spy cars, 
  military aircraft, and armed spaceships have built-in weapons 
  for the pilot. Firing such weapons reduces or removes the 
  extra 2-point penalties, at the GM’s discretion.
  Shooting out tires, tail rotors, or other vulnerable parts of 
  a vehicle requires a called shot (usually at +3 to the target’s 
  Hit Threshold; see p. 85) in addition to normal penalties. The 
  GM determines the specific effects of shots at potentially 
  critical parts of a vehicle.
  Kelfala is on his motorcycle, chasing an influenza-infected 
  bioterrorist in a sports car. The Lead is Close. Kelfala wishes to 
  shoot the quarry through the rear window, raising the Difficulty 
  for both his chase action and his attack action. The quarry’s 
  Hit Threshold is 4, plus 1 for full cover, plus 2 because Kelfala 
  is driving, for a total of  7. The Difficulty Number for Kelfala’s 
  Vehicles test that turn rises from 4 to 6. It’s hard to shoot and drive 
  at the same time.
  Mace Hunter is sitting in Kelfala’s sidecar (and is annoyed about 
  it), and also wishes to shoot at the quarry on his turn. He’s a 
  passenger in the chase, so for Mace the quarry’s Hit Threshold is 4, 
  plus 1 for full cover, plus 1 because Mace is a passenger, totaling 6. 
  Investigative points can be spent to help make a difficult shot. 
  Kelfala’s player asks, “I’ve spent a lot of  time practicing with both 
  vehicles and firearms. Can I spend 1 point of  Military Tactics to get 
  3 extra Shooting points?” The GM agrees. If  Kelfala also convinced 
  the GM that he had used Flashback to acquire a futuristic cycle 
  with built-in weapons (and successfully rolled Preparedness to seal 
  the deal), he wouldn’t need to spend the Investigative point.
  Kelfala decides to make his shot count, and aims for a rear tire 
  instead of  the plague-ridden quarry. The tire has a Hit Threshold of  
  4, plus 2 because Kelfala is driving, plus 3 for a called shot, for a total 
  of  9. Kelfala spends 6 points of  Shooting, rolls a 3, and succeeds. The 
  GM decides the damage shreds the tire, so the fleeing terrorist needs to 
  immediately make a Vehicles test at Difficulty 4 or crash. Even if  he 
  succeeds, the GM decides he’ll be at a −2 Vehicles penalty for the rest of  
  the chase. Kelfala and Mace are going to catch up.
  GM ADVICE: 
  LENGTHIER CHASES
  With only five range categories and every 
  roll moving the Lead up or down by 1 point, 
  most chases are over fairly quickly, within 
  half an hour of play. If you want a lengthier 
  chase, increase the range categories from 5 
  to 7, renaming them if needed.
  Time chases span history, but one rule applies: keep moving.
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  76
  Crashes and Falls
  Even without neural disruptors taking out your chariot’s 
  horse, there are lots of ways to get hurt in a chase scene.
  See p. 98 for details on crashes and falls. Dramatically, a 
  crash or fall ends your chase scene unless the victim is able 
  to clock out barely in time or escape the vehicle on foot. 
  A fall from a great height, or a crash at high speed, may 
  well seriously wound or kill the victim. (If an Agent or an 
  Adversary, probably seriously wound; if a Mook, Opponent, 
  or supporting character, probably kill).
  Time Chases
  If you have a time machine, sooner or later you’re going to 
  want to chase another time traveler through history. That’s 
  just the way the world works. In TimeWatch you need to put 
  physical distance between yourself and your pursuers to time 
  travel without being easily tracked or followed. A quarry 
  that reaches Very Long range from his pursuers has won the 
  time chase and is able to escape through time. A quarry that 
  time travels closer than Very Long range can be followed by 
  anyone with a time machine.
  Time chases are handled with the advanced chase rules 
  above, except the nature of the chase changes fundamentally 
  every one to three rounds or more. When in a time chase, 
  pursuers and quarries are dropped into ongoing races and 
  chases that already exist in time, and each side may have 
  several rounds to catch up or take tactical actions before 
  jumping through time again.
  Some antagonists may have methods to be particularly 
  efficient in a time chase, whether as pursuer or quarry. This 
  aid may be instinctive (for some alien species who don’t use 
  mechanical means of time traveling) or mechanical. Don’t be 
  surprised when the rare Adversary disappears without a trace 
  or tracks you unerringly.
  Travel Tests
  Unless they have the Grounded Booster from a high Reality 
  Anchor ability, all pursuers and quarries must make Travel 
  tests every time they time travel or teleport during a chase. 
  As usual, Agents may toss in a Stitch in lieu of making a 
  Travel test. 
  The Start of the Chase
  If someone clocks out within Long combat range of you 
  and you have your autochron handy, you can automatically 
  follow them to their next destination in time. To do this you 
  must depart within the next two rounds; you can spend 1 
  point of Timecraft to extend this deadline by one round. You 
  automatically arrive in the vicinity of the quarry, the same 
  distance from them that you were when they departed, but 
  with no advance warning of where and when that location is.
  Dr. Breen has just acted in the initiative order, and her psi-raptor 
  enemy uses a time machine to clock out and escape. Blast! On her 
  turn in the next round, Dr. Breen activates her own autochron in 
  “follow” mode. As usual, the autochron spends the round warming 
  up and establishing its chronal field. Dr. Breen clocks out on her 
  initiative in the second following round, automatically following the 
  chronal trail the sophosaur left behind. She arrives instants after her 
  enemy, at the same distance away from him that she was before she 
  clocked out.
  GM ADVICE: WHY JOIN AN EXISTING CHASE?
  By default, time chases drop both the quarry and pursuer into an existing historical chase, briefly 
  replacing or adding to the number of people who were in those chases to begin with. The chronomorphic 
  autochron adapts to briefly become reins, handlebars, a steering wheel, or what have you. Why an 
  existing chase, and not just an unoccupied area in time and space to chase across?
  The in-game theory is that when you set your time machine to “escape,” it deliberately chooses a 
  situation that will allow you to put as much physical distance between you and your pursuer as quickly 
  as possible. The true answer, as you’d expect, is that being dropped in medias res into an existing 
  chase is often more fun, and racing through an unoccupied area is likely boring. There’s a certain 
  amount of chaotic joy that comes from being briefly dumped into the Kentucky Derby, or appearing 
  on two pirate ships skimming after one another on the storm-tossed Spanish Main, or appearing in an 
  early Olympic track race, or clocking into biplanes that are dive-bombing a battlefield. It’s not realistic, 
  but it is exhilarating, and the GM-supplied new tactical options (machine guns? cannons? whips? 
  extreme weather? pedestrians?) help keep the players thinking creatively and paying attention. 
  If you’d prefer as GM, however, there’s nothing stopping you from allowing the quarry to pick 
  a specific arrival area for each stage of the chase, at a suggested cost of 2 Chronal Stability 
  points. Quarries with the Flashback ability (either as an Adversary special ability or from having a 
  Preparedness rating of 8+) may be able to manipulate their pursuers into a trap, such as luring them 
  into the line of fire on a WWI battlefield or over an active volcano.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  77
  Starting a time chase immediately is important. Should you 
  let someone get away and then later decide to time travel back 
  and follow them in a time chase from the instant they escaped, 
  the chronal disruption caused by returning to the scene makes 
  the chase much more difficult. The pursuer’s default Difficulty 
  for all actions is raised from 4 to 6 for the duration of the chase.
  At the GM’s discretion, not all time machines have tracking 
  circuitry built in that let one time machine automatically 
  follow another. It may be more difficult for people using 
  less advanced time machines to pursue during time chases; 
  such pursuers must make Vehicles tests or spend a Timecraft 
  point just to successfully follow a quarry. This is in addition 
  to any Vehicles rolls needed for an advanced chase.
  During the Chase
  The GM tells you where you start the chase from and where 
  you clock in — on a Roman chariot, riding across a wasteland 
  on a horse being pursued by tanks, in swooping helicopters 
  over a jungle — and an advanced chase proceeds as normal. 
  One to three rounds after clocking in, the quarry’s time 
  machine recharges. The GM may roll this recharge timer 
  secretly or let the player roll it publicly, as she prefers. From 
  this point forward the quarry has the option of making a 
  Travel test and clocking out to a new location. The pursuers 
  automatically follow unless they choose not to, and the chase 
  continues. If the quarry clocks out after having reached Very 
  Long range, he cannot be further tracked.
  When the quarry makes a new time jump during the chase, 
  including the first round, he gets a +1 bonus on his chase-
  related Vehicles roll. The pursuer does not get this bonus, 
  which is a mechanical encouragement for the quarry to keep 
  the time chase moving through time as well as space. The 
  quarry does not get this Vehicles chase bonus on rounds 
  when he does not time travel.
  Combat can occur during the race, and uses the standard 
  rules for Attacking During Chases above. It’s not usually 
  possible to attack while actively time traveling, but your GM 
  may choose to make an exception.
  It’s common for time chases to start in individual time 
  machines, move to large communal vehicles like the deck of 
  a ship or a speeding car, and then return to individual vehicles 
  such as motorcycles or horses during the next time jump. A 
  character with a Vehicles rating of 8+ can use Piggybacking 
  rules in a chase or time chase, even when their side is on 
  individual vehicles. 
  Ending a Time Chase
  Time chases follow the same rules as advanced chases. 
  Closing to Point-Blank range during a time chase means that 
  the quarry can no longer try to escape via time machine or 
  vehicle, and either surrenders or starts a fight. Escaping past 
  Long range means that the quarry has cleanly escaped to an 
  unknown location and time.
  FIGHTING
  Fights are slightly more complicated contests involving any 
  of the following abilities:
  X
  X 	Scuffling vs. Scuffling: the characters are fighting with fists or 
  non-ranged weapons at Point-Blank and Close range.
  X
  X Shooting vs. Shooting: the characters are at Close range 
  or farther and are trying to hit each other with ranged 
  weapons.
  X
  X Shooting vs. Scuffling: the characters are at Point-Blank 
  range, but only one is using a ranged weapon (which, as 
  detailed below, may turn out badly for the shooter).
  ORDER OF COMBAT
  Combat begins in the following order.
  1.  Determine range
  2.  Determine surprise
  3.  Determine initiative
  4.  Fight!
  Combat then continues, with combatants on both sides 
  moving and fighting, until all combatants on one side have 
  fallen, surrendered or fled.
  FIGHTING WITHOUT ABILITIES
  A character with no points in Shooting is 
  not allergic to guns. Anyone can pick up 
  a revolver and empty it in the general 
  direction of the foe. Likewise, a character 
  with no Scuffling ability is not going to just 
  ignore the scimitar hanging on the wall 
  when a eunuch palace guard charges him.
  However, such characters will use their 
  weapons ineffectively and hesitantly. Using 
  a weapon (including fists or feet) without 
  ability has the following drawbacks:
  X
  f You automatically do an additional −2 damage.
  X
  f You must declare your action at the 
  beginning of each round and cannot 
  change it if the tactical situation alters.
  X
  f The GM chooses when you go in each 
  round, inserting you into the initiative order 
  where she pleases.
  X
  f If you are using a firearm, a roll of 1 means 
  you have accidentally shot yourself or one of 
  your allies, as selected (or rolled randomly) 
  by the GM. Do damage as normal (including 
  your automatic −2 penalty).
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  78
  COMBAT RANGE
  If you’re trying to prevent the childhood assassination of 
  the Buddha, you probably have bigger things to worry about 
  than your exact distance in meters from the would-be sniper. 
  To keep combat fast and simple in TimeWatch, we use just five 
  ranges. You can move as part of your combat action each 
  round, changing ranges by one category (unless you’re trying 
  to move between Very Long and Long range, which takes 
  two or more rounds) or moving within a range category. 
  Point-Blank: You are literally face-to-face with your foe, 
  within easy arm’s reach. All brawls, knife fights, and scuffles 
  occur at this range. 
  X
  X At Point-Blank range, all firearms do an additional +2 
  points of damage, and all shotguns are considered heavy 
  firearms, with an additional Damage Modifier of +1 (for 
  +3 total). 
  X
  X Beam weapons never gain a damage bonus for Point-
  Blank range.
  Moving from Close range to Point-Blank range against 
  someone with a drawn and ready ranged weapon is risky; 
  your foe with the ranged weapon gets an immediate free 
  attack on you. This bonus attack occurs outside of normal 
  initiative order, does normal damage for Point-Blank range, 
  and your enemy spends Shooting points as per normal. 
  At the GM’s discretion, distracted shooters may not gain 
  this bonus attack. If your foe has a pistol, but it is not well in 
  hand and ready to fire, you may close to Point-Blank range 
  without danger. If he has a gun well in hand but is unaware 
  of your presence, you may safely close to Point-Blank range 
  by succeeding at an Unobtrusiveness test.
  Once you’re there in Point-Blank range, he’s at a 
  disadvantage to fire a ranged weapon. If the shooter rolls a 
  natural 1 on his Shooting test die roll, he has shot himself or 
  an ally instead of his intended target. 
  Close: You are in the same room with your foe, or within 
  no more than 10 meters or so. A swordfight or a karate 
  match might happen at this range, with plenty of bounding 
  off or smashing through the furniture, but no farther. 
  X
  X Moving from Close range to Point-Blank range against 
  someone with a drawn and ready ranged weapon is 
  dangerous; see Point-Blank range above.
  X
  X At Close range, all shotguns do an additional +1 point of 
  damage. 
  X
  X This is the farthest you can throw any difficult-to-throw 
  object (such as a barrel).
  X
  X This is the farthest that you can shoot someone with a 
  PaciFist unless the weapon has been hacked with the 
  Tinkering ability (see p. 50).
  Near: You can see your foe distinctly, perhaps across a 
  large ballroom or down the street, no more than 30 or 40 
  meters away. 
  X
  X This is the farthest range at which you can easily 
  and accurately hit a target with a shotgun, pistol,  
  or submachine gun. (Targeting someone at Long  
  range with these weapons raises the target’s Hit 
  Threshold by +2. See below for methods of  reducing 
  this range penalty.)
  X
  X This is the farthest range at which you can hit a target 
  with a neural disruptor or beam pistol unless you make a 
  Tinkering test to overcharge the beam’s range (see p. 50). 
  X
  X This is the farthest you can throw any easily thrown object 
  (such as a grenade, a spear, a stick of dynamite, or a rock). 
  If throwing at a small target, the GM may raise the target’s 
  Hit Threshold by +2.
  X
  X This is the shortest distance you can aim a siege engine.
  Long: Your foe is within 100 meters. Opponents farther 
  away cannot be easily targeted, and are generally out of the 
  combat unless taking distance penalties or using specialized 
  ranged weapons. 
  X
  X This is the farthest you can easily and accurately hit a 
  target with a crossbow or longbow. (Targeting someone 
  up to 200 meters with these weapons raises the target’s Hit 
  Threshold by +2.)
  X
  X 	This is the farthest you can easily and accurately hit a target with 
  a rifle, assault rifle, or beam rifle. (Targeting someone up to 200 
  meters with these weapons raises the target’s Hit Threshold by 
  +2. Targeting someone up to 500 meters with these weapons 
  raises the target’s Hit Threshold by +4.)
  X
  X A bipod and scope each reduce range penalties by 1 each; 
  a laser sight reduces range penalties by 2. These penalty 
  reductions are cumulative for a fully equipped weapon.
  Very Long: Your foe is within 500 meters. Only specialized 
  weapons such as sniper rifles can target foes at this range. 
  Most foes are considered out of the combat unless someone 
  is using a weapon with sufficient range. 
  X
  X Making a successful Tinkering test (see p. 50) can overcharge 
  a beam rifle for one shot, extending its range to Very Long. 
  X
  X Sniper rifles really get their own category; even in the 
  early 21st century, trained snipers have killed targets 
  nearly 2.5 kilometers away. GMs are encouraged to add 
  ad hoc penalties for distance, which in some cases can be 
  countered by superb training and exceptional equipment.
  Altani’s TimeWatch team decides that she should snipe their 
  target instead of  engaging with him at Close range. She sets up on 
  a high vantage point two kilometers away. The GM is skeptical, 
  but decides on an extreme distance penalty of  +20 to the target’s 
  Hit Threshold, making the total Hit Threshold 23 — virtually 
  impossible under normal circumstances. 
  Altani spends all 8 of  her Shooting points for +8 to hit, as well 
  as 1 point of  Military Tactics to give herself  another +3 on the roll. 
  She also spends 1 point of  Outdoor Survival to reliably predict the 
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  79
  windage (reducing the distance penalty by 3 from 20 to 17), has a 
  full set of  bipod, scope, and laser sight (reducing penalties by 4 from 
  17 to 13), and uses Preparedness to acquire a futuristic sniper rifle 
  (reducing distance penalties by another ad hoc 4, reducing the penalty 
  from 13 to 9). She’s now +11 on her die roll, and the unsuspecting 
  target’s Hit Threshold is effectively 12. Splat.
  You’ll notice how Altani’s player is improving her results by 
  finding inventive, plausible benefits for her spent Investigative points. 
  GMs and players don’t need to go through all this work every time 
  someone wants to snipe an enemy from Very Long range, but it’s 
  good to know how it’s done. 
  SURPRISE
  When surprised, you suffer a +2 increase to all General ability 
  Difficulties for any immediately subsequent action. In a fight, 
  these penalties pertain only to the first round of combat.
  You are surprised when you suddenly find yourself in a 
  dangerous situation. Avoid being surprised with a successful 
  Unobtrusiveness  test to notice the hidden ambush. The basic 
  Difficulty is 4, adjusted by the foe’s Stealth Modifier. The +3 
  bonus from impersonator mesh never applies on this test. 
  Unless there are special circumstances as dictated by the 
  GM, you can completely avoid being surprised by spending a 
  Notice point from your Investigative abilities. If there are special 
  circumstances, such as your enemy having a Stealth Modifier of 
  +4 or higher, spending a Notice point still gives you a +3 Alertness 
  Modifier on your Unobtrusiveness roll to spot the ambush. 
  You surprise antagonists by sneaking up on them with a 
  successful Unobtrusiveness test. The basic Difficulty is 4, 
  adjusted by the foe’s Alertness Modifier (see p. 72). The +3 
  bonus from impersonator mesh can apply to this roll, so long 
  as you have not drawn any attention to yourself and your foe 
  has not noticed you at all. That gives Agents an advantage 
  in ambushes. You can also spend 1 point of Spying, which 
  gives you a +3 Stealth Modifier on this roll. 
  Skegg the sophosaur attempts to sneak up on an Adversary, but 
  she isn’t wearing her impersonator mesh. Correctly suspecting that 
  her enemy has a high Alertness Modifier, Skegg spends 1 point 
  of  Spying. She spends 3 points of  Unobtrusiveness, adds the +3 
  Stealth Modifier from the Spying spend, and rolls a 2. Her total is 
  8. This beats the Difficulty of  7 (a normal Difficulty 4 plus the foe’s 
  +3 Alertness Modifier), and so Skegg succeeds in surprising her foe.
  Later, an incredibly stealthy Adversary is trying to sneak up on 
  Skegg. Normally Skegg could just spend 1 point of  Notice and not be 
  surprised, but the GM won’t allow it. Instead, Skegg spends 3 points of  
  Unobtrusiveness, spends 1 point of  Notice for a +3 Alertness Modifier, 
  and rolls a 1. This totals 7, but the Difficulty is 8 (a default 4 plus the 
  foe’s high Stealth Modifier of  +4). Skegg never hears her foe closing in…
  INITIATIVE 
  The time it takes to go through the ranking order once, with 
  each character taking an action, is called a round. When one 
  round ends, another begins. Each character and antagonist (or 
  group of antagonists, if several bad guys act at the same time 
  for simplicity’s sake) gets to take a turn during each round.
  The GM determines which character or antagonist goes 
  first in the first round. Usually it’s the individual who initiates 
  some action or attempts to throw the first blow, but not always; 
  some individuals may be able to anticipate attacks. One player 
  character (usually the first one to mention it) can also spend 
  a Notice point from their Investigative ability to go first. Any 
  character who is surprised suffers a +2 increase to all General 
  ability Difficulties during the first round of combat.
  The player that the GM has chosen to go first gets to have 
  their character act in combat. One of the first things a player 
  does when starting their turn is to pick and announce the next 
  character to go; it doesn’t have to be announced instantly, but 
  sooner is better than the end of the round, because this gives 
  the next character’s player some time to think about their 
  actions. It can be any character, either player or supporting, 
  friend or foe, so long as that character hasn’t yet had a turn 
  GM ADVICE: WHY 
  UNOBTRUSIVENESS FOR BOTH? 
  Unlike games which have separate opposed 
  skills for noticing and sneaking, TimeWatch 
  uses Unobtrusiveness to model both your ability 
  at noticing other unobtrusive people and your 
  ability to be unobtrusive yourself. Narratively, 
  the hardest people to sneak up on are the 
  ones who know how to hide. Mechanically, 
  we do this so that players can spend their 
  precious General ability points most efficiently. 
  TimeWatch’s abilities are collapsed and 
  combined from the ability sets in some other 
  GUMSHOE games, which typically feature 
  both Sense Trouble (to avoid being surprised) 
  and Surveillance or a similar ability (to surprise 
  others). With only one ability to worry about, 
  remembering rules for surprise becomes a bit 
  more streamlined.
  GM ADVICE: 
  FASTER THAN YOU THINK
  Some time traveling antagonists have the 
  ability to seize control of initiative each 
  round, spending General ability points to 
  hijack the order of initiative and take their 
  turn when they wish. Some antagonists  
  can also act more than once in a round. See 
  p. 157 for details.
  
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  80
  in the current round. When an antagonist takes a turn, the 
  GM announces which character goes next.
  Once the next player is announced, a character can take 
  combat actions such as moving and attacking.
  After the current character concludes their turn, the 
  already-announced next player takes their turn, once again 
  starting by announcing which character will go next in 
  combat. Then the current player takes their turn, the next-
  announced player begins, and so on until every character 
  in the fight has taken a turn. This includes antagonists 
  controlled by the GM.
  Once everyone has acted, the last player to act in the 
  round gets to choose who goes first in the second round 
  — which can be themselves once again. This pattern then 
  continues, with every player in turn picking the person to 
  follow them, and every character getting to act once each 
  turn. Unnamed antagonists often act as a group, and named 
  antagonists often act on their own.
  Raina’s character Dr. Breen is selected by the GM to start off  
  combat against a rampaging Tyrannosaurus rex. The first thing 
  Raina does is announce that Alex’s character Mace Hunter will 
  go next. She then takes her combat action, moving to full cover and 
  GM ADVICE:  
  FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED
  When using this style of initiative, two things 
  help speed play. 
  The first is a visible indicator in front of 
  every player that shows whether or not 
  they’ve gone yet that round. This can be a 
  folded-over index card with the word DONE 
  written on one side, a poker chip with one 
  side colored in, or any indicator that can be 
  flipped or turned once a player has taken 
  his turn. The GM should put out a marker 
  or folded index card for each combatant or 
  group of combatants she’s managing. With 
  this, it’s simple to look around the table and 
  know exactly who has gone.
  The second trick is to have an obvious and 
  noticeable object of some sort — an index 
  card, a pocket watch, or even a plastic toy 
  dinosaur (because dinosaurs are awesome) 
  — that is silently handed from one player 
  to another to indicate who goes next in 
  combat. With this, the game doesn’t even 
  need to slow down to announce who goes 
  next. When a player begins his turn, he 
  simply starts by handing the object to the 
  next combatant.
  OPTIONAL RULE: AN 
  ALTERNATE INITIATIVE SYSTEM
  While we find the default initiative system 
  works beautifully in play, giving players just 
  enough narrative control of a fight’s order 
  to keep things tense, it’s not for everybody. 
  You may prefer a more traditional initiative 
  system. If so, use the following.
  Combatants (both player characters and 
  antagonists) act in order of Scuffling or 
  Shooting rating (not pool), whichever 
  combat ability they start off the fight 
  with, from highest rating to lowest rating. 
  For simplicity’s sake, this order does not 
  change in subsequent rounds of combat, 
  even if a character changes from Scuffling 
  to Shooting or vice versa. 
  If two ratings are tied, check their current 
  pools; the character with the higher pool at 
  the start of combat goes first. If pools are also 
  tied, the character with the highest Athletics 
  rating goes first. If those are tied as well, just 
  throw your hands up in the air and pick one 
  character to go before the other. If you pick 
  an antagonist to precede a player character 
  in this case, throw the player a Stitch.
  A character that starts the combat surprised 
  (see p. 79) has the Difficulty of all their first 
  round’s actions raised by +2.
  The fastest way to manage this is to have 
  a separate index card for each player 
  character and hostile antagonist. Write 
  down each character’s Shooting and 
  Scuffling rating on their card. At the start 
  of a fight, ask each player which combat 
  ability they’re starting with and quickly 
  shuffle the card to the appropriate spot in 
  the order. If they change between Shooting 
  and Shuffling round-to-round, don’t bother 
  moving the card; the extra verisimilitude is 
  seldom worth the bother.
  To make things easier for the GM, groups 
  of unnamed antagonists usually act on the 
  same initiative. Named antagonists can go 
  on the same or different initiatives, as the 
  GM prefers.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  81
  rolling a Tinkering test to assemble an impromptu explosive. This 
  ends her turn, so Alex goes. He begins by announcing that the T. 
  rex will go after he does. Then he announces that he wants to protect 
  Dr. Breen, so Mace Hunter will spend 1 point of  Taunt to get the 
  dinosaur’s full attention, just before he shoots it with his elephant gun 
  at Point-Blank range. This attack ends Mace Hunter’s turn, and 
  it’s the GM’s turn. Since the dinosaur is the last combatant in the 
  round, she announces that the T. rex is also going to go first in the 
  second round. Things aren’t going to look good for Mace Hunter, 
  elephant gun or not… 
  There’s some interesting strategy involved in this. If the 
  TimeWatch Agents think they can drop all of their foes in 
  one round, they have an incentive to have the entire team act 
  before the foes. If they do this and are wrong, however, the 
  foes will be able to act twice in a row (at the end of the first 
  round and the beginning of the second round).
  This initiative system fits TimeWatch for a few reasons. It’s 
  simple, only needing to track who has and hasn’t gone yet in a 
  round; it’s strategic, requiring some interesting choices every 
  round while giving the next player some time to prepare each 
  round; and it gives players agency, allowing them to directly 
  affect combat. Mostly, though? Your player characters are 
  incredibly competent, kick-ass time travelers, and we like 
  the idea that in some small way their time traveling expertise 
  allows them to control the order of actions in a fight.
  HOW FIGHTING WORKS
  Each round, during his or her turn, each character gains 
  an action that includes a move. Where multiple antagonists 
  on the same initiative attack a single character, the GM 
  determines their order of action in whatever manner she 
  finds convenient — usually the order in which she’s tracking 
  them in her rough notes.
  Some antagonists may strike more than once per round, 
  usually on the same initiative count. They make each  
  attack in succession and may divide them up between  
  foes within range or concentrate all of them on a single 
  enemy. The GM orders these attacks in whatever order she 
  finds convenient.
  When called upon to act, each character may strike at any 
  foe within range of his weapons. They may also move up 
  to one range, running towards a fight from Near to Close 
  range, for instance, or backing away from Point-Blank to 
  Close range. (Moving between Long and Very Long range is 
  two or more moves.) They may end their round behind full 
  cover (raising their Hit Threshold against ranged attacks by 
  +1) or out in the wide open (lowering their Hit Threshold 
  against ranged attacks by −1).
  Creatures may choose to use their actions to deal 
  additional damage to downed or helpless foes rather than 
  engage active foes. They automatically deal one instance of 
  damage per action to an unconscious foe, no Shooting or 
  Scuffling test required. It’s considered murderous to engage 
  in this behavior, but it can be particularly useful against 
  certain nonhuman and rapidly healing foes.
  GM ADVICE: “I’M YOU, FROM THE FUTURE!”
  If an Agent spends a Paradox Prevention point and makes a D4/L6 Paradox test (see p. 89) their 
  future self can show up to help in combat. Duplicate selves typically start combat with full General 
  ability pools (including Health and Chronal Stability) but with the same amount of Investigative 
  points that the original character currently possesses. That means they’re a great combat  
  resource, but they are unable to make any Investigative spends that the Agent can’t already 
  make. Investigative spends that the duplicate makes once he arrives do not come from the original 
  Agent’s pools. 
  Duplicates last for one scene, and Agents should be careful about casual conversation; it’s easy to 
  accidentally trigger additional paradoxes and Paradox tests just by chatting about what happens 
  next. You’re encouraged to be infuriatingly vague, smug, or clever when roleplaying the future self. 
  You and the player may have great fun introducing physical or emotional changes to the duplicate 
  from the future, such as new scars or surprising personality changes. The player will then spend hours 
  trying to make sure such changes actually come about.
  If an Agent dies while their future duplicate is present in the scene, that duplicate must immediately 
  make a D6/L6 Paradox test or pop out of existence. If the test succeeds, the future duplicate is now 
  from an alternate future that no longer exists; he may spend a Paradox Prevention point at the 
  scene’s end to step in for the dead character if the player wishes. If the future Agent chooses not to 
  or cannot, or if the player prefers not to keep him, he blinks out of existence at the scene’s end — 
  probably in the middle of a beautiful and touching monologue about the frailty of life.
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  82
  The fight continues until one side capitulates or flees or all of 
  its members are unconscious or otherwise unable to continue.
  Dr. Breen is farther away from a foe than she wishes to be. On 
  her turn she closes from Long range to Near range and fires her 
  Mark II Demogrifier, a beam weapon of  her own invention. Next 
  round she will close from Near range to Close range and use her 
  PaciFist, unless her foe closes with her first or runs farther away 
  on its turn.
  HIT THRESHOLDS 
  Each character has a Hit Threshold of either 3 (the standard 
  value) or 4 (if the character’s Athletics rating is 8 or more). The 
  Hit Threshold is the Difficulty Number the character’s foe 
  must match or beat to harm him. Less competent antagonists 
  may have lower Hit Thresholds, and Hit Thresholds are 
  affected by cover. Nonhumans may have Hit Thresholds of 4 
  or higher, regardless of their Athletics ratings.
  Cover
  In a typical gunfight, combatants dodge, duck, and seek 
  cover, hiding behind furniture or other barriers, exposing 
  themselves only for the few seconds it takes them to pop 
  up and fire a round at their targets. The GUMSHOE rules 
  recognize three cover conditions:
  Exposed: No barrier stands between you and the 
  combatant firing at you, and you have no opportunity to 
  dodge or evade an incoming attack. This is a relatively rare 
  situation for TimeWatch Agents unless they are surprised. 
  If the GM looks at you and thinks “sitting duck!” you’re 
  exposed. Your Hit Threshold decreases by 1.
  Partial Cover: The default assumption. About half of 
  your body is exposed to fire or you have room to maneuver 
  in combat. Your Hit Threshold remains unchanged. It’s 
  assumed that combatants are seeking partial cover by default, 
  ducking and covering to keep from being fully exposed.
  Full Cover: Except when you pop up to fire a round, the 
  barrier largely protects you from incoming fire. Your Hit 
  Threshold increases by +1. At the GM’s discretion, heavy 
  barriers such as walls may make you impossible to target with 
  some weapons as long as you stay fully hidden.
  Evasive Maneuvers
  You may briefly raise your Hit Threshold by fighting 
  defensively, sacrificing your accuracy in exchange for 
  becoming more difficult to hit. Announce that you’re going 
  Evasive at the beginning of your action for the round; doing 
  so does not cost an action itself. You can’t begin Evasive 
  Maneuvers on someone else’s turn.
  For every 2 Athletics points you spend, your Hit Threshold 
  increases by 1, for a maximum increase of 3. When you try to 
  hit anyone else, their Hit Thresholds against you increase by 
  2 for every 1 point your Hit Threshold increased. The effects 
  last until the beginning of your next action, at which point 
  you can renew them (provided you can afford the cost).
  Skegg is trying to close on a killer cyborg from the far future. 
  She starts Evasive Maneuvers at the start of  her turn, spending 6 
  Athletics points to boost her Hit Threshold from 4 to 7. She then 
  charges the cyborg at top speed. The cyborg gets a free shot with its 
  beam rifle as Skegg closes into Point-Blank range, but misses… 
  and now finds itself  in close-quarters combat with a very angry 
  sophosaur. At the start of  Skegg’s next turn, Skegg’s +3 bonus 
  to Hit Threshold and −6 penalty to hit the cyborg both disappear. 
  DEALING DAMAGE
  When you roll equal to or higher than your foe’s Hit 
  Threshold, you may deal damage to him. To do so, you 
  make a damage roll, rolling a die, which is then modified 
  according to the relative lethality of your weapon, as per 
  the following table:
  Weapon Type (see p. 117)
  Damage 
  Modifier
  Fist, kick
  −1
  Improvised weapon, club, knife,  
  inactive autochron
    0
  Heavy club, sword, crossbow, 
  firearm (including automatic weapons)
  +1
  Heavy assault rifle, beam weapon
  +2
  PaciFist or neural disruptor
  Stun test  
  (usually Stun 5)
  X
  X Minimum damage is 1 point.
  X
  X For firearms, add an additional +2 damage when fired at 
  Point-Blank range (for a total of 1d6 + 3). Beam weapons 
  do not receive this bonus. Note that firing a gun at Point-
  Blank range has risks, as noted on p. 78.
  X
  X PaciFists and neural disruptors (or any weapon with a Stun 
  rating) don’t inflict damage. Instead, they trigger a Stun 
  test (see p. 86) which may knock the target unconscious. 
  X
  X Dinosaurs, cyborgs, and nonhuman creatures from 
  parallel dimensions often exhibit alarmingly high Damage 
  Modifiers. See p. 149 for antagonist Damage Modifiers.
  X
  X The Scuffling ability’s Booster That’s Gotta Hurt (p. 50) can set 
  an attack’s minimum Scuffling damage before any modifiers. 
  X
  X After damage is rolled, Stitches can be spent to increase 
  weapon damage on a 1-for-1 basis; each Stitch spent increases 
  damage by +1. The player is encouraged to describe how their 
  minor mastery of time makes their attack more effective. 
  X
  X Characters may not normally spend points from their 
  combat pools to increase their damage rolls. The 
  exceptions are called shots (see p. 85) and fully automatic 
  weapons (see p. 84).
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  83
  The final damage result is then subtracted from your foe’s 
  Health pool. When a combatant’s Health pool drops to 0 
  or less, that combatant begins to suffer ill effects, ranging 
  from slight impairment to unconsciousness to helplessness 
  to death; see p. 87.
  Unlike other contests, participants do not lose when they 
  fail their test rolls. Instead, they’re forced out of the fight 
  when they lose consciousness or become Seriously Wounded.
  The Effect of Armor
  Armor, including the Agents’ standard equipment 
  TimeWatch uniform (Armor 1), can reduce Shooting and 
  Scuffling damage by its Armor value. See p. 113 for details. 
  Other types of damage, such as damage from fire or psychic 
  attack, is generally unaffected by armor.
  NONLETHAL COMBAT
  Keeping Them Alive for Later
  Unimportant antagonists usually drop at 0 Health. The 
  attacker who inflicted the last damage may choose whether 
  they are unconscious, conscious but disabled and unable to 
  further fight, or dead. 
  At the GM’s option, important antagonists drop to −11 
  Health before dying. They use the same Consciousness and 
  Injury rules as player characters do. 
  Stunning Weaponry
  The standard issue PaciFist is a stunning weapon that leaves 
  enemies unconscious instead of dead. It can be used both 
  as a Scuffling and Shooting weapon, has a Close range, and 
  (unlike most futuristic weaponry in TimeWatch) has no visible 
  special effect when used. It’s fully detailed on p. 112. Stun 
  tests are described on p. 86.
  Neural disruptors are similar to a PaciFist but are 
  suboptimal for undercover work; they have a longer range 
  and an obvious special effect. 
  Restraining Your Opponent
  Want to hold someone in place so that they can’t run away? 
  If you successfully Scuffle at Point-Blank range and choose 
  to inflict no damage, you can restrain your foe. They can still 
  attack, but are unable to move until they spend an action to 
  succeed at a Difficulty 4 Athletics test. If you move away 
  from your foe, or if you take an action other than Scuffling, 
  you break the restraint and your foe can move freely again.
  Want to make sure your foe can’t easily escape? An 
  Investigative spend (usually Military Tactics or Trivia, 
  drawing on your esoteric knowledge of ancient Mongolian 
  and Greco-Roman wrestling) lets you set the Difficulty of 
  their escape attempt equal to the result of your Scuffling test 
  instead of 4. 
  Altani has grabbed her fleeing quarry and has no interest in 
  letting him escape with the stolen jewel Koh-i-Noor. She could make 
  a Scuffling attempt to keep him in place, but he would break free 
  by simply spending 3 Athletics points. Instead, with the GM’s 
  permission, she spends 1 point of  Military Tactics and spends 6 
  Scuffling points to restrain him. She rolls a 4. Although he can still 
  fight, he must now succeed at a Difficulty 10 Athletics test to move. 
  Good luck with that.
  Talking Your Way Out of a Fight
  Note that restraining someone doesn’t stop them from 
  attacking. If you want to grapple someone and get them to 
  stop attacking you long enough for you to get an explanatory 
  word in edgewise, an Interpersonal spend (often Authority, 
  Intimidation, or Reassurance) will usually get them to stop 
  fighting long enough to listen — so long as no one else is 
  trying to hurt them at the same time. If your GM doesn’t 
  think your foe would reasonably pause their fighting to talk, 
  your Interpersonal point is not spent.
  AMMO CAPACITY
  As a side effect of including guns from across the vastness 
  of recorded history, TimeWatch blatantly ignores the firearm 
  details that most contemporary-era RPG systems include. 
  For example, TimeWatch characters only need to reload or 
  recharge their weapons when it’s dramatically appropriate. 
  Otherwise, they’re assumed to be able to refill the cylinders 
  of their revolvers, jam clips into their automatic weapons, or 
  re-energize their beam weapons between shots. 
  When reloading is an issue, GMs may toss the player a 
  Stitch and request a Shooting test (Difficulty 3) to quickly 
  reload. Characters who fail may not use their Shooting ability 
  to attack during the current round.
  After an enemy has given 21st-century hand grenades to the Zulu 
  army attacking Rorke’s Drift in 1879, Mace Hunter accidentally 
  finds himself  trapped in the mission station with no way to escape 
  and no place to activate his autochron without someone seeing. He 
  doesn’t want to create additional paradoxes, so he stays to lend a 
  CRITICAL THINKING
  TimeWatch doesn’t have critical hits in the 
  combat rules. That’s deliberate; you can 
  instead make called shots, use the Scuffling 
  Booster, spend Stitches to boost damage, 
  use an automatic weapon or a customized 
  beam pistol, and (if your GM allows) spend 
  an Investigative point to add even more 
  damage to the roll.
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  84
  hand while his fellow Agents steal back the hand grenades. The 
  GM knows that limited resources helped make the siege terrifying, 
  and she decides that while Mace is using colonial rifles alongside the 
  defenders, he will need to count ammo and successfully roll Shooting 
  to reload while he is being rushed. She gives him an extra Stitch as 
  a small consolation.
  If rapidly reloading a weapon strains credibility, such 
  as when shooting early muzzle-loading firearms, the GM 
  should feel free to lengthen reload times. 
  AUTOFIRE
  Whether you’re surrounded by a mob of murderous 
  gangsters or a ravenous pack of prehistoric wolves, your 
  Agent is occasionally going to want to gun down lots of 
  enemies at once. Here’s how.
  Some Shooting weapons (generally machine guns and 
  some beam weapons) are considered autofire weapons, and 
  are labeled as such. If you score a hit on a Mook, unnamed 
  Opponent, or unnamed supporting character with an 
  autofire weapon, and the GM has no narrative reason 
  to prevent you from making an easy kill, you may pump 
  them full of lead. Every 3 additional Shooting points you 
  immediately spend inflicts one more instance of damage to 
  your target. If additional dramatically unimportant enemies 
  stand within Close range of your first target, you may spread 
  out your additional instances of damage between these 
  additional targets. Total damage is assessed after you decide 
  how many extra instances you want to pay for.
  Five Mooks are ordered by their noncombatant mob boss to gun 
  down Kelfala. That’s harder than it looks; the Agent has a machine 
  gun, a Shooting rating of  8, 2 Stitches in his hoard, and goes first 
  in the combat round. Kelfala attacks the Mooks using autofire. 
  Noticing that the thugs are fully exposed (and thus easier than 
  normal to hit), Kelfala starts by spending 2 Shooting points. He 
  rolls a 1, but that’s enough to hit the thugs’ exposed Hit Threshold 
  of  3. Before he rolls damage, Kelfala decided how many extra 
  instances of  damage he wants to inflict on the Mooks. He decides 
  on two (at a cost of  3 Shooting points each), emptying his Shooting 
  pool from 6 to 0. 
  Kelfala rolls 3d6 + 3 worth of  damage. He rolls a 4 + 1 = 
  5, 6 + 1 = 7, and 4 + 1 = 5. The first thug he aimed at takes 
  a full 5 points of  damage, dying dramatically, then Kelfala spreads 
  the remaining 12 points of  damage out over the other four thugs, 
  inflicting 3 points per Mook — enough to drop every single one of  
  them. The GM describes them keeling over and collapsing, while 
  Kelfala doesn’t even break a sweat. Dropping all five thugs in one 
  attack is enough to earn Kelfala an extra Stitch from one of  the 
  other players at the table. 
  Kelfala can cash in Stitches at any time, so he cashes in his 3 
  Stitches at the end of  his attack to refresh his Shooting pool back 
  up to 6. He blows smoke from the barrel of  his machine gun, smiles 
  toothily at the mob boss, and suggests that the man tell him exactly 
  what he wants to know.
  If you have the Shooting Booster Double Tap, you can use 
  autofire with each shot you take in a round (assuming you have 
  enough Shooting points). The carnage will be magnificent.
  If you score a hit with a fully automatic weapon and the 
  GM finds it dramatically unsuitable to allow extra damage 
  against that enemy, the target takes only one instance of 
  damage. This usually happens when you’re facing a named 
  Adversary or other significant foe. Your GM will tell you this 
  before you waste additional Shooting points.
  Facing a named mercenary who is a notorious killer, Kelfala 
  wishes to shoot him multiple times with the automatic weapon. The 
  GM disallows it. Kelfala makes a Shooting attack normally, but 
  can’t spend extra Shooting points for additional damage. 
  Later in the fight, Kelfala has his enemy on the ropes. He asks 
  the GM if  he can use autofire to finish the mercenary off. The GM 
  agrees, and Kelfala spends extra Shooting points to dramatically 
  pump the merc full of  bullets. 
  If a player character is hit by autofire from a Mook, 
  Opponent, or other unimportant character, he takes only a 
  single instance of damage. This restriction vanishes if players 
  start to count on it. Saying “he can’t hurt me much; he’s only 
  a Mook” typically leads to an extremely painful surprise. 
  Important enemies and Adversaries with autofire weapons 
  can spend their own Shooting points to do additional 
  instances of damage to the Agents, again at a rate of 3 
  points per instance, to a maximum of three extra instances. 
  Enemies with a fixed attack modifier spend Tempus instead 
  (see p. 148).
  Autofire With Futuristic Weapons
  Beam rifles and neural disruptor rifles can also be equipped 
  with autofire. 
  Beam rifles work exactly like machine guns, except typically 
  they project a solid beam of energy that you rake across one 
  or more enemies.
  GM ADVICE: AUTOFIRE
  To keep the story moving and the main 
  characters alive at least until the climax 
  occurs, TimeWatch treats fully automatic 
  gunfire as less deadly than it actually is in 
  real life. Adversaries, player characters, 
  and important supporting characters aren’t 
  always susceptible to full-auto gunfire, but 
  minor Mooks, medium-difficulty Opponents, 
  and any unnamed supporting characters 
  usually are. We’re telling you, it’s a tough 
  life not having a name.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  85
  Neural disruptor rifles with autofire work slightly 
  differently. As with standard automatic weapons, after 
  scoring a hit (but before the first Stun test is rolled), you 
  decide how many more Stun tests you want to cause; 
  remember that Mooks and any supporting characters with 
  less than a Health rating of 3 automatically fail Stun tests. 
  Each individual Stun test costs 3 additional Shooting points. 
  You may require only one target to attempt those Stun tests, 
  or distribute them amongst your target and any dramatically 
  unimportant enemies within Close range. 
  As with automatic gunfire, autofire against dramatically 
  important antagonists typically only gains a benefit from 
  the initial attack, and you won’t be charged for any extra 
  Shooting points you wanted to spend. Autofire against you 
  from a Mook’s automatic beam rifle or automatic neural 
  disruptor rifle works similarly.
  Kelfala hopes to take some enemies alive and so trades in his 
  machine gun for an automatic neural disruptor rifle (thanks, 
  Preparedness!). He fires on three Mooks. Starting with 6 Shooting 
  points in his pool, Kelfala riskily spends 0 to target the first Mook 
  and rolls a 3. A hit! He immediately spends all 6 remaining 
  Shooting points for another two auto-hits. All three Mooks make 
  a Stun 5 test. Mooks automatically drop when stunned, no roll 
  allowed, so all three enemies fall unconscious. Kelfala ends the round 
  with 0 points remaining in his Shooting pool, but there sure are a 
  lot of  unconscious bodies on the ground.
  CALLED SHOTS
  There are times when you need to hit a specific location 
  on an enemy or on an enemy’s vehicle. When this is the 
  case, declare that you are making a called shot. Called shots 
  normally add +3 to the target’s Hit Threshold; the GM may 
  declare a lower number when the targeted spot is large or 
  slow moving (such as a windshield or a carried briefcase) 
  or higher when the targeted spot is small or moving quickly 
  (such as a headlight or a single eye). The GM may then assign 
  additional damage, usually +2, based on the location of your 
  called shot. 
  When using a neural disruptor such as a PaciFist, a called 
  shot to the head (adding the standard +3 to the target’s Hit 
  Threshold) raises the Stun test by +2, usually from Stun 5 
  to Stun 7.
  GETTING HURT  
  AND KEEPING UPRIGHT
  HEALING INJURIES
  Agents naturally heal 2 points of Health for each day or 
  restful, relaxed activity. For instance, flee through time to a 
  deserted tropical island and spend a full week there, and your 
  Health will increase by 14 points (up to the limit of your 
  normal Health rating). This amount changes if you have 
  been Seriously Wounded; see below. 
  During a mission, you’re much more likely to depend on the 
  Medic ability for on-the-fly healing. Futuristic technology makes 
  it much simpler to tend injuries. With a TimeWatch medkit, 
  every Medic point you spend restores 2 Health to someone else 
  or 1 Health to yourself. (The Medic Booster Heal Thyself may 
  increase this amount; see p. 48.) If the Agent spending Medic 
  points does not have access to a TimeWatch-issued medkit, 
  all healing is at half efficiency: every Medic point you spend 
  restores only 1 Health point to someone else, and you must 
  spend 2 Medic points to restore 1 Health when healing yourself. 
  Time travel lets you recover from wounds and return  
  to a fight tan, rested and ready -- assuming you can  
  escape the fight without being followed.
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  86
  Medkits are standard TimeWatch equipment, and it’s 
  unusual to lose your medkit unless it is deliberately taken 
  away from you in the course of a mission. A Difficulty 3 
  Preparedness test can typically obtain an extra medkit.
  RESISTING UNCONSCIOUSNESS
  Getting beaten up? There are two cases when you have to 
  check to see whether you can stay conscious. You’ll need to 
  make a Consciousness test when your Health first falls to 
  0 or below (making you Hurt), and when it falls to −6 or 
  below (making you Seriously Wounded). If you fail, you 
  fall unconscious for 10–60 minutes, until your Health pools 
  improves (typically due to someone using the Medic ability 
  on you), or until the GM says you wake up. If you succeed, 
  you stay conscious.
  To make a Consciousness test, roll a die with the absolute 
  value2 of your current Health pool as your Difficulty. You 
  automatically succeed if your Health has only dropped to 0 
  or −1.
  You may deliberately strain yourself to remain conscious, 
  voluntarily reducing your Health pool by an amount of your 
  choice. For each point you reduce it, add 1 to your die result. 
  The Difficulty of the Consciousness test is based on your 
  Health pool before you make this reduction. 
  Mace Hunter is on foot and being chased by Mongol cavalry 
  across the steppes near Karakorum. They shoot him with arrows, 
  dropping his Health pool to −3. He just needs to buy enough time 
  to get behind cover and escape with his autochron, so he must remain 
  conscious. The absolute value of  −3 is 3, so this is the Difficulty 
  of  his Consciousness test. He chooses to expend another 2 Health 
  points he doesn’t have, pushing himself  onward toward a nearby 
  rock outcropping. That gives him a bonus of  +2 to his roll. He rolls 
  a 2, for a final result of  4, exceeding the Difficulty Number of  3 
  and keeping him conscious long enough to clock out. Agent Hunter 
  escapes, but now his Health pool is down to −5.
  If you jump straight to Seriously Wounded (see below), 
  you only make a single test, even if that’s a result of spending 
  points at Hurt to avoid losing consciousness. If you go to 
  Hurt and then to Seriously Wounded as a result of two 
  separate attacks, you make two separate Consciousness rolls.
  It isn’t always worth spending Health points on a 
  Consciousness test when you’re Seriously Wounded, unless 
  you have no choice but to continue the fight, and you’ll 
  only lower your Health in an attempt to stay conscious. The 
  main advantage of doing so is if you are in the middle of an 
  important task (such as piloting an airplane) or hope to crawl 
  away from the fight and escape.
  Skegg is horribly injured by Mongol arrows during the same fight 
  that hurt Mace. She’s brought down to −7 Health. That means she 
  has to make a Difficulty 7 Consciousness test, impossible unless she 
  2 In other words, treat the negative number as a positive. If your 
  Health pool is at −3, the Difficulty of the roll is 3, and so on. 
  spends more points off  her Health. Skegg wants to escape, though 
  — as an intelligent velociraptor, she doesn’t like her chances if  she’s 
  caught by the Mongols — so she spends 4 points of  Health. This 
  brings her down to −11, on the verge of  death, but it gives her 
  +4 on the Difficulty 7 test. She rolls a 4 (for a total result of  8), 
  stays conscious, and tries to use her autochron to escape back to 
  TimeWatch’s Citadel and the high-tech medical facility therein. 
  You may occasionally be required to make a Health test, 
  especially when exposed to toxins. A Health test works 
  exactly like a Consciousness test, except the target Difficulty 
  is a set value determined by the toxin you are exposed to. 
  RESISTING STUNNING
  PaciFists, Tasers, stun guns, tranquilizer darts, and neural 
  disruptors (see p. 83) work by knocking you unconscious 
  without causing extensive Health damage. Resisting stunning 
  works much like resisting unconsciousness. The Difficulty 
  Number, however, is set by the Stun value of the weapon 
  used against you instead of by your current Health. 
  When hit with a stunning weapon, you must make a 
  Stun test. Roll a die with the Stun rating of the weapon 
  as your Difficulty. You may deliberately strain yourself to 
  remain conscious, voluntarily reducing your Health pool by 
  an amount of your choice. For each point you reduce it, add 
  1 to your die result. If you strain your Health below 0 or (if 
  you’re already below 0) below −5, you will also have to make 
  a Consciousness test after the Stunning attack is resolved. 
  If you are attacked by more than one stunning weapon in a 
  single round, you make a separate Stun test for each attack.
  If you succeed in a Stun test, you remain conscious but 
  are briefly Impaired; you suffer a noncumulative 1-point 
  increase to the Difficulty of any actions (including other Stun 
  tests) you attempt until the end of your next turn. If you fail 
  a Stun test, you are knocked unconscious for a period that 
  varies by weapon, but which is usually 10–60 minutes or until 
  awakened by someone successfully making a Difficulty 4 
  Medic test on you (which does not otherwise restore Health). 
  Dr. Leah Breen is mind controlled by a parasitic alien hivemind, 
  and she is trying to stun Mace Hunter with her PaciFist so that she 
  can infect him as well. Mace’s Hit Threshold is 4, but Dr. Breen 
  spends 3 Shooting points to make sure she hits him. Dr. Breen’s 
  PaciFist is a standard Stun 5, so Mace must now make a Stun test 
  at Difficulty 5. Mace trusts his luck; he spends 2 Health, dropping 
  his Health pool from 8 to 6, and rolls a d6. Luckily he rolls a 3, 
  and with the +2 bonus from his expended Health he exactly makes 
  the Stun 5 test.
  Mace tries to escape by breaking through a closed window 
  (normally Difficulty 4), but the Stunning attempt has Impaired 
  him until the end of  his next turn. He spends 2 Athletics, rolls a 
  2, and fails his Athletics test due to the 1-point Difficulty increase 
  from impairment. Mace either bounces off  the glass to land at Dr. 
  Breen’s feet or (if  the GM allows him to succeed at a cost; see p. 69) 
  he breaks through the glass but cuts himself  badly in the process. 
  Either way, his impairment ends at the end of  his turn.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  87
  Creatures with a Health rating of 3 or less immediately fall 
  unconscious when successfully hit by a neural disruptor, no 
  Stun test allowed. (In other words, GMs who want an enemy 
  to go down in one shot should give them 3 or fewer Health.)
  Stunning works well on humans, but may be less effective 
  on large animals, humans from parallel universes, and aliens 
  — most commonly due to the creatures’ increased Health, 
  but rarely due to a natural resistance to stunning. Don’t try to 
  use a neural disruptor on a rampaging woolly mammoth. It 
  will only end in tears, tusks, and trampling.
  INJURIES
  If  your pool is anywhere from 0 to −5, you are Hurt but 
  have suffered no permanent injury, beyond a few superficial 
  cuts and bruises. Immediately make a Consciousness test 
  when you first drop below 0 Health. If you manage to stay 
  conscious (good job, there!), you don’t need to make another 
  test until additional injuries drop you below −5 Health. 
  When Hurt, the pain of your injuries makes it impossible 
  to spend points on Investigative abilities and increases the 
  Difficulty Number of all General ability tests (excluding 
  Consciousness rolls but including Stun tests). In combat, this 
  penalty raises foes’ Hit Thresholds by 1.
  A character with the Medic ability can improve your 
  condition by spending Medic points. The Medic must be in 
  a position to devote all of his attention to directly tending 
  to your wounds. For every Medic point spent, you regain 2 
  Health points — unless you are the Medic, in which case you 
  gain only 1 Health point for every Medic point spent. If you 
  have the Medic Booster Heal Thyself, you may restore Health 
  to yourself as if you were tending another character. 
  If  your pool is between −6 and −11, you have been 
  Seriously Wounded and can no longer be healed with the 
  Medic ability. You must make a Consciousness test when you 
  first drop below −5 Health. If you manage to stay conscious, 
  you don’t need to make another Consciousness test until 
  additional injuries kill you. That’s particularly useful if you 
  want to try to crawl away, or see who finishes you off.
  If you are able to remain conscious when Seriously Wounded, 
  the pain of your injuries makes it impossible to spend points 
  on Investigative abilities and increases the Difficulty Number 
  of all General ability tests (excluding Consciousness rolls but 
  including Stun tests) by 2. In combat, this penalty effectively 
  raises foes’ Hit Thresholds by 2. Until you receive first aid, 
  you will lose an additional Health point every half hour. A 
  character with the Medic ability can stabilize your condition 
  by making a Difficulty 3 Medic test. However, he can’t restore 
  your Health points. Get this hurt, and you need more extensive 
  help than can be delivered in the field.
  Even after you receive first aid to stop you from losing 
  additional Health, you must convalesce in a hospital, sick bay, 
  or similar setting for a period of days. The length of your 
  convalescence depends on what time period you’re being 
  treated in. If you’re recuperating in a facility located during 
  Contemporary History (as defined by the Investigative ability; 
  i.e., the 14th century to the mid-21st century), your period of 
  forced inactivity is a number of days equal to the positive value 
  of your lowest Health pool score. If you were reduced to −8 
  Health, for instance, you must be hospitalized for eight days.
  If being treated by a doctor from Ancient History (13th 
  century or prior), this amount of convalescence time is 
  doubled; enjoy those leeches. If your treatment happens 
  during Future History (mid-21st century of afterwards), 
  your recuperation time is halved, rounding in your favor. 
  If you are tended by a character with Medical Expertise 2 or 
  higher and access to TimeWatch medkits, your convalescence 
  time is the Future History minimum no matter which time 
  period your hospital bed is located in. Expect local physicians 
  and other observers to notice and become extremely suspicious 
  of this, though; TimeWatch agents have occasionally been 
  hanged as witches after speeding up a patient’s healing process 
  with super-science. It’s usually safer for your fellow Agents to 
  risk transporting you to an unoccupied tropical island for the 
  duration of your recuperation, just as long as someone comes 
  along who is qualified to take care of you.
  During convalescence your Health pool can rise no higher 
  than 0. On the day of your discharge, your Health pool 
  increases to half its maximum value, rounded up. On the 
  next day, it refreshes fully.
  Health: 0 to −5
  HURT
  Health: −6 to −11
  SERIOUSLY WOUNDED
  Health: −12 or lower
  DEAD
  X
  X Immediately make a Consciousness 
  test to stay conscious
  X
  X Can’t spend Investigative points until 
  above 0 Health
  X
  X Difficulties of all General ability tests 
  increase by 1 until above 0 Health
  X
  X Can be healed normally by the Medic 
  ability
  X
  X Immediately 
  make 
  another 
  Consciousness test to stay conscious
  X
  X Lose an additional Health point 
  every half hour until stabilized
  X
  X Can’t spend Investigative points until 
  above 0 Health
  X
  X Difficulties of all General ability tests 
  increase by 2 until above 0 Health
  X
  X Can’t be healed normally by the 
  Medic ability
  X
  X Must recuperate in a medical facility 
  to regain Health
  X
  X Barring 
  time 
  machine–related 
  intervention 
  by 
  your 
  allies 
  (or 
  a particularly timely use of the 
  Flashback ability by an ally with high 
  Preparedness), 
  mourn 
  your 
  late 
  Agent’s heroic death
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  88
  Skegg was reduced to −11 Health before making it to 
  TimeWatch’s medical facility. She’ll be in sick bay for 5 days at 
  Health 0, after which point her Health will rise to 5, half  of  its 
  normal maximum. On the next day, it will rise to the normal 
  Health 10. If  Skegg was being treated by a physician in ancient 
  time, problematic for a nonhuman Agent, she wouldn’t recover for 
  22 days.
  When your pool dips to −12 or below, you are dead. 
  Time to create a replacement character, talk the GM into 
  letting you play a clone or a younger version of the same 
  Agent, or see if your fellow Agents wish to weather the 
  paradoxes and difficult chronal instability involved in trying 
  to change what just happened.
  DEATH AND ITS AFTERMATH
  Players have a few options when their characters die. 
  X
  X Bring in a new character. If the deceased TimeWatch 
  Agent had gained any build points by completing past 
  missions, the new character gains those build points as 
  well.
  X
  X With the GM’s permission, bring in a clone of the original 
  character. It isn’t unheard of for TimeWatch bioscientists 
  to surreptitiously clone promising agents. There are 
  complications, however; the new clone might have a 
  different personality, slightly different abilities, or may not 
  even realize it is a clone. It’s bound to be confused and 
  angry when it realizes the truth. The GM is encouraged 
  to use a clone’s arrival as a plot hook to a future mission.
  X
  X With the GM’s permission, play a younger version of the 
  same character. There’s a significant chance of paradox 
  unless the younger character periodically has their 
  memories erased, of course, so TimeWatch discourages 
  this. (More importantly, it’s often difficult for players to 
  remember which missions their characters remember and 
  which missions they can’t. It’s probably easier to bring in 
  a new character.) 
  X
  X It’s technically possible for Agents to use convoluted 
  time tricks to save a dead Agent, preventing their death 
  from ever occurring. Players shouldn’t count on it; this 
  practice is generally forbidden by TimeWatch policies 
  due to the chronal instability it inevitably stirs up, and it’s 
  often impossible due to the complex chaos surrounding 
  most deaths. No one wants to make the situation even 
  worse. Still, clever Agents can sometimes effect a rescue 
  if they’re cautious and stealthy enough not to cause too 
  many paradoxes. See p. 89 for details. 
  PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
  The following example illustrates combat, armor, injuries, 
  Stun tests, and unconsciousness.
  Sleeping in a 1950s Chicago hotel room after a hard day, 
  Amadu’s character Kelfala is attacked by two mob gangsters wielding 
  tommy guns. Normal human gangsters aren’t usually much of  a 
  challenge for a TimeWatch agent, but Kelfala is asleep and caught 
  off-guard. He isn’t wearing his armored TimeWatch uniform, 
  the only weapon handy is his PaciFist, and he’s outnumbered. A 
  successful Unobtrusiveness test indicates that Kelfala isn’t surprised, 
  at least; he’ll be able to easily react once he’s woken up. 
  The GM decides that the gangsters go first, since they’re the 
  aggressors. They use the window’s ambient light to see as they kick 
  open the door, step in, and shoot at the Agent from Close range. 
  Each gangster has a fixed Shooting modifier of  +2, a Health 
  rating and pool of  3, a Hit Threshold of  3, and their tommy guns 
  have a Damage Modifier of  +1. The mobsters aren’t particularly 
  hard to kill, being Mooks, but they’re lethal until they drop.
  Kelfala’s Scuffling rating is 3, and his pool is full. His Shooting 
  rating is 8, and his pool is currently down to 0. His Health rating 
  is 8, and his pool is full. His Hit Threshold is 4. With no weapons 
  at hand, his Damage Modifier with a fist or kick is −1. He has 
  one Stitch earned earlier in the day. 
  The GM rolls twice, getting a 2 and 5 and adding +2 for the 
  Mooks’ Shooting bonus. Modified by the fixed combat bonus, those 
  rolls come out to a 4 and 7, each of  which beats Kelfala’s Hit 
  Threshold. The gangsters are using automatic weapons, but Kelfala 
  is a player character, so he takes only a single instance of  damage.
  The gangsters then make damage rolls. The GM rolls a 3 and 5; 
  with the Damage Modifier of  +1 for firearms, that equals 10 points 
  of  damage. Bullets riddle Kelfala’s body, reducing his Health pool 
  OPTIONAL RULE:  
  RAPID HEALING
  Convalescence rules for the Seriously 
  Wounded give a passing nod to reality, as 
  well as to cinematic and literary tradition 
  where the wounded hero is laid up in a 
  sickbed (or even an advanced medical 
  machine) for some time after suffering 
  grievous battle injuries. If that’s more rules 
  to remember than you prefer, just declare 
  that so long as someone spends 1 point of 
  Medical Expertise, the Medic ability works 
  normally between −6 and −11 Health. With 
  this altered rule, spending that point of 
  Medical Expertise gives an Agent the ability 
  to ignore the normal Seriously Wounded 
  restriction on rapid healing, so that spending 
  6 Medic points on someone at −10 Health 
  will raise them immediately to 2 Health. It’s 
  a bit less dramatic, but it keeps Agents in the 
  fight longer. All other rules remain the same, 
  including Consciousness rolls and penalties 
  while Seriously Wounded.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  89
  from 8 to −2. That makes him Hurt, and he suffers an increase 
  of  1 to all Difficulty Numbers, including his foes’ Hit Threshold, 
  which now becomes 4. He must make a Consciousness test against a 
  Difficulty of  2, which is the absolute value of  his Health pool. He 
  spends no Health and rolls a 3, remaining conscious. Kelfala shouts 
  in pain, using his tether’s communication capability to transmit his 
  cry for help to the fellow Agent slumbering in the adjoining room.
  It’s Kelfala’s turn, and Amadu spends his one Stitch to refresh 
  his character’s Shooting pool by 2 points. Kelfala then spends those 2 
  points to take a wild shot with his PaciFist, the only weapon he has 
  handy. He rolls a 1, +2 from the Shooting point spend. That totals 
  3, not good enough to hit either of  the gangsters’ new Hit Threshold 
  of  4; he’d have hit if  he weren’t Hurt. Kelfala rolls off  the far side 
  of  the bed and flips it upright to take full cover, hiding himself  
  temporarily and gaining +1 to his Hit Threshold, raising it to 5. 
  Now it’s the end of  the round, and Amadu gets to decide who 
  goes next. He picks his own character. “Mace, you may want to 
  wake up,” Kelfala snarls into his tether. “I’m under attack!” If  
  he wasn’t Hurt and unable to spend Investigative points for an 
  advantage, he’d spend a Hacking point to cause his fellow Agent’s 
  tether to buzz and wake him up without fail. Kelfala looks around 
  the room from where he’s crouched; his autochron is out of  reach. He 
  swears and takes another shot with his PaciFist, this time spending 
  no Shooting points. He gets lucky and rolls a 6. Even with the 
  1-point Difficulty increase for being Hurt, that manages to hit one 
  of  the gangsters. PaciFists automatically knock anyone unconscious 
  if  they have a Health rating of  3 or less, no Stun test required, and 
  the mobster crumples silently to the floor.
  The remaining mobster attempts to turn the TimeWatch Agent 
  into Swiss cheese. He rolls a 3 and with his +2 bonus he hits 
  Kelfala’s current Hit Threshold of  5. His damage roll is 4, +1 
  Damage Modifier, for a total of  5 damage. Bloody feathers from 
  the perforated mattress billow up into the motel room’s air, and 
  Kelfala takes enough damage to drop his Health from −2 (Hurt) 
  to −7. He is now Seriously Wounded and faces a 2-point increase 
  on Difficulties. His Consciousness test faces a Difficulty of  7, the 
  absolute value of  his Health pool. He could go even further into 
  the red to strain for a bonus, but he elects not to. There’s no point 
  in making the roll, which is guaranteed to fail. Kelfala passes out, 
  vowing a particularly painful vengeance if  he survives.
  Armor makes a difference. If  Kelfala had been wearing his 
  chronomorphic TimeWatch uniform, he’d have had Armor 1, which 
  would have subtracted 1 point of  damage from each hit. With armor, 
  Kelfala would still be in the fight at −4 Health instead of  −7.
  If  Kelfala were alone as well as unconscious, the mobster could 
  and would proceed to finish him off, shooting him one more time 
  at Point-Blank range. Fortunately for the Agent, Mace Hunter 
  finally comes to help him, rolling through the hotel room door with 
  a weapon out. The conscious mobster doesn’t feel up to a battle with 
  a fresh opponent and makes an Athletics test to leap through the 
  window and escape. Mace considers following him, but there’s an 
  unconscious mobster to question, and Kelfala needs help — he’s 
  Seriously Wounded and will die if  not stabilized. Mace Hunter 
  doesn’t have enough Medic ability to stop the bleeding. A week-long 
  convalescence now awaits the unfortunate Kelfala… or less than a 
  week if  Mace uses his autochron to take them both 200 years into 
  the future, where Kelfala can heal in a high-tech hospital for 4 days 
  and return here mere seconds after he and Mace departed.
  PARADOX AND CHRONAL STABILITY: 
  YOUR ANCHOR TO REALITY
  Being a time traveler feels like standing in an ocean’s shallows, 
  fighting a riptide that tries to carry you out to sea. As a time 
  traveler you need to make a conscious effort of will to resist 
  the universe’s attempt to eradicate you from time periods 
  where you don’t belong. In TimeWatch, the degree to which 
  you’re anchored to reality is represented by your Chronal 
  Stability. Think of it like your Health points, but instead of 
  measuring how far you are from dying, it measures how far 
  you are from the universe unraveling your existence.
  The threat of chronal instability is one of the major 
  challenges facing a TimeWatch agent. You can potentially lose 
  Chronal Stability when time traveling (which requires you to 
  make a simple Travel test), when encountering or causing 
  paradox, and from rare aliens or technological devices. When 
  this is a risk, the GM will ask you to make a Paradox test. 
  In some campaign frames where mental stability is tied to 
  Chronal Stability, severe emotional and mental shocks from 
  horrific occurrences can also degrade your Chronal Stability.
  Lost Chronal Stability points can only be restored with 
  the Reality Anchor ability (see p. 49), as your allies keep you 
  centered and remind you who you truly are. Lost Chronal 
  Stability cannot be restored directly by cashing in Stitches. 
  If your Chronal Stability drops to 0 or below, you are at risk 
  of fading away, being erased from the universe, or suffering 
  from lingering insanity after accidentally being subsumed by 
  someone else’s life (see p. 95). Staying chronally stable is a 
  priority for any TimeWatch agent. And hey, if you mess up and 
  are erased from the universe, you’ll have never existed… and 
  all your fellow agents at TimeWatch will have to go and redo 
  your old missions, without ever knowing who to be irritated 
  at. Try not to let this happen. TimeWatch will thank you for it.
  There’s a good rule of thumb for when you need to make 
  a Paradox test. Any time you first experience a paradox, you 
  make a Paradox test. A paradox occurs when an already 
  established event is contradicted. You’ll see examples of 
  triggers and Losses on p. 94.
  A cruel and hated guard captain locks Altani in a medieval 
  prison cell without her gear. She has no points in Burglary and needs 
  to escape. She has searched the cell thoroughly. She decides that if  
  she escapes, she will come back in time later and hide a disintegrator 
  pistol somewhere in the cell. The problem is, she’s searched the cell 
  and knows that there’s no pistol there already; having one appear 
  would contradict an established event and create an excessive 
  paradox. Surveying the room, she realizes that she hasn’t yet checked 
  the floor stones to see if  they’re loose; they could still hide secrets. She 
  tells the GM that her future self  will hollow out a particular floor 
  stone and hide the pistol under that. Altani makes her Preparedness 
  roll, pries up the stone, and pulls out the pistol her future self  will 
  leave there in the past. There’s no need for a Paradox test, because 
  there’s no paradox; no established event was contradicted. 
  Now free, she decides to go back in time and prevent her capture 
  by killing the guard captain a week before her younger self  was 
  captured. She creates paradox the instant she puts an arrow into 
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  90
  the captain’s throat, because she’s just made it impossible for him 
  to arrest her next week. The GM has Altani make a standard 
  Difficulty 4 / Loss 4 Paradox test. Altani fails the test and loses 4 
  points of  Chronal Stability from the paradox. “Still worth it,” she 
  growls, and time travels away. 
  Altani still remembers escaping her cell because it happened to her 
  and she was there, even though in the new timeline she just created 
  it will never occur. If  the paradox she created was more important, 
  such as if  the guard captain was an important historical figure, the 
  Difficulty or potential Loss of  the test (or both) would be higher.
  HOW PARADOX TESTS WORK
  Paradox tests work like a Stun test, but with Chronal Stability 
  instead of Health: choose whether or not to spend any Chronal 
  Stability points, roll a d6, and hope to hit a target Difficulty 
  Number (usually 4). For each point you spend, add 1 to your 
  die result. If you meet or exceed the Difficulty, you lose no 
  additional Chronal Stability other than the points you spent to 
  add to your die roll. If you fail, you either suffer some negative 
  result (if a weapon or attack is being used against you) or lose a 
  number of points from your Chronal Stability pool, in addition 
  to any points spent on the test itself. A test with a Difficulty of 
  4 and a potential Loss of 4 points is called a D4/L4 test. 
  You’re always permitted to spend Chronal Stability points to 
  provide a bonus to your roll. However, it’s never a good bet to 
  spend more points than you stand to lose if you fail. You can 
  “spend yourself negative,” if you think you absolutely have to 
  resist the universe’s attempt to erase you from existence, although 
  you cannot voluntarily reduce your Chronal Stability pool below 
  −11. If you strain your Chronal Stability below 0 or below −5, 
  you will also suffer consequences for having become Fading 
  or Subsumed (see p. 95). Unless the GM says otherwise, if you 
  suffer more than one threat to Chronal Stability in a single round, 
  you make a separate Paradox test for each threat.
  The severity of a failure depends on the situation; see  
  p. 95. Paradox tests are usually made at a Difficulty of 4, but 
  the Difficulty of such tests varies widely by both trigger and 
  campaign frame; in a funny or pulp campaign, for instance, 
  test Difficulties and potential Loss are typically lower than 
  they would be in a more serious and gritty campaign. For more 
  dangerous paradoxes, potential Loss may be considerably 
  higher than 4. Rarely, a reduced amount of Chronal Stability 
  Loss may occur even on successful tests (such as a Difficulty 6 
  test where you lose 6 on failure, or 2 on success).
  Paradox tests are one of the few instances in TimeWatch 
  when the GM will usually tell you the exact Difficulty 
  Number you need, although she may not tell you the exact 
  chronal Loss you would suffer on a failure.
  OPTIONAL RULE: THE PARADOX POOL
  There are lots of really fun time travel games where the smallest paradox unravels the universe; meet 
  yourself, or contradict history, and reality pretty much throws up its hands and goes off in a huff to 
  destroy all of time and space. TimeWatch doesn’t do this because there seems to be more opportunity 
  for fun roleplaying in a game world where egregious paradoxes can, and do, happen. In TimeWatch, 
  paradox has a consequence — but it’s usually a consequence for the Agent, not for reality itself.
  You’re welcome to change this if you want to raise the stakes, particularly in a one-shot game or 
  in a climactic series-ending mission. One method is to set up a countdown paradox pool of 5–6 
  points per Agent that destroys the world if reality gets too bent out of shape. Every time during 
  the mission that the Agents suffer Chronal Stability Loss from a failed Paradox test or failed Travel 
  test, the number of points that the Agents lose is also removed from the paradox pool. If this pool 
  hits zero, bad things happen — either history shatters and the time stream ends entirely or (more 
  entertainingly) time suddenly circles back in on itself, opening up random time portals across the 
  ages and thoroughly changing recorded history. 
  Use poker chips to represent the paradox pool, and put them where every player can see the pile 
  growing smaller and smaller. This countdown to disaster encourages Agents to voluntarily spend 
  their Chronal Stability points and Reality Anchor points when forced to make a test, instead of just 
  chancing a successful die roll. If you’re particularly generous, restore a few paradox pool points 
  when Agents fix existing paradoxes. The paradox pool resets completely between missions.
  A thematically similar but less orthodox method is to set up a Jenga® tower on a side table. Players pull and 
  place one wooden block for each Chronal Stability point they lose due to failed checks. If the tower falls 
  before the end of the mission, history unravels, and the mission team fails. Find more about this on p. 221.
  Like all optional rules, it’s best to only try these reality-ending techniques if you’re willing to live with the 
  consequences. History may unravel halfway through the game if Agents are particularly unlucky or unwise.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  91
  TRAVEL TESTS
  Whether you’re headed to visit the dinosaurs, or you’re just 
  grabbing your autochron and jumping five minutes into the 
  future so that your coffee is cool enough to drink, you’ll still 
  need to make a Paradox test that we call the Travel test. 
  This is a simple D4/L2 Paradox test that mechanically is not 
  worth spending any Chronal Stability points on to try and 
  improve. Every time you time travel, roll a d6; roll 1–3, and 
  lose 2 points of Chronal Stability. Roll 4–6 and lose nothing. 
  Paying a Stitch per trip bypasses the need for a Travel test. 
  If your Reality Anchor rating is 8 or higher, you gain the 
  Grounded Booster and automatically succeed at the first four 
  standard Travel tests in any scene. Feel free to lord this over 
  your fellow Agents every time you time travel.
  WHEN DO YOU RISK  
  LOSING CHRONAL STABILITY?
  A little Chronal Stability is usually lost through the normal act 
  of time traveling. Experiencing any paradoxes, whether large 
  or small, also triggers Paradox tests. You may make a Paradox 
  test when something you learn or experience contradicts a 
  known fact, when you change something consequential to 
  history, when you time travel into a scene where you already 
  exist, when you experience something horrific (only in certain 
  campaign frames where emotional stability is tied to Chronal 
  Stability), or when you’re struck with a chronal destabilizer 
  weapon during combat. See p. 95 for a detailed list.
  GMs should waive Travel tests for quick Preparedness tests 
  or Investigative spends that require you to travel forwards 
  or backwards in time (such as clocking out, grabbing an 
  easily obtained object from somewhere in time, and clocking 
  back in seconds later). That’s mostly for convenience’s sake; 
  we want to encourage you to make the game more fun by 
  describing normal Preparedness tests with time travel. The 
  points of Chronal Stability that you save are your reward for 
  being creative and entertaining. Choose to accomplish any 
  other errands during your trip, though, and you’ll make a 
  Travel test as per normal.
  Characters have slightly more trouble maintaining Chronal 
  Stability on timelines that are not originally their own. If 
  you’re in a parallel timeline from the one you were born in, 
  GM ADVICE: WHY REVEAL 
  DIFFICULTY NUMBERS?
  We usually recommend not revealing 
  exact Difficulty Numbers. So why do it for 
  Paradox tests?
  Paradox tests are one of the few places 
  where an Agent can spend points, fail, and 
  then have to spend even more points as the 
  penalty for their failure. On a Difficulty 4 test 
  with a possible Loss of 4, for instance, an 
  Agent can spend 2 Chronal Stability, roll a 
  1 and fail the test, and then lose another 4 
  points as the penalty for failure. It’s a gamble 
  that turns out to be particularly frustrating if 
  you don’t know the odds. That’s why we’ve 
  standardized almost all Paradox tests at a 
  Difficulty 4, and it’s why we suggest that the 
  GM communicate this fact, along with the 
  knowledge of whether the resulting damage 
  for a failed test will be more or less than the 
  standard 4 damage. Doing this speeds up the 
  game by reducing player analysis paralysis. 
  We also recommend you not allow your 
  players to spend more Chronal Stability points 
  on a test than they would otherwise lose by 
  failing it. Trust us; your players will thank you.
  GM ADVICE: 
  WHY TRAVEL TESTS EXIST
  Travel tests exist as an alternative to worrying 
  about fuel for time machines. The Chronal 
  Stability Loss averages out to 1 point per 
  jump, not enough to put the character in 
  danger but enough to encourage players to 
  think before time traveling. Remind players 
  that they can bypass the Travel test entirely 
  by spending a Stitch. If the players want 
  to do something that you find incredibly 
  entertaining, but are discouraged by the 
  possible Chronal Stability Loss of Travel 
  tests, throw them a preemptive Stitch that 
  they can spend on the trip.
  Your players are unlikely to want to spend 
  any points of Chronal Stability to improve 
  their roll on a Travel test, and that’s by 
  design; with potential damage of only 2 
  points, numerically it’s never worth it to do 
  so. Feel free to tell them this so that they don’t 
  accidentally waste points.
  Travel tests also teach players how Paradox 
  tests work in low-risk situations, so that 
  they’ll be ready for more difficult tests later 
  in the game. Trust us, if they ever choose 
  to duplicate themselves in a fight, they’re 
  going to be making Chronal Stability rolls 
  and Paradox tests up the wazoo. Best to get 
  used to them now.
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  92
  any Paradox test other than Travel tests usually has both the 
  Difficulty and Loss raised by 1 point.
  Skegg is a sophosaur, a psychic velociraptor from a timeline where the 
  meteor missed Earth and the dinosaurs never died out. She’s delighted to 
  work for TimeWatch (often against members of  her own species), but she 
  lives and functions in a timeline that’s parallel to her own. When the other 
  members of  her team have to make Difficulty 4 / Loss 4 Paradox tests, 
  Skegg has to make a Difficulty 5 / Loss 5 test instead.
  Uurrk travels into a parallel timeline where Homo sapiens 
  died out and Neanderthals thrived. While there he accidentally 
  creates a paradox. His Paradox test is at Difficulty 5, not Difficulty 
  4, and he’ll lose 5 points of  Chronal Stability if  he fails.
  Creatures that spend a great deal of time in a parallel universe 
  eventually acclimate to it, losing this penalty. Conveniently 
  enough, in TimeWatch the acclimatization happens at just about 
  the point when both GM and player keep forgetting that 
  the character is originally from an alternate universe, so they 
  seldom remember to apply the penalty. In other words, if the 
  penalty becomes too finicky to easily remember, the character 
  has acclimated and the penalty can be legitimately discarded.
  Scenes
  We measure the risk of time travel within scenes, where a 
  scene is considered a single encounter. Different incarnations 
  of you can exist dozens or more times in a given time period 
  with no chronal distress at all, as you’re not entangling yourself 
  with the same events, but when you appear more than once 
  within a single scene you risk churning up the temporal waters.
  What’s a scene? An evening-long masquerade ball in Marie 
  Antoinette’s court would be considered a scene, as would 
  a 30-second-long quick and vicious fight in a back alley of 
  ancient Athens. A quickly summarized but months-long trek 
  across the Alps might be a scene, as might a 10-minute-long 
  infiltration into an enemy’s stronghold. If your game was a 
  movie and the director would say “end scene,” that’s probably 
  where a scene ends, but the GM always has final say.
  REGAINING CHRONAL STABILITY
  Other than finishing a mission, the only way to restore Chronal 
  Stability points is with the Reality Anchor General ability. As 
  explained on p. 49, Reality Anchor restores your stability and 
  stops time from sweeping you away. You can use Reality Anchor 
  on yourself, but it’s not as efficient, only restoring one Chronal 
  Stability point for every Reality Anchor point you spend. If a 
  friend and fellow Agent uses Reality Anchor on you, you regain 
  2 points of lost Chronal Stability for every point of Reality 
  Anchor they spend. Like any other ability, you can never increase 
  your Chronal Stability pool higher than your rating in the ability.
  PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
  Here’s an example of an Agent making Paradox tests. The 
  Difficulty Numbers are taken from the table below.
  Mace Hunter time travels into a remote prehistoric canyon where he 
  knows a rogue time traveler is hiding. Time travel always requires the 
  Travel test, a Paradox test with a Difficulty of  4 and chronal damage 
  GM ADVICE: THE PARADOX OF MULTIPLE TEAMS
  Imagine a scenario where TimeWatch agents are sent into the past on a mission, and they fail. TimeWatch 
  instantly knows by checking upstream history, so they send another team back to the same scene. And 
  when they fail, another team. Why didn’t the first team encounter the second and third teams during 
  that scene? Similarly, when an antagonist is defeated, what’s to stop their boss from just sending more 
  assassins back in time to continually harass the TimeWatch agents until they’re overcome and defeated?
  The short metagame answer is because “man, that would make a lousy and un-fun game.” It’s 
  unworkable to have the Agents win a fight and then say “nah, now you have to fight it again with more 
  bad guys.” Not only would your players throw dice at you, it’d get boring very quickly.
  The in-game answer is that TimeWatch knows that it risks paradox every time it sequentially dispatches 
  multiple teams to handle a single problem, and the amount of paradox rises with each intervention. 
  TimeWatch thus has a policy that if a team fails, any mission to fix that problem either needs to tackle 
  it earlier, later, or find a way to address the problem without a second team showing themselves in the 
  same scene. Doing otherwise would expose the second (and third, etc.) teams in a scene to paradox 
  and Paradox tests every time they cause something that hadn’t happened during the first fight.
  That’s also true for antagonists. Once a fight has taken place, that locks in reality, and anything 
  that would change that would cause paradox. A clever antagonist might use Preparedness or even 
  duplicate himself in the same way that an Agent can, but once a fight in a given scene is complete, that 
  result is locked in. It’s recommended that GMs don’t alter those results without great consideration.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  93
  of  2 on a failure. Mace doesn’t bother spending extra points to increase 
  his chances of  success. He rolls a 3, less than the Difficulty, and his 
  Chronal Stability pool drops 2 points from 8 to 6.
  Unfortunately for Mace, the rogue time traveler successfully shoots 
  Mace with a D4/L4 chronal destabilizer pistol. Mace has to make 
  another Paradox test, still at Difficulty 4. He feels cocky and only 
  spends 2 points to improve his roll, voluntarily reducing his Chronal 
  Stability pool from 6 to 4. Of  course, Mace rolls a 1. He suffers 4 
  points of  chronal instability from the pistol, reducing his pool from 
  4 to 0. Mace is now Fading, making General ability tests more 
  difficult. Hopefully he’ll have time to restore some of  his Chronal 
  Stability by using Reality Anchor before he is shot again.
  Mace realizes with a groan that this Adversary is a younger 
  version of  an enemy whom Mace has encountered before. Mace’s 
  knowledge of  that older version locks in the reality that this younger 
  version must survive the encounter alive; Mace knows (thanks to his 
  knowledge of  Timecraft) that if  he kills this younger version he’d 
  contradict known facts, and thus would need to make yet another 
  Paradox test. Mace sighs, puts away his elephant gun, Ol’ Bessie, 
  and pulls out his PaciFist instead.
  TRIGGERS FOR PARADOX TESTS
  A number of things can trigger Paradox tests. Here are some 
  common examples, along with their Difficulty, their Loss, 
  and whether the action needs the expenditure of a Paradox 
  Prevention point to even occur. See p. 42 for details on when 
  this is appropriate.
  Paradox tests can be abbreviated for clarity and brevity. A 
  Travel test would be abbreviated D4/L2, denoting Difficulty 
  4, Loss 2. If spending a Paradox Prevention point is required 
  to succeed at the test, that’s also noted, such as D4/L4 – P 
  when your future self wants to leave you a note.
  EXCESSIVE PARADOX
  The GM may decide that some time tricks are impossible 
  even when the player wants to make a Paradox test and/or 
  spend a Paradox Prevention point, usually because the time 
  trick doesn’t make sense or because it makes the game less 
  fun for everyone. She’ll generally be consistent about this, 
  and it shouldn’t happen often. When this happens, she’ll say 
  “no” and possibly say why, and you’ll need to find another 
  solution. Excessive paradox generally applies to both player 
  characters and adversaries.
  Examples of excessive paradox include:
  X
  X trying to use Preparedness to leave yourself an item in 
  a location where you already know no item exists, when 
  there’s no logical way to have the item just appear
  X
  X trying to make an Investigative spend to create an effect 
  when you already know that effect is impossible, such as 
  trying to spend Architecture to create a window in a room 
  you already know has none
  GM ADVICE: WHEN TO HANDWAVE THESE RULES
  Simpler is sometimes better. There are going to be times when the player characters do something 
  incredibly dramatic that saves history but kills a number of local citizens in the process. Even if multiple 
  people consequential to history die, you don’t want to interrupt the players’ triumph to demand multiple 
  Paradox tests. In these cases, combine several tests into one of slightly greater Difficulty, or handwave 
  the tests and declare that all Agents suffer a certain amount of Chronal Stability Loss as the effect of 
  those deaths ripple back and forth across the timeline. 
  If they accidentally kill people essential to history, the Paradox tests and potential paradoxes become 
  more important and the Agents may want to launch a second concurrent mission to save those essential 
  people’s lives at the last minute. Use your best judgment on this; if complicating the victory wouldn’t be 
  fun, handwave the Loss, describe the changes in history as the timeline tries to correct itself, and move on.
  Similarly, reward success. Even when it entails changing a future the Agents have seen and experienced 
  (and so would normally trigger paradox), a final change that put history back onto its true course 
  shouldn’t require a Paradox test. The reason for this is purely metagame: we’ve found that it’s usually 
  just not fun for players to triumphantly solve a problem, save the day, and then end the game by 
  suffering massive Chronal Stability Loss. If they manage to solve the mystery and rescue true history, 
  they’re probably in the clear.
  GM ADVICE:  
  LET THE PLAYERS DECIDE
  One technique we’ve found that will suit some 
  groups is to place the Chronal Stability Loss 
  chart in the hands of one of the players, who 
  can then pipe up when a Chronal Stability–
  threatening incident occurs. This usually leads 
  to greater Chronal Stability Losses than would 
  otherwise have occurred.
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  94
  Trigger
  Difficulty/Loss
  Paradox Prevention  
  Spend Required?
  No Paradox:
  X
  X You successfully restore history back to its true path, ending the mission
  None  
  (no test required)
  No
  X
  X Any time travel (“the Travel test”)
  D4/L2
  No
  Lesser Paradox:
  X
  X You learn, experience, or cause something that violates a known fact
  X
  X You significantly change the future, perhaps by revealing future 
  history to someone or by leaving a futuristic device behind in time
  X
  X You kill someone consequential, but not essential, to history
  X
  X You are hit by a chronal destabilizer (whether weapon or effect)
  X
  X Your future self leaves you a vague or mostly useless clue about a 
  future event
  D4/L4
  No
  Paradox:
  X
  X Your future self leaves you a specific message or important clue about 
  a future event 
  X
  X You overlap yourself in a scene and aid yourself, changing history, 
  although your past self never becomes aware of the fact (such as 
  secretly sniping a foe from a nearby rooftop or unlocking your own 
  prison door) 
  X
  X Every additional overlap adds +2 to the Difficulty and +2 to the Loss
  D4/L4 – P
  Yes
  (if you choose not  
  to spend a Paradox 
  Prevention point, you 
  can’t aid yourself in this 
  way)
  Greater Paradox:
  X
  X You overlap yourself in a scene and directly offer yourself aid (such as 
  arriving to heal your own unconscious body, or your future self joining 
  in an ongoing fight to double your firepower 
  X
  X Every additional overlap adds +2 to the Difficulty and +2 to the 
  Loss)
  D4/L6 – P
  Yes
  (if you choose not  
  to spend a Paradox 
  Prevention point, you 
  can’t aid yourself in this 
  way)
  Severe Paradox:
  X
  X You close off a time loop and remove the reason you time traveled in 
  the first place, with the unfortunate result that two paradoxical versions 
  of you exist simultaneously (see p. 44) 
  X
  X You kill someone essential to history
  X
  X You change events in a way that fundamentally changes a future you 
  know to have occurred, perhaps branching correct history onto an 
  alternate history timeline 
  X
  X You are caught in the chronal field of a broken autochron
  X
  X Your direct ancestors within the past 3 generations are killed in a way 
  that ensures you will never be born (Loss decreases by 1 for every 
  generation prior to that; a change more than 250 years before your 
  birth does not trigger a test) 
  D6/L6 or higher
  No
  Paradox Test Examples
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  95
  X
  X trying to add or subtract combatants from past rounds of 
  a combat, or change what occurred earlier in the fight, in 
  a way that would make everyone need to replay all or part 
  of that fight
  X
  X losing a battle and going back in time to replay the exact 
  same fight, this time with the odds tipped in your favor so 
  that the end result is different
  THE EFFECTS OF INSTABILITY
  Like your Health, your Chronal Stability pool can drop below 0.
  If your Chronal Stability ranges from 0 to −5, you are 
  Fading, clinging onto reality through pure force of will. 
  Difficulty target numbers for all General abilities increase by 
  1, and it becomes more difficult to use Investigative abilities.
  If you want to make an Investigative spend, make a roll 
  with the absolute value3 of your current Chronal Stability 
  pool as your Difficulty. You may deliberately strain yourself, 
  voluntarily reducing your Chronal Stability pool by an 
  amount of your choice. For each point you reduce it, add 1 
  to your die result. The Difficulty of the roll is based on your 
  3 In other words, treat the negative number as a positive. For 
  example, if your Chronal Stability pool is at −3, the Difficulty of 
  the roll is 3, and so on.
  Chronal Stability pool before you make this reduction. If you 
  succeed, you can make the Investigative spend.
  Altani’s Chronal Stability is at −3, and she’s Fading. She wants 
  to spend 1 point of  Military Tactics to help finish off  her foe. Her 
  Difficulty is 3 to succeed, but there’s no Loss if  she fails; her consequence 
  is that she is unable to spend the Investigative point. Altani spends 1 
  Chronal Stability to boost her roll by +1, rolls a 2, and succeeds with 
  the exact number she needed. Altani’s Chronal Stability is now −4, and 
  she gains a benefit for her Military Tactics spend. 
  If  your Chronal Stability ranges from −6 to −11, 
  you are Subsumed. The universe tries to rid itself of an 
  unnatural irritant by turning you into a local citizen from 
  the current timeline, including a full history and memories 
  that you receive when the universe rewrites itself to include 
  you. Your appearance, personality, and memories change 
  to those decided upon by the GM, or perhaps by both the 
  GM and the player. This new individual has no knowledge 
  of TimeWatch, and any objects on the Agent’s body vanish 
  when Subsumed.
  Once your allies locate you (which may range from an 
  easy task to an adventure in itself, as decided by your GM), 
  they will have to spend Reality Anchor to restore you. Upon 
  restoration you permanently lose 1 point from your Chronal 
  Stability rating. The only way to get it back is to purchase it 
  again with build points. The memories of being Subsumed 
  stay with you, as explained below.
  When your Chronal Stability reaches −12 or less, you are 
  erased from the universe. We’re not kidding, here; not only 
  don’t you exist, you never existed, and even your closest friends 
  in TimeWatch have faint, fuzzy, and fading memories of you. 
  GM ADVICE: 
  THE TRUTH ABOUT GHOSTS
  When 
  the 
  GM 
  chooses, 
  Subsumed 
  adversaries, and player and supporting 
  characters are evicted through time instead, 
  ending up disembodied in a different time 
  period. They are marooned slightly outside of 
  time, invisible, incorporeal, and with almost 
  no method for affecting the physical world. 
  Such characters are typically left insane but 
  self-aware by the experience. If you ever run 
  across a haunting or a ghost, you probably 
  saw a Subsumed time traveler instead.
  Such exiles may learn to possess sensitive 
  people or manipulate physical objects to 
  draw attention to their plight. Due to the 
  insanity that characteristically accompanies 
  this experience, that might not be as good 
  an idea as you’d probably think.
  Vidh begins to fade, but that’s why she has teammates with 
  Reality Anchor, even if they happen to be Neanderthals.
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  96
  GM ADVICE: OUT OF TIME
  Most supporting characters don’t have 
  Chronal Stability or Tempus. Unless they’re 
  a time traveler, from a parallel timeline, 
  or an alien, they can neither lose nor be 
  affected by Chronal Stability and its effects.
  Adversaries or supporting characters who 
  do fall into those categories lose points 
  from the Tempus ability pool instead of from 
  Chronal Stability if they run into paradox; 
  see p. 148.
  When a GM chooses, an Adversary or 
  supporting character who reaches −12 
  Tempus without ever being Subsumed is flung 
  across time to an unknowable time and place 
  instead of being erased; whether far future 
  or distant past, the universe just wants them 
  separated from their time machine and gone. 
  Most characters who are flung are effectively 
  dead and out of the campaign, unless the 
  GM wishes for them to reappear sessions 
  later as insane reoccurring Adversaries. 
  Characters who have been flung seem to 
  trade sanity for unique chronal abilities that 
  make them a particularly dangerous threat.
  Other 
  Adversaries 
  and 
  supporting 
  characters who are flung may never 
  settle in one era for more than a short 
  time, effectively becoming insane and 
  insubstantial chronal ghosts called walk-ins 
  who haunt one or multiple time periods until 
  saved or destroyed by TimeWatch.
  A GM can choose to fling a player character 
  instead of erasing him. This typically 
  removes him from the current mission (and 
  may turn him into a supporting character 
  instead) but technically saves his life.
  TimeWatch agents hate it when your Agent is erased, because 
  every mission you accomplished will have to be redone by 
  other TimeWatch agents. Time to create a new character.
  COMING BACK FROM THE EDGE
  As long as you’re in audio contact with the recipient, you can 
  spend points from the Reality Anchor ability to help another 
  character regain lost Chronal Stability points. For every Reality 
  Anchor point you spend, the recipient gains 2 Stability points. 
  Reality Anchor points can also be spent to re-anchor yourself 
  to the timeline; for every Reality Anchor point you spend on 
  yourself, you regain 1 Chronal Stability point. 
  If a character is Subsumed due to chronal instability, you 
  can make a Difficulty 4 Reality Anchor test to snap him into 
  a state of temporary self-awareness. Any points spent on this 
  test do not otherwise restore Chronal Stability. The false reality 
  will reluctantly relinquish its grasp on the character once his 
  Chronal Stability is restored above 0, at which point he will 
  revert to his true appearance and memories. Any held items 
  that vanished when the character was Subsumed will return. 
  Additional Reality Anchor points will restore lost Chronal 
  Stability, but not the point permanently lost when Subsumed. 
  Characters who have lost a Chronal Stability point due to 
  being Subsumed, even briefly, usually gain new memories 
  and personality traits from the temporary persona. This is 
  a suggested roleplaying quirk that allows players, if they so 
  desire, to model the new memories by rearranging up to 5 
  points of their character’s Investigative abilities. 
  These phantom personalities and memories typically 
  disappear if the lost Chronal Stability point is repurchased 
  with build points.
  GM ADVICE: RACE TO ERASE
  If a character in your game drops to −12 
  Chronal Stability and is erased, consider 
  doing a search and replace to remove their 
  name entirely from your game notes and 
  any campaign logs. Hey, we take “never 
  existed” seriously around here.
  GM ADVICE: 
  PLOT HOOKS APLENTY
  Subsumed 
  antagonists 
  and 
  supporting 
  characters can make for fine plot hooks. 
  Perhaps a supporting character agent was 
  subsumed while holding an incredibly important 
  historical object; the player characters must 
  find him, restore him, and get the object back. 
  Alternatively, a mission might involve finding a 
  subsumed agent with little or nothing to go on 
  other than knowledge about the agent’s old 
  mission that was never completed.
  Chimeras can also make good plot hooks, 
  particularly when they snap and become 
  Adversaries. Their insanity and competing 
  personalities make them extraordinarily 
  dangerous and unpredictable, a monster 
  created by the same dangers the player 
  characters face every day.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  97
  CHIMERAS
  TimeWatch agents who have been subsumed multiple times 
  are referred to in TimeWatch as chimeras, and may become 
  an insane, erratic conglomeration of competing personalities 
  and unique chronal powers. It’s not uncommon for such 
  agents to be retired from active service before they steal an 
  autochron and rebel against TimeWatch. As chimeras tend 
  to be both paranoid and sly, however, they may successfully 
  escape and turn into Adversaries more often than TimeWatch 
  would like to admit.
  SAVING A DEAD AGENT:  
  A LESSON IN PARADOX
  It’s sometimes possible to save an Agent killed in the line of 
  duty. The challenge is doing so without the Agents creating a 
  worse problem than they had to begin with. Rescue missions 
  can sometimes create split timelines, paradoxes, and chronal 
  instability that others can exploit. 
  When attempting this type of rescue, the question that Agents 
  should ask themselves is “how can I do this while creating the 
  least paradox possible?” The easier they make it for the universe 
  to correct itself, the easier such a rescue becomes. 
  For instance, consider the following problem.
  Traveling apart from his team in 12th-century Cairo, Mace 
  Hunter is stabbed to death in a back alley by an elite assassin. 
  Coming upon his body, his fellow Agents decide to save his life. 
  After discovering Mace’s body in the alley and using Medical 
  Expertise to determine that it’s been dead for less than an hour, 
  one of  his fellow Agents travels two hours back in time to plant a 
  hidden video bug using the Spying Technical ability. She plants the 
  bug and returns to her friends. 
  There are a few tactics they can use at this point, with the 
  more straightforward solutions causing far more problems 
  than the complicated ones. Here’s a successful rescue with 
  unfortunate consequences. 
  The team (we’ll call them Team A) then reviews the video footage 
  to see exactly what happened to Mace. This locks in history for 
  them; at this point, if  they change anything they see, they’ll create a 
  paradox and need to make a Paradox test. Using the video footage, 
  they note the exact time of  the assassin’s arrival and where he hid 
  in the alley. The group then goes back in time an hour and a half  
  to lay an ambush. One of  them gathers up the video bug (creating a 
  paradox and triggering a Paradox test, since they need that bug to 
  record Mace’s assassination), and when the assassin enters the alley 
  the team silently and efficiently stuns him with their PaciFists. When 
  Mace Hunter enters and exits the alleyway, the assassin is nowhere 
  to be found — and because Mace exits, uninjured and unaware of  
  the potential attack, the team makes yet another Paradox test.
  It’s even worse. Because Mace was never attacked, in this timeline 
  his team (we’ll call them team B) will never find his body and go 
  back in time to save him. That means that once Mace exits that 
  alley, Team A and Team B are existing concurrently, and Team 
  B never has any reason to go back in time an hour and a half  to 
  close the loop. 
  In this sort of  circumstance the tremendously unstable Team 
  A normally snaps out of  existence when Mace leaves the alley, 
  never needing to exist in this changed reality, leaving behind a 
  stunned assassin who has no idea how he got stunned. If  they 
  resent disappearing from reality in this way, members of  Team A 
  can spend a Paradox Prevention point to cling to existence. From 
  this point forward any surviving member is treated as if  they’re in 
  a parallel universe (see p. 192) and likely becomes a supporting 
  character. Some excellent villains, each a time-duplicate of  a player 
  character Agent, can be created in this manner. It’s why saving 
  people from death is against TimeWatch regulations.
  Total team Paradox tests, not counting Travel tests: two and 
  likely annihilation.
  There’s a better way to effect a rescue. 
  The team (we’ll call them Team Y) then reviews the video footage 
  to see exactly what happened to Mace. They note the exact time 
  of  the assassin’s arrival and where he hid in the alley. The group 
  then goes back in time an hour and a half  to lay an ambush. They 
  wait on the roofs overlooking the alley, hidden, and they bide their 
  time. The assassin arrives; they wait. Mace arrives, and the assassin 
  attacks; they wait. It’s only when Mace has fallen unconscious and is 
  about to die that they spring into action. 
  First they stun the assassin before he can deliver a death blow. 
  They likely kill him or strand him in an isolated time where they can 
  retrieve him for questioning later. Then they stabilize Mace to make 
  sure he doesn’t die. Regardless, they want Mace to look dead when 
  their past selves (Team Z) show up, so one Agent spends 1 point 
  of  Medical Expertise to put the living, unconscious Mace Hunter 
  into a paralytic stupor that makes him appear dead. The team then 
  hides again until their Team Z earlier selves show up, find Mace’s 
  apparently dead body, and head into the past to save him. Team Y 
  then revives Mace, retrieves their hidden camera, and takes him off  
  to get healed. 
  Total team Paradox tests, not counting Travel tests: none, as no 
  paradoxes occurred. 
  As you see, the easiest rescues are the ones that don’t 
  contradict already-established events. The difference 
  between catastrophic failure and easy success is making sure 
  that no established facts are changed.
  This is a key to successful time travel. Not contradicting 
  established events helps an Agent maintain his Chronal Stability.
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  98
  HAZARDS AND DANGERS
  More than bullets, ray beams, and alien claws can injure a 
  TimeWatch agent. As always in TimeWatch, environmental 
  dangers are described in more narrative than clinical terms. 
  CRASHES
  If you are hit by a vehicle, you suffer damage equal to the 
  Difficulty Number of the Athletics or Vehicles test to get 
  out of the way that you failed (if the target isn’t a player 
  character, the base damage is 5). Modify the damage further 
  based on the vehicle’s speed and type, as follows:
  Collision Circumstances
  Damage 
  Modifier
  chariot speed
  +1
  average city driving speed
  +2
  highway speed
  +4
  airplane speed
  +6
  spacecraft speed
  +8
  very light vehicle (unladen cart)
  −3
  light vehicle (laden cart, chariot, 
  motorcycle)
  −1
  heavier vehicle (SUV, limousine, hover-car)
  +1
  much heavier vehicle (elephant, truck,  
  helicopter, shuttlecraft, small airplane)  
  (normal building)
  +2
  vastly heavier vehicle (tractor-trailer, heavy 
  truck, airplane, small spacecraft) (abutment, 
  bunker)
  +4
  massively heavy vehicle (heavy airplane, 
  medium spaceship)
  +8
  good luck finding a parking space for 
  something this large (large spaceship)
  +12
  If you are in a vehicle crash, you suffer damage equal to the 
  Difficulty Number of the Vehicles attempt you or the driver 
  missed (if there was no test, the base damage is 4). If you 
  were wearing seat belts or had other crash protection, apply a 
  −2 modifier to that result. Add the speed modifier from the 
  table above; subtract the vehicle type modifier for your vehicle; 
  add the vehicle type modifier for the other vehicle.
  Kelfala is on a motorcycle when he’s deliberately hit by a tractor-
  trailer. He’s wearing a motorcycle helmet and protective clothes, 
  enough to claim crash protection (although the GM states that 
  the benefit from the protective leathers is better than the normal 
  Armor 1 from Kelfala’s TimeWatch uniform that he’s also wearing 
  underneath, so the armor doesn’t apply). Kelfala takes 4 points of  
  damage, −2 for protection, +4 for highway speed, minus −1 (which 
  is +1) for riding a motorcycle, +4 for being hit by a tractor-trailer; 
  Kelfala takes 11 damage to his Health. The Adversary driving the 
  tractor-trailer is wearing her seat belt, so she takes 4 damage, −2 
  for crash protection, +4 for highway speeds, −4 for a tractor-trailer, 
  −1 for hitting a motorcycle. She takes 1 damage to her Health and 
  blows the air horn in triumph as she backs up to finish the job.
  Later, Kelfala is on a rooftop being strafed by a helicopter, and 
  his only handy vehicle is his new motorcycle. He rides the motorcycle 
  at high speed up a ramp and right into the cockpit of  the helicopter, 
  making an Athletics test to jump off  at the last minute. Kelfala’s 
  successful Vehicles test indicated that the motorcycle struck home.
  The helicopter pilot isn’t wearing a harness. He takes 4 points 
  of  damage, +4 for highway speed (of  the motorcycle; the helicopter 
  itself  is hovering), −2 for his helicopter, −1 for the motorcycle. He 
  takes 5 points of  Health. As a Mook he only had 3 Health, so he 
  screams as the helicopter crashes and explodes.
  Kelfala walks away, backlit by the explosion.
  Or as an alternative:
  Centuries in the future, Kelfala is piloting a large spacecraft that 
  is under attack from rebels. One of  the rebels in a small damaged 
  spaceship decides to aim it directly at the larger spaceship’s bridge. 
  Everyone is warned to brace for impact.
  Base damage starts at 4, and bracing for impact subtracts −2. 
  Spaceship speed adds +8, the large spaceship subtracts −12, and 
  the small spaceship adds +4. Everyone on the bridge takes 2 points 
  of  damage. If  they weren’t braced, unnamed supporting characters 
  might have been knocked unconscious or killed by the 4 points of  
  Health damage. Everyone in the rebel’s small spaceship takes 18 
  points of  damage and dies spectacularly.
  The GM is encouraged to increase or decrease damage 
  based on ad hoc modifiers, especially if the end result from 
  the above table seems too high or low for realism. If you 
  hit a structure rather than another vehicle, use the italicized 
  examples in the table to gauge damage. The GM always 
  determines any damage to the vehicles based on the dramatic 
  necessities of the plot; TimeWatch collision is drama, not physics. 
  GM ADVICE: FAST CRASHES
  Accurate 
  crash 
  damages 
  involves 
  a 
  reasonable amount of calculation. If you’re 
  in a hurry, decide on a reasonable damage 
  amount for the type of crash (i.e., how hurt 
  would the characters be if this happened in 
  a sci-fi movie?), and then offer a somewhat 
  lower 
  damage 
  number 
  if 
  the 
  Agent 
  successfully makes a difficult Athletics test. 
  No one but you will ever know the difference.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  99
  DROWNING AND SUFFOCATION
  If you have advance warning before being immersed in water 
  or surrounded by poison gas, you can hold your breath. 
  Holding your breath gets you five rounds (or two minutes 
  if not in combat or a chase) before you start suffocating. 
  After that point, you lose 1 Athletics every round as you 
  struggle to hold your breath. After that you lose 1 Health 
  every round as you start inhaling water, smoke, or gas. 
  These lost Health points can be restored normally with the 
  Medic ability if you’re rescued and resuscitated before you 
  die. You cannot resuscitate yourself with Medic.
  Outer Space: If exposed to the vacuum of outer space, a 
  trained agent knows to immediately exhale to avoid explosive 
  decompression. Disposable supporting characters might not 
  know this, resulting in hideously dramatic and memorable 
  deaths that you’re really not going to want to clean up after.
  An Agent who remembers to exhale immediately begins 
  suffocating, and is treated as if Hurt due to the extreme cold. 
  You lose 1 Athletics and 1 Health every round as your body 
  fluids begin to boil. 
  ELECTRICITY
  Damage from exposure to electricity varies according to 
  voltage. You can suffer:
  Mild shock, equivalent to briefly touching an ungrounded 
  wire or damaged electrical appliance. You lose 1 Health and 
  are blown backward by a couple of meters.
  Moderate shock, equivalent to a jolt from a cattle prod or 
  an electric stun gun. You must make a Difficulty 6 Stun test. 
  Extreme shock, equivalent to a lightning strike. You suffer 
  one die of damage, and must make a Difficulty 9 Stun test. 
  The GM should always give you some opportunity to 
  avoid being shocked, whether it be an Athletics test to avoid 
  unexpected contact, or a Tinkering test to spot the high- 
  tension wire.
  EXPLOSIVES AND EXPLOSIONS
  You don’t see many TimeWatch agents using massive 
  explosives when they’re time traveling, because the risk of 
  irreversible, unanticipated consequences that lead to paradox 
  is usually too great. Sometimes explosions are appropriate, 
  however, and more than one TimeWatch team during 
  Running up against Blackbeard means that Vidh and Altani may need the drowning rules after all.
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  100
  wartime has had to blow up a bridge or vehicle that a time 
  traveling saboteur had anachronistically saved. 
  Explosives are a fantastic equalizer against nonhuman threats 
  to the timeline. An alien can’t snip off your head with giant 
  pincers if you’ve distracted it by sticking a grenade into its gullet.
  Using Explosives
  Setting an explosive charge merely requires using Tinkering; 
  assuming the victim is on the spot when the charge is 
  triggered, the explosion automatically goes off at Point-
  Blank range. Concealing a charge (e.g., in a booby trap or car 
  bomb) also requires a Burglary test. 
  As always in TimeWatch, hidden things are spotted with 
  the ability that was used to hide them. If the Agents are 
  the targets of a concealed bomb, they should be allowed 
  a Burglary test (Difficulty 4 or better, depending on 
  the ability of the bomber) to leap (or pull their slower 
  teammates) away to Close range. If given enough time  
  before they explode, typical bombs can be disarmed  
  with a Tinkering test of Difficulty 4 or higher; some bombs 
  are complex enough that they may be a continuing challenge, 
  requiring multiple rolls at a higher-than-normal Difficulty.
  Throwing a grenade is an Athletics test with the Difficulty 
  set by range: 2 for Point-Blank targets (usually a very painful 
  proposition for you), 3 for Close targets, 5 for Near targets. 
  Agents, dramatically important supporting characters, and 
  dramatically significant antagonists get an Athletics test 
  (Difficulty 6) to halve the damage from grenades tossed at 
  them. This represents diving for cover, knocking the grenade 
  away, or a suicidally heroic supporting character throwing 
  herself on the explosion. Only on a missed throw does 
  a target have the possibility of evading damage entirely by 
  throwing the grenade back.
  If you are attempting to hurl a grenade at a specific spot 
  (such as through a car window), the Difficulty Number 
  increases by 1 for Point-Blank or Close range targets, and by 
  2 for Near range targets. 
  All Difficulties are increased by +1 for throwing non-
  balanced explosives such as sticks of dynamite or Molotov 
  cocktails (see Fire, p. 101).
  Explosion Damage
  Explosive damage divides into six broad classes. As with the 
  rest of these rules, these classes primarily reflect cinematic 
  and science fiction reality, with less emphasis on real-world 
  chemistry and physics. The future (and both the present and 
  the past, frankly) has a lot of truly horrible ways to hurt other 
  people. When you have an explosion caused by something 
  not on this list, make your best guess based on the examples 
  given and keep the game moving.
  If you are within a bomb’s annihilation range when it 
  detonates, you will find the term grimly self-explanatory. 
  Your team may have to remove your remains in pieces to 
  avoid leaving behind anachronisms, or simply report back to 
  TimeWatch for your replacement character. 
  If you are within a device’s damage range (but outside 
  its annihilation range) when it explodes, you take two dice of 
  damage, plus a modifier equal to three times its class. 
  If you are outside of its annihilation or damage range 
  but within its debris range, make an Athletics test with the 
  Class
  Examples
  Annihilation Range
  Damage Range
  Debris Range
  1
  pen grenade, pipe bomb, black 
  powder explosive, micro-grenade
   — 
  Point-Blank
  (2d6 + 3 dmg)
  Close
  (Difficulty 3 Athletics 
  test or 1d6 + 1 dmg)
  2
  grenade, stick of TNT, concussive 
  projector, weaponized mini-drone
   — 
  Point-Blank
  (2d6 + 6 dmg)
  Close
  (Difficulty 6 Athletics 
  test or 1d6 + 2 dmg)
  3
  nitroglycerine, RPG rocket, brick of 
  C4, land mine, mortar shell, suicide 
  vest, cinematic gas tank, satellite 
  death ray
  Point-Blank
  (Dead)
  Close
  (2d6 + 9 dmg)
  Near
  (Difficulty 9 Athletics 
  test or 1d6 + 3 dmg)
  4
  truck bomb, AP shell, gas main
  Close
  (Dead)
  Near
  (2d6 + 12 dmg)
  Long
  (Difficulty 12 Athletics 
  test or 1d6 + 4 dmg)
  5
  HE shell, hellfire missile, gravity 
  bomb, exploding black powder 
  magazine
  Near
  (Dead)
  Long
  (2d6 + 15 dmg)
  240 m
  (Difficulty 15 Athletics 
  test or 1d6 + 5 dmg)
  6
  suitcase nuke, exploding spaceship
  Long
  (Dead. So, so dead)
  3 km
  (2d6 + 18 dmg)
  4 km
  (Difficulty 18 Athletics 
  test or 1d6 + 6 dmg)
  Explosion Damage 
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  101
  explosion’s class times three as the Difficulty. If you fail, you 
  take a die of damage, plus a modifier equal to its class.
  Some explosives, like fragmentation grenades, claymore 
  mines, or pipe bombs packed with nails, may be designed to 
  deliver especially damaging debris, with a Damage Modifier 
  equal to twice the device’s class within the debris range. 
  Suitable protection (inside a tank, a military bunker, a force 
  field, etc.) moves you one range class out: e.g., if you’re inside 
  a force field hit by an RPG rocket, take damage as if you were 
  at Close range rather than Point-Blank. Subtract any Armor 
  as normal, remembering that your TimeWatch uniform only 
  provides Armor against Scuffling and Shooting damage. 
  Inferior protection (such as being inside a car) allows you 
  to subtract any Armor against damage, assuming there’s 
  a damage roll for you to survive. Note that the Flashback 
  Booster (see p. 49) may arrange for suitable protection that 
  you’d otherwise be lacking.
  FALLING
  A fall does damage equal to the Difficulty Number of the 
  Athletics attempt you missed (if there was no test, the base 
  damage is 5), adding a further Damage Modifier as follows:
  Circumstances of the Fall
  Damage 
  Modifier
  through branches, awnings, or
  other slowing obstacles
  −2
  into water, if you can dive in
  (make an Athletics test Difficulty 5)
  Minus amount 
  by which you 
  made the 
  Athletics test
  onto normal soil
  +0
  into water, if you can’t dive in
  +1
  each additional 3 m of height or
  20 kph of speed after the first  
  (ex: fall from 15 m or out of a car
  traveling 100 kph adds +4)
  +1
  Falling terminal velocity (195 kph+)
  +20
  onto asphalt, concrete, or equivalent
  +2
  onto spikes or jagged rocks
  +3
  On any final damage result of Hurt or worse, you 
  automatically break one or more limbs. 
  FIRE
  Damage from exposure to fire varies according to how much 
  of your body is exposed to flame, and repeats for each round 
  (or, outside of combat, every few seconds) you remain 
  exposed to it.
  Minor exposure, most often to an extremity like a hand 
  or foot, carries a Damage Modifier of −2.
  Partial exposure, to your face or to up to half of your 
  surface area, carries a Damage Modifier of +0.
  Extensive exposure, to half or more of your body’s 
  surface area, imposes a Damage Modifier of +2.
  The GM should always give you a chance to avoid being 
  set on fire. The difficulty of extinguishing a flame varies 
  depending on the substance. If your clothes are simply on fire, 
  the flames are easier to put out (Difficulty 3 Athletics test; roll 
  instead of taking other actions; fire out in 1 round) than if 
  you are covered in an adhesive accelerant, like the incendiary 
  gel used in many types of napalm (fire burns for 2d6 rounds 
  unless it is smothered or chemically fire suppressed).
  Characters in a burning building or a heavily burning 
  forest run the risk of smoke asphyxiation, which uses the 
  drowning and suffocation rules above.
  Lava is something you’ll want to avoid. Your GM may give you 
  the opportunity to try and cling to safety with an appropriately 
  difficult Athletics test, but if you fall in lava, you die, usually 
  spectacularly. More than one chrono-chase has ended messily 
  over an active volcano. Lesser exposure to lava, such as to a 
  limb, inflicts Extensive fire damage and acts as napalm.
  HEAT AND COLD
  It can be difficult to move or think in extreme heat or 
  cold. Treat Agents suffering from extreme heat or cold 
  (in the Ice Age without parkas, for example) as Hurt (see 
  p. 87). TimeWatch uniforms provide no protection against 
  temperature extremes. Autochrons maintain a vacuum-
  sealed and climate-controlled interior for as long as their 
  chronal field remains active. 
  Spending 1 point of Outdoor Survival will stave off the 
  penalty for extreme heat or cold for one scene for the Agent 
  who spends the point. Spending 2 points (which can come 
  from different Agents) will stave off the penalty for one 
  scene for the entire team, and their companions, up to 20 
  or so people. That’s enough to get a camel train through the 
  Sahara, but not enough to help Hannibal get his entire army 
  safely over the Alps.
  TOXINS
  Toxins are either inhaled, ingested (including by contact or 
  exposure), or injected directly into the bloodstream. They 
  vary widely in lethality and in nature. Knockout drops may 
  only trigger a series of three successive Stun tests, while a 
  sophisticated nerve gas might have a Damage Modifier that 
  ranges from +6 to +16. Inhaled toxins tend to take effect 
  right away. Injected and ingested toxins take delayed effect, 
  anywhere from rounds to minutes to hours after exposure. 
  Their damage or effect might be parceled out in increments, 
  and almost always prevents you from refreshing Health 
  points until somehow neutralized.
  Note that basic poison control is an aspect of first aid: an 
  Agent using Medic may be able to restore lost Health points 
  (if the poison was weak or easily purged), or with a Medical 
  Expertise spend stop additional damage and stabilize the 
  victim until he can be treated. The futuristic equipment 
  
  CHAPTER THREE
  102
  in TimeWatch medkits are equipped to treat most toxins, 
  making hospital visits usually unnecessary.
  The GM should ideally give you a chance to avoid exposure, 
  likely via Medical Expertise, Science!, Notice, or Burglary (if the 
  ability was used to hide the toxin). Once you have been exposed, 
  many toxins allow a Health test (listed as Test in the examples) 
  for half damage or some other lesser effect (under Minor in the 
  examples). If you fail the test, the Severe result occurs.
  The following sample toxins are only a small sliver of the 
  vast number of poisons available throughout history, and 
  almost all will reliably kill all but the most dramatically robust 
  of supporting characters. 
  With new and deadly toxins existing in parallel time 
  streams, GMs are encouraged to invent their own poisons 
  and to be creative in the process. Such toxins might reduce 
  the rate of healing when the Medic ability is used, might 
  inflict 2 or more Health damage every round for a certain 
  number of rounds, might immediately make a victim Hurt or 
  Seriously Wounded, might trigger one or more immediate or 
  delayed Stun tests, might affect memory or willpower, might 
  increase by 1–2 points all damage taken by other sources, 
  might raise the Difficulty on all tests by 1 point or more, or 
  in rare cases might trigger an immediate Paradox test.
  Anthrax
  Onset: inhaled (whether natural or weaponized); 2–8 days
  Test: Difficulty 6 Health
  Minor: +0 damage; lasts until treated
  Severe: Hurt, +3 damage and −3 Athletics every day until 
  dead or cured
  Cyber-Bee Venom
  Onset: injected (from the bees); instant
  Test: None
  Result: Lose 1d6 Athletics points; an Athletics of 0 means 
  Restrained until Athletics rises above 0 
  Heroin
  Onset: usually injected or inhaled; 2 rounds
  Test: Difficulty 7 Health
  Minor: You are distracted, and are treated as if Fading (see 
  p. 95) for 1–6 hours
  Severe: Completely incapacitated by ecstasy; lasts 1–6 hours; 
  Addiction 
  Snake Venom
  Onset: contact or injection; 15 minutes (or five rounds in 
  combat time)
  Test: Difficulty 4 Health (higher for increased dosages)
  Minor: +2 damage, Hurt; lasts until treated
  Severe: +6 damage, −2 Athletics; −2 Health and −1 
  Athletics every hour thereafter until dead or treated
  Tear Gas
  Onset: inhaled and eye contact; one round
  Test: Difficulty 5 Health
  Minor: −2 Athletics, all tasks requiring vision have their 
  Difficulty increased by +1; lasts until exposure ends
  Severe: −4 Athletics, Hurt, all physical spends only half as 
  effective (e.g., spend 2 Scuffling, get +1 on the die), near 
  blindness (all tasks requiring vision have their Difficulty 
  increased by +2); lasts until five minutes after exposure ends
  Time Spittle  
  (processed chronal leech venom)
  Onset: injection; 2 rounds
  Test: Difficulty 4 Chronal Stability test 
  Minor: Lose 1d6 Reality Anchor points
  Severe: Lose 1d6 Chronal Stability points
  Vidh’s opinion of bumblefrogs and other cryptids is 
  not for polite company.
  
  TIMEWATCH RULES SYSTEM
  103
  
  104
  
  105
  TimeWatch deliberately avoids a long and detailed list of 
  available gear. You effectively have unlimited money and all 
  of time and space to pick from when you want an object; 
  the most entertaining solution when your Agent needs 
  nonstandard gear is for you to suggest it, get the okay from 
  your GM, and then use an interesting method to acquire it or 
  something similar. Agents are limited by their Preparedness, 
  their ingenuity, the GM’s good judgment, and their need to not 
  carry obviously anachronistic gear into time periods where it 
  will draw attention.
  Most TimeWatch gear is described in extremely generic 
  terms and game statistics. Whether as player or GM, you are 
  encouraged to rename it whatever you like. It’s up to you, for 
  instance, whether your beam pistol is called a blaster, ray gun, 
  Mark XII Sandoval Disintegrator, Trekov pain enhancer, or 
  something even more flavorful. The weapon will still use the 
  same base game statistics. Standard-issue TimeWatch gear 
  that your Agent starts each mission with typically has an 
  established name.
  GEAR ACQUISITION
  Over the course of the game, Agents will accumulate (and 
  destroy) huge quantities of gear. Where does it all come 
  from? The GM and players should make sure the answer 
  to that question is interesting, or short, or both. Gear 
  acquisition scenes should only be dwelled upon when they 
  add to the main investigation, when they involve a character’s 
  secrets or personal arc, or when they can be thwarted by the 
  Agents’ antagonists.
  Gear is typically acquired with a Difficulty 4 Preparedness 
  test, modified up or down based on the effectiveness and/
  or implausibility of the gear desired. Spending Investigative 
  points typically adds +3 to the Preparedness roll, usually 
  creating an auto-success. The GM may decide that certain gear 
  is impossible to acquire at all, or that an Investigative spend is 
  required to even make the gear available. When determining 
  the cost, don’t think of gear in terms of what it is; think of gear 
  in terms of what it can help you accomplish, especially when 
  it gives your Agent additional capabilities. The Preparedness 
  cost to acquire gear rises with the rarity, effectiveness, and 
  usefulness of what the gear lets you do. 
  Mace Hunter wants a tactical nuclear bomb. The GM rolls her 
  eyes and says, “No, what are you, crazy?” Chastened, Mace asks 
  instead for a Stun 5 neural disruptor grenade, like a PaciFist but in 
  a Close range blast area. Much better; the GM asks him to make a 
  Difficulty 5 Preparedness test. If  he succeeds, he has one.
  Acquired gear doesn’t last longer than the mission unless an 
  Agent makes it into a signature item, and sometimes doesn’t 
  last longer than one scene, depending on its effect.
  The following methods of acquiring gear keep the adventure 
  moving.
  HANDWAVE IT
  The characters are both smart and resourceful, and they 
  know where and when to acquire standard gear. TimeWatch 
  has substantial resources if you don’t mind the bureaucracy, 
  safe houses with well-stocked armories are scattered across 
  the globe in many time periods, and Agents may even create 
  secure hidden stashes in remote time periods where they can 
  clock in and equip themselves. You can assume possession 
  of pretty much any conventional genre-appropriate item 
  that Preparedness doesn’t cover — for the rest, there’s 
  Preparedness or Tinkering. If you ask for a piece of gear 
  and the GM thinks “sure, of course you’d have that,” no 
  Preparedness roll is required.
  REQUISITION IT
  TimeWatch has a selection of standard gear that is issued 
  to each agent at the start of a mission; see below for details. 
  Additional mission-specific gear is often added to this 
  standard list. If this gear is lost or destroyed over the course of 
  a mission, and you still have access to a time machine, it can be 
  replaced with a relatively easy Difficulty 3 Preparedness test.
  For nonstandard gear, if it’s something that TimeWatch 
  keeps in its storerooms and equipment depots scattered 
  throughout history, Agents who can demonstrate need can 
  requisition it with no more trouble than a normal Preparedness 
  test. The Agent needs to be able to clock in to a depot, of 
  course, which is often impossible mid-combat. Agents willing 
  
  CHAPTER FOUR
  106
  to spend a Bureaucracy point when requisitioning gear may end 
  up with particularly well-made, fancy, or effective equipment. 
  Unique super-science devices or particularly effective gear 
  may be unavailable for requisition, may cost significantly more 
  Preparedness than normal, or may only be available with either 
  a Preparedness or Tinkering test, along with an Investigative 
  ability spend.
  BUY IT
  If the gear is legal, you can just buy it — and if it’s legal in a 
  different time period than the one you’re currently in, you can 
  usually clock out, buy it, and clock back in (possibly making 
  Travel tests to do so). Agents may be able to use Science!, 
  Spying, Medical Expertise, or other abilities to figure out open 
  sources for dodgy gear, or a quick Disguise to impersonate 
  someone who can legally purchase it. Illegal or grey-market gear 
  takes Streetwise to locate. The GM might choose to roleplay 
  out the scene if she thinks it will be interesting, especially if 
  there may be an ambush, a double cross, a recruitment offer, 
  or some sort of mission-relevant clue. If not, buying gear is 
  usually as simple as a handwave and a Preparedness test.
  Agents don’t usually have to worry about money; with so 
  much at stake, the last thing that TimeWatch wants is for 
  newly trained agents to succumb to greed. Agents literally 
  have access to as much money for any period in history as 
  they want, up to the equivalent of $50 million dollars or so. 
  If you need to buy a building to solve a chronal anomaly, 
  TimeWatch wants to make sure you can do so, although that 
  doesn’t necessarily guarantee that the building will even be 
  for sale. This money can be requisitioned from TimeWatch 
  headquarters in whatever currency that agents desire, with the 
  possible exception of the 6th–14th century rai stones of Palau 
  and Yap1. 
  Losing access to TimeWatch headquarters will limit an 
  Agent’s easy access to immediate funds, but a Preparedness 
  test (along with some time traveling, creative investing, and the 
  human-made miracle of compound interest) can sidestep that 
  problem fairly easily in most time periods.
  MAKE IT
  Assuming you have the correct tools (which can be bought 
  or handwaved for Agents with Tinkering ability), materials 
  (which can be bought), and workspace (which may need an 
  Architecture, Interpersonal, or other Investigative spend to 
  acquire), you can use Tinkering to build or upgrade most 
  of your needed gear. You also need time, of course, which 
  becomes much less of a limiting factor when you’re a time 
  traveler. Most things — from beam weapons to surveillance 
  equipment to armed explosives — can be assembled fairly 
  easily if you have access to parts. Agents may just need to 
  make a Tinkering test against a set Difficulty, or to also spend 
  points from related pools (Hacking, Science!, Spying, Medical 
  Expertise, Shooting, etc.) to build gear from scratch. 
  Creating some objects may require specific Investigative 
  knowledge. Time machines and chronomorphic technology 
  can’t be built or repaired unless the crafter has 2 or more 
  points in Timecraft, 1 or more points of Hacking is required 
  to build or repair advanced electronics from anything more 
  than a kit, and at least 1 point in Medical Expertise is required 
  to synthesize drugs or antitoxins.
  Weapons, in particular, can quickly be overcharged or 
  altered with Tinkering to provide a more powerful than usual 
  effect for one shot. See details on p. 50. 
  As a very general rule, making things takes minutes (jury-
  rigged devices and simple tools), hours (napalm, unstable 
  explosives, kitbashed surveillance gear), days (specialized 
  communication or sensory gear, identity documents, stable 
  explosives, simple weapons), or weeks (vehicles, complex 
  weapons, complex machines, and time-related technology). 
  These are just guidelines; complex items may take longer, 
  Investigative point spends can speed this up, and the Tinkering 
  Booster halves the amount of time required to use Tinkering.
  TIME TRAVEL FOR IT
  The most fun way to get something you need is to use time 
  travel to acquire it. If you need a weapon, have your future 
  self travel back and tape one beneath your chair; if you need a 
  vehicle, clock in to the past, steal one, and leave it just around 
  the corner; if you need a military-grade disruptor rifle, clock 
  in to the future to steal one, crate it up, clock in to the past, 
  and pay someone to deliver that crate to you at exactly the 
  correct time. You still need to make a Preparedness test, and 
  1 It’s difficult to carry a four-ton coin. 
  GM ADVICE:  
  I’M RICH! I’M RICH!
  A lack of funds isn’t usually one of the 
  factors limiting the success of a TimeWatch 
  mission. Characters may decide to limit how 
  much money they are immediately carrying 
  on them in case they are stopped and 
  searched while undercover, but you should 
  allow the Agents to solve a problem by 
  throwing money at it; in fact, surprisingly few 
  problems can be solved this way. It’s also 
  worth remembering that excess consumption 
  will draw unwanted attention. People will 
  want to know who they are if they’re buying 
  skyscrapers or riding up to city gates atop 
  jeweled elephants, and that level of interest 
  creates its own complications. TimeWatch 
  looks poorly upon those agents who 
  accidentally destabilize a local economy by 
  tossing around too much currency, because 
  the ripples cause additional paradoxes that 
  the agents will need to fix.
  
  GEAR
  107
  get ready to explain how your delivery plan will work. Travel 
  tests aren’t required for straightforward time traveling gear 
  acquisition unless your GM rules otherwise. Even if she does 
  require Travel tests to acquire a particularly impressive item, 
  it’s usually worth it for the combination of a quick resolution 
  and a fun effect.
  STEAL IT
  Can’t get it any other way? Use a Burglary test to steal one. 
  For gear stored somewhere with high security such that you 
  can’t just clock into the central vault with your autochron to 
  take what you want, you may have to mount a mini-operation 
  to rob the place. Just be cautious about stealing something 
  that’s essential to the course of history, unless you like making 
  unexpected paradox-related Paradox tests. 
  Depending on how much fun or how much of a distraction 
  the scene seems to be, the GM will either handwave the 
  burglary with a few rolls, or — if acquiring the item is the focus 
  of the mission — have you play out the burglary operation.
  FAKE IT
  Since most gear is handwaved, the simplest way to adjudicate 
  futuristic technology is for the player to just spend an 
  Investigative point and describe the effect as some sort of 
  gear. So long as the GM agrees, a player who wants a pair 
  of night vision contact lenses can simply spend 1 point of 
  Notice to have had them on the entire time. A player who 
  wants a miniature timetrap that slows an enemy into near-
  glacial motion, lowering their Hit Threshold for a few rounds 
  and making them easier to hit, can spend 1 point of Timecraft 
  to emulate the effect. All such uses are subject to GM approval 
  and seldom last more than a single scene, and more powerful 
  devices usually require a Preparedness or Tinkering test as 
  well. Very few weapons fall under this category, but quite a 
  few devices that provide a temporary advantage do.
  Dr. Breen wishes to have exact control over what false memories 
  she places in an unconscious captive. Instead of  using a MEM-tag 
  she asks the GM about acquiring a futuristic device that inserts 
  nanofibers into a victim’s scalp, which lets her then reprogram the 
  victim’s mind with whatever exact information she wishes. The GM 
  suggests that she spend 1 point of  History (because of  false historical 
  memory), Science! (because of  the device’s technological nature), or 
  Trivia (because it imparts varied and detailed memories) to have such 
  a device, which will function once on one unconscious subject. Dr. Breen 
  thinks that sounds reasonable. She spends the Investigative point and 
  turns out to have had the device all along as an experimental invention.
  If  she had asked about a pharmacological approach, she might 
  instead have spent 1 point of  Medical Expertise for a synthesized 
  drug, or Outdoor Survival for hallucinogenic berries to get the same 
  effect. Either way, it’d be something that she already had in her 
  possession but hadn’t needed until that moment.
  MAKE IT UP
  One of the GM’s challenges with TimeWatch gear is that the 
  players pretty much have anything ever invented in the past or 
  future to choose from. When faking it doesn’t work, how is 
  the GM supposed to adjudicate equipment from every science 
  fiction book or movie her players are familiar with?
  Pretty easily, actually. It requires the GM and the player to 
  agree on both a cool name for the gear and an effect. The 
  player should tell the GM what he wants and what he wants it 
  to do, then the two quickly agree on what it does, what it looks 
  like, and how much it costs to acquire. It is always the GM’s 
  prerogative to decide on the final cost. 
  Dr. Leah Breen needs to get to the top of  a skyscraper to recover 
  her stolen autochron. She asks the GM if  she can use her 32nd-
  century antigravity emitter. “You have one of  those?” asks the GM. 
  “Oh yes,” says Dr. Breen, looking innocent. Since it blatantly breaks 
  the normal rules of  physics but it’s really cool, they agree that the 
  super-science device just requires Dr. Breen to spend a Science! point, 
  with the understanding that the device would burn out after one use. 
  If  she wanted to continue to use it for the rest of  the scene or the 
  rest of  the mission, they decide it would require a Science! point and 
  a Preparedness spend of  Difficulty 4 or 6, respectively. Dr. Breen 
  thinks that sounds about fair, and makes up her mind accordingly.
  Later, Dr. Breen is fighting a squad of  cybernetic soldiers 
  accidentally transported into ancient Greece, and she wants an 
  inhibitor field projector that can stop some of  them from moving. The 
  GM has no idea what an inhibitor field projector might be, and asks 
  Dr. Breen’s player, Raina, to describe it. Raina says it’s a rifle-sized 
  device that uses Shooting to aim, works with the Restraining rules on 
  p. 83, and locks 1d6 targets in place with force fields while causing no 
  damage. The GM considers: multiple targets is a little overpowered, 
  as it’s a combat-changer, but Restrained foes can still fight. That’s not 
  bad at all. She says that getting one will cost a Science! point spend 
  and a normal Preparedness test of  Difficulty 4. If  Raina also wanted 
  it to cause gradual damage to its victims, the GM might raise the 
  Preparedness Difficulty to 6.
  Reskinning Gear
  TimeWatch focuses on effects, not objects, so if the GM allows 
  it, then “gear” doesn’t actually need to be a physical object. 
  If a different character who was being played as a psychic 
  asked for the same inhibitor field projector, he could spend 
  an Intimidation point instead of a Science! point and describe 
  the same effect as coming from a psychic paralysis. Obviously, 
  this would only be possible for a character that is consistently 
  played as psychic, and would require the GM’s okay.
  Even weapons can be reskinned. Swords could be skinned as 
  dinosaur claws, a knife could be reskinned as a psychic scalpel, 
  and a high-tech disintegration pistol that crumbles walls to 
  dust could be described as psychically amplified mind-blasts.
  
  CHAPTER FOUR
  108
  Borrowing From  
  Other GUMSHOE Books
  Night’s Black Agents is a superb source for modern spy gear, 
  just as Ashen Stars provides an excellent source for futuristic 
  gear and Trail of  Cthulhu can provide examples of weapons 
  from the 1920s and 1930s. It’s not exactly plug-and-play, as 
  GUMSHOE weapon Damage Modifiers vary a bit from 
  game system to game system, but it’s close enough that you’re 
  unlikely to run into major problems by borrowing weapons 
  or technology from these sources. If you own those games, 
  it may be worthwhile to pillage them for ideas that you then 
  translate into TimeWatch. 
  If using Ashen Stars, note that TimeWatch’s neural disruptors 
  use a different stunning system than Ashen Stars’ disruptors. 
  Don’t mix the two.
  ESTABLISHING SIGNATURE GEAR
  You may wish to establish certain gear as a signature item, 
  one that helps define your character. A player who is playing 
  Amelia Earhart might want a jetpack as a signature item that 
  she has available in every mission; a player who is running a 
  former space marine might want his favorite disintegrator rifle 
  to always be available. A signature item can be a particularly 
  powerful gun, a chronomorphic vehicle, a particularly capable 
  autochron, a better armored uniform, or something else. No 
  two characters may have the same signature item in any given 
  game unless the GM gives explicit approval. 
  To gain a signature item, first start by acquiring it with 
  Preparedness or Tinkering. Before something can become a 
  signature item, the gear must be used by you in at least two 
  different scenes: two scenes in one mission, or one scene each 
  in two missions. If the GM doesn’t think the gear helps define 
  your character, she may disallow it from being considered 
  signature.
  Once an item qualifies by being used sufficiently, you 
  may spend 2 build points to add the item to your Agent’s 
  standard equipment list. You then have access to it in every 
  scene of every mission, instead of needing to purchase it with 
  Preparedness and Investigative points each time. That’s why 
  signature items are never automatically available on your first 
  mission, as they are bought with build points that your Agent 
  acquires with mission experience. 
  With the GM’s approval, you may have more than one 
  signature item. Items that give no mechanical effect (such as 
  an autochron painted with unique racing stripes, or a tether 
  that appears as a talking pocket watch) may be free, or might 
  cost at most 1 build point instead. 
  FUTURISTIC WEAPONS IN AN 
  ANCIENT WORLD
  Uncared-for gear suffers from chronal decay in an anachronistic 
  setting, so any anachronistic object doesn’t work for long when 
  used by anyone other than a time traveler. An anachronistic 
  weapon or other object used by someone without the Reality 
  Anchor or Tempus ability decays at whatever rate the GM 
  wishes for plot reasons, whether quickly (a few minutes or 
  after a handful of uses) or slowly (a few days or weeks, or 
  after many uses). The amount of time before decay sets in is 
  completely up to the GM, but can usually be detected through 
  use of the Timecraft ability. Chronal decay has a bad habit of 
  settling in suddenly at dramatically appropriate times.
  Chronal decay can have a catastrophic effect on the fate of 
  stolen spaceships and autochrons, but usually has little effect 
  for futuristic grenades, explosives, and other single-use objects 
  that haven’t been stored for long. 
  In the case of larger items such as tanks or spaceships, the 
  individual with Reality Anchor or Tempus doesn’t need to be 
  the primary operator to stop it from losing Chronal Stability; 
  they only need to be touching the device, even if they’re 
  unconscious and tied up at the time. 
  A device called a chronal stabilizer (see p. 128) can 
  temporarily prevent chronal decay, keeping anachronistic items 
  within Very Long range of the stabilizer functioning normally 
  even when wielded by someone without the Reality Anchor 
  or Tempus ability. Chronal stabilizers are rare, difficult to keep 
  working correctly, and generally banned from transportation 
  through time as they’re primarily used by saboteurs.
  Mace Hunter is ambushed in 1877 Deadwood, and Calamity 
  Jane steals the chronomorphic high-energy plasma pistol he keeps in his 
  holster. With Mace out of  the picture, Calamity Jane or her non–time 
  traveling allies can fire the pistol for a GM-determined amount of  
  times before it inexplicably ceases to work. Mace Hunter or another 
  time traveler with Reality Anchor or Tempus would have to touch it to 
  make it briefly functional once again.
  GM ADVICE:  
  ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RAY GUNS!
  This rule is designed for GMs who want to 
  limit the effectiveness of high-tech weaponry 
  left in earlier times. If you’re running a Pulp 
  game or you need abandoned high-tech 
  weaponry to work flawlessly in order for 
  your plot to work, simply ignore the rule and 
  declare that this is one case where chronal 
  decay isn’t an issue.
  
  GEAR
  109
  Chronomorphic: This item changes its shape and 
  appearance to match the historical era it is currently in. The 
  player can generally pick the appearance; if the GM chooses 
  to pick it instead, she will typically toss the player a Stitch to 
  say “sorry I just screwed you with something embarrassing.”
  Standard: This item is TimeWatch standard equipment, 
  and all Agents typically start with it.
  Restricted: This item is forbidden by TimeWatch edict, 
  and Agents cannot obtain one through normal means. The 
  GM may flat-out forbid using Preparedness to obtain one, or 
  the Preparedness test may be unusually high. To acquire one, 
  Agents may need to build one themselves with Tinkering, or 
  go on a specific mission to acquire one.
  Super-Science: This item is considered super-science, and 
  can typically only be obtained by spending a Science! point 
  instead of (or in addition to) testing Preparedness.
  Hackable: This item can be hacked with the Tinkering 
  ability to briefly improve its effect.
  STANDARD ISSUE TIMEWATCH GEAR
  Most TimeWatch campaigns feature standard equipment that is issued 
  to every Agent. If this equipment is lost or needs replacing, and 
  you have access to an autochron, 
  the Preparedness Difficulty to 
  replace standard gear is usually 1 
  lower than normal — although 
  be prepared to fill out multiple 
  reports promising that you didn’t 
  accidentally lose the anachronistic 
  technology in an earlier time. 
  This list of standard mission 
  gear is:
  X
  X 	Autochron (your time machine)
  X
  X 	Impersonator Mesh
  X
  X 	Medkit
  X
  X 	MEM-Tags
  X
  X PaciFist Neural Disruptor (usable 
  with both Scuffling and Shooting)
  X
  X 	Tether
  X
  X 	TimeWatch Uniform
  X
  X 	Translator
  All characters start with this 
  equipment at the beginning of 
  every mission unless the GM says 
  otherwise; on your character sheet, 
  feel free to list “standard gear” 
  instead of listing each of these 
  out. Certain campaign frames 
  may use an entirely different set 
  of starting equipment, or may 
  provide no starting equipment 
  whatsoever. Your GM will let you 
  know of any changes.
  EQUIPMENT COST
  A listing for cost gives a modifier to a standard Difficulty 4 
  Preparedness test to acquire this item for one scene (or for the 
  entire mission, with your GM’s approval). For instance, a cost 
  Difficulty +2 item would acquire a Difficulty 6 Preparedness 
  test to obtain. A +0 Difficulty cost is the standard Difficulty 4 
  for the relevant ability test. 
  In cases where the GM approves, especially for accessories, 
  Tinkering or other General abilities can be substituted 
  for Preparedness. For instance, an atmospherically sealed 
  autochron can be acquired or modified with a Difficulty 4 
  Preparedness or Tinkering test. A chronomorphic autochron 
  would need a Difficulty 6 Preparedness or Tinkering test. For 
  gear that combines more than one +0 cost, don’t be surprised 
  if the GM raises the final cost to a level that reflects the 
  accurate value of the final gear. 
  Kelfala wants to acquire a top-notch beam weapon. A standard 
  beam rifle is Difficulty 4; autofire adds +2, chronomorphic adds +2, 
  extended range adds +1, and concussion adds +2. That results in a 
  Difficulty 11 Preparedness test. Kelfala spends 1 point of  History 
  (Future) for +3 points (under the argument that he knows where 
  such weapons are sold), spends a whole 6 Preparedness points, and 
  rolls a 3. His total Preparedness test is 12, and he has the weapon. 
  His Shooting attacks now have a Damage Modifier of  +2, have 
  their range extended, will knock back anyone hit, and he can use the 
  Autofire rules on p. 84. Whenever he travels, the beam rifle will look 
  like a local firearm (or like something innocuous, such as an umbrella 
  or cane).
  Considering how much he spent, the player asks the GM if  he 
  can hang onto the rifle for the entire mission. The GM thinks that’s 
  completely reasonable, with the condition that Kelfala gives it a name. 
  Kelfala declares that it’s a Halpin-Michienzi Mik45 Crater, so called 
  because it blasts craters into the bodies of  people it kills. Kelfala decides 
  to refer to it as his “shooting star.” The GM decides to arm bad guys 
  with it next mission. Everyone wins.
  Short on Preparedness or Tinkering points? Remember that 
  appropriate Investigative abilities (often including Hacking, 
  Paradox Prevention, Science!, and Timecraft, amongst others) 
  can be spent to gain +3 on a die roll. 
  EQUIPMENT GLOSSARY
  When relevant, gear may include key words to help you 
  immediately define its capabilities. These are:
  Ancient: This item originates from a time before the 14th 
  century. 
  Contemporary: This item originates from a time between 
  the 14th and mid-21st century.
  Future: This item originates from a time after the mid-21st 
  century.
  Subtle: This item, and/or its effect, is difficult to notice 
  when in use.
  Blatant: This item, and/or its effect, is obvious when in use. 
  Time machines have 
  come a long way since 
  the early days.
  
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  110
  AUTOCHRON
  Future, Blatant, Standard
  The autochron is TimeWatch’s standard issue time machine, 
  issued to agents because it balances portability and flexibility 
  with ease of use. An inactive autochron looks like a 33 cm 
  long metal bar with no visible controls. Inactive autochrons 
  are incredibly robust and are quite difficult to damage (Armor 
  5; if unactivated, they generally aren’t damaged by an attack 
  unless the GM deliberately wishes them to be). When inactive, 
  their rod form can be used in combat as an improvised 
  weapon with little risk of damage to the device. An autochron 
  is activated by a control thought from the biometrically linked 
  agent it has been assigned to. A closed autochron can be 
  hacked to open and activate, typically requires a Difficulty 6 
  Tinkering test.
  Once activated, the rod extends one meter to act as a set of 
  handlebars. Holographic controls project from the control bar, 
  and the operator sets the destination time and location with 
  voice, touch, or prerecorded tether command. Once time and 
  destination are set and the autochron is activated, the device 
  extends a brilliant purple sphere around the operator (and up 
  to one adult-sized passenger, if neither mind close quarters). 
  It spends 1 round calculating coordinates and charging its 
  chronal field. One round after activation, the autochron and 
  anything within its chronal field clocks out and disappears.
  Time traveling mid-combat can be an extremely dangerous 
  proposition. When the chronal field first activates, the 
  autochron and the operator are both quite vulnerable. Any 
  attack during that round that hits the time traveler, regardless of 
  damage, collapses the chronal field and causes the autochron 
  to stop working until repaired. Any individual in the chronal 
  field at the time must make a Difficulty 6 / Loss 6 Paradox 
  test. After the one round of vulnerability autochron chronal 
  fields act as cover for the pilots inside them, raising Agent Hit 
  Thresholds by 1 point. After a jump an autochron requires 
  1–3 rounds, rolled randomly as needed, before it recharges 
  and can time travel or teleport again.
  Broken autochrons can be repaired with several hours of work 
  by an Agent with Timecraft 2 and an expenditure of 6 Tinkering, 
  although the GM may decide to increase or reduce this repair 
  time and Tinkering cost based on the availability of parts and 
  tools. Spending a Science! or Timecraft point typically cuts this 
  time in half, as does the Tinkering Booster Rapid Deployment. 
  Autochrons are usually set to adjust their arrival location to 
  somewhere private where their distinctive sound and vibrant 
  purple glow will not be seen. This can easily be turned off 
  by an operator more interested in accuracy than secrecy. 
  An autochron can safely materialize underwater or in outer 
  space and will protect the operator from atmosphere-based 
  environmental hazards so long as the device remains active. 
  Materialized autochrons cannot physically move under their 
  own power, like a car or a carriage. They only re-emerge inside 
  a solid object if deliberately hacked to do so, something that 
  almost never occurs. This results in a Class 2 explosion.
  Although operators can specify a spatial arrival coordinate, 
  the autochron’s physical arrival accuracy is somewhat 
  dependent on the distance traveled in time. Travel within a 
  year, and it’s usually exact; within a decade, and it lands in 
  the same room as the intended spot; within a century, and it 
  arrives in the same building, up to an error of perhaps twenty 
  kilometers after traveling hundreds of millions of years. The 
  GM can increase or decrease this accuracy at her whim, and 
  one Agent spending a Timecraft point before clocking out will 
  usually ensure precise arrival for the entire group.
  The chronal accuracy of an autochron does not suffer from 
  GM ADVICE:  
  THE IMPORTANCE OF FRAGILITY
  But wait, you say, why do time machines 
  take a combat round to activate? Why is an 
  Agent incredibly vulnerable while they’re 
  warming up? Isn’t that overly harsh?
  Here’s the challenge. In a traditional RPG 
  fight scene, combatants have a limited 
  number of ways to escape. They can try 
  to run away, in which case they may be 
  chased, but certain fantasy games aside, it’s 
  rare to find an instantaneous healing method 
  that has them badly injured one round and 
  just fine the next. When an Agent has access 
  to instant and risk-free time travel, this could 
  happen literally every round of combat. An 
  Agent would get hurt, travel ten thousand 
  years into the past (or forward to futuristic 
  medical facilities on a space station), heal 
  up, get drunk, sober up, eat a nice breakfast, 
  watch a video, rearm himself, find some 
  pugnacious friends to accompany him, and 
  then clock back in one second after he left. 
  As you can imagine, that doesn’t particularly 
  make for a fun fight.
  We’re hesitant to say that autochrons take five 
  minutes to active, or that you can’t clock out 
  in the middle of a fight. That seems restrictive. 
  Our compromise, and one that seems to 
  work, is to have activating a time machine 
  make you vulnerable for one round. Your 
  time machine will break if you’re attacked, 
  and you risk Chronal Stability Loss; don’t 
  do it lightly. It’ll probably take teamwork in 
  order for you to escape, perhaps in the form 
  of a comrade spending a point of Taunt to 
  draw your enemies’ attention, or using the 
  initiative system to have them go last in one 
  round and then first in the next round. That 
  seems like a reasonable trade-off. If you 
  don’t agree, feel free to tweak the rules until 
  you’re happy with the in-game result.
  
  GEAR
  111
  this error. Barring interference or unusual circumstances, an 
  autochron arrives exactly when it is set to, regardless of the 
  amount of time jumped.
  IMPERSONATOR MESH
  Future, Subtle, Standard
  Impersonator mesh is a transparent, psi-active device 
  that sits directly on the Agent’s skin and immediately blends 
  in with skin to become almost invisible. It samples nearby 
  thoughts and causes observers to be casually uninterested in 
  any individual wearing the mesh. Impersonator mesh grants a 
  +3 Stealth Modifier on Unobtrusiveness tests so long as the 
  Agent has not yet brought attention to himself in some way. 
  It does not function against mechanical detection devices such 
  as robots, AI, or security systems, and ceases functioning for 
  the scene once the Agent deliberately or accidentally gets the 
  attention of anyone outside of the mission team.
  MEDKIT
  Future, Blatant, Standard
  A TimeWatch medkit consists of a drug synthesis micro-
  unit, a tether-linked bio-scanner, rapid-heal nanites, dermal 
  repair units, and other technobabble-laden devices that provide 
  rapid and high-tech healing. As noted on p. 48, the Medic 
  ability works at half efficiency unless the Agent possesses a 
  medkit. The act of using a medkit when healing someone in 
  an anachronistic time period is immediately obvious to anyone 
  with the slightest degree of medical training, and may trigger a 
  Paradox test and/or get you strung up as a witch.
   
  MEM-TAGS
  Future, Standard, Hackable
  When someone witnesses anachronistic events and can’t 
  be talked out of the memory in any other way, TimeWatch 
  agents turn to the MEM-tagging process. MEM-tags are small 
  data chips that must be deliberately placed on an unconscious 
  (and usually stunned) subject. They act as a chronal beacon 
  for TimeWatch technicians in the far future to kidnap the 
  subject with a directed tachyon beam. Subjects are kidnapped, 
  mind-wiped, given reconstructed memories, and returned to 
  their same locations a few milliseconds later, after which the 
  agent removes the used MEM-tag. To local observers a MEM-
  tagged subject seems to flicker slightly; once woken, they 
  will remember whatever variant memories that TimeWatch 
  technicians have installed. 
  The process isn’t perfect; it isn’t uncommon for subjects to 
  experience lost time or déjà vu, have contradictory memories, 
  or to retain a feeling of being probed. The process leaves 
  neurological traces in brain chemistry that can be detected 
  with Medical Expertise or Science! by an investigator who 
  is deliberately looking for irregularities. Rumors that some 
  TimeWatch agents have themselves shown signs of MEM-
  tagging are surely just that: rumors.
  One thing is clear: rendering the subject unconscious first isn’t 
  just a good recommendation to make the technicians’ jobs easier. 
  The tachyon-beam technology used for remote retrieval typically 
  renders a conscious subject incurably insane. MEM-tags have 
  a red LED that starts blinking when it locks onto a conscious 
  target, and as per TimeWatch regulations, technicians refuse to 
  retrieve them. This bureaucratic limitation can be sidestepped 
  with a Bureaucracy spend (to have bribed the technician), or a 
  Tinkering test (to have surreptitiously hacked the MEM-tag).
  Clever Agents may try to use MEM-tags to heal their own fallen 
  and unconscious Agents, something that is against TimeWatch 
  policy but which sometimes occurs anyways. An expenditure of 
  2 Bureaucracy points is required; these points can either come 
  from the unconscious Agent, the Agent slapping on the MEM-
  tag, or both. Without the Bureaucracy spend, the downed Agent 
  is simply not retrieved by technicians who have a greater love of 
  bureaucratic protocol than they do of heroism.
  Successful retrieval delivers a fully healed but stunned Agent 
  to the spot he disappeared from seconds before. As with any 
  stunned character, a successful Difficulty 4 Medic test (typically 
  taking a combat action) is needed to restore consciousness.
  GM ADVICE:  
  AVOIDING INSTANT DISPOSAL
  It’s just a matter of time before you encounter 
  this scenario:
  Player: “So we’ve found the bad guy? I use 
  Scuffling to slap him with a MEM-tag. Let the 
  brain-techs zap him into custody.”
  GM: “But… he’ll be driven insane!”
  Player: “I find myself surprisingly comfortable 
  with that. You guys? Yeah, we’re all willing 
  to live with that.”
  That’s why TimeWatch adds the red LED 
  to MEM-tags and instructs technicians not 
  to retrieve anyone for whom it is active; 
  it’s technically possible for TimeWatch to 
  retrieve a conscious subject, but there’s an 
  extra bureaucratic barrier to doing so.
  If your players decide to circumvent this 
  bureaucratic barrier and MEM-tag a conscious 
  foe anyways, they’re effectively saying, “Hey 
  GM! We want the hideously insane big bad 
  evil guy to kill a technician, run amok inside of 
  our headquarters, then steal a time machine 
  and go cause more chaos elsewhere in 
  history!” You should consider this a very kind 
  gift to your rat-bastard plotting tendencies, 
  and respond accordingly.
  
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  112
  Anything that stops time travel, such as chronal inhibitors, 
  mission-related time disruption, gratuitous GM plot devices, 
  and the complete or partial elimination of TimeWatch through 
  chronal hijinks will stop MEM-tags from functioning. 
  PACIFIST NEURAL DISRUPTOR
  Future, Subtle, Chronomorphic, Standard, Hackable; Close 
  range; Stun 5
  PaciFists are stun guns usable with both the Scuffling (for 
  Point-Blank range only) and Shooting (for up to Close range) 
  abilities, and are specially designed for TimeWatch use. They 
  are chronomorphic, blending in to a historical era by changing 
  their physical shape and appearance. Agents can usually decide 
  what shape their PaciFist assumes: a walking cane, a six-gun 
  revolver, a mobile phone, a short stick, a cigarette case, a pipe, 
  or whatever appropriate form the Agent wishes. The GM 
  can pick the form for the player if she wishes, although she 
  may want to toss the player a Stitch if she picks something 
  awkward or incongruous. 
  PaciFists have a rating of Stun 5. They only work at Point-
  Blank and (if used with the Shooting ability) Close range, 
  and are ineffective at farther ranges. That’s their trade-off for 
  making no noise and having no visible beam; the only way to 
  tell a PaciFist has been fired is by the slight scent of ozone and 
  a toppling, unconscious body, which makes them perfect for 
  undercover work.
  As described on p. 51, making a successful Tinkering test 
  can overcharge a PaciFist, boosting its effect up to either Stun 
  6 or Near range, your choice, for its next shot. Rolling a 1 on 
  the d6 during an overcharged attack burns out the weapon 
  regardless of whether the attack was successful. Fixing a 
  burned out weapon requires 10 minutes of work time and a 
  successful Tinkering test.
  TETHER 
  Future, Subtle, Standard
  No one expects your character — or you — to remember 
  all the intricate details of recorded history. That’s what your 
  tether is for. 
  This 25th-century technology is a ring-sized personal digital 
  assistant on overdrive. Your tether serves as your encrypted 
  communicator, your camera, your encyclopedia, your journal, 
  your holographic research assistant, and your personal historian 
  for any information you don’t already know. It can observe and 
  record your surroundings, talk directly and secretly into your 
  ear through a subdermal implant, feed information directly 
  into linked contact lenses, holographically display and rotate 
  3-D maps, translate any known language instantaneously, 
  interface with your weapons, manifest a holographic screen, 
  and help you run technical tests if you need to investigate a 
  crime scene. The AI in your tether is even capable of having 
  its own personality, although not all agents enable this.
  Tethers access records of true history, the correct recorded 
  history as TimeWatch knows it2. When history changes 
  around you, your tether won’t know anything about the newly 
  created history, but it will tell you what originally should have 
  happened instead.
  Your tether is chronomorphic; that means that it adjusts its 
  appearance to your current time period. If you’re in the 20th 
  century, its holographic readouts might look like a newspaper; 
  in the 15th century, like a woodcut. You usually get to choose.
  If you lack the Research Investigative ability, your 
  connection with your tether is somewhat compromised when 
  compared to other Agents. Your tether will still report to you 
  on whatever eras of history you have selected as Investigative 
  2 If there have ever been cases of internal saboteurs within 
  TimeWatch hacking tethers to change the official record of true 
  history, the event has been covered up — or no one has noticed yet.
  GM ADVICE: NEURAL DISRUPTORS AND FUN GAME PLAY
  The rules for nonlethal fire represent a compromise between genre fidelity and playability. In classic 
  science fiction stories, future technology such as stun rays typically take out a target in one shot. Writers 
  always contrive to keep this satisfying.
  In a game, limiting firefight shots so that they either result in a miss or in instant victory is generally 
  unsatisfying. It’s fun to mow down insignificant enemies in one shot, but not to be taken out with one hit 
  or to do the same to a central foe.
  Accordingly, the rules are configured to allow you to still instantly zap minor enemies, but to require 
  several attacks to down a player character or major antagonist (depending on how much Health 
  they’re willing to spend, and how lucky they get). This still feels fast and decisive, and thus retains a 
  touch of futuristic flavor while still keeping tabletop play fun.
  Neural disruptors such as PaciFists are useful in a time travel game, because the players have more 
  creative options when they know they can surreptitiously knock a mind-controlled Albert Einstein out 
  cold while not killing him in the process. If your TimeWatch campaign is grittier, focus on firearms and 
  beam weapons and be willing to accept some accidental and history-changing lethality.
  
  GEAR
  113
  abilities, but will lose its data connection or have a tendency to 
  report less relevant information when you are attempting to 
  research other areas of interest. Don’t be surprised if the GM 
  has fun roleplaying this. 
  Make no mistake, tethers are a plot device that exist to make 
  TimeWatch games more fun. They’re the reason that Agents 
  using their Research ability can spend most of their time in the 
  field instead of in libraries. Not that libraries aren’t fantastic, 
  but when you need to know the exact details of the Battle 
  of Hastings while someone with a sword is trying to kill you, 
  you’ll appreciate your tether’s more immediate convenience. 
  Because their capabilities aren’t minutely described, a tether’s 
  capabilities can be as advanced as you and the GM wish it to 
  be. Tethers are superb for explaining how you can quickly gain 
  information from your more obscure Investigative abilities. 
  Whether you’re secretly subvocalizing with your team on an 
  encrypted channel, interfacing with a missile’s guidance system, 
  hacking a massive information network, or viewing a 3-D map 
  of Prussian battle sites, your tether is the tool of choice to use.
  TIMEWATCH UNIFORM
  Future, Subtle, Chronomorphic, Standard; Armor 1
  It’s common for TimeWatch agents to change clothes 
  early and often as they disguise themselves for different 
  time periods, and the TimeWatch uniform often remains 
  on if it can be worked into the disguise. This comfortable 
  two-part uniform of incredibly light, resilient futuristic 
  material is chronomorphic and can be changed in color and 
  shape to accompany many appropriate styles for a given 
  era of history. Its most valuable quality is that despite its 
  lack of heft, the nanofibers it is woven from act as Armor 
  1 (see p. 123) against all Scuffling and Shooting attacks. It 
  does not provide protection from incidents such as fire, 
  explosions, and crashes.
  GM ADVICE: IT’S GOT A 
  GREAT PERSONALITY
  Similar to JARVIS in Marvel’s Iron Man 
  movies, tethers can include an extremely 
  advanced artificial intelligence that has 
  its own personality and responds to voice 
  commands. Agents usually pick both the 
  AI’s name and personality, after which the 
  AI is typically roleplayed by the GM. Tether 
  AIs are fiercely loyal to the agent they’re 
  assigned to, looking out for the agent’s best 
  interests when possible but never taking 
  more than an advisory role.
  In humorous games, personality clashes 
  might occur. Less desirable personalities in 
  tethers might be obsequious, depressive, 
  crude, insulting, and incessantly gung ho. 
  A kind GM may toss the player a Stitch 
  when the grating personality surfaces with 
  comedic effect.
  Like talking magic items in other games, 
  however, a little personality goes a long way. 
  The tether should be a reliable and completely 
  trustworthy friend, and its intelligence should 
  be just as insightful as the Agent — even if it 
  can only present clues instead of putting them 
  together. That’s the Agent’s job. 
  The one exception to a trustworthy tether 
  might occur in the Conspiracy campaign 
  frame where personality corruption may 
  exist, AIs may be secretly sentient or co-
  opted by outsiders with shadowy agendas, 
  and an Agent can never entirely be sure if his 
  tether is looking out for his own best interest.
  Dr. Breen uses her tether to call in an airstrike  
  from the weapons satellite her future self is  
  going to place into orbit last week.
  
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  114
  It is up to the GM and the group to decide what TimeWatch’s 
  official uniform looks like in terms of color, pattern, and cut. 
  TRANSLATOR
  Future, Subtle, Standard
  Using the sensory data from your tether, the translator 
  instantly translates any historical language that TimeWatch 
  linguists have investigated and instantly allows an agent 
  to correctly vocalize that language as well. If desired, 
  vocalization can include an accent. The translator can also 
  translate written text and hieroglyphs, if they are in a known 
  language and are legible.
  There are some languages that the translator cannot help 
  with until it has gathered a sufficient sample of audio and/
  or written data: extremely obscure languages, prehistoric 
  languages, alien languages, and unique languages from 
  parallel timelines.
  TIME MACHINES
  There are many different ways to time travel, and different 
  antagonists will use different methods. These time machine 
  accessories and alternate time machines may replace the 
  TimeWatch’s standard autochron entirely, or be encountered 
  in use by others during missions.
  Autochron Accessories
  Autochrons are the standard time machine issued to TimeWatch 
  agents; full details on autochrons can be found on p. 110.
  Want to trick out your time machine? You have a variety 
  of options available through Preparedness and Tinkering. 
  Options include:
  Atmospheric Sealant
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future
  Autochrons can be specially designed to always protect their 
  inhabitant with an atmosphere-sealing force field whether the 
  chronal field is active or not. This force field is permeable to solid 
  matter but keeps out poisonous vapors, pressurized water, and the 
  vacuum of space. These autochrons are typically used for missions 
  underwater, in deep space, or on hostile planets, as they’re more 
  robust than normal autochrons would be in these environments.
  Chronal Net
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future, Blatant
  When something larger than a human needs to be moved 
  through time, it takes two TimeWatch agents and a chronal 
  GM ADVICE:  
  SPEAK, SPELL, AND LISTEN
  We’re well aware that language issues are 
  simply handwaved away by the plot device 
  of instant translation. We like this because 
  Agents can (and will) travel anywhere and 
  anywhen in the blink of an eye, and because 
  TimeWatch isn’t a game about shouting at 
  each other loudly while suffering comedic 
  misunderstandings. Usually.
  If you disagree, the easiest way to sidestep 
  this technology and still keep the game fun is 
  to have TimeWatch technicians use memory-
  encoding technology to educate Agents 
  in any applicable languages immediately 
  before a mission. Alternatively, hard core 
  Agents wishing to speak, say, fluent ancient 
  Etruscan can always use time travel to just 
  live in Etruria for a few years in 6th century 
  BCE before the mission starts. That may seem 
  like more trouble than it’s worth, but the 
  Agent gets points for dedication.
  If mechanically determining the number of 
  foreign languages known by the agents is 
  preferable for you, details on the optional 
  Languages Investigative ability can be found 
  on p. 326.
  GM ADVICE:  
  MECHANICS VS. CHROME
  As long as a time machine does what you 
  want it to, it doesn’t matter in the least what it 
  looks like or what the effect of time traveling 
  feels and sounds like. You’re encouraged to 
  add or remove as many special effects as you 
  like to describe the act of time traveling. Days 
  slipping away under an arc of the rising and 
  setting sun? Endless mirrors reflecting in one 
  another as you tumble down into infinity? A 
  sanity-bending starry field of tentacles and 
  incomprehensible, screaming thoughts? An 
  endless spiral of nothingness where sound 
  becomes color? An instant transition, as 
  quick as a finger snap? It’s completely up 
  to you. Pick one you think will be the most 
  fun to describe or which leads to unexpected 
  plot hooks.
  
  GEAR
  115
  net. The net is an energy net, not a physical one; as long as 
  one autochron is outfitted with the device, the net stretches 
  between both time machines up to roughly a 10-meter length 
  (about the right size to move a truck or a T. rex, but too 
  small to move something like a battleship). An object can be 
  entangled by a successful Difficulty 4 Vehicles test by both 
  Agents, and any entangled object is transported through time 
  with the autochrons that have entangled it. If the autochrons 
  travel to different destinations, the chronal net automatically 
  fails.
  Chronomorphic Technology
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future, Chronomorphic
  Since autochrons collapse down into short rods, they are 
  seldom equipped with chronomorphic technology that can 
  disguise them in other time periods. When you fail your roll 
  to acquire a time machine with chronomorphic technology, 
  you still receive it; it just has a tendency to stick in one form 
  for multiple missions, or to assume an appearance completely 
  foreign to the local time and place.
  Mounted Weaponry
  Cost: Difficulty +4, or spend 1 Bureaucracy point to 
  requisition from TimeWatch’s Citadel
  Future, Blatant
  While autochrons are not typically armed, autochron-
  mounted weapons can rain down death from above with great 
  efficiency. Their attack is far from subtle, however, and an 
  autochron cannot be collapsed into rod form while weapons 
  are attached. When TimeWatch needs a mounted-weapons 
  platform, they typically use a different time period for a staging 
  area first to order to equip the battle platforms. 
  Autochron cannons always use the Vehicles ability to aim 
  and operate, and can be fired from Long range. They are 
  typically available in three forms, each at Preparedness 6: 
  Heavy Beam cannons, doing +3 damage against one target; 
  Wildfire Projector cannons, inflicting extensive exposure 
  to fire (see p. 101) and setting flammable objects ablaze; and 
  the four-ammo Paradox Missile cannon, creating a class 3 
  explosion from Long range (see p. 99). These weapons are 
  never authorized for use in anachronistic time periods where 
  there is any chance of surviving witnesses.
  Tether Link
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  Future, Subtle
  A tether link’s neural interface allows you to operate your 
  autochron hands free. In a time chase, your autochron tether 
  link will give you 1 bonus Stitch each time you clock out during 
  the chase. That Stitch is typically used to refresh Vehicles 
  points, but it does not need to be.
  DeLorean (or Other Unusual Device)
  Sometimes you just need to send your Agents off in a sports 
  car equipped with a flux capacitor. This is unlikely to be 
  relevant unless you’re running a very particular cinematic one-
  shot. If you are, load the car with plutonium and get it up 
  to 88 mph, and you’re off and running. If that doesn’t work, 
  track down an oscillation overthruster instead. They’re rare, 
  but effective.
  Unexpected items can hide a time machine. Don’t be 
  constrained by cars, traditional time cycles, or even high-tech 
  devices. If you want your time machine to be an intelligent 
  pocket watch, a Lockheed Electra 10 airplane, skateboard, 
  hang glider, telephone booth, police box, hot tub, or even a 
  big inflatable bubble, feel free. It’s also up to you whether the 
  exterior of your device hides a much larger interior than one 
  might think.
  Alien technology might produce a completely unexpected 
  time travel effect, such as an elaborate mental construct or a 
  particular frequency of smell and sound. This is how the alien 
  species ezeru time travel, for instance. 
  Not all time machines are equipped with chronomorphic 
  technology, and even if yours is, such technology may 
  occasionally malfunction. Be prepared to hide your device 
  carefully if it isn’t easily portable. 
  Magic Ritual
  Want less sci-fi and more fantasy? Perhaps ritual magic can 
  pierce the barriers of time itself. It’s unlikely that this method 
  would be used by primarily futuristic antagonists, but ancient 
  shamans or magicians have plenty of opportunities to change 
  the time stream — particularly if time travel isn’t the only 
  magical power they possess.
  Mutant Ability
  Unique individuals may have the ability to time travel and 
  teleport, whether as a mutation or as a super power. Their level 
  of control over their power is left as an exercise for the GM, as 
  GM ADVICE: PLOT DEVICES 
  TRUMP MECHANICAL DEVICES
  Need a time travel effect large enough 
  to move an entire army, or a very lost 
  battleship? Want to transpose a modern 
  city with a chunk of the Jurassic, and vice 
  versa? Need a city that is lost in time, only 
  appearing for one day every year? Make 
  it up, and don’t worry too much about 
  justifying it with human or alien technology. 
  Sometimes weird things happen in the world, 
  temporal rifts open and create unknowable 
  breaks in reality, and all TimeWatch can do 
  is grin and try to fix the problem.
  
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  116
  guided by TimeWatch’s antagonist rules (p. 192), but in cinema 
  such individuals often have the additional ability to literally 
  stop time and move between the moments. Should such an 
  individual appear in a TimeWatch game, they are typically pulled 
  back into normal time the instant they attack another creature. 
  Remote Transfer
  With this system, you don’t carry a time machine and 
  all time travel is handled from a single location such as 
  TimeWatch HQ. To time travel, you must use some method 
  to contact headquarters and specify a time and place for 
  a remote transfer pickup. Anyone in that location at that 
  time will have the option to time travel. TimeWatch uses 
  this technology to pick up and return MEM-tagged local 
  witnesses who require memory reconstruction after seeing 
  something anachronistic. 
  If the GM doesn’t include technology to communicate 
  instantly through time, relaying your need for remote transfer 
  can become a challenge. In a game without autochrons, for 
  instance, TimeWatch’s intelligence analysts might send you 
  back to the 14th century via remote transfer. The time-beam 
  drops you off without problem, but how do they know when 
  to pick you up? When you want to travel to a different time 
  period or return to headquarters you must get a message 
  to a contemporary TimeWatch outpost that schedules 
  regular message drops, or bury a message in a secret time 
  capsule. This capsule will then get dug up by TimeWatch 
  far in the future, and the details of the message entered into 
  the computer so that at the appropriate moment a remote 
  transfer technician will receive a “14th-century pickup 
  required” Action Item on her to-do list.
  Static Wormhole
  Whether natural or human made, these portals or wormholes 
  are usually semipermanent and unmoving. They link one era of 
  time to another, and may be one way. When you find societies 
  who banish their prisoners back to the Pliocene era, it’s most 
  likely through a static wormhole with no way to return. 
  Despite their names, static wormholes might shift 
  predictably, skipping in a pattern through destinations in space 
  and time. By timing your arrival and exit carefully, you can use 
  these as a means of chronal and spatial transport.
  Time Cycle
  This time machine inspired by Poul Anderson’s iconic Time 
  Patrol stories looks much like a treadless snowmobile. H. G. 
  Wells’ time machine falls into this same category. A time cycle 
  is typically a wheelless scooter designed to hold two people. 
  There are no seat belts and no canopy. The time cycle can fly, 
  appear at precisely any location and any time, and requires no 
  special key to activate. 
  As a time vehicle, its main weakness is that it’s obviously 
  anachronistic and can’t easily be hidden. Agents typically solve 
  this problem (at least in pre–manned flight eras) by remotely 
  sending it up 10,000 meters into the sky, and then remotely 
  calling it back down again when it is needed. The time cycle 
  has no warm-up period, and there’s no particular danger from 
  using one while you’re in combat — other than the fact that 
  they’re large, ungainly, difficult to transport unless you’re flying 
  it, and obviously futuristic.
  Time Slider
  These time machines can take any form the GM chooses. 
  Time sliders are notable because although they transport 
  people through time, they don’t move them through space 
  (other than compensating for Earth’s normal movement). 
  Include these in a game only when most missions happen in 
  a specific, bounded geographical space, such as a single city.
  Momentum is not conserved when using a time slider. If 
  you trigger one while standing on the roof of a building and 
  travel back in time 200 years, that roof may no longer be 
  there, and you’ll fall; if you trigger one while in a speeding 
  airplane, you’ll likely find yourself free-falling at terminal 
  velocity in the new time zone. If you activate a time slider, 
  and travel to the other location is impossible due to physical 
  impediment (such as a glacier covering the spot), the device 
  simply fails to function.
  Time sliders can have a range of functionality; the GM may 
  decide that they only flip between two discrete time periods 50 
  years apart, or they only work within 100 years, or they only 
  GM ADVICE: BUILDING PLOT 
  HOOKS FROM GAME MECHANICS
  There’s 
  some 
  interesting 
  potential 
  for 
  exploiting this system in-game. Perhaps the 
  time capsules need to be buried in certain 
  specific places in any given era to ensure 
  they’ll be undisturbed for millennia until they 
  can be retrieved. This might require some 
  adventuring to reach the spot where you 
  can leave a message requesting pickup. An 
  Adversary might exploit the time capsule 
  system somehow, digging up messages 
  early and altering the contents, using the 
  information to meddle with missions, or 
  requesting time travel portals that allow them 
  to invade or sabotage TimeWatch. And of 
  course, because time travel is routed through 
  a central control, there might be occasions 
  when the Agents need to break into their 
  own facilities to run an unauthorized mission.
  In games where time travel is one way only, 
  one-way remote transfer is usually the only 
  form of time travel possible. You’ll see this in 
  movies such as Looper and The Terminator.
  
  GEAR
  117
  flip between the present and the year 66 CE. This restriction 
  may be a fundamental aspect of how time travel works in the 
  GM’s campaign frame, and can be altered only with explicit 
  GM permission.
  Wormhole Projector
  This device, whether handheld or as large as a factory floor, 
  creates a tunnel through space and time. Anyone walking 
  through this wormhole while it is open appears in the 
  destination location, and anyone walking through from the 
  far side can appear at the location and time of the projector. 
  While this method usually has particularly good special effects 
  associated with it, it’s not particularly flexible as a means of 
  surreptitious travel. Lots can go wrong with a wormhole 
  projector, not the least of which is that you can’t easily bring 
  another projector through the wormhole it’s creating.
  WEAPONS
  Weapons in TimeWatch are split into three vast eras: ancient, 
  contemporary, and future. Figuring out where a weapon’s 
  origin lies is usually a matter of common sense. 
  The weapon damage table can be found on p. 82. Weapon 
  statistics are vastly simplified due to the number of possible 
  weapons that exist across time. Differentiating most weapons is 
  usually a matter of narrative description, not game mechanics. 
  Altani is the daughter of  Genghis Khan, a Mongol warrior who is 
  an expert with the bow and arrow. Mace Hunter is a jungle explorer 
  and big game hunter, typically armed with a high-caliber pistol and his 
  trusty elephant gun, Ol’ Bessie. Although no one is going to mistake a 
  bow and arrow for a revolver, both do +1 damage; the bow is virtually 
  silent and has a longer range, and the pistol is louder and does more 
  damage at Point-Blank range. The elephant gun is considered a heavy 
  rifle, doing +2 damage, but it’s just about the opposite of  a stealth 
  weapon. This noise only becomes relevant when the GM thinks it 
  should, typically by resulting in adjustments to Unobtrusiveness tests, 
  as the weapon has no game mechanics associated with its volume.
  Mace may be out of  luck, however, when he travels to eras 
  where firearms haven’t been invented yet or where they stand out. 
  He can either try to fit Ol’ Bessie with chronomorphic technology 
  (see p. 115), leave it behind, switch to an era-appropriate weapon, 
  or risk standing out as anachronistic. Altani has the same 
  problem when she travels to the future and beam weapons are far 
  more common than bows.
  ANCIENT WEAPONS (<14TH CENTURY)
  Ancient weapons originate in the 14th century and earlier, 
  prior to the invention of gunpowder and firearms (at least in 
  the normal course of history). Without firearms, people spent 
  a lot of times developing weapons that would crush, slice, 
  eviscerate, or mangle an enemy in good old hand-to-hand 
  Scuffling combat.
  Weapons that are easy to find can be acquired for free, or at 
  most a Difficulty 3 Preparedness test. More obscure weapons, 
  such as a well-made sword, cost a Difficulty 4 Preparedness test.
  Scuffling-based Ancient Weapons (small): 
  X
  X 	Club (Damage Modifier +0)
  X
  X 	Knife (Damage Modifier +0)
  X
  X 	Leather Sack full of iron shot or metal coins (Stun 3)
  X
  X 	Pointy Rock (Damage Modifier +0)
  X
  X 	Small Improvised Weapon (Damage Modifier +0)
  Scuffling-based Ancient Weapons (large): 
  X
  X 	Axe (Damage Modifier +1)
  X
  X 	Heavy Club (Damage Modifier +1)
  X
  X 	Horse Lance (Damage Modifier +2)
  X
  X 	Large Improvised Weapon (Damage Modifier +1)
  X
  X 	Polearm (Damage Modifier +1)
  X
  X 	Sword (Damage Modifier +1)
  GM ADVICE: UNIQUE AND USEFUL WEAPONS
  If a player wants a weapon that has a unique and particularly useful characteristic (such as a heat-
  seeking missile’s bonus to accuracy against certain targets), it is up to the GM as to whether to 
  allow it for free, allow it at a higher than normal Preparedness cost, or allow it with an appropriate 
  Investigative spend. Don’t worry too much about this unless it seems like players are trying to game 
  the system. After all, the Agents are superbly competent, originate in the far future, and face threats 
  that would savage most people; it won’t break the game if they’re using better weaponry than the 
  non–time traveling natives. 
  When a player uses Preparedness to acquire a particularly unique or useful weapon, it’s up to you whether 
  they hang onto it for just that scene or for the remainder of the mission. Use common sense for this, skewing 
  towards whatever is most fun for the player. If a unique and anachronistic weapon is brutally effective, the 
  Agent shouldn’t be surprised if incipient paradox causes it to cease functioning unexpectedly.
  
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  118
  Shooting-based Ancient Weapons: 
  X
  X 	Crossbow (Long range; Damage Modifier +1)
  X
  X 	Longbow (Long range; Damage Modifier +1)
  X
  X 	Spear (Long range; Damage Modifier +1)
  X
  X 	Throwing Knife (Near range; Damage Modifier +0)
  X
  X 	Thrown Rock (Near range; Damage Modifier +0)
  Tinkering-based Ancient Weapons: 
  X
  X 	Siege Weapon (Long range only; Damage Modifier as a 
  Class 2 explosion (see p. 99)
  CONTEMPORARY WEAPONS  
  (14TH CENTURY — 21ST CENTURY)
  There’s a huge range of variation between weapons in this 
  time period, with lethality rising substantially beginning in the 
  19th century. Firearms change in their accuracy, quality, and 
  appearance, from single-shot, low-range rifles in 14th-century 
  China, to fully automatic assault rifles and specialized sniper 
  rifles at the end of the 20th century. Stun guns make their 
  appearance in this era, acting as low-powered (Stun 3) neural 
  disruptors, and unusual weaponry appears (such as quick-
  setting foam grenades to restrain people) that typically require 
  a Science!, Tinkering, or Preparedness spend to acquire.
  Laser sights and telescopic scopes also become available 
  in this period, vastly extending the range of firearms. See the 
  range table on p. 78 for rules on extending range. Instead of the 
  standard Long range, for instance, a fully equipped sniper rifle 
  can allow accurate (if difficult) targeting from kilometers away.
  If no cost modifier is listed in the below list, the Difficulty 
  of the Preparedness test to acquire the weapon is 4.
  Athletics-based Contemporary Weapons: 
  X
  X 	Grenade (see Explosives and Explosions on p. 99)
  Scuffling-based Contemporary Weapons (small): 
  X
  X 	Blackjack (Stun 3)
  X
  X 	Extendable Police Baton (Damage Modifier +0)
  X
  X 	Taser (Stun 3)
  Scuffling-based Contemporary Weapons (large): 
  X
  X 	Machete (Damage Modifier +1)
  Shooting-based Contemporary Weapons (small): 
  X
  X 	Light Pistol (.32 pistol and smaller) (Near range, older 
  pistols may have Close range instead; Damage Modifier +0, 
  +2 damage at Point-Blank range)
  X
  X 	Heavy Pistol (9mm pistol or larger) (Near range, older 
  pistols may have Close range instead; Damage Modifier +1, 
  +2 damage at Point-Blank range)
  Shooting-based Contemporary Weapons (large): 
  X
  X 	Light Automatic Weapon (submachine gun) (Near range; 
  Damage Modifier +1, +2 damage at Point-Blank range; see 
  rules on p. 78 for autofire)
  X
  X Heavy Automatic Weapon (machine gun) (Long range; 
  Damage Modifier +2, +2 damage at Point-Blank range; 
  see rules on p. 84 for autofire) Assault Rifle (Long range; 
  Damage Modifier +1, +2 damage at Point-Blank range)
  X
  X 	Light Rifle (6.5mm rifle or smaller) (Long range; Damage 
  Modifier +1, +2 damage at Point-Blank range)
  X
  X 	Heavy Rifle (.30 rifle or larger) (Long range; Damage 
  Modifier +2, +2 damage at Point-Blank range)
  X
  X 	Rocket Launcher (see Explosives and Explosions on p. 99)
  X
  X 	Small-gauge Shotgun (20-gauge or smaller) (Close range; 
  Damage Modifier +1, +3 damage at Point-Blank range)
  X
  X 	Large-gauge Shotgun (12-gauge or larger) (Near range; 
  Damage Modifier +1, +3 damage at Point-Blank range)
  Tinkering-based Contemporary Weapons: 
  X
  X 	Missile (see Explosives and Explosions on p. 99; Cost: Difficulty 
  +2 to significantly higher, depending on the missile power 
  and feasibility)
  X
  X 	Weaponized Mini-Drone (see Explosives and Explosions on p. 
  99); Cost: Difficulty +1
  Weapon Accessories: 
  X
  X 	Bipod (reduces range penalties (see p. 78) by 1); Cost: 
  Difficulty 3
  X
  X 	Gun Scope (reduces range penalties (see p.78) by 1); Cost: 
  Difficulty 3
  X
  X 	Laser Sight (reduces range penalties (see p. 78) by 2); Cost: 
  Difficulty 3
  These penalty reductions are cumulative for a fully equipped 
  weapon.
  FUTURE WEAPONS  
  (21ST CENTURY ONWARDS)
  It’s a little tricky to predict what weapons are available in the 
  future; a good guideline is “if you’ve ever seen it in a science 
  fiction movie or book, and your GM agrees, it’s available.” 
  Consider the examples in this category to be exactly that, and 
  use your ingenuity to create and produce additional weapons. 
  It’s important to remember, though, that TimeWatch works 
  on cinematic logic. If there’s ever a question between “do 
  physics work as they do in a time travel / science fiction 
  movie, or as they do in real life?” the answer is almost always 
  the former. 
  Weapons almost always have compromises; for instance, 
  deadly weaponry is seldom unsubtle, making loud noises and 
  bright beams. Ask yourself “would this weapon look good in 
  a science fiction movie?” If the answer is no, either change it 
  until it would fit or adjust the Difficulty cost upwards.
  Typical future weaponry makes vast improvements in 
  disabling enemies without killing them (such as with neural 
  disruptors), and focuses on beam weapons with shimmering 
  rays and the ability to disintegrate. Default damage for beam 
  weapons is a Damage Modifier of +2, although additional 
  
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  119
  attachments are available by increasing the Difficulty of the 
  Preparedness test.
  If no cost modifier is listed in the below list, the Difficulty 
  of the Preparedness test to acquire the weapon is 4.
  Athletics-based Future Weapons: 
  X
  X 	Grenade (see Explosives and Explosions on p. 99)
  X
  X 	Chronal Destabilization Grenade (triggers a D4/L4 
  Paradox test from every time traveler in Close proximity to 
  the grenade’s location; see p. 89); Cost: Difficulty +2 
  X
  X 	Neural Disruption Grenade (triggers a Stun 5 test from 
  every time traveler in Point-Blank proximity to the grenade’s 
  location; see p. 86); Cost: Difficulty +2
  Scuffling-based Future Weapons (small): 
  X
  X 	Inactive Autochron used as a club (Damage Modifier +0)
  X
  X 	Neural Disruptor Rod (Stun 5)
  X
  X 	PaciFist (subtle, hackable; Stun 5. Also usable as a Shooting 
  weapon)
  Scuffling-based Future Weapons (large): 
  X
  X 	Powered Exoskeleton (Armor 2; Damage Modifier +2); 
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Shooting-based Future Weapons (small): 
  X
  X 	Beam Pistol (Near range; hackable; Damage Modifier +2)
  X
  X 	Neural Disruptor Pistol (Near range; hackable; Stun 5)
  X
  X 	PaciFist (Close range; subtle, hackable; Stun 5. Also usable 
  as a Scuffling weapon)
  Shooting-based Future Weapons (large): 
  X
  X 	Beam Rifle (Long range; hackable; Damage Modifier +2)
  X
  X 	Neural Disruptor Rifle (Long range; hackable; Stun 5)
  FIREARMS
  Near to Long range; Damage Modifier +1 or +2.
  Firearms range from pistols to long arms, from misfiring 
  muzzle-loading muskets to high-powered sniper rifles with 
  tripods and laser sights. You’ll find firearms in any historical 
  era from approximately the 13th century on, although they 
  remain rare or nonexistent in certain closed or isolated cultures 
  until introduced by explorers.
  Certain alternate time streams or parallel universes may lack 
  firearms; unless the laws of nature that govern gunpowder 
  ignition are different there, firearms imported from true 
  history will work in such places.
  TimeWatch simplifies the differences between different 
  types of firearms almost out of existence. Firearms do 
  damage as described on p. 82, inflicting a Damage Modifier 
  of +0 (for particularly weak weapons) or +1, with an 
  additional +2 damage bonus for Point-Blank range. Heavy 
  firearms do an additional point of damage. Firearms have a 
  range as described on p. 78, and encompass guns from 13th-
  century Chinese fire lances up to futuristic weapons accurate 
  up to 2500 yards or farther. Bipods, scopes, and laser sights 
  GM ADVICE:  
  MORE FIREARM DETAIL
  If you’re interested in greater historical 
  differentiation in your firearms, a good 
  source is borrowing from Double Tap, the 
  Night’s Black Agents sourcebook. The 
  firearm differentiation offered there works 
  well with TimeWatch, although you’ll need 
  to adjust some rules to fit TimeWatch’s  
  rule set.
  This damage can, as usual, be increased 
  significantly by spending Stitches. Whether 
  you declare that the bullet speeds up after 
  it leaves the gun, or that a small time eddy 
  causes your target to stumble into the bullet, 
  increasing damage by up to 3 points can 
  definitely get your antagonist’s attention.`
  A chronal destabilization grenade unanchors its victims from 
  time, blasting away Chronal Stability instead of Health.
  
  CHAPTER FOUR
  120
  can significantly increase a firearm’s range. It is generally 
  assumed that you are reloading your firearm as needed, 
  although as noted on p. 83 there may be times that the GM 
  requires a combat action to reload.
  At the GM’s discretion, particularly early firearms may be 
  less accurate, slow to load, or have a shorter range than typical 
  ones. This is an exception, not the default. 
  The player and GM can be as specific or as general as 
  they like when describing firearms; whether a player has an 
  Old West six-gun or a futuristic slug-thrower, the guns have 
  identical damage and characteristics. This is a generalization 
  for the sake of game speed and simplicity. History contains 
  a wide array of firearms in different styles, caliber, and levels 
  of lethality. TimeWatch focuses on a cinematic approach to 
  weaponry, however, which means that as long as you can 
  describe it engagingly it doesn’t much matter that the damage 
  is suspiciously similar to other weapons around it.
  BEAM WEAPONS
  Future, Hackable; Near to Long range; Damage Modifier +2.
  Basic beam weapons are available with a Difficulty 4 
  Preparedness test. Beam pistols have a maximum range of 
  near; long arms, such as a plasma rifle, have a maximum range 
  of long. Beam weapons have a Damage Modifier of +2 but 
  never do extra damage at Point-Blank range. There are a 
  variety of different beam weapons, as noted below, and an 
  Agent can customize which type he acquires by altering the 
  Difficulty of the Preparedness test before rolling. 
  A beam weapon may have great range and do more damage, 
  but it’s not exactly a stealth weapon. Beam weapons aren’t a 
  standard part of TimeWatch agent gear because their energy 
  beam is too difficult to disguise in most anachronistic settings. 
  Still, they’re remarkably useful when your Agent’s in a firefight 
  and doesn’t need to disguise his origin. Unless the GM specifically 
  decides otherwise, beam weapons always make a noise when 
  firing and the weapon always emits a bright, noticeable beam. 
  These might be blue-white lances of energy, flame-red laser shots, 
  glowing green concentric circles, or whatever you choose. Sparks 
  and energy usually flare up from where a beam hits.
  Tinkering With Beam Weapons
  Agents can use the Tinkering ability to briefly alter their beam 
  weapons by making a Difficulty 4 Tinkering test. Doing so 
  takes one combat action, or can be done as part of a combat 
  action if the Agent has the Rapid Deployment Booster. 
  It’s risky to tinker with a weapon; whether you successfully 
  hit or not, rolling a 1 on the Shooting test die during that shot 
  will blow out the energy source of your weapon, requiring 
  another Tinkering test and 10 minutes work to repair.
  Tinkering with a beam weapon can achieve one of the 
  following effects:
  X
  X 	You can briefly overcharge a beam weapon to ignore cover 
  for 1 shot, literally burning away or phasing through the 
  cover to have a better chance of hitting the target. The 
  target is treated as if they’re exposed, so their +1 or +2 
  bonus to their Hit Threshold from partial or full cover is 
  ignored for that one shot. 
  X
  X 	You can briefly overcharge a beam weapon to increase its 
  damage bonus by +1 point for one shot. 
  X
  X 	You can briefly extend a beam weapon’s range, increasing 
  pistol range from Near to Long range, and beam rifle range 
  from Long range to Very Long range. Your target’s Hit 
  Threshold doesn’t rise due to the extended range.
  GM ADVICE:  
  THE COLOR OF PAIN
  Visible ray gun beams are not in the least bit 
  realistic. We’re emulating the world of classic 
  sci-fi and cinematic combat, though, where 
  such visible blaster shots are de rigueur. 
  If you want a more realistic approach for 
  a grittier campaign frame, be aware that 
  stealth-sniping enemies from a distance 
  becomes much easier with undetectable 
  futuristic weapons.
  When you’re a time traveler, shooting  
  someone with bullets is SO passé.
  
  GEAR
  121
  Beam Weapon Variants
  Many different variants of beam weapons are available. Feel 
  free to mix and match, adding the Preparedness Difficulty 
  modifiers together before making a test. If you’re worried you 
  don’t have enough Preparedness or Tinkering to make the roll, 
  remember that appropriate Investigative spends can add +3 
  to a General ability test. If you want a particularly versatile 
  weapon, you may need to take advantage of that rule.
  Raina wants her character to have a chronomorphic beam weapon 
  that also disintegrates dead and inanimate objects. The Difficulty of  her 
  Preparedness test is 4 + 2 (chronomorphic disguise) + 2 (disintegration), 
  totaling 8. Barring the pistol being stolen or discarded, her character will 
  keep the pistol for the duration of  the mission. She spends a Science! point 
  and 4 Preparedness points for a bonus of  +7, successfully makes the 
  Preparedness test, decides what the pistol and its beam looks like, and 
  names it (the Breen Mark II Demogrifier), and she’s ready to go.
  Autofire
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  The beam weapon equivalent of a machine gun, these pistols 
  and rifles can affect more than one target with a single shot (as 
  explained by the Autofire rules on p. 84). Unlike the way that 
  machine guns throw many bullets very quickly, autofire beam 
  weapons create a lasting ray that can be swept across several 
  targets at once. Autofire can also be added to a neural disruptor, 
  allowing you to stun more than one enemy with one shot.
  Chronal Destabilizer
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  This weapon is capable of loosening the ties that anchor 
  time travelers in their current era. Instead of doing normal 
  Health damage, a target hit by the chronal destabilization 
  effect must make an immediate D4/L4 Paradox test. Against 
  time traveling antagonists, this Loss affects Tempus instead of 
  Chronal Stability, and may cripple or restrict their ability to use 
  time-related special powers (see p. 148). You can flip between 
  lethal and chronal destabilizer settings freely in combat.
  Chronomorphic Disguise
  Cost: Difficulty +2 
  These weapons automatically adapt to look like a weapon 
  or object native to the local era. This does not change the 
  appearance of the beam. In the Old West, for instance, a 
  chronomorphic blaster might look like a six-gun or a walking 
  cane, even though it still shoots a glowing red beam. An Agent 
  with 2 or more rating points of Timecraft and 1 or more rating 
  points of Science! can add chronomorphic technology to any 
  beam weapon with a Difficulty 4 Tinkering test. 
  Concussive
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  A kinetic or concussive beam requires the struck target to 
  make a Difficulty 4 Athletics test or be thrown off his feet 
  and backwards three meters; if the target is in Point-Blank 
  or Close range, and the target is human sized or smaller, this 
  effect knocks them back one range. Should the target be near 
  the edge of a precipice when shot (and aren’t they always?), 
  they may be knocked off. In this case, Agents and dramatically 
  important antagonists or supporting characters can make a 
  Difficulty 5 Athletics test to grab an edge and avoid the fall.
  Disintegration
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  A disintegration pistol does no extra damage, but 
  disintegrates a chunk of an inanimate object or a dead foe 
  instead of just damaging it. There’s no disintegration effect 
  against living or animate creatures (until you kill them, at which 
  point they collapse into dust), although cosmetic damage such 
  as smoking and burned clothing is traditional. A disintegration 
  pistol can be used to blast through walls or floors if you don’t 
  mind leaving an obvious hole behind, and has the tendency to 
  quickly destroy cover that a target is hiding behind.
  Dual-Use Stunning
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Most beam weapons do not stun their target. It’s possible 
  to acquire a dual-purpose stunner / beam weapon, though, 
  if you don’t mind it not working particularly effectively. Such 
  weapons have the standard Damage Modifier of +2, or act 
  as a relatively weak Stun 3 neural disruptor, perfect for taking 
  down Mooks but largely useless for more capable foes. You 
  can flip between lethal and stunning settings freely in combat. 
  If you want a more powerful stunner, stick with your PaciFist 
  or a dedicated neural disruptor.
  GM ADVICE: PEW! PEW! 
  BZZAP! PEW! PEW!
  Want to lean towards simplicity and have 
  Agents in your game only carry one weapon? 
  Change the restriction that dual-use beam 
  weapons only have weak stun effects, giving 
  them instead a Stun 5 neural disruptor with 
  a visible beam and sound effect. Or if you 
  prefer, allow PaciFists to double as Close 
  range–only beam weapons that are subtle. 
  Avoid allowing a Long-range beam weapon 
  that also has the PaciFist’s subtle stun effect 
  unless you like games where the Agents 
  hang way back and surreptitiously stun from 
  a great distance. It’s effective but boring, 
  and for standard campaigns TimeWatch’s 
  combats should default to cinematic sci-fi.
  
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  122
  Extended Range
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  Certain weapons have a longer than average range, extending 
  their normal accuracy range by one range category.
  Intimidating
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  This weapon is terrifying in both appearance and use. 
  Wielding it gives characters with the Intimidation ability an 
  extra Intimidation pool point that can be spent once per 
  session. Spending this bonus point must involve the weapon 
  in one way, shape, or form.
  Low-Profile
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  This weapon is difficult to notice when not in use, 
  whether due to disguise, disassembly, or small size. Anyone 
  hoping to notice it must make a Difficulty 4 test (usually of 
  Unobtrusiveness) to do so, and the weapon does not trigger 
  normal security scanners.
  Paralysis
  Cost: Difficulty +3
  A crippling effect causes the normal beam weapon to also 
  disrupt nerve impulses between a living target’s brain and 
  their limbs. Every time the target is damaged by the weapon, 
  they also lose 2 points from their Athletics (or Tempus, 
  when applicable) pool. A target with a 0 Athletics pool due 
  to the paralysis effect tends to move slowly and clumsily, and 
  must spend an entire combat action to change ranges by one 
  category or move within a range category. The paralysis does 
  not otherwise affect Scuffling, Shooting, or other abilities. It 
  wears off at the end of the scene; the target can temporarily 
  fight its effects by raising their Athletics pool above 0.
  Sample Beam Weapons
  Make up names and descriptions for your own custom 
  weapons to the extent you like. It’s useful to specify what the 
  weapon looks and sounds like when fired, and a tiny bit of the 
  weapon’s future history. 
  As always, the cost (such as “Difficulty 9”) is the cost in 
  Preparedness to acquire or Tinkering to build (assuming the 
  Agent has 1 or more points of Science!). Adding an additional 
  weapon variant onto these weapons raises the Difficulty by 
  the variant’s cost.
  Multhari Dust Beam
  Cost (autofire, disintegration): Difficulty +4
  Future, Blatant, Hackable; Near range; Damage Modifier +2
  This war pistol is designed for the efficient execution of as 
  many aliens as possible. It possesses autofire and disintegration 
  options, allowing you to sweep its beam along a row of 
  charging nonhumans and turn them to dust long before they 
  reach your position. Standard issue dust beams come with AI 
  that stops this from working against humans, but that’s easily 
  deactivated when necessary. This pistol emanates a whirling 
  amber vortex when fired, with a sound like a subsonic rumble.
  Smuggler’s Heartburn
  Cost (low-profile, paralysis): Difficulty +4
  Future, Subtle; Near range; Damage Modifier +2
  This is a paralysis-inducing weapon designed for stealth 
  and assassinations. Invented by biochemist flesh-sculptors 
  in a particularly unpleasant artist colony in 25th-century 
  Madagascar, it secretes a flesh-mending field that literally 
  allows it to be holstered inside the human body. Effectively, 
  this means that the weapon comes with 3 free points of 
  Burglary that can only be used to hide the weapon inside 
  of your own body. Drawing and holstering the weapon 
  inflicts 1 point of Health damage as the skin is pierced and 
  automatically reknitted. The Burglary test Difficulty needed to 
  hide a holstered gun is Difficulty 4, raised or lowered by the 
  searcher’s Alertness Modifier.
  Xen plasma rifle
   Cost (extended range, intimidation, disintegration): Difficulty +5
  Future, Blatant, Hackable; Long range; Damage Modifier +2
  This long arm is very clearly designed for intimidation as 
  much as it is for killing. The sound a Xen makes when warming 
  up is piercing and distinctive, and when used by government 
  antiriot troops, protesters have been known to surrender or 
  flee before a single shot has been taken. Even the glow from 
  its plasma conduits is disturbing. The weapon projects super-
  heated plasma in a force-sheathed beam, disintegrating targets 
  just slowly enough to let them scream a bit first.
  NEURAL DISRUPTORS
  Future, Hackable; Point-Blank to Long range
  Neural disruptors are similar to PaciFists, but aren’t as well 
  suited for undercover work. They have an obvious special 
  effect and aren’t typically chronomorphic. To their credit, they 
  have a Near range (or Long range, for neural disruptor rifles) 
  instead of the PaciFist’s Close range. Neural disruptor batons 
  have a range of Point-Blank.
  Tinkering With Neural Disruptors
  Agents can use the Tinkering ability to briefly alter their 
  PaciFists and neural disruptors by making a Difficulty 4 
  Tinkering test. Doing so takes one combat action, or can be 
  done as part of a combat action if the Agent has the Rapid 
  Deployment Booster. 
  It’s risky to tinker with a weapon; whether you successfully 
  hit or not, rolling a 1 on the Shooting (or, if relevant, Scuffling) 
  test die during that attack will blow out the energy source of 
  your weapon, requiring another Tinkering test and 10 minutes 
  work to repair.
  Tinkering with a neural disruptor can achieve one of the 
  following effects:
  
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  X
  X 	You can briefly overcharge a neural disruptor such as a 
  PaciFist to increase the Difficulty of its Stun test by +1 
  point for 1 shot. This briefly improves the neural disruptor 
  from Stun 5 to Stun 6. 
  X
  X 	You can briefly extend a neural disruptor’s range, increasing 
  PaciFist range from Close to Near, neural disruptor pistol 
  range from Near to Long, and neural disruptor rifle range 
  from Long to Very Long. 
  Neural Disruptor Variants
  Neural Disruption Grenade
  Cost: Difficulty +2 per grenade
  Future; Near range; Stun 5
  This baseball-sized weapon emits a Stun 5 burst of nonlethal 
  disruption energy after it is set and thrown. As your action in a 
  combat, make an Athletics test against the Difficulty listed for 
  grenades on p. 100. If successful, the target and all creatures 
  within Point-Blank range of him must make a Stun test against 
  Difficulty 5 or be stunned. All creatures who are in Close 
  range of the target must make Difficulty 4 Athletics tests or 
  suffer the same effect. 
  Neural Disruptor Baton
  Cost Difficulty +0
  Future, Hackable; Point-Blank range; Damage Modifier +0 or 
  Stun 5
  It’s possible to acquire neural disruptor technology in a 
  combat baton, allowing Agents to use their Scuffling ability 
  to neutralize their foes. Before rolling a Scuffling attack, the 
  Agent chooses whether the device will inflict lethal damage 
  (with a +0 Damage Modifier) or trigger a Stun 5 effect.
  OTHER WEAPONS AND DEVICES
  There are as many futuristic and super-science weapons 
  available as you can imagine. Part of the GM’s job is making 
  sure that these rules don’t get abused, and that means 
  disallowing or adjudicating any futuristic technology that 
  would make the mission less fun for everyone. It’s also the 
  GM’s job to announce when an idea is getting too silly for her 
  game, or when the tone of an idea doesn’t make sense. Serious 
  sci-fi devices can be very different from humorous or pulp 
  future-tech, and not every device or idea is appropriate for 
  every game. Ask your GM, because seeing it listed here doesn’t 
  mean it’s always a good fit for her game.
  The mechanical effect of weapons is fairly standard no matter 
  how you describe it; most weapons do damage or Stun, no matter 
  how spectacular their description is. It’s also worth noting that 
  not all of these things are sized for easy transportation, possibly 
  requiring a massive infrastructure in order to operate. 
  Particularly deadly items might only be single-shots, and 
  no item should be capable of taking down a dramatically 
  important bad guy casually, automatically, or with a single shot.
  ARMOR
  Armor reduces damage from Shooting and Scuffling attacks. 
  This includes bullets, beam weapons, and handheld weapons 
  such as knives and swords. If you’re wearing a form of armor 
  effective against the weapon being used against you, you 
  subtract a number of points from each instance of damage 
  dealt to you before applying it to your Health pool. 
  The Neanderthal Agent Uurrk is shot by a Norman archer at 
  the Battle of  Hastings. The GM rolls a 5 for the archer’s damage. 
  Uurrk wears his Armor 1 TimeWatch uniform, reducing the damage 
  to 4 points. His Health pool decreases from 10 to 6.
  Standard armor does not reduce damage from sources 
  such as explosion, fire, or psychic attack. Armor offers no 
  protection from neural disruptor weapons such as PaciFists. 
  It will usually be obvious whether your armor can protect you, 
  but if not, your GM will decide.
  TimeWatch uniforms act as ultralight armor, reducing 
  each instance of Shooting and Scuffling damage by 1 point. 
  If a character removes this chronomorphic armor to don 
  an incompatible disguise — at a beach, for instance — this 
  benefit is obviously lost. 
  Light body armor, as worn by police officers, reduces each 
  instance of Shooting damage by 2 points and Scuffling damage 
  by 1 point. Military-grade body armor reduces Shooting and 
  explosive damage by 3 points and Scuffling damage by 1 point. 
  Medieval armor reduces Scuffling damage by 3 points and 
  Shooting damage by 1 point. 
  TimeWatch uniforms are comfortable and can change color 
  and shape due to its chronomorphic nature, but light body 
  armor is heavy, hot, and marks you out as someone looking for 
  trouble. All of these drawbacks apply doubly to military-grade 
  PaciFists are chronomorphic and change  
  their shape automatically, but they have a lot  
  in common with neural disruptors.
  
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  body armor, and triply to medieval armor. Other than their 
  chronomorphic TimeWatch uniforms, Agents can’t expect 
  to walk around openly wearing armor without attracting the 
  attention of the local authorities. Armor and heavy weapons 
  may prove useful in discrete missions conducted away from 
  prying eyes, or as a disguise in a medieval or wartime setting.
  When wearing one type of armor over another (for instance, 
  police tactical armor over a TimeWatch uniform), the effect of 
  armor is not cumulative; use the best protection for any given 
  attack. 
  As with weapons, Agents can acquire futuristic armor for 
  use in battle so long as they don’t mind giving themselves 
  away as time travelers. Futuristic armor may take the form of 
  a personal force field. These are generally highly visible and are 
  usually only effective against beam weapons, but exceptions 
  (such as a force field that is only effective against Scuffling 
  weapons) may exist. 
  Futuristic armor might be combined with weapons. For 
  instance, antipersonnel armor that once active automatically 
  makes a Stun attack on anyone else who touches you is a 
  reasonable (if somewhat expensive) item to acquire. Another 
  example is a powered exoskeleton. Need to stagger into 
  combat against an alien queen, and your own physical abilities 
  aren’t up to snuff? Powered exoskeletons may be a solution. 
  They’re far from subtle; they’re loud, awkward, far too heavy 
  to lift, and just plain slow; these are the portable forklifts of 
  the future. Military versions, however, can be quite effective in 
  amplifying natural strength.
  Nonhuman creatures may be from disturbing alternate 
  universes and timelines, and often have high armor ratings. 
  They may possess hard, bony hides or chitinous anatomies 
  that can take greater punishment than ordinary organisms. 
  Most nonhuman creatures are resistant to the stunning effects 
  of neural disruptor weapons, and some creatures are more 
  resistant to bullets and other ranged weapons than they are to 
  blunt force trauma, slashes, and stab wounds.
  Sample Futuristic Armor
  Custom armor from the future is as detailed as you’d like to 
  make it; it’s usually most fun to name it and come up with a 
  physical description. Subtle armor is relatively rare, and has its 
  Preparedness cost raised accordingly.
  Bishop’s Vest
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  Future, Blatant; Armor 1 vs. physical attacks, Armor 2 vs. 
  energy attacks
  This is standard, moderately bulky strike armor for the 
  Ecclesiastical Infiltration Corps of the 23rd-century Vatican 
  City State. The armor acts as Armor 1 against physical attacks 
  and Armor 2 against energy attacks. It is primarily designed to 
  intimidate foes; the armor flares with triumphant holographic 
  light in a user-determined image (usually that of a divine 
  armored angel) whenever it is struck, and users gain a free 
  1-point Intimidation pool to spend during a fight.
  GM ADVICE:  
  ARMOR INTRICACIES 
  TimeWatch rules simplify real-world armor in 
  the interest of fast, non-fiddly play. If you’d 
  like a more realistic approach, you can 
  create armor types that are more effective 
  against bullets than beam weapons or 
  knives, armor that is specifically effective 
  against beam weapons but which doesn’t 
  stop bullets, personal force fields that slow 
  melee weapon attacks, and the like. Just be 
  careful not to create more detail than your 
  players care about, or more than is fun to use 
  in play. Also, be careful about making armor 
  too effective; unless they’re outfitted in stolen 
  top-secret military gear in preparation for a 
  ludicrously dangerous encounter, characters 
  shouldn’t be able to charge into every fight 
  armored like tanks and unafraid of damage.
  Fighting something nasty? Never, ever underestimate  
  the value of a good defense.
  
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  125
  Gessert Shield
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future, Blatant; Armor 3 vs. physical attacks
  Worn as a belt, this full-body force field is far from subtle 
  once activated because it refracts light slightly and coruscates 
  with silver light. The Gessert shield offers no protection 
  against energy weapons such as beam weapons or neural 
  disruptors, but the force field instantly hardens into Armor 
  3 when hit with any Scuffling or Shooting physical attack. Its 
  battery pack typically lasts for the length of one combat (or 
  one scene) before burning out; not long, but hopefully long 
  enough to save your life. The light distortion can make it 
  difficult to see the facial features of anyone using a Gessert 
  shield, so while the shield is active you gain a +2 bonus to 
  Disguise and Unobtrusiveness tests made to hide your identity.
  Hyperion Infiltration Armor
  Cost: Difficulty +4
  Future, Subtle, Chronomorphic; Damage Modifier +2 
  (Scuffling); Armor 2
  This armored exoskeleton combines the best features of 
  power-assisted strength amplification with futuristic stealth 
  technology. Subtle and chronomorphic, it automatically 
  adjusts its appearance to whatever historical era you find 
  yourself in; that doesn’t stop it from helping you go one-on-
  one with powerful foes
  Pentheus Battle Armor
  Cost: Difficulty +10, or a specific scene to acquire
  Future, Blatant, Restricted; Point-Blank to Long range; Armor 
  3; Stealth Modifier −3
  Don’t expect to hide when wearing a PBA, the gold 
  standard for 24th-century highly militarized battle armor; 
  you’re crammed into something with the bulk of a large 
  refrigerator and the ability to level a suburban neighborhood 
  block. As usual, you’re limited to one attack per round, but you 
  won’t lack for options; Pentheus Battle Armor is loaded down 
  with optimized weaponry such as beam rifles (+2 damage), 
  grenades, military-grade neural disruptors (Stun 6), automatic 
  firearms (+2 damage), and extendable blades (+1 damage). 
  Normal movement and jumping distances are improved by 
  one range zone while wearing a PBA thanks to its jump jets.
  CYBERNETICS
  A full array of cybernetic implants is outside of TimeWatch’s 
  scope, especially when you consider the dizzying array 
  of possibilities available throughout time. As a result, we 
  recommend that a character who wishes to be wholly or 
  partially cybernetic consult with the GM about their vision 
  of their character. Depending on player and GM preference, 
  there are three methods for handling cybernetics in TimeWatch. 
  Cybernetics as Narrative Flavor
  TimeWatch doesn’t have a unique system for cyber-gear as 
  part of its core rules. By default, any Agent wishing to have 
  cybernetic attachments can simply declare that they do, and 
  then use Preparedness, Vehicles, and Investigative point 
  spends to model the futuristic behavior they’d like their cyber-
  gear to have. It’s simple, it’s cinematic, but it doesn’t grant 
  any unique abilities — other than an occasional rule-bending 
  with the GM’s permission, such as allowing cybernetic legs to 
  function as vehicles for the purpose of the Vehicles ability.
  Vidhvansaka wishes to try and spot an assassin hidden in a 
  nearby tree line. She describes her eye socket extending into a heat-
  sensing, telescopic cybernetic extension. She makes an Unobtrusiveness 
  test as per normal to spot the assassin, and spends enough points to 
  ensure that she succeeds. 
  The sample character on p. 32 relies mostly on this style of 
  cybernetics. The example of the android alternate species on 
  p. 21 takes this approach as well.
  Should you choose, you can also use this technique to 
  describe mutations and psychic powers.
  Cybernetics as an  
  Extrapolation of Existing Mechanics
  What if pure narrative description doesn’t feel satisfying? 
  Perhaps cybernetic Agents should have inhuman and flavorful 
  power, without making them overpowered or giving them a 
  lot of extra rules. 
  The best way to do this is to convert Investigative or General 
  build points into a unique Investigative ability named Cybernetics 
  that the Agent can then draw on. Establishing this ability always 
  costs the Agent at least one Investigative build point that he 
  doesn’t get back; if the other Agents start with 22 Investigative 
  build points, for instance, an Agent with cybernetics would start 
  with 21 or fewer. Cyber-gear can also be added after character 
  creation, at the aforementioned flat cost of 1 build point plus as 
  many points as the Agent wishes to invest into their Cybernetics 
  pool. Spending points from this pool powers unique abilities in 
  the cybernetic parts that the player has described. Each unique 
  power typically lasts for one scene.
  Let’s say an Agent wants to have a bionic eye, two cybernetic legs, 
  and a cybernetic arm. The easiest way to model the eye is just to put 
  
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  an extra point into the Investigative ability Notice, a point that the 
  player can spend once per mission to gain a cool ability, and to state 
  that the eye is what handles the tether’s recording and information 
  display capabilities. Any player can already record their surroundings 
  or use Notice to examine fine detail, so there’s no imbalance or combat 
  power for having a cybernetic eye. That is purely narrative flavor, so 
  this makes for an easy adaptation. 
  The legs are slightly trickier, as it’s slightly unbalanced and 
  unorthodox to allow the player to apply his Athletics or Vehicles 
  points to running incredibly quickly on cybernetic legs. And what 
  about jumping? The GM creates a new Investigative Technical ability 
  for this player named “Cybernetics.” The player may put as many 
  Investigative points in it as he wishes. By spending a point from this 
  pool on his robotic legs, the Agent can jump up to 15 meters for one 
  scene, and can freely use either Athletics or Vehicles points for running. 
  He can always spend a Cybernetics point to add +3 to a Scuffling roll 
  if  he wants the Agent to kick someone, of  course. 
  And the cybernetic arm? Like the legs, a spent point can grant it 
  extreme strength for a scene, enough strength to lift a car or throw a 
  boulder one-handed. A reasonable GM would also allow the spent 
  point to raise punching or kicking damage from 1d6 − 1 to 1d6 + 1, 
  as if  the Agent was carrying a sword. 
  The player ends up investing 4 Investigative build points in the 
  Cybernetics ability pool, giving them a rating of  3, enough to let them 
  feel effective throughout an entire mission.
  Should you choose, you can also use this technique to 
  describe mutations and psychic powers.
  Cybernetics as New Subsystem With 
  Unique Mechanics
  If players want a more technical system, GMs are encouraged 
  with work with their players in adapting and hacking the cybe 
  species and cybernetic gear from Ashen Stars (a GUMSHOE 
  space opera game by Robin D. Laws) into TimeWatch. Instead 
  of the upkeep costs in Ashen Stars, TimeWatch GMs should 
  initially charge players a certain number of Investigative 
  build points for the cybernetic gear. This cost should be in 
  proportion to the quantity, combat strength, and overall 
  effectiveness of the cyber-gear acquired, and it’s up to both 
  GM and player to make sure that the character is both fun and 
  balanced with other Agents. During initial character creation 
  the GM may allow the player to convert General points to 
  Investigative points on a 3:1 basis, or vice versa at a 1:3 basis, 
  in order to power the cybernetics they agree on. 
  Players should understand that any such adaptation is 
  provisional, and the GM may tweak or adjust benefits and 
  point costs over the course of several games to make sure 
  the character is fun for everyone to have in the game. This is 
  by far the most complicated and time-consuming approach, 
  however, so it isn’t recommended.
  HIGH-TECH AND  
  SUPER-SCIENCE EQUIPMENT
  These devices cover a large range of complexity, from a 
  simple space suit (Cost: Difficulty +0, which is a Difficulty 
  4 Preparedness or Tinkering test in most cases) to a friction 
  manipulator (Cost: 1-point Science! spend plus Difficulty +1, 
  which is a Science! spend plus a Difficulty 5 Preparedness or 
  Tinkering test in most cases). When an Investigative spend 
  is required in the cost, the spend doesn’t provide extra pool 
  points to use on the Preparedness test (as described on p. 48).
  Ankh
  Cost: Difficulty +3
  Ancient
  Popular media occasionally posits that the ancient Egyptian 
  gods were incredibly advanced aliens. While TimeWatch has never 
  found any definitive proof for this, remnants of alien technology 
  has surfaced in Egyptian archaeological digs over the millennia.
  One such item is an ankh that can heal. As best as TimeWatch 
  scientists can determine, the device crosses multiple realities/
  timelines and trades Health from one for Health in another 
  within the same individual. Despite this limited understanding, 
  they’ve figured out how to make the device work in reverse. 
  As such, the device can heal damage at the cost of making 
  you temporally less stable, or act as a temporal anchor at the 
  expense of your Health. Potential consequences may include 
  stealing Health from yourself, encountering a temporally stable 
  zombie version of yourself, or being haunted by a temporal 
  ghost of an almost immortal you.
  Charge the ankh with a 1-point Timecraft spend. Once 
  charged, you may exchange any number of Health points for 
  an equal number of Chronal Stability points, or vice versa. The 
  device only holds one charge at a time, and its use is limited to 
  once per mission.
  DEITIES AND DISSEMBLING
  No shortage of popular stories have 
  leveraged the “gods are super-advanced 
  aliens” shtick. TimeWatch has created an 
  archaeology division to investigate. Current 
  theories suggest that these aliens impersonate 
  gods in a parallel universe, and their tools 
  have leaked over into ours; equally possible 
  is that the aliens exist in a time loop closed 
  off by TimeWatch, that they are rogue time 
  travelers, or that they did in fact exist but 
  cannot be detected by typical TimeWatch 
  technology. GMs are encouraged to have 
  fun exploring these options.  
  
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  127
  Variants:
  X
  X 	Cost: Difficulty +2: A preprogrammed trade-off, such as 
  6 Health restored at the cost of 6 Chronal Stability, or vice 
  versa. This amount cannot be adjusted on the fly, and thus 
  might accidentally put the user in danger.
  X
  X 	Cost: Difficulty +5: More efficient versions, providing a 2:1 
  return. TimeWatch scientists are concerned that the extra 
  Health or Chronal Stability comes from somewhere, or 
  someone; use at your own risk. 
  Variant: Thet
  Cost: Difficulty +3
  Ancient
  Based on apparently related technology, and appearing 
  very similar, a thet is particularly useful in time periods after 
  the invention of cloning (or for TimeWatch agents that may 
  be able to harness such resources). Rather than restoring 
  Health or Chronal Stability to the user, it can cross the space-
  time continuum, copy all the memories and experiences 
  of a deceased individual, and paste them into the brain of 
  an otherwise pristine clone. This resurrection technology 
  requires an incredible amount of power, isn’t 100% reliable, 
  and can confuse a clone terribly if they already have other 
  memories, but if things go horribly wrong for an Agent it’s 
  nice to know that options exist.
  Antigravity Device
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future
  Willing to trade subtlety for maneuverability? Antigravity 
  shielding can typically provide a levitation effect or act to slow 
  or stop an Agent in freefall, and it does so with much less 
  of a public spectacle than a jet pack displays. It’s up to you 
  and your GM what the antigravity device looks like; perhaps 
  it surrounds you in a force field, emanates from a belt, or is 
  integrated into your TimeWatch uniform. 
  Antigravity devices typically function for the duration of 
  one scene.
  Auto-Stumbler
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future, Subtle
  Once per scene, without needing to use an action, the auto-
  stumbler automatically overwaters a patch of lawn, introduces 
  rot into a floorboard, coats a stair with low-friction slime, or 
  otherwise makes an antagonist slip and fall in an embarrassing 
  but largely non-injurious way. This inflicts 1 Health point of 
  damage on the target and immediately ends their movement 
  for the round if they’re not riding in a vehicle. Targets may 
  avoid slipping with a Difficulty 4 Athletics test, but this uses 
  the target’s action for the round.
  Behavioral Helix
  Cost: Difficulty +1 
  Future, Subtle
  A subdermal computer chip originally designed to create 
  brainwashed and hard-working laborers, behavioral helixes 
  have since been altered to reinforce any type of desired 
  behavior. They can flood the body with endorphins when 
  a desired behavior is performed, and wrack it with stress 
  chemicals when a different interdicted behavior is attempted. 
  The result is a self-reinforcing set of behavioral patterns that 
  makes their victims utterly content when doing the “right” 
  thing, and miserable when doing the “wrong” thing.
  This manipulation is traditionally used by villains with great 
  effectiveness, as the chips are hard to detect without Hacking 
  or Medical Expertise. Focused EMP blasts can disable them, 
  and they can be removed from the back of the neck with minor 
  surgery once their presence has been identified. TimeWatch 
  occasionally uses tuned-down versions that reinforce behavior 
  consistent with true history: if a cowardly soldier is known to 
  have saved hundreds of lives in a battle but is too scared to 
  fight due to time travel interference, a short-term behavioral 
  helix that reinforces bravery might save the day with few side 
  effects. Any rumors of TimeWatch agents using behavioral 
  helixes to artificially rehabilitate chronic enemies is probably 
  just a rumor.
  “Bigfoot Beam”  
  (the Cordova Crypto-Transposer)
  Cost: Difficulty +4 (Cordova purposefully seeds a few of 
  these across the centuries)
  Future, Blatant; Near range
  The Bigfoot Beam isn’t a gun that transforms its target into 
  a hulking humanoid. Instead, it’s a weapon that literally fires 
  Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) at its target. This weapon was designed 
  by the unethical geneticist and chronal experimenter Dansky 
  Cordova. When activated, the gun opens a temporary one-
  way portal between Cordova’s 25th-century labs and whatever 
  era the gun is currently in. Cordova has a cage linked to 
  this weapon, and any living creature in the cage is instantly 
  transported to the gun’s location and kept there for as long as 
  the gun’s chronal link remains active. This could theoretically 
  be used to smuggle political prisoners, summon super-soldiers, 
  or bring in an emergency medical personnel; instead, Cordova 
  keeps the cage stocked with one of his many genetically 
  engineered monstrosities such as Bigfoot because he finds the 
  results hilarious. 
  Cordova, it turns out, is not entirely sane. Rumors that 
  Cordova has his creations equipped with spy cams and 
  publishes holographic video of their exploits to his fans are 
  wholly substantiated.
  The Crypto-Transposer can only summon one creature 
  at a time, and turning off the gun returns the creature; if 
  summoned a second time, it may begin to develop a relationship 
  (either good or bad) with the person who called it there. A 
  summoned creature won’t have any particular compunction 
  
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  to fight on the side of whoever fired the gun, but is generally 
  hostile. It appears wherever the gun was aimed within Near 
  range. It acts as its own combatant for the duration of the 
  fight. The person who fired the Crypto-Transposer can return 
  the summoned monster to the future by spending their action 
  to turn off the gun. If the Bigfoot can escape the immediate 
  vicinity of the weapon (passing out of Very Long range from 
  the weapon’s location), it does not automatically return when 
  the weapon is switched off. 
  The Crypto-Transposer is hardened against electronic 
  interference, and is not affected by a Bigfoot’s electronic 
  dampening effect. 
  More details on Bigfoot and other cryptids can be found in 
  the Antagonists chapter; see p. 145.
  Blink Device
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future, Blatant
  A blink device gives a person the ability to flash in and 
  out in combat, sliding forwards and backwards quickly in 
  time to make himself a more effective combatant. Blinking 
  Agents gain +1 to their Hit Threshold and have their foes’ Hit 
  Thresholds lowered by −1, and suffer no penalties for closing 
  to Point-Blank range with a gun-wielding foe. 
  There’s a cost, however. Using a blink device triggers a D4/
  L4 Paradox test the first round it is active and costs 2 Chronal 
  Stability in each subsequent round.
  Causal Loop Grenade
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future, Blatant; Near range
  Instead of an explosion, this grenade traps everyone within 
  the Point-Blank damage range within a causal loop. Targets 
  who fail a D4 Chronal Stability test repeat their last action 
  again and again and again in a repeating, looping moment; 
  they cannot usually be injured or affected by outside effects 
  while trapped in the loop. Victims are unaware of the loop and 
  do not register the repeated passing of time. Until negated by 
  expending a Timecraft or Science! point, this looping effect 
  can persist for decades. Antagonists with no Chronal Stabilty 
  rating must make the test without a spend.
  Ch’att Chronal Exiler
  Cost: Difficulty +3
  Future, Blatant; Near range
  When you need to buy time (figuratively speaking), there 
  are few better tools for team coordination or tactical planning. 
  First proposed by one of the original research scientists to 
  investigate chronal slippage, and later fully designed by him 
  when time travelers brought him into the future to fix an 
  engineering problem they couldn’t otherwise solve, the Ch’att 
  Chronal Exiler is a squat pistol with Near range. Targets 
  struck by its bright purple beam make a Difficulty 7 Chronal 
  Stability test; creatures without Tempus or Chronal Stability 
  fail automatically. On a failure, the target is flung two rounds 
  into the future, appearing in the exact same spot with no idea 
  that intervening time has passed. If another object or creature 
  occupies the same spot when the target reappears, everything 
  occupying that space takes 1 die of damage.
  The Exiler’s efficiency falls with subsequent shots in the 
  same scene. With every shot fired, the Difficulty of the 
  Chronal Stability test to resist drops by 1.
  Chronal Stabilizer
  Cost: Difficulty +4
  Future, Very Long range
  This backpack-sized device temporarily prevents chronal 
  decay, keeping anachronistic items within Very Long range 
  of the stabilizer functioning normally even when wielded by 
  someone without the Reality Anchor or Tempus ability (see 
  p. 49). Chronal stabilizers are rare, notoriously fussy to keep in 
  good repair, and are generally used to arm more primitive locals 
  with futuristic weapons. If you need an army of laser sword–
  wielding samurai, however, they’re well worth the investment.
  ChronoFacts
  Cost: Difficulty +1 for a basic subscription, up to Difficulty 
  +4 for a high-end, detailed subscription
  Future
  ChronoFacts is a dynamic and temporally centered guide 
  to all of known history (more or less), making it an invaluable 
  tool for TimeWatch agents when dealing with paradoxes. 
  The ChronoFacts is dynamic because it is constantly updated 
  wherever or whenever you are, assuming that the ChronoFacts 
  Corporation exists in that timeline. The practical upshot of 
  this is that the guide details your local false or changed history 
  for you (unlike your tether, which always recalls true history). 
  Due to the nature of history, the accuracy of this device 
  depends on the time period that was altered (which is not 
  necessarily the time period you’re currently in), the quality and 
  attentiveness of that section’s author, and the account type the 
  ChronoFacts is subscribed to. Small detailed events are seldom 
  included in a ChronoFacts report; large sweeping changes to 
  society and the environment almost always are. A ChronoFacts 
  subscription doesn’t obviate the need for research and 
  investigation, but it does a good job of steering Agents in the 
  correct direction and of eliminating false leads. If this comes 
  at the cost of occasional product placement advertisements 
  slipped in under the guise of facts, well, it’s probably still worth 
  the expense.
  The earlier in history that time was changed, the less 
  comprehensive ChronoFacts updates tend to be. The 
  better the ChronoFacts subscription, the more detailed and 
  accurate the information due to the ChronoFacts publishers 
  being able to afford new expeditions and chroniclers. At 
  a base subscription, the purchase date is the latest date to 
  which the ChronoFacts will be updated to, but with greater 
  subscriptions more of the future is revealed. It is rumored 
  that some militaries and governments can remotely increase 
  
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  the accuracy of their ChronoFacts database, but that remains 
  unsubstantiated.
  Mechanically, acquiring ChronoFacts allows Agents to 
  determine significant points in history when incorrect events 
  differ from “true” events. This lets the GM give direct clues 
  for when and where to begin their next stage of investigation. 
  The better the ChronoFacts description, the more details the 
  GM should supply when Agents use Research. Remember, 
  ChronoFacts doesn’t ruin mysteries by giving everything away; 
  instead, it records points when history changed enough to 
  become notable, and it’s these times and locations that make 
  for good Agent investigations.
  Chronological Chameleon Shard
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future, Chronomorphic
  This small brass disc, about the size of a pocket watch, 
  hides a surprisingly sophisticated technology. When attached 
  to another piece of equipment it causes the target to change 
  appearance to match its current place in time. This effect 
  requires the target equipment to be recognized by the CCS’ 
  database and to have a comparable device in the current time. 
  The change in appearance is holographic, and as such will not 
  pass examination by physical contact.
  Chronomorphic Pulse (CMP) 
  Generator
  Cost: Difficulty +1 for a small unit, up to Difficulty +6 for 
  the largest units
  Future
  This device generates an intense pulse of temporal energy 
  that can damage or disrupt the functioning of chronomorphic 
  devices. A CMP Generator will likely see more use during 
  missions by enemies than by Agents.
  Depending on the level of sophistication, the CMP 
  Generator ranges in size from a steamer trunk to a loaf of 
  bread. In all cases, it is a single-use device, since the energies 
  involved are so intense that the CMP Generator burns, melts, or 
  even explodes as the pulse is generated. The pulse lasts only for 
  an instant in time, and spreads out through a spherical volume 
  of space centered on the generator’s location. Chronomorphic 
  devices that are in the sphere when the CMP is generated may 
  be affected. Smaller sizes affect devices within Near range, while 
  large sizes have an effect stretching for dozens of kilometers. 
  Agents with Timecraft can track the blast’s radiation signature 
  back to its source, given enough time.
  TimeWatch’s secret safe house in 1870s Delhi is revealed by a 
  CMP Generator. Local “untouchables” break into the now-futuristic 
  structure, steal technology, and use the advanced technology to stage a 
  local social uprising. Agents are called in to quell the nonhistorical 
  riots, but to do so they must learn who triggered the CMP Generator, 
  and why.
  The effects on chronomorphic equipment vary with the 
  sensitivity of the chronomorphic circuit, its proximity to the 
  center of the CMP, and the power of the CMP Generator. In 
  general, damage falls into five categories:
  Category I: The entire chronomorphic device is destroyed. 
  Not only are its chronomorphic features beyond repair, 
  but there is sufficient collateral damage to the device that 
  it is inoperable as well. In some cases, Tinkering can be 
  used to fix the device so that it can be used once more, 
  but in any case the chronomorphic capabilities are gone 
  for good. (Rare, only when close to a particularly powerful 
  CMP)
  Category II: The device’s chronomorphic circuits burn out, 
  causing the device to revert to its native appearance, but its 
  base function is undamaged. The damage is severe enough 
  that the chronomorphic capability can’t be fixed in the field, 
  but must be replaced back at base. (Infrequent)
  Category III: The CMP damages the chronomorphic circuit 
  so that it cannot accurately detect or adapt to the current 
  location and time period. When hit by the CMP, the device will 
  adapt to a different, and usually wildly inappropriate, form; 
  when subsequently clocking in to a different time period, it will 
  choose a different incorrect adaptation. Tinkering can be used 
  to trigger the chronomorphic circuit to re-adapt, with higher 
  degrees of success making it more likely that the adaptation 
  will be less wildly inappropriate. However, the chronomorphic 
  circuit must be replaced at HQ to permanently fix the issue. 
  (Common) 
  A chronomorphic weapon hit by a CMP in Victorian 
  England may adapt itself  as a South American blowgun. When 
  subsequently traveling to the far future, it will cleverly blend in with 
  its surroundings by becoming a 16th-century blunderbuss. If  a 
  character uses Tinkering on it, he might be able to get it to re-adapt, 
  and with a successful roll the device disguises itself  as a handgun 
  appropriate to the era… with holster and grips decorated with a 
  gang symbol.
  Category IV: The CMP damages the chronomorphic circuit 
  so that it has a strong preference for certain colors or types 
  of objects. If a character uses Tinkering on it, she can get 
  the device to re-adapt, and with a successful roll can make it 
  choose something other than its preference. (Common)
  A chronomorphic tether is hit by a CMP and develops a preference 
  for women’s fashion accessories. Whenever it enters a new time and 
  place, it adapts by becoming a fashion accessory appropriate to females 
  of  that era. When clocking in to contemporary New York, the tether 
  becomes a Gucci handbag; when clocking in to 1890s Paris it becomes 
  an adorable parasol in black lace over brilliant pink silk. Not wanting 
  to stand out by carrying a parasol, the owner convinces his party to use 
  Tinkering on it, forcing it to re-adapt as a men’s swagger stick.
  Category V: The CMP damages the chronomorphic circuit 
  so that it no longer adapts to new locations and times. Instead, 
  the device maintains its current appearance until the circuit 
  is replaced at HQ. Tinkering can be used to make the device 
  
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  adapt, on a successful roll it will adapt normally once, but 
  revert to its preferred form the next time it enters a new time 
  period. (Common)
  A large chronomorphic time machine is damaged be a CMP while 
  it is in early 1960s London disguised as a common street-corner 
  feature. Subsequently when it clocks in at any point in time and space, 
  it retains its London 1960s appearance, though occasionally it is 
  convinced to adapt as something else.
  Rarely, at the GM’s discretion, less severe CMP effects can 
  be repaired by a successful Tinkering test, followed by time 
  travel to reset the chronomorphic features.
  Concussive Projector
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future, Blatant; Long range
  This military beam weapon is typically backpack mounted. 
  Designed to hammer in the sides of buildings (as well as 
  anyone unlucky enough to be standing in front of them), it 
  has Long range and does Class 2 explosion damage when fired 
  (see p. 99).
  Cross-Chronal Phone
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future
  Normally, it’s impossible for people in one era to speak 
  or communicate with someone in a different time period. 
  The one exception is the difficult to acquire, highly praised 
  cross-chronal phone. This allows you to speak across time to 
  someone else (or to yourself), assuming they also have a CCP. 
  The reception isn’t always perfect, but it’s better than any other 
  alternative for cross-time communication.
  The reason that these aren’t commonly used by agents is 
  that they’re notoriously easy to tap, and at the GM’s whim 
  they occasionally connect to the wrong potential reality when 
  calling into the future. You may make a call that’s overheard by 
  Europans, or the person on the other end of the phone may 
  be a parallel universe version of yourself. Caveat emptor.
  Regardless, they can be tremendously useful. A CCP can let 
  you talk directly to another Agent or a technician back at the 
  Citadel (assuming that they also have a CCP), and having your 
  future self give you paradoxical clues or information triggers a 
  Paradox test that is 1 Difficulty lower (Difficulty 3 instead of 
  Difficulty 4) than normal. Just chatting with your future or past 
  self without giving away any potentially paradoxical information 
  can be done without needing to make a Paradox test at all.
  Daggerfly Hunter
  Cost: Difficulty +0 for one, up to +4 for five matching 
  daggerflies
  Future, Subtle; Long range; Damage Modifier +0
  A small flying daggerlike insect that flitters around on 
  near-invisible dragonfly wings, with just enough genetically 
  engineered intelligence to hunt out a specific target. The 
  daggerfly hunter can navigate from room to room, exploring 
  a location until its target is sighted, then it charges towards the 
  victim and stabs them in a vulnerable spot (Damage Modifier 
  +0). Nastier versions are poison-laden. Various models are 
  available with increasing degrees of intelligence in identifying 
  targets; and extended life spans, allowing longer hunts.
  Decrepitude Amplifier
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future, Subtle; Near range; Damage Modifier +2
  In addition to inflicting normal beam weapon damage, this 
  energy weapon instantly ages an organic or inorganic target. 
  It can turn a door brittle and useless, or age a human target 
  enough to cause them to crumple into dust.
  For living targets, the aging is a special effect that 
  accompanies damage. Difficulties for physical tasks (such 
  as Athletics, Scuffling, Shooting, etc.) are raised by +1 while 
  decrepit and withered due to the effects of age.
  If the target is not killed, the advanced aging can be reversed 
  after the end of the scene by spending a point of Timecraft. 
  Damage is doubled against nonliving targets that would be 
  affected by aging (such as a wooden door or iron bars).
  Dembrill Ecstasy Generator
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future; Point-Blank or Near range; Stun 8 or Stun 5
  Originally designed as a less dangerous alternative to opiate 
  drugs, the Dembrill Ecstasy Generator (DEG) was easily 
  weaponized and recreated on the black market. It remotely 
  incapacitates a target by stimulating their pleasure centers. For 
  a greater effect, the weapon can be overcharged by linking 
  it to the wielder’s own emotional force of will. DEGgers 
  line sewers and back alleys of some future cities, writhing in 
  ecstasy as the DEG gives them pure and unalloyed pleasure. 
  Used as a weapon, the DEG acts as a Near range stunner, 
  requiring that targets hit make a Stun 5 test or drop insensate 
  for the rest of the scene. 
  Alternatively, the DEG can be attached by electrodes to the 
  wielder. By spending 1 Interpersonal point (such as Charm or 
  Reassurance), the weapon’s effect is greatly heightened up to 
  Stun 8 for one shot. Addicts typically hook the DEG up to 
  their own head before using it on themselves, thus draining 
  their Interpersonal points in a quest for ever-greater pleasure.
  Dimensional Switcher
  Cost: Difficulty +3
  Future; Close range
  Appearing as a classic 1950s “ray gun,” with a parabolic 
  dish instead of a barrel, the Dimensional Switcher emits a 
  broad cone of energy that engulfs the entire target organism 
  and switches it with a matching organism from a parallel 
  
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  time stream. This “alternate you” could be healthier or more 
  injured — the results are random. The alternate may also have 
  a completely different personality. 
  The duration of the effect seems to be variable; it may wear 
  off as quickly as an hour, or as long as several weeks.
  Ezeru Infestator
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  Contemporary, Subtle, Restricted; Near range; Damage 
  Modifier +1
  A simple ezeru gun that fires a biological payload into the 
  target. If it impacts flesh (bringing a target to 0 Health or 
  lower), the infestator disappears into the flesh and begins to 
  incubate. In six to eight weeks, this develops into an egg sac 
  and splits open inside the victim, releasing a small swarm of 
  specially engineered cockroaches that then proceed to eat their 
  way out of the host, usually killing the poor sod. 
  Variant: Ezeru Infestator (Advanced)
  Cost: Difficulty +3
  Contemporary, Subtle, Restricted; Near range; Damage 
  Modifier +1
  Much like its simpler relative, this advanced version of the 
  weapon instead injects more intelligent engineered cockroaches 
  that work their way to key points of their victim’s anatomy — 
  brain stem, optic nerve, base of the spinal column, etc. — and 
  proceed to take over the victim’s major systems, turning them 
  into a helpless zombie in the thrall of the ezeru menace. Given 
  careful surgery, these parasites could be removed, returning 
  control of the body to its original inhabitant, who will have 
  full recollection of everything that’s happened. Unfortunately 
  for them.
  Fast-Cast
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future
  This futuristic splint and bandage moves shattered bone 
  and damaged flesh into the past, where they slowly knit before 
  being instantaneously pulled back to the present for analysis 
  and diagnosis. Any problems are addressed, and the process 
  repeats itself to speed healing. When a fast-cast is applied to 
  an injured person (taking an action), they subsequently make 
  all Consciousness rolls and immediately become conscious 
  if they had previously failed a Consciousness test. Seriously 
  Wounded individuals can be healed normally by the Medic 
  ability while the fast-cast is attached. It loses its efficacy after 
  one scene.
  Friction Manipulator
  Cost: 1-point Science! spend plus Difficulty +1
  Future, Super-Science; Near range
  This psychic alien artifact is believed to have been developed 
  on the moon Europa. A tangle of delicate and intertwined 
  crystalline tubes, it draws on the operator’s force of will to 
  free a nearby object from the laws of conventional friction. 
  This allows massive acceleration (and typically causes a bipedal 
  target to fall), or can be used to freeze things in place by 
  intensifying the friction between the object and surrounding 
  matter (stopping a quarry from fleeing). 
  The friction manipulator has a range of Near and can 
  affect one object at a time. You can thus target objects such as 
  yourself, one enemy, one tire on a vehicle you are chasing, or 
  one small patch of floor. Any target that passes out of Near 
  range ceases to be affected. The effect is triggered by the user 
  succeeding at a Difficulty 4 Chronal Stability test. The result 
  almost never shuts down a combat entirely, but is dramatically 
  effective for accelerating people off of high balconies, ripping 
  tires from moving cars, and even blazingly fast personal 
  transport if you don’t mind some associated pain when you 
  come to a sudden stop. It’s favored by TimeWatch scientists 
  with a high sense of style and a casual disregard for the laws 
  of physics.
  Grandfather Bullet
  Cost: 1-point Science! spend plus Difficulty +0
  Future, Restricted, Super-Science; Close to Very Long range 
  (as per the firearm); Damage Modifier +1
  This ammunition contains a miniature time travel device. 
  When fired at a target, it vanishes inches from the target 
  and hits the target’s grandfather in the exact same place. 
  If this kills the grandfather (which it typically does, if the 
  grandfather is considered a Mook), the target must make a 
  D6/L6 Paradox test. 
  The grandfather bullet is designed to be an assassination 
  weapon that is convenient because it leaves no body. This 
  weapon is illegal in most periods, not that that stops most 
  would-be assassins or other antagonists from using it.
  HEAPoon
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Contemporary, Blatant; Near range
  Designed for hunting large creatures, such as the bigger 
  dinosaurs, this harpoon cuts straight through armor plating 
  and then explodes shortly after coming to rest. Very effective, 
  but also very dangerous. As such, the arming mechanism 
  requires an extra round to prime. Priming it early is possible, 
  but be cautious; beginning the round after it is primed, it has a 
  1 in 6 chance of spontaneously detonating each round. 
  The HEAPoon (High Explosive Armor Piercing) ignores up 
  to 3 points of armor. It acts as a Class 2 explosive (see p. 99) and 
  is fired with Shooting.
  Holographic Array Template
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  Future, Subtle, Chronomorphic
  Sure, anyone can use Disguise to change their appearance. 
  Those with a HAT, however, can do so seamlessly and 
  
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  nearly flawlessly, shimmering from identity to identity with 
  a chronomorphic disguise that’s particularly difficult to 
  break. The HAT (which is, in fact, a hat) allows you to use 
  your Disguise ability instantly without you needing to take 
  an action, it suggests the most appropriate disguise for any 
  given situation, and it lowers the Difficulty on any Disguise 
  test you make for yourself by −1. This makes it particularly 
  useful for impersonating celebrities or another specific person. 
  Very recognizable agents such as sophosaurs particularly favor 
  HATs, and occasionally compete amongst themselves to 
  generate the most memorable or impressive disguise.
  Removing the HAT instantly restores your true appearance.
  Interdiction Device
  Cost: several days’ time and a minimum expenditure of 3 
  points of Timecraft, Science!, or a mixture of the two; they’re 
  more often a plot device
  Restricted, Super-Science
  They’re a pain to manufacture, but interdiction devices block 
  time travel in both three dimensions (a given physical area) and 
  four dimensions (a given period of time, radiating both forwards 
  and backwards from activation). A small device the size of a 
  pocket watch may block travel within 100 meters and a day; the 
  largest (and rarest), most powerful spaceship-sized devices may 
  function for thousands of kilometers and last for centuries. Time 
  traveling into an era shielded by an interdiction device feels like 
  airplane turbulence. The Agent can choose whether to arrive just 
  before the start of the device’s effect, or after the effect ends.
  Kelfala runs into the effect of  an interdiction device that will last for 
  two months, a month before and a month after it was activated. Kelfala 
  chooses to arrive before the device triggers. He clocks in a month earlier 
  than he’d expected to — but seconds after he arrives the device takes 
  effect. He now can’t easily time travel away for two months unless he 
  stops the device from ever being activated a month hence, unless he 
  breaks through its field, or unless he puts considerable distance between 
  the device’s field and himself.
  Some interdiction devices are coded to allow passage to 
  anyone with an encrypted code. Some crystalline devices only 
  allow psychic time travel (such as that of sophosaurs) and stop 
  technological time travel. Some allow anyone to time travel in 
  but prevent exit. Others might block incoming travelers but 
  allow anyone to leave. Finally, weaker devices allow entry or 
  exit with the expenditure of Timecraft or Paradox Prevention 
  points, with a cost of between 1 and 5 points per time traveler.
  Bringing an interdiction device to the Citadel is often an 
  exiling offense; there is concern that such a device activated in 
  the Citadel could trigger the Big Bang.
  What’s even the point of super-science if you don’t use it to cyborg a dinosaur?
  
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  Jet Pack
  Cost: Difficulty +0, or Difficulty +2 for subtle jet packs 
  Contemporary, Blatant
  There are times when you need to soar through the sky, 
  observers be damned, and a jet pack may do the trick. These 
  can be as large as a backpack-sized flame-spewing rocket unit, 
  or as small as a low-profile antigravity belt. As with most 
  technology in TimeWatch, jet packs usually have a signature 
  noise, trail, or appearance when in use. They typically provide 
  enough loft to lift one additional person, with some difficulty.
  The real challenge with jet packs is that in many 
  settings their use immediately identifies the Agent as using 
  anachronistic technology, although it may be possible to 
  use Disguise to instead appear as a mythological or deific 
  messenger of some sort.
  Jet packs typically function for the duration of one scene.
  Koori Phase Converter
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  Future, Blatant, Hackable; Near range; Damage Modifier +2, 
  Stun 4 
  This handheld narrow-beam weapon changes the phase, 
  state, or structure of whatever it is aimed at, all while imparting 
  kinetic energy. The result is that it turns portions of the 
  target into something approaching Silly String, sending fleshy 
  strands of muscle and bone out the target’s back and leaving 
  corresponding holes in their body. It’s very popular at the sort 
  of children’s parties that no one actually wants to be invited 
  to, ever. The sound of the Koori is distinctive, and resembles 
  a rhythmic dog’s bark.
  The Koori phase converter simultaneously injures and 
  stuns. Used on solid matter such as a wall, it can be used to 
  carve out doors or entry points.
  Lyontech Chronal Regenerator
  Cost: Difficulty +1, lasts until the Agent returns to TimeWatch’s 
  Citadel (typically one mission), at which point it is destroyed by 
  the Citadel’s automated security screens upon arrival
  Future
  This device was manufactured by the Lyontech Chronal 
  Research Foundation in the 26th century, used to keep its 
  time-explorers alive when they went on company-mandated 
  missions. While it was eventually phased out under surreptitious 
  pressure from TimeWatch, it’s still common for TimeWatch 
  agents to pick up black-market chronal regenerators to give 
  themselves a small safety net on difficult missions. 
  The chronal regenerator is packed with microcircuitry and 
  looks like a black plastic pearl the size of a grape. It’s activated 
  by swallowing, whereupon the regenerator anchors itself 
  harmlessly in the stomach. Should the user’s Health drop 
  below −12 while the device is active, it creates a quantum 
  paradox while shifting the user slightly off-phase with local 
  time. The paradox wave effectively remakes the body as a new 
  individual, as if Subsumed from a Chronal Stability of −6, but 
  in the process the regenerator restarts the body and heals it to 
  4 Health. The Agent typically looks different and may have a 
  somewhat different personality, but retains all memories of 
  their previous existence.
  This is a good tool for players who don’t mind changing 
  appearance and perhaps personality upon their death, but 
  who don’t want to bring in an entirely new Agent with new 
  relationships. In certain campaign frames, such as the Tourist 
  frame on p. 320, all player characters might be assumed to 
  have chronal regenerators at all times.
  Micro-Drones
  Cost: nil for someone with Spying, Difficulty +0 for others
  Future, Subtle, Hackable
  A micro-drone is an excellent resource when remote spying 
  is required; these flying insect-sized spy-drones are innocuous 
  and hard-to-notice (Stealth Modifier +4) recording devices 
  that can be piloted through a tether by anyone with the Spying 
  Investigative ability. 
  With a standard Tinkering test, it’s possible to weaponize 
  these to deliver a minor electrical shock (Stun 3, enough to 
  automatically take down a Mook or unnamed supporting 
  character but little more).
  Micro Interdimensional Time Traveler 
  Shade System (“MITTS”)
  Cost: Difficulty +3
  Future
  The MITTS is a defensive device that, when activated, 
  surrounds the owner with holographic shades. These shades 
  are transparent three-dimensional duplicates drawn from his 
  immediate past and present. The shades stand around him and 
  independently move with him, persisting for one scene. Their 
  mental links with the user allow them to scout around corners 
  within Close range, without putting the user in harm’s way.
  MITTS is powered by the user’s Chronal Stability. Every 2 
  points spent generates 1 shade. 
  The Agent’s Hit Threshold rises by +1 for every active 
  shade. While it’s easy for enemies to tell who the real Agent is, 
  MITTS uses a micro-interdimensional wormhole to transpose 
  the Agent and an image just before an attack is successful. 
  Shades are considered Mooks, with Hit Threshold 3 and 
  Health 1. Any attack on the Agent or any of the shades that 
  reaches Hit Threshold 3, but that doesn’t reach the Agent’s 
  revised Hit Threshold, destroys a shade and teleports the 
  Agent slightly out of the way of the attack.
  Ordering the duplicates to attack destroys every remaining 
  duplicate and turns off MITTS for the rest of the scene. In 
  exchange, on his next attack that round the Agent gains a +1 
  Damage Modifier per remaining duplicate destroyed. 
  Uurrk activates MITTS as his action, spending 8 Chronal 
  Stability to do so. Four slightly transparent duplicate Uurrks 
  pop into existence, pointing and grunting at one another. 
  Uurrk’s Hit Threshold rises from 4 to 8. Any enemy who 
  
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  targets Uurrk (or a duplicate) and who hits Difficulty 8 or 
  higher hits the real Uurrk; if they hit between Difficulty 3 and 
  7 they hit a duplicate, popping it and lowering Uurrk’s new Hit 
  Threshold from 8 to 7; and if they hit Difficulty 2 or less, they 
  miss entirely.
  Uurrk wants to finish off his foe. On his turn he orders the 
  duplicates to attack when he does. This destroys the last two 
  remaining duplicates, and Uurrk gains a +2 Damage Modifier 
  to his attack.
  Mindblanker
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future; Close range
  Resembling an optician’s pen light, the Mindblanker is a tool 
  that sends out a focused flash of light that knocks neurons 
  back an hour, causing the loss of all memory for that period. 
  This is the go-to tool for Agents who prefer not to use 
  MEM-tags.
  Mobster’s Mindclaw
  Cost: Difficulty +3
  Future, Restricted
  This psychic amplifier turns someone into your fanatical 
  follower while reducing their mental capacities. Each active 
  follower becomes a resonator and allows you to recruit 
  additional followers, but weakens the minds even further. Four 
  or more followers are little more than a howling mob who 
  will attack randomly if you show any weakness or lapse of 
  attention.
  The mindclaw only affects Mooks and supporting characters 
  with 3 or less Health. To activate the mindclaw, spend 1 point 
  of Authority. Your selected Mook is under your control but is 
  noticeably, substantially less intelligent. You may add additional 
  Mooks to your control, one per action, by making a Chronal 
  Stability test; the Difficulty of the test is 3 + the number of 
  Mooks you currently control. If you fail the test, all controlled 
  Mooks attack the nearest person who isn’t one of their group. 
  You may spend 1 point of Authority to reroll a failed test.
  Myrmidon Drone
  Cost: Difficulty +2 (for six drones)
  Future
  The original inspiration for the Greek myth of the 
  Myrmidon (or possibly inspired by the Greek myth, or both 
  — it gets a little hazy, to be honest), this flying ant-sized drone 
  can manufacture itself a human-sized suit of animated armor 
  called a Myrmidon shell. It does so by breaking up pieces of 
  local scenery and transforming them into an artificial body 
  clothed in Greek armor. Myrmidon drones typically come in 
  packs of six but can be activated one at a time. Although they 
  take roughly an hour to assemble bodies from nearby objects 
  (trees, stones, soil, metal), the final body is fully under the 
  orders of the Agent who activated it or anyone she designates. 
  Destroying a Myrmidon shell destroys the drone inside 
  of it. The ant-sized drones can abandon their undestroyed 
  bodies, burrowing out and leaving inanimate shells behind. 
  Such drones return to the user and can be reactivated in 
  subsequent scenes. 
  Myrmidon Shell
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, Health 1 
  Offense: Scuffling +0, Shooting +0; Damage Modifier +1 
  (sword or spear)
  Abilities: Athletics 8
  Special Abilities: Destructive Repair (cost 0 — once per scene, 
  the first time they take a hit which would destroy their body, they 
  instantly rip raw material from Point-Blank sources to repair 
  themselves. The hit is negated and they automatically inflict 1d6 
  damage on every non-Myrmidon in Point-Blank range)
  They aren’t particularly capable soldiers, but Myrmidon 
  drones are most useful when you need an impromptu army 
  unit who will obey orders faultlessly. They’re also useful when 
  you need cannon fodder as a distraction, and you don’t wish to 
  put innocent people at risk.
  Needler
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future, Subtle; Point-Blank range
  A mono-molecular rapier. It started out as surgical 
  technology — the ability to make a scalpel essentially a 
  molecule thick. With a blade this thin, even bone turns into 
  butter. A slice so thin and precise you can cut through most 
  anything. It’s no surprise that within months it was turned 
  into a weapon. What was a surprise is that the rapier version 
  of this technology was the favorite of assassins everywhere. 
  The blade can be used to cut through just about everything — 
  bone, steel, flesh, stone. Trick is, it has to be precise. Hacking 
  away in haste will snap the blade more often than not. But 
  someone with a lot of skill or a lot of time can make some 
  slow agonizing cuts that are almost art.
  The Needler is a Scuffling weapon so sharp it even fractures 
  light, giving the impossibly thin blade a faint rainbow sheen. 
  It has a Damage Modifier of +2 and ignores armor that is 
  not force field–based. It also ignores partial and full cover, 
  possibly lowering a foe’s Hit Threshold. To its detriment, the 
  blade snaps if a natural 1 is rolled on the die and the total result 
  of the Scuffling attack doesn’t equal or exceed Difficulty 4.
  The Needler is notoriously difficult to sheathe in traditional 
  scabbards. It comes with a magnetically reinforced, fitted 
  sheath designed to stop users from accidentally cutting off 
  their own legs while walking.
  Nostalgicator
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  Future
  An emergency source of Chronal Stability when you’re 
  out of other options, this device taps into your childhood 
  memories to restore your sense of self and help stabilize you. 
  
  GEAR
  135
  It uses psychic technology borrowed from the sophosaurs. It 
  allows you to change Health into Chronal Stability on a 1:1 
  basis; burn away 5 Health, gain back 5 Chronal Stability. Every 
  Investigative point of History or Trivia you spend during 
  activation cancels out 2 points of Health damage.
  Fading from paradox, Altani uses a nostalgicator to remember 
  her childhood on the Mongolian steppes. She exchanges 6 Health 
  for 6 Chronal Stability. She spends 2 History points in the process, 
  however, canceling out 4 points of  lost Health. When she finishes she’s 
  spent 2 points from any History pool, she’s down 2 Health, and she’s 
  regained 6 Chronal Stability.
  When used on someone else, the interface is more damaging. 
  The target decides how much Health they’ll exchange for 
  Chronal Stability, and they may not cancel any of the loss.
  Oubliette Mine
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future, Subtle; Point-Blank range
  Deployed much like any other mine, the Oubliette causes 
  anything that stands on it to become temporally unstable, 
  dropping out of time and into a pocket dimension. This time 
  bubble itself is unstable and usually only lasts about 24 hours, 
  but that’s usually enough to disrupt someone’s plans for the 
  day… or provide enough time for an ambush to be arranged 
  for their return.
  Should the victims possess a time machine, they can 
  depart the dimensional oubliette early by spending a point of 
  Timecraft to break through the dimensional barrier.
  Paradox Generator
  Cost: 1-point Science! or Timecraft spend plus Difficulty +2
  Future, Blatant, Super-Science; Near range
  Also known as a time trap or Charon’s Doorbell, this 
  unwieldy case can emanate null-time in a manner that 
  destabilizes and destroys any Chronal Stability (or Tempus) in 
  a Near range to the device. Any time traveler in the area must 
  make a D4/L4 Paradox test every round that the time trap is 
  active. Time travel within the area of effect is impossible, but 
  leaving the device switched on has a bad habit of generating 
  nearby paradoxes as a side effect; impossible events occur, 
  massive lucky and unlucky streaks strike the unwary, and 
  people experience the closest they’ll ever come to miracles 
  or catastrophes. While a paradox generator is often used to 
  protect areas from time travel, the side effects usually prove 
  more trouble than they’re worth. 
  The paradox generator can be lethal to time travelers if 
  they find themselves trapped in its vicinity with no method 
  of deactivating or destroying it. GMs may limit its availability 
  accordingly.
  Paradoxometer
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future
  This handheld tool measures the amount of incipient 
  paradox attached to a person, object, or place. While this 
  is most useful for the GM as a plot device that indicates a 
  history shift — “Our paradoxometer indicates that time just 
  changed around us!” — or that foreshadows adventure hooks 
  — “Don’t return the new TimeWatch recruit to the Citadel 
  until he’s free of potential paradox that might erase him from 
  existence” — it can also numerically measure Chronal Stability 
  or Tempus Loss in any character below 0. That’s useful if you 
  want to erase a bad guy from existence mid-fight, and aren’t 
  sure how much paradox you’ll need to do so.
  Proctor Serenity Restraints
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  Future, Subtle
  Researchers in the late 21st century developed a medical 
  bracelet originally designed to aid those with mental illnesses; it 
  continually monitors blood chemistry and provides miniscule 
  doses of mood-altering drugs to calm and elevate the patient’s 
  mood. It wasn’t long before the invention was adapted by Dr. 
  Justin Proctor as a method for pacifying violent offenders, 
  prisoners, and (frankly) anyone that Dr. Proctor didn’t 
  particularly like. Eventually arrested and imprisoned himself, 
  Dr. Proctor’s invention became useful for anyone needing 
  subtle prisoner containment.
  The Serenity Restraints are a simple metal bracelet that 
  chemically bond with skin and are only removed with a 
  specific security code (Difficulty 8 Hacking/Tinkering test 
  to remove, other than severing the wrist). Putting Serenity 
  Restraints on someone who is resisting involves a full contest, 
  pitting Scuffling against the defender’s Athletics.
  Once in place the bracelet calms violent tendencies, reduces 
  mood swings, and eliminates most aggression. The Difficulty 
  of Scuffling, Shooting, and violent Athletics tests rises by 4 
  when wearing Serenity Restraints, making them useful before 
  prisoner transport.
  Psychic Clothes
  Cost: Difficulty +3, or a specific scene in which the clothes 
  are acquired
  Contemporary, Subtle, Restricted
  One of the earliest time travel experiments took place in 
  1968, involving a subterranean 36,000-person laboratory 
  in Arizona that developed an exceptionally unstable “time 
  tunnel.” The process lost several scientists in the time stream, 
  even as it turned their standard clothing into an incredibly 
  effective disguise. These 1960s clothes (a turtleneck and slacks, 
  and a shirt and tweed suit) psychically blend in for whoever 
  you talk to; you gain a constant +2 bonus on Disguise tests, 
  as no one will ever question why you are dressed so oddly. 
  Other oddities in your disguise may still draw attention, of 
  
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  136
  course. The psychic resonance also grants you 1 bonus point 
  of Reassurance per mission. On the downside, these artifacts 
  are unique, so you’ll need to find the time travelers in one of 
  the numerous places they were detained and liberate their 
  clothing from them first. 
  Note: this gear draws its inspiration from the classic TV 
  show Time Tunnel, and so may work best in a cinematic or 
  humorous game; not everyone can carry off a 1960s turtleneck 
  and tweed suit with aplomb.
  Psychosis Grenade
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Contemporary, Blatant, Restricted
  This gas grenade causes anyone within a Close area to 
  make a Difficulty 5 Chronal Stability test. Failure indicates a 
  rush of crippling, murderous psychosis. Developed to cause 
  pure mayhem amongst enemy troops, anyone affected by the 
  grenade can choose whether to sit and helplessly rock back 
  and forth, or whether to attack anyone nearby regardless of 
  identity or allegiance. This effect lasts for the duration of 
  the scene or until treated with the expenditure of 1 point of 
  Medical Expertise.
  Psyonic Stone
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Ancient
  Designed by sophosaurs and surreptitiously distributed 
  (often in jewelry), these stones are imprinted with a permanent 
  psychic disguise (Disguise 4). Anyone carrying one for 
  more than an hour (or a scene) looks to others like a large 
  velociraptor for the next 24 hours, cannot remove the disguise, 
  and probably has no idea whatsoever why people are reacting 
  so poorly to them. A particularly vindictive sophosaur clan 
  creates and distributes these solely to cause chaos amongst 
  humans, making TimeWatch agents work around the clock to 
  clean up after their simple-to-manufacture paradox.
  Punxsutawney Prime Perpetuation 
  Device (Tri-P)
  Cost: Difficulty +6, or a specific mission to acquire (unless the 
  GM offers it for free)
  Future, Restricted
  The Tri-P is a rare device that uses 47th-century technology 
  to encase a micro-pocket universe in a quantum matrix that 
  can be entangled with a single sentience to create a self-
  perpetuating temporal loop. (Phew.) Due to the narrow 
  stability band for 17-dimensional constructs, all Tri-P loops 
  are limited to approximately 24 hours before restarting. The 
  emergent intelligence of the modified micro-pocket universe 
  is instantaneously aligned with the mated sentience and 
  attuned to a particular set of psychometric parameters such 
  that when they are met, the matrix will evaporate, returning 
  the entangled sentience to the dominant time stream.
  The chrono-babble translation? If you’ve ever wanted to 
  recreate the movie Groundhog Day in your game to learn new 
  abilities instantly, we’ve got you covered. Once per mission, 
  this traps one person in a loop where they must constantly 
  repeat the last 24 hours of their life, retaining full memory 
  of past cycles until they acquire the skill or personality trait 
  determined by the activating Agent. 
  Within the dominant time stream, the character appears 
  physically unchanged to all observers, but will retain all 
  memories of the time loop. When the character emerges from 
  the time loop they may rearrange up to 3 ability points each 
  from Investigative and General abilities. General points can’t 
  normally be moved to Investigative abilities or vice versa, but 
  3 points may be rearranged from each category. If an affected 
  antagonist lacks Investigative points to convert, Tempus 
  General ability points can be used instead on a 3:1 basis.
  The GM has final say on whether a change is reasonable. If 
  used offensively by touching it to an individual with a Scuffling 
  attack, the activating player can’t declare, “I want her Paradox 
  Prevention and Shooting to drop by 3”; instead, it can be used 
  to say, “I want her Outdoor Survival and Chronal Stability to 
  rise by 3,” and it’s up to the trapped character (or the GM) 
  to decide where those points come from. The GM has full 
  discretion to grant supporting characters trapped in the Tri-P 
  additional bonus abilities if desired.
  Players are encouraged to summarize in detail the subject’s 
  experience. 
  While this is primarily used to allow players to redesign their 
  characters on the fly while retaining game balance, or to cripple 
  an enemy while removing vital abilities, the GM might also use 
  this device as the mission’s plot device, trapping characters in the 
  time loop until they realize and resolve the specified changes.
  Readyblade
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  Ancient; Damage Modifier +2
  Most blades lose their edge slightly between the time they’re 
  sharpened and the time they’re used. The Readyblade is 
  capable of holding a moment of time until it’s needed. Once 
  it’s sharpened, it holds that edge until it is used, thus causing 
  extra damage. Readyblades ignore 1 point of Armor (if any).
  Rebreather
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future, Subtle
  This tiny mouthpiece takes clean air from another time, 
  allowing the user to breathe underwater or during gas attacks.
  
  GEAR
  137
  Resi-You Analyzer
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  Future
  In fairy tales, witches have been stirring people’s personal 
  artifacts — a stray strand of hair, shed skin, fingerprints 
  (usually with a finger attached!), and other human residue — 
  into cauldrons since stories first began, all to gain power and 
  knowledge over others. Super-science turns out to help that 
  process immensely. 
  The Resi-You Analyzer samples the residue that people 
  leave behind on objects. The analyzer is roughly pistol-
  shaped with a bulbous barrel. It emits enough luminous grey 
  smoke to blanket a one meter square area, coating all the 
  miniscule surfaces of the object it is aimed at, after which it 
  immediately sucks the smoke back into its barrel. There the 
  microprocessors analyze the invisible bits of dirt and dust that 
  were found mixed in with the Resi-You fog. 
  The results are checked against a database, registered, and 
  cataloged. You can know with certainty who last touched this 
  thing, or who made it, or where and when it was manufactured 
  (microscopic particles like pollen, mechanical emissions, and 
  food odors can all be accurately identified). The analyzer 
  indicates when samples are anachronistic, and where in the 
  future or past they originate from. While the Resi-You won’t 
  necessarily give you a suspect’s exact identity unless they’re 
  already in its database, it can tell you geographical areas where 
  the suspect has recently been, giving you clues you’ll need to 
  track down their identity. If the suspect is nonhuman, the 
  Resi-You Analyzer will indicate its species when possible.
  Ribo-Viroxic Resequencer
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future
  One of the peskiest parts about time travel is the necessity 
  to deal with stages of life that might not make sense from 
  a societal standpoint — a healthy young adult time traveler 
  on an investigative mission cannot easily go undercover in a 
  middle school or a nursing home, for example, being obviously 
  unsuited to blending into those environments. Enter the Ribo-
  Viroxic Resequencer from ARIN Industries, a conglomerate 
  focused on the quest for eternal youth. The RVR is a small 
  rectangular device that clamps itself to the skin and injects 
  two small tubules into the wearer’s bloodstream. The device 
  allows for the temporary removal or acceleration of key ribo-
  viroxic-nucleic sequences taken from the subject’s DNA — 
  the practical upshot of which is that the subject becomes 
  younger or older at a rate of roughly two years per minute 
  until they reach the age that the device has been programmed 
  to simulate. Any age from infant to centenarian is possible, 
  and all physical characteristics such as weight, height, body 
  hair (or lack of same), wrinkles (or lack of same), etc., will be 
  exactly as they were or will be for the subject when they were 
  (or will be) that age. Mental characteristics remain unaffected. 
  The device’s small nature (roughly the size of a coin) allows 
  it to be easily covered. It must attach to an arm or leg at the 
  carotid artery, but can easily be placed on the upper leg to be 
  covered even in situations that call for only minimal clothing. 
  The device cannot be programmed directly, rather taking its 
  instructions from a tether. 
  The re-sequencing process is not painful, but definitely 
  disturbing to look at. Increased appetite is the most common 
  side effect of the device, with caloric intake requirements 
  almost triple the norm for a person of the subject’s “new” age 
  while the device is operating. Any addictions or cravings the 
  subject is suffering from would be similarly amplified. 
  The most important drawback of the device is its time limit: 
  various models come with battery lives ranging from 24 to 
  120 hours, after which the ribo-viroxic sequences stored in the 
  device’s memory become irretrievable, causing the re-sequence to 
  be permanent. (A permanently re-sequenced individual will still 
  die at the end of their natural lifespan, regardless of how far back 
  or forward they may appear to be, because the actual cells are 
  not truly older or younger.) Deactivating the device before the 
  battery expires restores the individual to their true appearance at 
  the same rate of two years per minute. Of course, permanent 
  re-sequencing isn’t much of a problem for elderly users hoping 
  to restore their youthful appearances, or for canny assassins who 
  would rather turn an enemy into a baby than kill them.
  This is primarily a roleplaying aid more than anything else, 
  allowing Agents to blend into a variety of acting roles as 
  situations call for them. The GM may reduce the Difficulty 
  of age-related Disguise tests (typically by 2) while the device 
  is active, and she may increase Athletics test Difficulty by 1 or 
  more points to account for a geriatric’s or child’s lower strength.
  Sauropod Train Gun
  Cost: 1-point Military Tactics spend plus Difficulty +1
  Contemporary, Blatant; Very Long range; Damage Modifier +3
  The Sauropod Train Gun is actually a very simple arrangement 
  — it consists of a train gun that would normally be mounted 
  on a railway carriage (or possibly a battleship), instead mounted 
  on the back of a large sauropod. Double trouble if you mount 
  two — one on each side, like panniers. The brontosaurus never 
  seems to mind, and it looks much more impressive, although a 
  separate gunner is needed for each gun.
  Sauropod Train Guns are autofire weapons (see p. 84).
  Seibert Inhibitor
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future; Near range
  Less powerful but far more flexible than an interdiction 
  device, a Seibert inhibitor uses a fleeing time traveler’s own 
  technology against them in a particularly embarrassing manner. 
  Each inhibitor has Near range, can only be activated once, and 
  remains active for a scene until it is triggered by someone in 
  the area time traveling. The first person to time travel out of 
  the inhibitor’s range causes a massive temporal feedback loop. 
  They are instantly encased by layer upon layer of ectoplasmic 
  goo, syrup-like crystallized time precipitated out of the time 
  stream and attracted to the victim’s chronal field. The goo 
  looks like shimmering mucus and smells far worse.
  
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  138
  The victim must make a Difficulty 6 Chronal Stability test. 
  Success means they are unaffected by the goo; failure indicates 
  that their Athletics pool temporarily drops by 10 points. If this 
  reduces their Athletics pool to 0, their time travel is disrupted 
  and they are Restrained. Victims may make a Difficulty 6 
  Chronal Stability test at the end of each of their turns; failure 
  indicates that they remain encased and Restrained, while 
  success causes the ectoplasm to dissipate and their Athletics 
  pool to return to normal.
  SherpaTech Thermal  
  Stasis Apparatus (“StAppa”)
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  Future; Long range
  This sleek white and blue pistol embodies elegant design. It 
  uses zero-point energy to reduce the target to minimal energy, 
  instantly lowering the surrounding temperature and generating 
  considerable quantities of ice around the target area. When fired 
  at a nonliving object within Long range, any damage inflicted on 
  the object in subsequent rounds is doubled. When fired at living 
  flesh within Long range, the target is Restrained by ice until it 
  makes a Difficulty 6 Athletics test. The Difficulty of this test 
  drops by 1 each round as the ice weakens and melts.
  Variants of the StAppa use a high-tech glove containing a 
  field projector lens in the palm and a built-in energy source, 
  instead of a pistol. 
  Skillreaper
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future; Point-Blank range; Stun 5
  This device painfully rips knowledge of a General ability 
  from its victim and temporarily grants it to someone else. 
  Depending on the sophistication of the design, it may appear 
  as primitive as two linked electric chairs (complete with giant 
  levers and lowering dome-shaped helmets crackling with 
  electricity) or as elegant as a microcircuitry-laden headband 
  that functions instantly with a physical touch.
  The skillreaper’s user must make a Difficulty 6 Chronal 
  Stability test to activate the device; failure indicates that the 
  skillreaper fails to function. If the skillreaper is successfully 
  activated, the intended victim must then make a Stun 5 test. 
  Failure indicates that the victim is stunned until the end of 
  their next turn, and the user steals up to 6 points of a single 
  General ability from the victim. This pool of temporary 
  points lasts for the scene or until used up during the scene, 
  and may not be refreshed. The victim cannot refresh their lost 
  points until the next scene, and typically suffers an annoying 
  headache until the stolen points are recovered.
  If the victim has fewer than 6 points of the relevant General 
  ability, their pool drops to 0 and the user gains the lost points. 
  Note that many antagonists use Tempus and fixed combat 
  modifiers instead of the varied abilities that player characters 
  use. When using the skillreaper on an antagonist’s Scuffling 
  or Shooting fixed combat modifier, their modifier drops by 
  −2 (to a minimum of +0) and the user gains 6 points of the 
  relevant ability. When used to reap any other ability a victim 
  with Tempus doesn’t possess, their Tempus is reduced by 6 
  and the user gains 6 points of the relevant ability.
  Variant: Skillreaper Mark III
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future; Point-Blank range; Stun 5
  The Mark III works identically, but steals up to 2 points of 
  an Investigative ability instead of a General ability. When used 
  on antagonists and supporting characters who don’t necessarily 
  have all of their Investigative abilities enumerated, the GM 
  decides whether the victim would possess that ability. If so, the 
  user gains up to 2 points of it and the victim loses 6 Tempus.
  Space Suit
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Contemporary
  It’s not uncommon for Agents to make space walks. You 
  have a variety of options available to protect yourself, from 
  form-fitting and bubble-helmeted space suits to emergency 
  force fields that give you a few minutes of safety before 
  running out of power.
  Spending a point of Science! can get you force  
  field-based armor, right when you need it most.
  
  GEAR
  139
  Sphygmostat
  Cost: Difficulty +2, or a 1-point Medical Expertise spend
  Future, Subtle; Close range; Stun 5
  Named after a cross between a rheostat and a 
  sphygmomanometer — you know what that is, right? — the 
  sphygmostat is a garnet ring with a subtly twisting top that 
  remotely controls another person’s blood pressure. You can 
  create the following effects with a successful Shooting test:
  X
  X 	Stun 5, by lowering their blood pressure so quickly they pass 
  out
  X
  X 	Dizzy or nauseous by lowering blood pressure slightly; the 
  target’s Hit Threshold is reduced by −1 for the remainder 
  of the scene, or until the effect is discontinued
  X
  X 	Splitting headache by raising blood pressure; the Difficulty 
  of all General ability tests rises by +1 for the remainder of 
  the scene, or until the effect is discontinued
  Perhaps more importantly, the sphygmostat can easily make 
  supporting characters feel sick at convenient times, making it 
  simple for TimeWatch agents to step in and take control. This 
  device affects one target at a time. It sadly doesn’t work on 
  creatures with an exoskeleton or without blood pressure.
  Stopwatch
  Cost: Difficulty +5
  Future, Subtle
  Quantum time-tunneling microcircuitry crammed into a 
  wristwatch far too small to actually accept it, this watch does 
  exactly what you’d hope a stopwatch might do. It stops time. 
  There are some conditions, though. It only stops time for 
  you, and you can only slip between the seconds for a scant 
  period before you put yourself in danger. Once activated 
  in combat this gives you a second position in the initiative 
  order. One of your two actions occurs while time is stopped; 
  you choose which each round. You can use that action to 
  do anything permissible during your normal turn, with GM 
  approval, and Difficulty ratings may be easier than normal 
  because no one else is moving. Your actions are slightly limited 
  by the fact that you’re the only one stopped, however, as any 
  vehicle you’re traveling in will be frozen in time as well. 
  A Paradox test is made at the beginning of any round 
  in which the stopwatch is active. The first Paradox test is 
  Difficulty 4; then Difficulty 5; and so on, cumulatively, so that 
  the fifth round of use is Difficulty 8. When a test is failed, the 
  Chronal Stability Loss suffered is the final Difficulty + 1d6. 
  The stopwatch stops working for the rest of the mission once 
  a Paradox test is failed. Unless it stops working, the stopwatch 
  lasts for an entire mission and can be used in multiple scenes 
  once acquired with Preparedness, Tinkering, or Science!, but 
  its rising Difficulty is cumulative and only resets between 
  missions. 
  You’re driving a 1970s sports car, chasing down an enemy on a 
  motorcycle who has a stolen almanac from the future locked into a 
  briefcase. When the combat round begins you activate the stopwatch 
  and gain a second action. You use your first action to pull adjacent to 
  the enemy’s motorcycle. You decide that the enemy can go next, and she 
  shoots at you. You then have a second action during which all time is 
  frozen. You slip out of  the frozen automobile and grab the briefcase 
  with an Easy (Difficulty 3) Burglary test. 
  It’s now the second round. You successfully make the Difficulty 4 
  / Loss 4 + 1d6 Paradox test, so the stopwatch is still working, and 
  you decide your first action is in frozen time. You run back to your 
  frozen car, get behind the wheel, and toss the briefcase in the back. You 
  choose to be the next person to act in combat. Time snaps back on for 
  this second action, and you steer the car away from your enemy with 
  a normal Vehicles test. For her turn, she snaps off  another shot and 
  escapes, thinking she got the better of  you; she’ll think differently when 
  she realizes her briefcase is gone. You turn off  the stopwatch before a 
  Difficulty 5 Paradox test is needed. 
  The stopwatch is extraordinarily dangerous for extended 
  use due to the high potential Chronal Stability Loss, but it’s 
  also extraordinarily handy on difficult missions.
  Temporal Anchor Dart
  Cost: Difficulty +2 (or +1 for the less effective version)
  Future; Close range
  An injection dart that puts a chemical into the bloodstream, 
  preventing time travel for one scene. This is usually used in 
  the form of a dart gun or blowpipe, but there is a variant 
  that can also deliver the toxin (less effectively) via air-propelled 
  sponges soaked in the stuff. Anyone hit by a temporal anchor 
  dart must make a D4 Chronal Stability test or be unable to 
  time travel for the scene. If hit by the less effective version, the 
  Chronal Stability test Difficulty is 3.
  Temporal Incubator
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future
  Developed originally for medical use to accelerate the growth 
  of emergency limb or organ transplants, the temporal incubator 
  prevented an early-22nd-century crime spree of stolen black 
  market organs within the lower slums of the megacities. This 
  device has since been miniaturized to the size of a pressurized 
  space suit. It creates a physically contained temporal loop that 
  sends an injured body back a short distance in time again and 
  again, effectively accelerating the healing process. This is not 
  without some risk, of course, but being able to grow a limb graft 
  in 20 minutes can sometimes be worth it. Just feel bad for the 
  victims of those black market organ harvesters; there are people 
  in the New Tokyo slums who have had their kidneys stolen and 
  regrown and stolen again 70 or 80 times.
  Mechanically, a temporal incubator heals bodily damage at 
  the cost of chronal stability; when worn, you can turn Chronal 
  Stability into Health on a point-for-point basis, with each 
  point of Chronal Stability spent representing a day that your 
  body was instantaneously sent back in time to heal. Crawling 
  into the suit takes an action if done in combat. The temporal 
  incubator can also speed up the time required to recover from 
  
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  being Seriously Wounded, with each point of spent Chronal 
  Stability representing a day of recuperation. 
  This technology has been turned to other clever uses as 
  well, such as quickly aging clones, artificially aging forged 
  archaeological artifacts (after some tinkering to adjust the ratio 
  of time passed), or making delicious 12-hour slow-cooked 
  barbecue in a matter of seconds.
  Time Anchor
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future, Subtle
  Also known as a Trenching Tool, this device allows you 
  to “dig in” to your current time period to resist the constant 
  pressure of time. Made from a lattice of frozen tachyon 
  particles, the time anchor is usually constructed as a badge or 
  brooch. It provides 2 points of chronal armor for Paradox 
  tests triggered by a chronal destabilizer weapon or effect; i.e. 
  D4/L4 becomes D4/L2. Because of the nature of the Time 
  Anchor, they are never chronomorphic, and so are usually 
  produced as small items of jewelry that can pass unnoticed 
  in most eras.
  A Time Anchor doesn’t protect against paradox caused by 
  time travel or interfering in history. They are known to interfere 
  with a time chase by “weighing down” the bearer, raising all 
  Difficulties by +1 for someone carrying a Time Anchor in a 
  chase; more than one TimeWatch agent has used this as a trap 
  by slipping one to an unsuspecting quarry before they fled.
  Timebat
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future, Subtle; Damage Modifier +0
  While it may once have had a more technical name, the 
  nickname “timebat” has stuck to this weapon. It resembles 
  a simple club, about one meter in length and made of some 
  sort of exotic wood. However, it is surprisingly heavy and 
  requires impressive strength to swing with any force. But for 
  someone who can do just that, a good solid hit with the bat 
  will displace the victim six days into the future. This makes it 
  particularly useful for splitting up enemy assailants during large 
  and dangerous fights.
  Time Beacon
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future
  This lantern-sized device acts as a navigational buoy in the 
  river of time, making it simple for a time traveler to reach 
  the exact time and location where the beacon was triggered. 
  They’re often used as rescue alerts for a team in trouble, 
  although they’ve been known to attract hostile attention as 
  well. 
  When time traveling to the chrono-location of a time 
  beacon, no Travel test is required.
  Time Dilation Gloves
  Cost: Difficulty +3
  Future
  This weapon allows the user to punch a target with 
  superhuman speed. For example, if the user punches the target 
  in the stomach it appears like his fist is a blur, with dozens of 
  blows appearing to be delivered. These gloves allow autofire 
  (see p. 84) to be applied to Scuffling attacks against foes within 
  Point-Blank range, and allow a second Scuffling attack at +2 
  Difficulty during your turn.
  These gloves do not affect movement speed. These gloves 
  cannot be used for abilities other than melee combat, and 
  they only affect the upper extremities. They can be used in 
  conjunction with any Scuffling attack.
  Time-Displaced Shard Thrower
  Cost: 1-point History (Future) or Military Tactics spend, plus 
  Difficulty +2
  Future, Super-Science; Near range
  This strange weapon consists of a five mm wide black non-
  metallic arc that reaches around the back of the hand, with 
  the grip running between each end to be held in the palm. 
  It features a targeting scope in the center of the arc, beneath 
  which is a narrow slot that is the weapon’s muzzle. There is 
  no magazine, as the weapon actually coalesces its ammunition 
  from trace elements found in the time stream. It takes about 
  a week to manifest a single shard, which can then be fired in 
  the traditional manner with impressive effects. Alternatively, 
  the wielder can take a shot immediately and then wait over 
  the next week while the ammunition materializes backwards 
  in time. Trying to fire the TDST while the ammunition is still 
  incomplete, in either approach, simply results in a weapon jam.
  The shards cause incompatible chronal fields to race 
  across the target’s body, partially tearing it apart. Each shot 
  inflicts 2d6 + 2 damage, and simultaneously triggers a D4/L4 
  Paradox test. 
  While this weapon may seem limiting with only two shots 
  available at a time (one pre-charged; one post-charged), the 
  effects of the exotic ammunition can be quite devastating. 
  Additionally, it doesn’t resemble an ordinary weapon and 
  requires no stock of ammunition, which can make it useful 
  when away from an easy source of resources.
  Timelock Capsule
  Cost: Difficulty +0
  Future, Subtle
  Some items require world-class protection until they’re truly 
  needed. A Timelock Capsule is a lock box that only unlocks 
  at a specific geo-temporal location such as the beaches of 
  Normandy during D-day, the top of Mt. Everest at 7:52 a.m. 
  on June 28th, 1982, the inauguration of Chester A. Arthur, or 
  on that street corner tomorrow afternoon. Agents with access 
  to one of these time capsules can program a time and location 
  to keep an item protected until the conditions are met. 
  
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  141
  In most capsules this restriction cannot be overridden once 
  set, not even by the person setting the controls; contents 
  remain slightly out of phase with time until the triggering 
  conditions are met, so attempting to cut or burgle open the 
  container results in failure. Concerted hacking (a Difficulty 30 
  Tinkering continuing challenge) may reveal the trigger time 
  and location, however.
  Timelock capsules are occasionally used by time travelers to 
  set traps for their enemies, giving them bait that requires an 
  enemy to be in a specific place at a specific time.
  Tomes’ Temporal Tool
  Cost: Difficulty +1
  Future
  First developed by early explorers who lacked easy access to 
  sophisticated tools, Tomes’ Temporal Tools are liquid metal 
  devices assembled through direct tether interface. They can 
  produce nearly any tool you can think of and maintain them as 
  long as the Agent stays within two kilometers. The tools then 
  collapse back down to liquid metal until gathered and reused. 
  That gives this tool two main uses. It’s the TimeWatch 
  gold standard for those who don’t want to be hopping on 
  an autochron every time they need something, as activating 
  it creates a pool of 4 Tinkering points that can then be used 
  to help build or adjust any device. In addition, it has been 
  occasionally used as a booby trap and a murder weapon; use 
  the Temporal Tool to duplicate part of a propulsion system, 
  watch the vehicle fly away, and observe the mayhem once it 
  passes two kilometers and the temporary part fails.
  Transcendental Refuge
  Cost: 2-point History (Ancient) spend; or a specific mission to 
  acquire (unless the GM offers it for free)
  Ancient, Super-Science
  The transcendental refuge may save your life… but used 
  too often, it may destroy your soul. Virtually unique and 
  tremendously deadly to use, this ancient spiritual item dates 
  back to India in the third millennium BCE. It moves the user 
  into a state completely beyond time, absorbing the life force 
  of the universe along with its wisdom. When activated with 
  a 1-point Reassurance spend, the world shimmers and fades. 
  The user regains full Health and may fully refresh one other 
  General ability pool. They have unlimited time to plan and 
  may re-enter time in any location or time they choose. When 
  they do, they are spiritually inspired and gain a 1-point pool 
  of any Interpersonal ability of their choice, to be used during 
  the next scene.
  On the downside, using this may completely rip apart the 
  user’s soul. On re-entry the user makes a Chronal Stability test 
  at Difficulty 6. Failure indicates instant spiritual eradication. 
  With every use, the Difficulty of the Chronal Stability test rises 
  by +2.
  Uplift Assimilator
  Cost: Difficulty +2, or a Burglary-related encounter to 
  abscond with it
  Restricted, Super-Science
  Whoever invented this technology, it wasn’t a human — or 
  at least not from any time period TimeWatch yet explored. 
  The uplift assimilator is a backpack-sized device that intrudes 
  into more dimensions than the human eye can easily process; 
  attempting to examine it in great detail often leaves human 
  minds confused and disoriented, and triggers a D4/L4 
  Paradox test. It behaves oddly at times, seeming particularly 
  heavy and massive when lifted and then perhaps ephemeral 
  half an hour later. Fewer than a hundred of these have been 
  discovered over the centuries, and when they started being 
  stolen by time travelers their private or government caretakers 
  typically hired their own security teams to retrieve them. 
  When connected to an animal and activated with a 1-point 
  Science! spend, the uplift assimilator increases the creature’s 
  intelligence to sentient levels, giving it a working education in 
  the process. The result is variable, depending on the preference 
  of the GM:
  X
  X 	the condition may be temporary and cannot be repeated
  X
  X 	the uplift may work perfectly but slowly fade, making the 
  animal even more intelligent when repeated; multiple uplifts 
  may slowly drive the animal insane
  X
  X 	the animal may be permanently intelligent, but have a 
  shortened life span
  X
  X 	should the GM find it plot appropriate, the animal may 
  become intelligent and have a lengthened lifespan
  X
  X if the GM has no plot-related reason to do otherwise, 
  the uplifted animal has above-average intelligence and its 
  normal lifespan.
  Wight Compression Cannon
  Cost: Difficulty +2
  Future, Blatant; Near range
  This arm-mounted blaster is difficult to disguise (+2 to the 
  Difficulty of Unobtrusiveness tests), but that’s balanced by its 
  effectiveness. It uses 27th-century spacial folding techniques 
  to vastly compress soft tissues. A victim’s soft tissues compress 
  and shrink even as their body’s skeletal structure remains 
  unaffected, causing flesh to literally rip its way off of bone. 
  This functions as a shrink ray on creatures with no skeletal 
  structure. 
  Being struck with a compression cannon triggers a Difficulty 
  6 Health test: success means no additional effect, while failure 
  causes an additional 2d6 + 2 damage. Mooks and any other 
  unnamed characters automatically fail this Health test. Their 
  screams may haunt you for years, but it’s a stylish way to go.
  
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  142
  Wither Grenade
  Cost: Difficulty +3
  Ancient, Restricted; Near range
  An ezeru weapon that resembles a large, flying beetle, this 
  grenade is about the size of a man’s fist. Thrown as a grenade, 
  anything in Close range caught in the ensuing explosion 
  suffers a time-dilation effect that causes it to age dramatically 
  relative to the apparent time stream. The victims and objects 
  in the area of effect suffer no particular shock trauma, since 
  the aging is occurring at the appropriate rate of time for them, 
  but as the effect subsides they find themselves withered and 
  decrepit. Difficulties for physical tasks (such as Athletics, 
  Scuffling, Shooting, etc.) are raised by +1 while withered due 
  to the effects of age. 
  As with the decrepitude amplifier (above), objects decay 
  and putresce, making them more fragile and generally unfit 
  for purpose.
  Resistance to this effect comes from a general temporal and 
  structural integrity — the sturdier the original target, the better 
  it will survive the accelerated time. For living targets, the aging 
  is a special effect that accompanies damage. If the target is 
  not killed, the advanced aging can be reversed after the end of 
  the scene by spending a point of Timecraft. Against nonliving 
  targets, damage is doubled against a target that would be 
  affected by aging (such as a wooden door or iron bars).
  Yesterday Sniper Rifle
  Cost: 1-point Military Tactics spend plus Difficulty +1
  Future, Restricted; Very Long range; Damage Modifier +1
  The Yesterday resembles a typical 20th-century sniper rifle, 
  but with a somewhat more exotic targeting scope. When 
  aiming through the scope, the sniper sees the scene before 
  him, but as it appeared one exact day cycle previously. Once 
  she has acquired her target, she can shoot as normal, except 
  that the bullet will also manifest in that time.
  Ever wondered why you can never find that assassin? You’re 
  probably looking on the wrong day. However, for those who 
  suspect such a weapon, lying in wait for the sniper should be 
  an easy task. Use at your own risk. Rumors persist of a variant 
  that can instead shoot a day into the future. Should such a 
  weapon exist, it would require a bit more planning to use 
  effectively, but ambushing the shooter would be a lot harder.
  
  GEAR
  143
  
  144
  
  145
  This chapter is meant for the GM.
  Time travelers have capabilities above and beyond those 
  of normal enemies. This chapter gives you traditional foes, 
  presents guidelines to help you build your own unique time 
  traveling and alien species, and offers you a number of existing 
  species and antagonist archetypes that you can use or ignore 
  as you see fit. The most common TimeWatch campaigns 
  have several different alien and parallel timeline antagonists 
  appearing regularly, each working towards their own ends 
  and likely fighting each other almost as often as they come to 
  blows with TimeWatch. 
  When deciding which antagonists to feature, you’ll need 
  to make some decisions. How many nonhuman species and 
  power groups do you wish to initially introduce? Which ones 
  do you know exist, but are working subtly in the background? 
  How successful have they been? Is their sabotage blatant or 
  subtle, with short-term or long-term results? Are their changes 
  a matter of recorded fact already? What are their aims? 
  This chapter presents a number of answers to these 
  questions, and options for altering the presumed status quo. 
  With this, no TimeWatch games will be exactly alike, and the 
  machinations and conspiracies of humanity’s foes will remain 
  unique to each game.
  TYPES OF ANTAGONISTS AND 
  SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
  If no one knows what your name is in a TimeWatch game, and 
  you’re not a player character, we advise against making any 
  long-term plans. Different types of supporting characters and 
  antagonists typically have different levels of competence and 
  longevity in a fight, primarily in terms of their Health rating. 
  An Adversary is a primary foe and usually a significant 
  threat. Most Adversaries are time travelers, aliens, or from 
  parallel timelines; they may demonstrate unexpected chronal 
  manipulation powers. In a movie or novel, Adversaries would 
  be the main bad guys. Adversaries tend to have relatively high 
  Health, and are almost always named (even if the characters 
  don’t discover that name). Adversaries don’t die until their 
  Health reaches −12.
  Andrea Pilón, a rogue TimeWatch agent who travels to 1510 and 
  immunizes the Aztecs against smallpox, is an Adversary.
  An Opponent is a mid-tier foe with greater than Health 
  3. They are seldom at the top of conspiracies (unless we’re 
  talking fairly low-level conspiracies here), but they’re tough and 
  resourceful in a fight. They usually drop in a fight when knocked 
  below Health 0 (although Opponents with Regeneration may 
  get up or show up again unless deliberately finished off). 
  Emperor Cuitláhuac’s and Cortés’ elite, highly trained soldiers are 
  Opponents — at least when they’re trying to kill or capture you. 
  A Mook is someone who has a Health of 3 or less, and 
  usually doesn’t even have a name. They may or may not be 
  deadly in combat, but they go down immediately once injured 
  or stunned in combat. Mooks automatically fail Stun tests, 
  even if hit by only low-powered stunners. If a Mook is so 
  lucky or successful in combat that the Agents start referring 
  to her with a name, the GM may decide to upgrade her status 
  from Mook to Opponent.
  The vast preponderance of  Aztec soldiers in Tenochtitlán, and 
  Cortés’ troops who march with him from what is now Veracruz are 
  all Mooks. 
  An antagonist is a general term for “someone hostile to 
  the Agents.” This term encompasses Mooks, Opponents, and 
  Adversaries. 
  A supporting character is a general term for someone 
  the player characters meet during their missions who isn’t 
  necessarily hostile to them. If they’re unnamed and someone 
  tries to hurt them, they usually drop as if they were a Mook. 
  If they have a name, they may be tougher. Don’t worry about 
  their Health unless you expect them to enter into combat.
  In a movie, a supporting character would be played by a 
  character actor.
  Emperor Cuitláhuac and Cortés, along with Andrea Pilón’s 
  bombastic assistant Migue, are all supporting characters. If  they 
  become hostile to the Agents, they are considered antagonists instead.
  
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  THE IMPORTANCE OF MOOKS
  A cinematic example: the movie Kill Bill: Vol. 1 showcases 
  a combat scene between The Bride and the Crazy 88 at 
  the House of Blue Leaves. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll 
  remember the scene. There are a handful of Opponents and 
  named Adversaries (such as the bodyguard Gogo Yubari 
  and her deadly steel flail) in that fight, but the joy comes in 
  watching one highly trained hero kicking the butts of almost 
  five dozen lesser combatants.
  Most TimeWatch fights work similarly, albeit with (usually) 
  fewer Mooks. Dramatically unimportant enemies are fun to 
  fight because they showcase the Agents’ badassitude. Make this 
  type of enemy common, and include foes who drop quickly 
  in most battles. More robust Opponents and Adversaries can 
  serve as more memorable villains for a change of pace.
  One caution: Mooks have low Health and drop once hit, 
  but that doesn’t make them any less deadly. Be cautious against 
  having too many attack at once. Mooks who attack in waves, 
  just like in any good action movie, is one way to create a 
  difficult encounter that doesn’t instantly kill the characters. 
  If you ever do want to get the players’ attention, have 
  multiple Mooks focus fire on only one or two player characters. 
  It’s easier than you’d think to quickly drop an Agent below 
  Health 0.
  GM ADVICE:  
  ESTIMATING DEADLINESS
  Your run-of-the-mill Mook with a pistol 
  averages 3 or 4 points of damage every 
  time he tries to shoot your average armored 
  TimeWatch Agent. That means if you have 
  five Mooks all shooting at one Agent, 15 
  to 20 Health damage will get through on 
  average — enough to knock most Agents 
  unconscious. 
  Armor is a powerful defense. Those five 
  Mooks would do an expected 20 to 25 
  Health damage to someone with no armor. 
  Substitute beam weapons in place of the 
  Mooks’ pistols and the average expected 
  damage rises by another 5 points. 
  Your takeaway? Against the average 
  TimeWatch Agent, four Mooks all shooting 
  at the same person in one round are likely 
  to take them from fully healthy to just under 
  0 Health.
  “I think we’re in trouble, guys. I don’t have a name!”
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  147
  VILLAINY AND CAMPAIGN FRAMES
  The type of antagonists you use in your TimeWatch games 
  says a great deal about your campaign style. Are you selecting 
  a cybernetic albino great ape possessed by the downloaded 
  intellect of an insane future scientist? Yeah, we’re going to 
  go out on a limb here and guess that your campaign tends 
  towards Pulp. Are you focusing on a network of shape-
  shifted reptoids who hold the world’s governments in their 
  secret sway, and whose conspiracy has to be dismantled 
  slowly before double agents within TimeWatch kill anyone 
  who shows interest? You’re probably running a Conspiracy-
  style game. Are your enemies fanatically determined chronal 
  terrorists who are trying to wrench time into a path more 
  suited to their ideological beliefs? You’re probably playing a 
  mostly Patrol-style game. 
  To a certain extent, TimeWatch is defined by the people you 
  encounter and the crimes they commit. Those people might 
  have some unusual capabilities, all powered by the Tempus 
  General ability (see p. 148), or they might just be normal 
  people armed with high explosives and a lasting grudge. Either 
  way, pick antagonists for your game that match the tone you’re 
  hoping to achieve. If you want a serious and emotionally 
  resonant drama, choosing intelligent dinosaur mad scientists 
  may not be your best choice1.
  BUILDING AN ADVERSARY
  As mentioned earlier in this chapter, an Adversary is a 
  dramatically important antagonist who is usually either a time 
  traveler, from a parallel universe or time stream, or nonhuman. 
  You can upgrade an Opponent to Adversary status by making 
  him more deadly than usual. Adversaries generally have 
  access to a selection of unusual or unexpected chronal and 
  technological powers which they can use against the Agents 
  by spending points from their Tempus pool. They’re usually 
  more dangerous than the Agents are in combat.
  Human non–time traveling enemies of the agents may be 
  significantly competent and deadly — picture a special forces 
  soldier or a trained spy going up against the Agents — but 
  it’s unlikely that they know time travel is possible, and they 
  are neither subject to, nor able to take advantage of, chronal 
  effects. They’re generally considered to be Opponents.
  MEMORABLE APPEARANCE
  TimeWatch is a cinematic game, and that means you’ll want to 
  pay some attention to antagonists’ appearance. In particular, 
  think about (and describe) how aliens look, move, smell, and 
  sound. If you’re able to describe a Europan’s spindly and 
  delicate crystalline body, squirming beneath a mind-controlled 
  host’s skin, you’ll make an impression on the players.
  That’s not just true for aliens or monsters, either. Any 
  supporting character should have a memorable personality, 
  1 Lies, foul lies. Intelligent dinosaur mad scientists are always the best 
  choice. We just pretend otherwise.
  appearance, personality quirk, behavior tic, or speech pattern. 
  If your players say, “Oh, Bernard? He’s that squinting arms 
  dealer in New Paris who loves old jazz and hates us,” you’re 
  doing well.
  STAT BLOCK
  The TimeWatch stat block is designed to be fast and easy to 
  read. It splits capabilities up into multiple lines for ease of 
  reference. Lines that are not relevant are omitted.
  Antagonist name
  Defense: Hit Threshold, Armor, Health 
  Offense: Scuffling, Shooting; Damage Modifier (weapon)
  Abilities: Athletics, or Tempus 
  Special Abilities: special ability or combat condition (Tempus 
  cost, if any) (description, if needed)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier, Stealth Modifier
  Description: as required
  See examples of stat blocks beginning on p. 158.
  When writing a stat block, opt for clarity. The goal is to have 
  defense and offense numbers available at first glance, then more 
  conditional or esoteric abilities explained below. If a detail isn’t 
  relevant, such as a Scuffling of 0 or no Alertness Modifier, omit 
  it from the stat block. For antagonists with complicated abilities, 
  it’s useful but not mandatory to have a brief reminder of the 
  Tempus cost and what each special abilities does. 
  BASIC ABILITIES
  All antagonists have four basic abilities: Health, Tempus, 
  Scuffling, and Shooting. Most of these work identically to the 
  General abilities used by player characters. Like player characters 
  (and unlike Mooks and Opponents), Adversaries generally 
  survive Health loss up to −12 unless the GM wants to hurry 
  combat along. When an Adversary does not have a needed 
  ability, from Athletics to Vehicles, they use Tempus as a catchall 
  ability instead. Antagonists who don’t have the Tempus ability 
  may instead have Athletics and Preparedness. If an antagonist 
  should logically have an Investigative ability that isn’t listed in 
  the stat block, every point you add uses up 3 points of Tempus.
  On the rare occasion that an antagonist without Tempus 
  needs to make a Paradox or Chronal Stability test, they use 
  their Athletics ability instead of Tempus.
  Although these are basic abilities, the stat block separates 
  them into different lines for clarity. Health is listed under 
  Defense, Scuffling and Shooting under Offense, and 
  Tempus (along with any other General or Investigative 
  abilities) under Abilities.
  Antagonists might have other General abilities on a case-
  by-case basis. Medic is common for Adversaries who can 
  heal themselves. Vehicles is common for any antagonist who 
  might get in a vehicle chase or time chase with the Agents. 
  Remember that antagonists and supporting characters never 
  have Unobtrusiveness, since GUMSHOE is a player-facing 
  system; instead, they have Alertness and Stealth Modifiers, as 
  described on p. 72.
  
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  Most antagonists do not gain access to the Boosters 
  available to player characters who have General ability ratings 
  of 8+. That’s not because the antagonist can’t use the power, 
  it’s because the Booster would be a pain for you to track. If 
  you’d like to give a Booster to an antagonist with high abilities, 
  feel free. Just be aware that existing Special Abilities may be 
  more effective than a Booster, such as Extra Attack being 
  superior to the Double Tap Shooting Booster.
  Health
  Like other foes, an antagonist’s Health determines how 
  long it can stay on its feet (or tentacles, or cybernetic gravity 
  stabilizers, or what have you). Unlike more prosaic foes, 
  some antagonists may have methods of healing rapidly, 
  escaping with teleportation, or other defenses. A Mook and 
  an Opponent brought to Health 0 is knocked unconscious or 
  slain, as the attacker prefers. An Adversary brought below −11 
  Health is slain. Antagonists may well have the Medic ability 
  (or the Tempus ability that they use as Medic; see below), 
  and will likely use it to heal themselves if they do. Like player 
  characters, Medic works less efficiently when used without 
  futuristic healing technology accompanying it (see p. 48). 
  Remember that Mooks have a maximum of Health 3, and 
  usually have Health 1. Such characters drop immediately when 
  hit and automatically fail Stun tests, just as a good movie extra 
  should. If an unnamed character ever gains a name, don’t feel 
  bad about promoting him from Mook to Opponent by giving 
  him more Health as well.
  Tempus
  Tempus (as in tempus fugit) is the ability behind unique 
  antagonist powers. Tempus is a catchall category that 
  represents the antagonist’s mastery over time and space. 
  This ability rating determines the base Hit Threshold of 
  the antagonist, just like Athletics for a TimeWatch Agent; 
  a Tempus rating of 8+ means a Hit Threshold of 4, unless 
  the antagonist is particularly easy to hit (as a few antagonists 
  are). It functions as Preparedness when acquiring objects, as 
  Chronal Stability, including when making Paradox tests, and as 
  Medic when trying to heal oneself, and antagonists draw on 
  it to power their time machines, alien powers, and temporal 
  attacks. Antagonists who are not time travelers or aliens may 
  not have Tempus and use the traditional abilities instead.
  Antagonists with strong willpower and a strong sense of 
  self may have more Tempus than is listed here. Weak-willed 
  antagonists may have less. 
  An antagonist makes Paradox tests using their Tempus 
  points. They do not, however, typically have access to the 
  Reality Anchor ability to restore these points once spent. This 
  means that failed Paradox tests reduce an antagonist’s ability to 
  activate their special powers. 
  Mooks and Opponents run out of Tempus at 0, just like 
  Health; this may make them fade out of existence if they’re 
  time travelers. Adversaries run out of Tempus at −12, just like 
  Chronal Stability for player characters. An Adversary who runs 
  out of Tempus is erased from the universe, or disembodied 
  and flung to another time. The Adversary can spend herself 
  into a hole if she wants to, but suffers the normal risks of 
  chronal instability for doing so (see p. 89). 
  Antagonists refresh their Tempus pools fully after an 
  8-hour rest, so chasing down a fleeing enemy through time 
  can be essential if you don’t want her to clock back in fully 
  rested 15 seconds after she departed. At the GM’s discretion, 
  several hours of downtime will restore half an antagonist’s 
  depleted Tempus.
  Scuffling and Shooting Ratings
  In TimeWatch materials, you’ll see two different ways to 
  run bad guys in combat. The first method, fixed combat 
  bonuses, is useful for Mooks, Opponents, and any time you 
  want a fast and simple fight with an Adversary. The second 
  method, combat pools, works like player character pools 
  and is more useful for named villains and any Adversary 
  you want to carefully control. You are encouraged to use 
  whichever method you prefer.
  Fixed Combat Bonuses
  Most Mooks and Opponents, and some Adversaries, may have 
  a fixed combat modifier in place of their Scuffling or Shooting 
  rating. This is to speed combat and reduce bookkeeping for 
  you. When your rent-a-cop Mook has Scuffling +0 with his 
  Taser, you know that you just roll the die and take that result 
  when attacking; when your sniper has Shooting +1, +3 when 
  not moving, you know that they’re great at aiming and are 
  certain to hit on any round that they don’t move before or 
  after the shot. 
  Damage is rolled normally, and is not affected by any fixed 
  combat bonus value used for attacking. Special situations and 
  bonuses are noted along with the fixed combat value.
  Example: 
  Neighborhood Kids
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 1 
  Offense: Scuffling −1; Damage Modifier −1 (fist)
  Abilities: Athletics 3 
  Misc: Alertness Modifier −2, Stealth Modifier −1
  Psychically Controlled and Enhanced Neighborhood 
  Kids 
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 1
  Offense: Scuffling +0; Damage Modifier −1 (fist), +0 
  (clenched pointy rock or old board with a nail in it)
  Abilities: Athletics 3
  Special Abilities: Scuffling bonus rises by +1 each round of 
  combat, max +6
  Misc: Alertness Modifier −2, Stealth Modifier −1
  In the first case, the kids are particularly bad at combat, as 
  you’d expect against trained Agents. Every attack roll they 
  make is at −1 on the die so they only hit Hit Threshold 4 a 
  measly 1/3rd of the time, on a roll of 5 or higher. In the second 
  case, the neighborhood kids have been mind controlled by 
  some nefarious sophosaurs and coordinated rage drives their 
  accuracy. They’ll still do lousy damage if they hit, but they start 
  off attacking at +0 (hitting Hit Threshold 4 half the time) and 
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  149
  they increase by +1 each round. If the psychically enhanced 
  children aren’t knocked unconscious quickly, they’re likely to 
  swarm the Agents. 
  You can model the type of behavior you want from your 
  antagonists. Want to show someone running out of bullets? 
  Use Shooting +1 (no attack every 3rd round). Want an alien 
  who absorbs kinetic energy to become more dangerous? Use 
  Scuffling +1 (+1 bonus for every time hit since their last turn), 
  so that if they were hit four times since their last turn their 
  Scuffling attack would be at +5 that round.
  Shooting and Scuffling Pools
  When fixed bonuses don’t make sense because you want finer 
  control, Adversaries and other antagonists use Scuffling and 
  Shooting pools in exactly the same way that player characters 
  do. When you use these, keep something important in mind: it’s 
  frustrating to players to be hit in combat every round without fail. 
  Spend enough points from an antagonist’s Scuffling or 
  Shooting pool, and they’re guaranteed to hit their target. That 
  means that GUMSHOE Mooks using pools have the potential 
  to inflict a lot of damage before dropping in a sacrificial blaze 
  of glory. If you are running a Mook with Health 1 and Shooting 
  4, it’s tempting to have them spend all 4 Shooting points on the 
  first round, ensuring that they hit the Agent they’re aiming for. 
  This may be good tactics, but it’s not consistent with the science 
  fiction that TimeWatch models. As a GM, it’s in your best interest 
  to avoid such tactics for all but the most deadly of antagonists.
  When antagonists have Scuffling or Shooting ratings, 
  you will find a pattern beside their combat stats. This is the 
  default pattern of point spends they typically use in combat. 
  For instance, the thug (Health 6, Scuffling 12 (0-2-3-3-3-1), 
  Shooting 4 (0-2-2) is likely to miss an Agent in the first round, 
  and then successfully hit him thereafter. 
  There’s no requirement for you to stick to this pattern 
  as you spend combat points, especially if the antagonist is 
  consistently missing. Just keep it in mind as a fair and realistic 
  method for modeling fun combats. 
  If you want to convert an antagonist with fixed combat 
  bonuses to one with Shooting and Scuffling pools, just pick a 
  pool number that lets you spend the average number of points 
  you wish with each attack, so a +2 Shooting fixed combat 
  bonus might convert to a pool of Shooting 8 (2-2-2-2).
  Scuffling Damage
  Many monstrous alien antagonists are most likely to use 
  Scuffling as their primary means of attack. 
  Weapon Type
  Damage 
  Modifier
  human bite, fist, kick
  −1
  improvised weapon, club, knife; claws; 
  chitinous pincers; burrowing lamprey 
  mouth; crushing tentacle
    0
  heavy club, sword; mouthful of razor-
  sharp teeth; powerful mandibles; thick 
  crushing tail; sharp tusk
  +1
  Antagonists that are extremely physically weak might do −1 
  damage less than these numbers. Antagonists that have unusual 
  strength do +1 damage above these numbers, and a very 
  strong, feral or brutal Adversary would inflict an additional +2 
  damage instead. An insectoid ezeru, for instance, would inflict 
  +3 damage with its mandibles and +2 damage with its pincers. 
  It’s possible for incredibly muscular human enemies to gain 
  this bonus if they’re trained for combat. 
  GM ADVICE:  
  SIMPLIFYING COMBAT POOLS
  If you prefer flat modifiers when GMing, you 
  can make this change with GM-controlled 
  characters in any GUMSHOE game. Pick a 
  modifier for both Scuffling and Shooting that 
  represents their overall ability, from −1 (for 
  foes who are quite poor in combat) to +3 
  or higher (lethally deadly foes who normally 
  always hit). Then, for more interesting 
  combat, pick a modifier that kicks in under 
  certain circumstances. A few examples:
  X
  X  a driver who is +1 to Shooting except 
  when in a moving vehicle, where her 
  Shooting rises to +2
  X
  X  a beast who leaps into combat with +3 
  Scuffling, and drops to +1 thereafter
  X
  X  a robot whose weapon systems become 
  more lethal the longer combat lasts, 
  starting at +0 Scuffling and Shooting but 
  rising +1 in each ability for every round 
  that combat lasts
  X
  X  a genetically modified giant scorpion 
  that attacks every other round with both 
  pincers and tail, and which injects poison 
  if the tail hits
  While modifiers can help make combat exciting 
  and fun, don’t pick any modifiers that are hard 
  to remember or which feel like they’re more 
  trouble than they’re worth. Remember, the 
  goal is to simplify bookkeeping, not complicate 
  it. Also, remember that any modifier of +2 
  or higher is likely-to-certain to hit with each 
  attack, so be careful not to consistently turn 
  your Mooks into high accuracy, low Health 
  glass cannons.
  
  CHAPTER FIVE
  150
  Shooting Damage
  In general, human and humanoid time travelers are most likely 
  to utilize Shooting as their primary means of attack; there’s 
  a long history in science fiction of ray guns and gunplay. 
  Antagonists may be using neural disruptors (or PaciFists, if 
  they’re rogue TimeWatch agents), beam weapons, firearms, or 
  any conceivable weapon from their home time period. GMs 
  are encouraged to describe unique weapons for antagonists, 
  and use normal weapon stats for range and damage. Some 
  weapons also have special effects, as noted on pp. 117-123.
  ADJUSTING AN  
  ANTAGONIST’S HIT THRESHOLD
  The base Hit Threshold is 3, rising to 4 with an Athletics 
  or Tempus of 8 or higher. Other modifiers besides Tempus 
  may affect an antagonist’s Hit Threshold. A ludicrously high 
  Hit Threshold will make the antagonist almost unhittable by 
  normal means, requiring Agents to depend on super-science 
  or clever traps to even the playing field. It’s also possible to 
  give an enemy a high Hit Threshold vs. one type of attack, 
  such as Scuffling damage, but a lower Hit Threshold against 
  a different type of attack such as Shooting or beam weapons. 
  If you do this, be sure to communicate to the players that 
  something is unusual; very few offensive attacks or defenses 
  in TimeWatch are invisible, so well-defended enemies usually 
  have visible, audible, or olfactory clues to their strengths and 
  corresponding weaknesses.
  Chronal Power
  Hit Threshold 
  Modifier
  Blinking
  +1
  Cybernetic or alien chitinous 
  exoskeleton
  +1
  Distortion, Temporal Distortion
  +1 or +2
  Invisibility
  +1 to +5;  
  see below
  Old, unhealthy or slow
  −1 to −2
  Paranormal combat senses or 
  awareness (personal sonar or radar 
  unit; hearing amplifier; generic 
  Alertness Modifier of +3 or higher)
  +1
  Personal Force Field (vs. Scuffling, 
  Shooting, or both)
  +1 
  Sheer arbitrary badassery, for boss 
  encounters and particularly lethal 
  threats
  +1 or +2
  Unnatural speed (such as through 
  cybernetic implants)
  +1
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Antagonist powers that aren’t constantly active usually have 
  either special conditions when they activate or a cost in 
  Tempus. Powers that are constantly active don’t have a Tempus 
  cost, because it’s already factored in. A power or a time trick 
  that would normally trigger a Paradox test if a player character 
  tried it — such as duplicating themselves in combat — doesn’t 
  require a separate Paradox test when an antagonist tries it.
  An Adversary has the Help Yourself  power. To get her future self  
  to show up and help out in a fight, the Adversary pays a cost of  5 
  Tempus instead of  a Paradox test. Since Tempus doubles as Chronal 
  Stability, she’s effectively paying a Chronal Stability cost when paying 
  for the power.
  Choosing Adversary Special Abilities
  When building Adversaries from scratch, resist the urge to add 
  so many special abilities that you can’t remember what they 
  do. Simplicity sometimes works in your favor. Do not build 
  Adversaries by starting with a point-buy budget and selecting 
  abilities; this list isn’t balanced in such a way, and doing so will 
  create an overpowered, confusing villain.
  Adversaries should be built on a theme. Instead of going 
  through the below list and saying, “Oh, this looks cool, as does 
  this, as does this…,” it’s most effective to give some thought as 
  to what your Adversary might be capable of without any game rules 
  in mind. A psychic velociraptor might time travel and specialize 
  in psychic attacks, for instance, while an elite chronal soldier 
  loaded down with tactical time gear might move incredibly 
  quickly in a fight. A liquid alien might shape-shift itself into odd 
  shapes, while an insane robot might focus on strength and the 
  ability to control (or deactivate) other technology.
  Once you have the general shape of the Adversary in mind, 
  choose special abilities. It’s easy to get carried away, so choose 
  the minimum number of abilities that fit your vision. You’ll 
  congratulate yourself for this simplicity later when you’re 
  running the Adversary in combat. You can always add more 
  later on the fly if you decide they’re needed.
  Our advice? Pick the fewest possible abilities that give 
  you the foe you’ve imagined in your head, and don’t pick 
  unconnected abilities just because they sound fun. It’s always 
  easier to quickly add an ability on the fly than it is to have 
  to juggle a half-dozen different capabilities written down in 
  your notes. Never feel bad about that, either; if you need your 
  Adversary to flip a car, but you forgot to write down Strength 
  as a special ability, just describe the car flip and cross off 2 
  Tempus from the Adversary’s pool.
  Choosing Antagonist Special Abilities
  Don’t forget that special abilities can apply to more than 
  full Adversaries. A team of sophosaurs may be Opponents, 
  but they certainly engage in mental attacks. A Mook guard 
  may still be able to Summon other Mooks or his Opponent 
  commanding officer if he can only get to his radio in time.
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  151
  Antagonists’ special abilities are usually tied to a theme, 
  and may be unique. They should underscore what makes that 
  antagonist unusual, memorable, or effective. 
  A mad scientist Adversary has invented a small army of  sentient 
  robots, each of  which possesses flexible robotic powers and explodes 
  violently upon the robot’s death. Every unit has the special abilities 
  Armor 2, Cybernetics, and Unfeeling. The GM assigns each unit a 
  name (well, a number designation) and a pool of  10 Tempus to power 
  their Cybernetics. 
  List of Special Abilities
  This list is far from comprehensive. If you think of a new, 
  balanced, fun ability while designing an antagonist, just 
  assign a Tempus cost and scribble it down, and you’re ready 
  to go. Several abilities (such as Cybernetics, Mutation, and 
  Technology) are a catchall for any number of other effects.
  Description of Special Abilities
  Armor 
  (Cost 0 or 3): It’s not uncommon for antagonists to be using 
  armor of some kind, whether chronomorphic Armor 1 such 
  as TimeWatch uniforms, shimmering high-tech force shields 
  that are obviously futuristic (Armor 2 or more), chitinous 
  exoskeletons (Armor 3), traditional armor from the time 
  period they’re hiding in (Armor 2), or anything in between. 
  Some force armor is only effective against physical attacks 
  (kinetic-repelling force fields) or beam weapons (energy-
  repelling force fields). Although it may be time travel–related, 
  armor seldom requires the expenditure of Tempus points to 
  use. Exceptionally powerful armor that only works briefly, 
  such as a force field that prevents all damage for one round 
  and then burns out, costs 3 Tempus per use.
  Note that Agents might often be able to use an Investigative 
  spend to reduce or negate armor, such as a Hacking spend to 
  deactivate an enemy’s force field, or a Medical Expertise spend 
  to identify the vulnerable spot in a chitinous exoskeleton. Such 
  player spends generally create a vulnerability that the entire 
  team can exploit, reducing the armor value by 1 or 2 points.
  Awareness 
  (Cost 0): Whatever Alertness Modifier you give an antagonist 
  costs no points to use. They may sense chronal emissions, 
  heat, faint sound, life signs, or any other appropriate sensory 
  data. 
  Blink 
  (Cost 2 + 1/subsequent round): A blinking time traveler has 
  the terrifyingly effective ability to flash in and out in combat, 
  sliding forwards and backwards quickly in time to make 
  himself a more effective combatant. Blinking antagonists gain 
  +1 to their Hit Threshold and have their foes’ Hit Thresholds 
  lowered by −1, and suffer no penalties for closing to Point-
  Blank range with a gun-wielding foe. 
  Branching Point 
  (Cost 4): The antagonist can suddenly see two alternate 
  realities for themselves or another, and they can choose the 
  reality that comes to pass. When activated, they choose a target 
  within Near range and choose a General ability. For the rest of 
  the scene, whenever the target uses the selected General ability, 
  two dice are rolled instead of one and the antagonist selects 
  the roll they prefer. Note that when used to curse another 
  with temporary bad luck, the target can thwart it by using a 
  different ability (Scuffling instead of Shooting, for instance) 
  or by spending enough points to succeed despite a bad die roll. 
  Chronal Drain
  (Cost 2): Some creatures are temporal vampires, draining one 
  creature’s reserves to make themselves more anchored in time. 
  On a successful Scuffling hit, in addition to normal Scuffling 
  damage, this power drains 1d6 Reality Anchor points from the 
  victim’s pool. The antagonist gains twice that amount back as 
  Tempus. If the victim has no Reality Anchor points in their 
  pool, or has no pool, there is no effect; the antagonist cannot 
  restore their Tempus above its maximum rating. 
  Clock Out 
  (Cost 2): Some antagonists can time travel. Humans typically 
  need a device to do so, even if that device looks very different 
  indeed than an autochron, and aliens can either time travel 
  innately or use a device as you prefer. Some antagonists may 
  use markedly different methods of time travel, including 
  retrieval beams and time tunnels. 
  Adversaries and other antagonists spend Tempus to time 
  travel, and don’t bother with Travel tests or Chronal Stability 
  Loss unless you feel they should. It is up to you whether 
  antagonist time travel happens instantly, requires the same 
  one round delay that autochrons require, or requires even 
  more time. 
  Cybernetics 
  (Cost 2 per effect): The antagonist can trigger a 
  predetermined cybernetic effect that the GM chooses, such 
  as a jumping ability stemming from robotic legs, or suddenly 
  extending a hidden laser from the wrist. Cybernetic abilities are 
  comparable to what a player character could achieve with an 
  Investigative spend, such as a super-science effect, an armored 
  force field, +1 or +2 damage per attack for the duration of the 
  scene, and the like. 
  Destabilize 
  (Cost 2 or 4): Trigger a D4/L4 Paradox test (or higher for 
  some powerful antagonists) by emitting a beam, aura, or 
  explosion of chronal instability. A single target costs 2; an aura 
  or explosion that triggers a Paradox test for multiple Agents at 
  once costs 4. A destabilizing effect that affects multiple targets 
  at once can be devastating to a TimeWatch team, in part 
  because it quickly chews through the team’s Chronal Stability.
  Disguise 
  (Cost 1): Appear as a nonspecific different creature, although 
  the antagonist physically keeps their true form. This disguise 
  might be psychic, holographic, mundane makeup, or 
  something else. It’s up to you whether changing the disguise is 
  
  CHAPTER FIVE
  152
  Ability
  Cost
  Effect
  Armor
  0 or 3
  Reduces damage
  Awareness
  0
  Raises the Difficulty of player character Unobtrusiveness tests to hide
  Blink
  2 + 1/round
  Flash in and out of combat
  Branching Point
  4
  Pick one of two possible paths for yourself or another
  Chronal Drain
  2
  Drain Reality Anchor points on a hit
  Clock Out
  2
  Time travel
  Cybernetics
  2
  Trigger a robotic effect
  Destabilize
  2 or 4
  Trigger D4/L4 Paradox test
  Disguise
  1
  Look like a different person
  Distortion
  2 or 3
  Increase Hit Threshold
  Electronic Interference
  2
  Render electronics useless
  Embrace Instability
  0
  Gain Tempus every time Agents make Paradox tests 
  Exile
  2
  Fling target through time
  Extra Action
  2
  Gain a 2nd action in a combat round
  Flashback
  5
  Have a preprepared plan, as per the Preparedness Booster
  Flight
  0 or 2
  Levitate or fly
  Fluid
  0 or 3
  Effectively immune to most physical attacks
  Help Yourself
  5
  An older, healthy version arrives to help in combat
  Hivemind
  0 or 2
  Link brains to share information and lower a foe’s Hit Threshold
  Immaterial
  0 or 2
  Out of phase with reality
  Impersonation
  2
  Perfectly impersonate another creature
  Infection
  0
  Spread disease
  Interdiction
  0 or 2
  Briefly restrict time travel
  Invisibility
  3
  Increases Hit Threshold and Stealth Modifier
  Lightning Speed
  2
  Move quickly
  Mastermind
  0
  Genius planner and tactician
  Mental Attack
  Variable
  Chronal Stability test to avoid mind control or possession
  Mutation
  2
  Trigger a mutation-related effect
  Oracle
  1
  Predict upcoming future events
  Psychic
  2
  Trigger a psychic effect
  Regenerate
  0 or 2
  Regenerate Health damage
  Resist Stun
  0
  Stun test Difficulties are lowered by 2
  Restabilize
  Variable
  Refreshes another creature’s Tempus
  Seize Initiative
  2
  Jump into combat initiative at any point
  Shape-Shift
  2
  Reshape body into a nonhumanoid form
  Spider Climb
  0 or 1
  Walk on walls and ceilings
  Stealth
  0
  Raises the Difficulty of player character Unobtrusiveness tests to notice you hiding
  Stony
  0
  Made of stone and resistant to many attacks
  Strength
  0 or more
  Incredibly strong
  Stun
  0
  Attacks can stun, usually at Stun 5
  Summoning
  3
  Summon Mooks as backup
  Technology
  2
  Use super-science to produce technology
  Teleport
  2
  Move instantly from one location to another
  Unfeeling
  0
  Never become Hurt, and make all Consciousness rolls and Stun tests
  Universal Attack
  1 or 2 per target
  Instantly attack everyone you wish to within range
  Venom
  2
  Attack also delivers poison
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  153
  instant or takes some time. To impersonate a specific creature 
  instead of a general one, see Impersonation below. 
  Distortion 
  (Cost 2 or 3): The boundaries between the antagonist 
  and the rest of the world are unclear; attackers and other 
  observers find it difficult to precisely resolve her position, 
  form, and trajectory. Distorted antagonists are blurred in 
  videos and photographs, and usually appear as roiling air or 
  fractured shapes. While distorted (cost 2), the antagonist’s 
  Hit Threshold rises by 1.
  Alternatively, the antagonist may possess Temporal 
  Distortion (cost 3), twisting time and space around itself. Being 
  around such an entity might cause déjà vu, computer glitches, 
  malfunctioning tethers, unusual echoes, or disorientation. 
  While temporally distorted, the antagonist’s Hit Threshold 
  rises by 2. 
  Electronic Interference 
  (Cost 2): When active, this power renders electronics 
  undependable or useless. Whether due to an EMP pulse or an 
  alien aura, any device more complex than a simple mechanical 
  machine either fails to work or takes one combat round longer 
  than normal to successfully activate. TimeWatch Agents 
  commonly notice this when their translators and tethers fail, 
  quickly followed by most of their weaponry.
  Given advance notice, a Hacking or Science! Investigative 
  spend might be able to harden one object’s electronics against 
  this effect.
  Embrace Instability 
  (Cost 0): A creature with this ability is a parasite who has 
  latched onto the temporal fabric of reality and feeds off 
  of disturbances in time. For every Paradox test (other than 
  Travel tests) an Agent must make while on the trail of this 
  antagonist, it gains +1 Tempus in its rating and pool to use 
  when it is finally confronted. Like a spider in its web, it may 
  not know who the Agents are until they arrive, but every time 
  they trigger paradox it can sense them and draw strength from 
  the ripples in time they create.
  Exile 
  (Cost 2): The target must make a Paradox test. On a failure, 
  the target loses 2 Chronal Stability and is flung through time. 
  It’s up to you where and when they arrive, but they must use 
  a time machine to return. If they don’t have a time machine 
  on them, well, they get a free vacation… somewhere. Other 
  Agents can spend a Timecraft point to follow their temporal 
  vortices and find them, so long as they act within two rounds. 
  In some ways, getting exiled can be an advantage. An exiled 
  combatant with a personal time machine can take her time, 
  heal physically, and then time travel normally to return to the 
  combat the round after she was summarily banished. Be aware 
  that against a combatant without a personal time machine, this 
  ability is incredibly effective; use it with caution, and have it 
  send all exiled combatants to the same time and location.
  Extra Action 
  (Cost 2): The antagonist can manipulate time well enough to 
  gain an extra action in one round, which can (but doesn’t have 
  to) be spent attacking. Most antagonists can only use this once 
  a round. It’s your choice whether the antagonist takes both 
  attacks at once or gains a second place in the initiative order. 
  Note that this differs from Universal Attack in that it allows 
  the antagonist to target the same enemy more than once.
  Flashback 
  (Cost 5 per Flashback): Like the Preparedness Booster for 
  Agents, the antagonist can have retroactively arranged a plan. The 
  cost for activating this includes any Tempus cost for Preparedness 
  the antagonist would normally have to make to have his plan in 
  place. In the interest of good GMing, no flashbacked plan should 
  ever be instantly lethal to the Agents it affects.
  Flight 
  (Cost 0 or 2): An antagonist may be able to fly, whether through 
  alien wings or good old-fashioned futuristic technology. The 
  speed of flight depends on the technology or natural means 
  of flying used, but is unlikely to exceed the speed of sound 
  without a cockpit protecting the antagonist. 
  Less mobile antagonists may only be able to levitate. If so, 
  they can hover unerringly at any height and can ascend or 
  descend at will. The speed of ascent and descent is up to you.
  Constant flight, such as a bird’s, does not require a cost in 
  Tempus. Antagonists who can only fly briefly, occasionally, 
  or erratically may require a 2-point cost in Tempus to activate 
  flight.
  Fluid 
  (Cost 0 or 3): The antagonist is a liquid being, such as an ooze 
  or sentient alien fluid, or a swarm of tiny insects or worms. 
  All physical wounds simply flow closed, and the creature has 
  Armor 5 against gunfire or physical attacks. Beam weapons, 
  fire, electricity, and acid do normal damage.
  GM ADVICE: WHAT DO YOU 
  MEAN EVERYONE’S DEAD? 
  Be cautious about combining Extra Action 
  and Universal Attack during the same 
  round. The former lets the antagonist take a 
  second attack action, and the latter lets the 
  antagonist attack as many people as they like 
  within range (assuming they have the points 
  to spend on the attack). Taken separately, 
  they’re great for letting a single antagonist or 
  two challenge an entire team of TimeWatch 
  Agents. Combining the two, however, allows 
  the antagonist to attack everyone nearby 
  twice, resulting in very injured Agents and 
  very irritable players (who may consider it 
  unfair). If you use this combination, save it 
  for only the most dangerous of foes, and 
  make sure there’s a good in-game reason 
  why they possess this power.
  
  CHAPTER FIVE
  154
  Antagonists who aren’t innately fluid and who only can gain 
  this ability briefly pay a cost of 3 to activate it for one round.
  Help Yourself 
  (Cost 5): The antagonist’s older self shows up to help itself in 
  combat, temporarily doubling its actions. Damage inflicted on 
  one version does not also appear on the other, although killing the 
  younger version causes the older version to disappear and triggers 
  a D4/L4 Paradox test for the Agent who killed the younger 
  version. Alternatively, for antagonists not interested in risking 
  their future self, the double might be from a parallel universe.
  Hivemind 
  (Cost 0 normally, 2 to indoctrinate): Instantly share knowledge 
  and conversation with other members of the hivemind; with 
  some time and effort, outsiders can be indoctrinated into 
  the hivemind as well. Creatures in a hivemind can perfectly 
  coordinate their attacks on enemies: for each extra hivemind in 
  a combat, one foe’s Hit Threshold decreases by 1. 
  Uurrk is being attack by three mold-colonized Colony drones, 
  former horses that are now covered with sentient decay. Uurrk’s 
  normal Hit Threshold is 4. If  all three drones focus on him, his Hit 
  Threshold drops by 1 for every drone beyond the first. This reduces his 
  Hit Threshold from 4 to 2, making him certain to be hit by all three. 
  Run, Uurrk, run!
  Immaterial 
  (Cost 0 or 2): Whether through high-tech or natural means, a 
  time traveler might be out of phase and unable to be touched. 
  Such a creature can pass through walls or solid objects as if they 
  were not there. Force fields, such as restraining fields created 
  with Tinkering, Preparedness, or Science! spends, cannot usually 
  be passed through. Physical attacks do no damage; fire and beam 
  weapons do 1 point of damage (from heat or light). Neural 
  disruptors have no effect. Depending on the specific nature of 
  the effect, chronal energy, electricity, magnetism, microwaves, 
  radiation, or sonic attacks might disrupt it. 
  Historically, some ghost hauntings may well be time travelers 
  trapped in immaterial form, desperately trying to interact with the 
  world and draw attention to themselves so that they can be rescued.
  Antagonists who aren’t innately immaterial and who can 
  only gain this ability briefly pay a cost of 2 to activate it for 
  one round.
  Impersonation 
  (Cost 2): Perfectly impersonate another creature, specific or 
  otherwise. This ability may be limited, such as only voice or 
  appearance. It’s up to you whether the antagonist can instantly 
  change their disguise (such as shape-shifting), or whether it 
  requires time and effort (such as surgery or a mask).
  The ezeru are giant mutant radioactive cockroaches that can psi-
  actively impersonate human subjects. They do so by knocking the 
  subject unconscious and encasing them in a psi-active amber cocoon of  
  hardened bile and mucus. So long as the subject remains in suspended 
  animation within the cocoon, an ezeru can perfectly impersonate them 
  and draw upon their memories. As portions of  the cocoon are removed 
  from the unconscious subject, the disguised ezeru’s false skin sloughs 
  off, revealing spiky chitin underneath.
  Infection 
  (Cost 0): It’s common in science fiction stories such as The 
  War of  the Worlds for aliens to catch plague from humans, and 
  TimeWatch agents have been inoculated against every known 
  pathogen. But what happens if a time traveler brings a disease 
  into our timeline that non-agents have no defense against? It 
  can set off an unanticipated plague, either deadly or annoyingly 
  inconvenient. An extra-historical disease that sterilizes those 
  who survive it, for instance, would dramatically change the 
  course of history in ways the time traveler certainly never 
  intended. 
  The possibility that major historical plagues were actually set 
  off by time travelers remains unproven but likely.
  Interdiction 
  (Cost 0 or 2): This tactical energy field restricts others 
  from time traveling or teleporting within Long range of 
  the antagonist. It may stem from a natural phenomenon, 
  a technological interdiction device, or a natural aura 
  emanating from an antagonist. 
  Note that there are different types of interdiction, ranging 
  from “short-term aid in tactical combat” (cost 2) to “permanent 
  Altani’s older self clocks in to help herself in a fight against 
  an ezeru drone, and it’s worth every bit of the paradox.
  
  ANTAGONISTS
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  plot device” (cost 0). Depending on your preferences, an 
  interdiction field can either completely restrict time travel, 
  allow it only if a time traveler has an access code or spends 
  1 or more points of Timecraft to break through the field, or 
  allow it upon a successful difficult (D6/L6) Paradox test. It’s 
  also up to you how large an area the interdiction encompasses; 
  while personal interdiction fields work at Long range, a room-
  sized interdiction generator might encompass an entire city or 
  larger, depending on the needs of your plot. 
  In general, interdiction only costs Tempus when it’s usable 
  as a tactic in battle. The rest of the time, it’s a plot device.
  Invisibility 
  (Cost 3): Some future technology can amplify Unobtrusiveness 
  enough to make the wielder entirely invisible. Similarly, it 
  may be possible for aliens to make themselves invisible, or 
  invisibility might be their natural state. Beings made of pure 
  sentience or energy would likely fall into this category, for 
  instance. 
  Invisibility acts as a special Stealth Modifier that increases 
  the Difficulty of any Unobtrusiveness test to detect an 
  invisible creature, as well as increasing the invisible creature’s 
  Hit Threshold against targeted attacks. The Stealth Modifier 
  varies based on what the invisible creature is doing each round, 
  from +1 (when the invisible creature is outlined in paint or 
  is touching the Agent) to +5 (when the invisible creature is 
  still and silent, and its location cannot reasonably be guessed). 
  You should adjudicate the modifier based on the players’ and 
  invisible creature’s actions. 
  This Stealth Modifier replaces, not adds to, a creature’s 
  previous Stealth Modifier (if any). If a player character spends 
  1 point of Notice, they gain a +3 Alertness Modifier to detect 
  an Invisible creature for the duration of the scene. Technology 
  that doubles as an invisibility-detection device (such as using 
  Tinkering to modify a tether’s sensors for infrared capability) 
  cancels the Hit Threshold penalty for invisibility.
  Any alien invisibility technique might be selective: the 
  antagonist is invisible to everyone except her target, or to 
  the Agent she is trying to goad into firing, or to non-sentient 
  beings. This selectivity might be automatic or deliberate. 
  Lightning Speed 
  (Cost 2): The antagonist speeds up time for itself, increasing its 
  movement (but not its attack rate). The antagonist may move 
  2 range increments this round instead of 1 and still attack, or 
  can move 3 range increments without attacking. It may close 
  to Point-Blank range with an armed assailant with no risk of 
  being shot while moving. For this round, the antagonist’s Hit 
  Threshold rises by +1.
  When used during a foot chase, Lightning Speed adds +2 to 
  the chase ability die roll.
  Mastermind 
  (Cost 0): The Mastermind ability doesn’t grant mechanical 
  benefits per se, and is included here mostly as a way to designate 
  the most dangerous Adversaries. You’re encouraged to pull out 
  all the rat-bastardly, sneaky, underhanded stops when it comes 
  to a mastermind Adversary’s Professor Moriarty–level plans and 
  tactics. 
  Mastermind may have a Tempus cost of 0, but don’t let 
  that fool you. Masterminds are exceedingly rare, and should 
  be used as personal nemeses, ongoing foes, or extremely 
  memorable villains. Mooks and Opponents are almost never 
  masterminds. A mastermind is particularly brilliant, capable 
  of leaps of intellect that would astound normal humans. This 
  feature often goes hand-in-hand with the Flashback ability, 
  and it’s not unusual for a mastermind’s Tempus pools to be 
  spent substantially on Preparedness tests.
  Should Agents ever stray into a mastermind-complexity trap 
  that you consider to be lethal, the Military Tactics ability can 
  indicate to an Agent when it might be in their best interests 
  to retreat.
  Mental Attack 
  (Cost variable): These begin as a normal attack made with 
  Tempus instead of Scuffling or Shooting. The antagonist 
  spends at least 2 Tempus pool points, possibly more, and the 
  GM rolls a die and adds the result to the spend. If her total 
  is greater than 4, the attack occurs. The GM then describes 
  the sense of the attack to the player: “You feel alien thoughts 
  crawling spiderlike through your brain.” If the player decides 
  to resist, he makes a Chronal Stability test with the Difficulty 
  equal to the total result of the antagonist’s roll plus her spend. 
  If he fails the test, the antagonist’s attack succeeds. 
  A hostile sophosaur attempts to take over Kelfala’s mind. It 
  spends 4 Tempus to do so and rolls a 3, for a total of  7. The attack 
  occurs. Kelfala tries to resist by making a Chronal Stability test 
  with a Difficulty of  7. He spends 4 points but rolls a 2, failing 
  with a total of  6. 
  Successful mental attacks are typically used to inflict 
  immediate Mental Damage or establish Domination, Mind 
  Control, or Possession. Only rarely can antagonists inflict 
  more than one of the following attacks (GM’s choice).
  GM ADVICE:  
  UNBREAKABLE INTERDICTION
  There are going to be times when you want 
  interdiction to be an unbreakable plot device, 
  a particularly strong anti-chronal field whose 
  job it is to make the players find creative 
  solutions for getting close to the antagonist. 
  When this is the case, don’t be coy about 
  telling the players that the field is too strong 
  for them to break. Players who try regardless 
  shouldn’t lose their Timecraft points in the 
  attempt; you don’t want to punish players 
  for smart, creative attempts that have no 
  chance of success. In these cases, a 1-point 
  spend may indicate what the Agent needs to 
  accomplish before the interdiction field can 
  be turned off.
  
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  156
  X
  X 	Mental Damage (Cost 0): Damage that ignores Armor 
  and can target either Chronal Stability or Health, as the 
  attacker prefers. Such attacks have a Damage Modifier of 
  +2. Mental attacks are usually accompanied with massive 
  headaches and nose bleeds from the victim.
  X
  X 	Domination (Cost 3/round): Overwhelm a subject’s mind 
  with a mental attack, making it slavishly and robotically obey 
  the dominator’s every command. This effect is far from 
  subtle, and while the dominated subject will fight for the 
  dominator, it is clear to every onlooker that the dominated 
  subject is acting against their will. Self-destructive orders 
  allow the subject to make a Difficulty 4 Chronal Stability 
  test; success frees the subject from domination. Non-
  exceptional supporting characters can be automatically 
  dominated by mental attacks.
  X
  X 	Mind Control (Cost 3 to establish): Much more subtle 
  than Domination, this effect allows an antagonist to control 
  others quite deftly and for a long period of time — weeks, 
  months, even years. The antagonist makes three successful 
  mental attacks (see above) during the same scene; the mind 
  control takes effect after the third successful attack. Mind-
  controlled subjects often do not even realize that they are 
  mind controlled, although they typically suffer from terrible 
  nightmares. Non-exceptional supporting characters can be 
  automatically mind controlled by a single mental attack.
  X
  X 	Possession (Cost 3 to establish): With a mental attack 
  (see above), the antagonist’s intelligence can bodily possess 
  another creature for a period of time that you determine, 
  from a few rounds to permanently. The host body suffers 
  any Health damage, while the possessing antagonist suffers 
  any Chronal Stability Loss. Non-exceptional supporting 
  characters can be automatically possessed by mental attacks. 
  While the antagonist is possessing another creature, it’s up 
  to you whether their own body sits in a vegetative state of 
  hibernation, or whether the possessed creature’s intelligence 
  body-switches and inhabits it. In cases where possession is 
  only temporary and a strain to maintain, a cost may need to 
  be paid every round to keep the possession active.
  Mutation 
  (Cost 2 per effect): The antagonist can trigger a predetermined 
  mutation that the GM chooses, such as sprouting tentacles 
  to climb walls or being able to breathe under water. Some 
  mutations, such as venomous claws, may be offensive in 
  nature. Mutations are typically linked to postapocalyptic 
  and heavily irradiated time periods. A mutation’s effect is 
  comparable to what a player character could achieve with an 
  Investigative spend, such as a super-science effect, telepathy, 
  +1 or +2 damage for the scene, and the like. 
  Oracle 
  (Cost 1): Whether through a record or a perfect memory, the 
  antagonist can perfectly predict upcoming historical events as 
  they’re known to have happened in the future. 
  Psychic 
  (Cost 2 per effect): The antagonist can trigger a predetermined 
  psychic effect that the GM chooses, such as mind reading or 
  telekinesis. Psychic abilities are typically linked to the future or 
  to particularly psychic races like sophosaurs. Psychic abilities 
  are comparable to what a player character could achieve with 
  an Investigative spend, such as a super-science effect like 
  telekinesis, psychic invisibility, +1 or +2 damage for the scene, 
  and the like.
  Regenerate 
  (Cost 0 or 2): Most antagonists simply use Medic to heal 
  themselves. Some antagonists can regenerate, however, 
  whether due to cyborg implants or through alien vitality. 
  Regeneration is almost always a free power that doesn’t require 
  a combat action, although regrowing or reattaching a severed 
  appendage costs 2 Tempus points to do so during a scene. 
  The following regeneration options are in rough order of 
  effectiveness, from jaw-droppingly effective to “that makes for 
  a tough fight”:
  X
  X 	all damage regenerates (Health pool refreshes completely) 
  immediately
  X
  X 	all damage regenerates at the beginning of the next round
  X
  X 	all damage from beam weapons, explosions, and fire (not 
  from physical weapons) regenerates immediately; or at the 
  beginning of the next round
  X
  X 	all damage from physical weapons (not from beam weapons 
  or fire) regenerates immediately; or at the beginning of the 
  next round
  X
  X 	half of all damage regenerates immediately; or at the 
  beginning of the next round
  X
  X 	an arbitrary amount of damage (e.g., 3 Health, 2 Health) 
  regenerates immediately; or at the beginning of the next 
  round
  X
  X 	all damage regenerates in a few minutes, or between scenes, 
  or some other interval outside combat time
  Regenerating antagonists are still vulnerable to Stun 
  effects, but any Health they spend to boost their Stun roll will 
  regenerate normally.
  Regenerating all damage immediately makes it very hard to 
  kill an antagonist without explosives or chronal destabilizers. 
  Regenerating damage at the beginning of the next round 
  or longer allows a coordinated assault (usually with heavy 
  weapons) by the Agents to take an antagonist down to −12 
  Health before it can recover. Some antagonists with powerful 
  regeneration simply can’t be killed by traditional means, and 
  Agents will need to find a craftier way to destroy them.
  Resist Stun 
  (Cost 0): Stun tests against this antagonist have their Difficulty 
  automatically lowered by 2, turning a Stun 5 into a Stun 3. To 
  avoid player confusion or frustration, it’s recommended that 
  you inform players of this effect (either explicitly or through 
  combat descriptions) after the first time it is seen in action. 
  Restabilize 
  (Cost variable): This works similarly to Reality Anchor 
  but can only be used on other creatures. It restores another 
  creature’s Tempus pool 1 point for every point of Tempus 
  used to power Restabilize, effectively transferring Tempus 
  
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  157
  from one creature to another. This is usually only used by 
  Mooks or servants of a primary Adversary, minions who 
  willingly drain their own power to maintain their master’s. As 
  you’d expect, Restabilize cannot increase a Tempus pool above 
  the ability’s rating. 
  Seize Initiative 
  (Cost 2): The antagonist can jump into the initiative order 
  wherever desired. Taunting the player whose turn you preempt 
  is optional, traditional, and often hilarious.
  Shape-Shift 
  (Cost 2): The antagonist can reshape its body into a 
  nonhumanoid form, such as a chair or a carpet. This can also 
  be used to form rough weapons from body parts. Shape-Shift 
  is often most effective when used with Disguise, assuming you 
  don’t want your carpet to look like a flattened antagonist.
  Spider Climb 
  (Cost 0 or 1): Whether the antagonist uses high-tech gear or 
  natural limbs, he can clamber effortlessly up walls and across 
  ceilings. This costs 1 only when the effect must be deliberately 
  activated.
  Stealth 
  (Cost 0): Whatever intrinsic Stealth Modifier you give an 
  antagonist costs no points to use. They may be particularly 
  sneaky, camouflaged, or use some other means to avoid 
  detection.
  Stony 
  (Cost 0): Made of stone or some similarly hard matter; small 
  pieces might chip off. Immune to any weapon with a normal 
  Damage Modifier of +1 or lower; heavier weapons inflict −2 
  damage to it. Usually immune to normal fire and electricity; 
  possibly vulnerable to acids or other chemical attacks. Has 
  Armor 5 against car crashes and falls, which might crack it. 
  Strength 
  (Cost 0 or more): Some antagonists are simply incredibly 
  strong and do +1 or +2 more damage than normal, for a cost 
  of 0. Any impressive feat of strength (such as flipping over 
  a car) costs 2. For antagonists with variable strength, every 
  2-point Tempus spend increases damage by +1. 
  Stun 
  (Cost 0): A successful Scuffling or Shooting test (depending 
  on the method of stunning being used) triggers a Stun test, at 
  a Difficulty chosen by you. Average Stun Difficulty is Stun 5, 
  with Tasers at Stun 3 and massive futuristic military-grade stun 
  cannons rising to Stun 8 or higher.
  Summoning 
  (Cost 3): Summoning allows the antagonist to summon help 
  — robotic drones summoned through cyber-gear, a team of 
  allies time traveling in with precision accuracy, a boiling swarm 
  of biting roaches, nearby guards sprinting to assist, hivemind-
  linked alien parasites bursting from nearby flesh, and the like. 
  The degree and competence of the assistance is up to the GM. 
  This can typically be used only once per encounter, or more 
  often in particularly climactic fights.
  Technology 
  (Cost 2 per effect): Possess a piece of futuristic technology 
  with a unique or unusual effect. This is something of a catchall 
  category for any odd or unusual effects you want to draw into 
  an encounter. Technology is comparable to what a player 
  character could achieve with an Investigative spend, such as a 
  super-science effect, an armored force field, +1 or +2 damage 
  for the scene, a unique beam weapon, and the like.
  Teleport 
  (Cost 2): Instantaneously move from one location to another 
  without traveling in time. Most teleportation automatically 
  prevents the subject from accidentally materializing in a solid 
  object. It is up to the GM as to whether other people may be 
  teleported as well, or whether the teleportation can be tracked 
  through the use of Investigative abilities. Can be innate or via 
  a device. 
  Unfeeling 
  (Cost 0): Often found in robots. The antagonist never 
  becomes Hurt by physical attacks and automatically makes all 
  Consciousness and Stun rolls. If not a Mook or Opponent, 
  it can still fight while Seriously Wounded. It still dies when it 
  reaches −12 Health.
  Universal Attack 
  (Cost 1 or 2 per target): Whether through blazing speed 
  or minor time control, the antagonist can attack everyone 
  he wishes within range of his weapon during one round, 
  making separate Scuffling or Shooting rolls for each. This has 
  the potential to quickly empty an attack pool, so antagonists 
  who commonly use this don’t necessarily spend Scuffling 
  or Shooting points on every single attack unless they have 
  points in abundance. Universal Attack becomes a vastly more 
  effective tactic when your antagonists use the fixed combat 
  bonuses described earlier in this chapter; consider raising the 
  Tempus cost from 1 to 2 per target in such cases.
  Venom 
  (Cost 2): Alien antagonists in particular may be venomous, or 
  human antagonists may be using poisoned weapons or have 
  lethal hypodermic injectors. There are several ways in which 
  poison might be applied, as desired by players and GMs. A 
  poison might reduce the rate of healing when the Medic ability 
  is used, might inflict 2 or more Health damage every round 
  for a certain number of rounds, may trigger an immediate 
  or delayed Consciousness test, might increase by 1–2 points 
  all damage taken by other sources, might raise the Difficulty 
  on all tests by 1 point or more, or in rare cases might trigger 
  an immediate Paradox test. Venom can typically be removed 
  immediately by spending a Medical Expertise point, or by 
  spending 4 Medic points that don’t otherwise restore Health.
  
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  GAME STATS FOR  
  MOOKS, OPPONENTS, AND 
  SUPPORTING CHARACTERS 
  Here are a few foes that might get in between the Agents 
  and their goals. As the GM, you should alter and tweak these 
  ratings as you see fit; they are benchmarks, averages, and 
  guidelines, not hard-and-fast absolutes.
  You can easily change any Opponent to a Health 1–3 Mook 
  if you want them to drop quickly in combat. For an elite 
  leader, pick an individual and add 1 or 2 to Athletics, Health, 
  and various combat abilities: this will be the commander, the 
  tough guy in the mob, or other “level boss” figure.
  For the most part, these templates can apply to foes from 
  ancient, contemporary, or future times. Only relevant abilities are 
  included. Opponents from high-tech environments may have 
  significantly better armor, better armaments, or better high-tech 
  gear than the antagonists listed here. Conversely, a thug from the 
  Iron Age will lack high-tech weapons and armor. Adjust damage, 
  Stealth Modifiers, and Alertness Modifiers accordingly.
  Individuals dwelling in their own timeline have no need for 
  Tempus, Restabilize, Chronal Stability, or Reality Anchor, and 
  cannot suffer from chronal instability. If they trigger paradox, 
  it typically affects the world around them in a manner of the 
  GM’s choosing instead of erasing them out of existence.
  Alexandrian
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 10
  Offense: Scuffling +3, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +1 
  (advanced wrestling), +1 (pistol)
  Abilities: Tempus 18; High Society 2
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Help Yourself (cost 5), 
  Venom (cost 2 — they’re poisoners) 
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Description: These tall and sharp-nosed time travelers come 
  from a parallel reality where Alexander the Great did not die as 
  a young man. In this world it was Greek culture, not Roman, 
  that swept over the known world and was integrated into 
  every land Alexander conquered. 
  Alexandrians appreciate the stealthy use of poison to 
  remove troublesome enemies. Venom allows a peaceful death, 
  where an impediment is removed and no assassin may be put 
  at personal risk. Their store of poisons varies greatly, from the 
  gradual illness of rare roots to the sudden Health damage and 
  paralysis of snake venom.
  The Alexandrians prize philosophy, art, purity of thought, 
  and exceptional competence over any kind of material wealth. 
  Then again, the Alexandrians use their own time travel 
  technology to try and bring about their utopia. They believe the 
  moral imperative forgives them for whatever loathsome acts 
  they must commit to save their dying timeline and turn history 
  onto a better, kinder path. When they need to, they’re just as 
  good at assassination and brutality as they are at anything else, 
  so it’s fair to say that TimeWatch disagrees with them.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Cleopatra’s Alexandrians: As described on p. 366, the 
  Alexandrian empire that evolves from a long-lived Cleopatra 
  turns out a bit different. Game stats can be the same, adding 
  jewel-bedecked Technology (cost 2) and a plethora of 
  hyper-intelligent cats.
  Assassin 
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 12
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +0 
  (dagger or throwing knives), +1 (sword or pistol), +2 (beam 
  pistol or sniper rifle)
  Abilities: Tempus 13
  Special Abilities: Extra Action (cost 2); +4 Damage Modifier 
  when attacking with surprise
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +3 
  Description: Sometimes a subtle infiltrator can kill a target 
  who can be reached no other way. Futuristic assassins generally 
  equip themselves in the finest of high-tech equipment, 
  assuming they can afford it.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Mook: Health 1
  X
  X 	Gunslinger: Shooting +3; Damage Modifier +1 (six-gun); 
  two damage dice when shooting in a duel or showdown; 
  Stealth Modifier +0
  X
  X 	Ninja: Damage Modifier +2 (katana); Disguise (cost 1); 
  Stealth Modifier +4 
  X
  X 	Serial Killer: Flashback (cost 5); add Clock Out (cost 2) for 
  time traveling serial killers
  X
  X 	Sniper: Scuffling +1, Shooting +2 (+4 if not moving); add 
  a sniper rifle, scope, and tripod 
  X
  X 	Thuggee: When restraining a foe with Scuffling, 
  automatically inflict 1d6/round from garrote 
  X
  X 	Future Assassin: Technology (cost 2); swarm of cyber-
  bees (see below)
  X
  X 	Shadowy Government Manipulator: Bureaucracy 2, 
  Spying 2; Exile (cost 2 — sends political enemies to the 
  Cretaceous, but doesn’t time travel himself)
  Bodyguard
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 8 
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +0 
  (flexible baton or martial arts), +1 (pistol), Stun 4 (Taser)
  Abilities: Athletics 8, Medic 4, Vehicles 8
  Special Abilities: Seize Initiative (once per scene; cost 0 — 
  can interpose themselves in front of anyone else within Point-
  Blank range, taking an attack meant for that person); Scuffling 
  and Shooting rise to +3 against anyone who has attacked their 
  guarded client
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +3 
  Description: Whenever wealthy or important figures make 
  enemies, they likely need a specialized security provider to keep 
  
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  159
  themselves alive. Bodyguards focus on seeing trouble early and 
  sacrificing themselves so that their employer stays safe. 
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Future-Era Bodyguards with the latest in high-tech gear: 
  Add Armor 1 (personal armor); +1 to damage (beam 
  weapon); Cybernetics (cost 2) or Technology (cost 2); +1 to 
  Alertness Modifier (biometric threat sensors), +1 to Stealth 
  Modifier (chameleon suit)
  X
  X 	Prohibition Muscle: Health 10 (glass jaw: roll a natural 
  6 and they drop unconscious); Scuffling +2, Shooting +2; 
  brass knuckles replace Taser, but keep Stun 4
  Cave Dweller
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 10
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +2 (club or stone axe)
  Abilities: Athletics 10 (when in their native era) or Tempus 10;  
  Outdoor Survival 1
  Special Abilities: Strength (cost 0)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Description: Plucked from prehistory, savage and hirsute, this 
  particularly cinematic version of the cave dweller may not be 
  able to easily communicate but they smarter (and stronger) than 
  they look. Some cave dwellers are particularly superstitious, 
  so any display of unexplainable special effects (possibly 
  accompanied by a point of Intimidation) is likely to cow them.
  Variants:
  X
  X  Chrome-Magnon: Add Shooting +2 and Damage Modifier 
  +2 (beam weapon); Tempus 16; Cybernetics (cost 2), 
  Hivemind. These troglodytes have been kidnapped, brought 
  to the future, and turned into a cybernetic army.
  X
  X  Rampaging Horde: Health 1 per member (just make sure 
  there are a lot of them). Most terrifying when running 
  towards you, screaming loudly, and brandishing clubs.
  X
  X Future Savages: Mutation (cost 2) or Technology (cost 2).  
  For devolved future cave people, add your choice of 
  mutations or scavenged high-tech gear — occasionally used 
  entirely incorrectly.
  X
  X Savage Warrior: Replace Scuffling with Shooting; 
  replace club with spear; change superstition to one that’s 
  appropriate. Whether proto-Viking or island tribal warrior, 
  these stats reflect a combatant who is a powerful but not 
  well-rounded fighter.
  Chronal Anthropologist
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 6 
  Offense: Scuffling +0, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +2 
  (chronomorphic beam weapon), Stun 5 (neural disruptor)
  Abilities: Tempus 14; Anthropology 2, History (Ancient and 
  Contemporary) 2, Timecraft 1
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (possibly) (cost 2), Disguise 
  (cost 1)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +1 
  Description: Well equipped and chosen for their ability to 
  blend in to a particular historical era, chronal anthropologists 
  move through time to study indigenous tribes and ancient 
  history that we would otherwise know nothing about. Less 
  ethical anthropologists use time travel to perform experiments 
  on humanity and history, with the intent of reversing 
  the experiment to restore the true time stream when the 
  experiment is complete. That doesn’t always work out so well.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Two-Fisted Anthropologist: Hit Threshold 4, Health 
  10; Scuffling +2, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +1 plus 
  disarming (whip)
  X
  X 	Doddering Old Know-It-All: Health 3; High Society 1, 
  Research 2, Trivia 1; often possesses an impressive walrus 
  mustache
  Chronal Leeches
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 1 
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier −1 (small-fanged maw) 
  Abilities: Tempus 10
  Special Abilities: Chronal Drain (cost 2), Exile (cost 0 — 
  triggers when target has 0 Reality Anchor), Flight (cost 0)
  Description: Chronal leeches are shimmering, pulsing, 
  translucent eels 1–2 meters long who swim the time stream 
  looking for potential reality to devour. They are immune to 
  paradox and can pass freely through chronal fields like the 
  energy surrounding an autochron. Chronal leeches often 
  attack in waves of 1–6 leeches per wave.
  When they attack a time traveler with a successful Scuffling 
  test, they immediately drain points of Reality Anchor in 
  addition to doing physical damage. Victims whose Reality 
  Anchor pool reaches 0, or who have a 0 rating in Reality 
  Anchor, are automatically exiled through time to a random 
  time and place chosen by the GM. 
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Trained Chronal Leeches: Packs of leeches have been 
  found whose Exile ability exiles victims to a specific 
  time and place, typically a jail. Packs are sent out by their 
  mysterious trainers to hunt and retrieve time travelers.
  X
  X 	Paradox Leeches: Remove Chronal Drain, add Destabilize 
  (cost 2). Instead of draining Reality Anchor, paradox 
  leeches trigger a D4/L4 Paradox test with every successful 
  bite. Their victims are soon erased from reality.
  X
  X Exiled Leeches: Ever encounter a ghost town and 
  wonder where everyone went? There may be chronal 
  leeches nearby. If accidentally brought out of the time 
  stream and into the real world, chronal leeches immediately 
  scatter and flee. They soon attack locals to try and Chronal 
  Drain, but most non–time travelers have no Tempus and 
  have no Reality Anchor for them to drain. Thus, most of 
  their mundane victims are instantly exiled with a single 
  bite. Chronal leeches stuck in reality will typically starve 
  to death within a few weeks, but they can inflict a horrific 
  amount of mayhem until then by flinging locals forwards 
  
  CHAPTER FIVE
  160
  and backwards across time. If you have any doubt of this, 
  track down the crew of the Mary Celeste.
  Chronal Troubleshooter
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 12 
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +0 
  (club), +2 (beam weapon), Stun 5 (neural disruptor), D4/L4 
  Paradox test (chronal destabilizer)
  Abilities: Tempus 16, Vehicles 6; Timecraft 1
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Disguise (cost 1), 
  Technology (cost 2), Teleport (cost 2)
  Description: TimeWatch isn’t always available, so sometimes 
  future time travelers send their own troubleshooters to deal 
  with historical problems — or cause them. Troubleshooters 
  aren’t overly concerned with blending in; their job is to head 
  through time and get a job done, whether that job is to capture 
  a live dinosaur or assassinate Marco Polo. They aren’t usually 
  overburdened with a surfeit of smarts or ethics, but they’re 
  well equipped, well trained, and determined. That’s usually 
  enough to make them an obstacle.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Chronal Assassin: Health 14; Shooting +3; Exile (cost 2). 
  Assassins may have beam weapons with unusual capabilities 
  such as concussion or disintegration.
  X
  X 	Chronal Diplomat: Charm 1, Falsehood Detection 1, 
  Reassurance 2, Taunt 1
  Civilian
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 1
  Offense: Scuffling +0; Damage Modifier −1 (fist)
  Abilities: Athletics 3 
  Description: Just another bystander, innocent or otherwise. 
  They may be smart or stupid, rich or poor, charming or 
  boring, Roman senators or Elizabethan gravediggers, but they 
  aren’t trained to protect themselves. Give them a firearm, and 
  they can also manage Shooting +0.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Low-Life (or a civilian with some personal defense training): 
  Scuffling +2
  X
  X 	Crazed Inventor: Tempus 6; Technology (cost 2)
  X
  X 	Tycoon: High Society 1; possibly employing a bodyguard
  X
  X 	Evolved Humanity: Tempus 6; Mutation (cost 2) or 
  Psychic (cost 2)
  Cyborg
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, Health 12 
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +1 
  (powerful metal fist), +1 plus drag target (shoulder-mounted 
  harpoon), +2 (beam weapon)
  Abilities: Tempus 18; Hacking 1
  Special Abilities: Cybernetics (cost 2), Resist Stun, Strength; 
  a hit with the harpoon drags the target one range closer
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Description: Cyborgs are half-human (or half-robot, properly 
  speaking, since you can have cyborg animals or aliens as well) 
  meldings of flesh and machine. It’s up to you as to whether 
  they have humanity’s best interests in mind, or whether they 
  even think of themselves as human, but it’s a sure thing 
  that the worst of them will be almost indistinguishable from 
  humans until it’s almost too late.
  Instead of a uniquely capable cybe (see p. 170) that you’d 
  use as a full Adversary, generic cyborgs are typically mass-
  produced for war and inhabited by the brains of insane or 
  heavily mind-wiped remnants of humanity. When a future 
  warlord needs to send generic and deadly technological 
  assassins, they may send cyborgs. Their Cybernetics ability lets 
  you create whatever cyborg powers you need on the fly, and 
  their Armor 2 helps them survive to see another day. 
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Stealth Model: Disguise (cost 1)
  X
  X 	Liquid-Metal Model: Impersonation (cost 2), Shape-Shift 
  (cost 2), Unfeeling
  X
  X 	War Model: Health 16; Damage Modifier special (back-
  mounted grenade launcher); Technology (cost 2) 
  X
  X 	Robotic Duplicate: Impersonation (cost 2), Oracle (cost 
  1). It isn’t uncommon for chronal despots to create robotic 
  duplicates of people they wish to replace. TimeWatch has 
  an entire storeroom somewhere back at the Citadel full of 
  deactivated Robo-Hitlers. 
  Dinosaur (Large)
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Armor 1, Health 30
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +6 (bite — 1 Point-
  Blank target), +4 (claw stomp — 2 Point-Blank targets with 
  one attack), +2 (tail — 3 Close targets with one attack)
  Abilities: Athletics 20 (when in their native era) or Tempus 20
  Special Abilities: Strength (cost 0); several of its attacks can 
  target more than one creature at once — roll a separate test 
  for each target
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier −4
  Description: There are innumerable dinosaurs, but you don’t 
  need innumerable stat blocks to represent them. Adjust the 
  base stat block to represent the dinosaur’s abilities, adjusting 
  Health and attacks by the sort of dinosaur you envision, and 
  describe it however you like.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Tiny Dinosaur: Hit Threshold 4, Health 1; Damage 
  Modifier +0 (tiny but painful claw or bite); Athletics 8
  X
  X 	Small Dinosaur: Hit Threshold 4, Health 8; Damage 
  Modifier +1 (vicious bite or claw); Athletics 8
  X
  X 	Medium Dinosaur: Hit Threshold 3, Health 15; Damage 
  Modifier +4 (bite, claw, horn, or spike); Athletics 12; 
  Strength (cost 0)
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  161
  X
  X 	Flying Dinosaur: as Small or Medium Dinosaur, adding 
  Flight (cost 0)
  X
  X 	Cybernetic War Dinosaur: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, 
  Health 35; Scuffling +2, Shooting +3; Damage Modifier +6 
  (bite — 1 Point-Blank target), +5 (claw stomp — 2 Point-
  Blank targets with one attack), +3 (spiked tail — 3 Close 
  targets with one attack), +4 (massive dino-mounted beam 
  weapon); Tempus 25; Cybernetics (cost 2), Extra Action 
  (cost 2)
  Elephant
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 30
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +4 (crush), +3 
  (tusks), +2 (trunk — 2 Point-Blank targets with one attack)
  Abilities: Athletics 16 
  Special Abilities: Strength (cost 0); the trunk attack can target 
  more than one creature at once — roll a separate test for each 
  target
  Misc: Stealth Modifier −2
  Description: If you’re planning to cross the Alps to fight 
  the Punic Wars, don’t leave home without one.
  X
  X 	War Elephant: Armor 2; Damage Modifier +4 (crush), +4 
  (tusks), +3 (trunk — 2 Point-Blank targets with one attack); 
  Tempus 10; Extra Action (cost 2)
  X
  X 	Mastodon: Armor 2, Health 40; Damage Modifier +6 
  (crush), +4 (tusks), +3 (trunk — 2 Point-Blank targets with 
  one attack)
  Elite Soldier
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2 (military armor), Health 8
  Offense: Scuffling +3, Shooting +3; Damage Modifier +1 
  (bayonet or baton), +1 (pistol or assault rifle), +2 (heavy 
  assault rifle), grenades 
  Abilities: Medic 4, Tempus 12, Vehicles 3
  Special Abilities: Summoning (cost 3 — artillery strike or 
  additional soldiers)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1 (+2 with night vision capability), 
  Stealth Modifier +1
  Description: Every military force has their elite and special 
  operatives. With greater than normal strength and combat 
  capability, abilities and non-chronal capabilities may be in the 
  same range as the Agents’. 
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Samurai: Armor 1; Damage Modifier +0 (martial arts), +2 
  (katana), +1 (bow), remove anachronistic weapons
  X
  X 	Starship Marine: Replace firearms with beam weapons 
  (Damage Modifier +2); massive power armor gives limited 
  Flight (cost 2), Strength (cost variable), and Technology 
  (cost 2). 
  X
  X 	Starship Pilot: Damage Modifier +2 (beam weapon); 
  Vehicles 14; Charm 1; Flight (cost 2)
  Gorilla (Superintelligent)
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 16
  Offense: Scuffling +3, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +3 
  (massive clenched gorilla fist), +2 (beam weapon)
  Abilities: Tempus 20
  Special Abilities: Flashback (cost 5), Lightning speed (cost 
  2), Strength (cost 0), Technology (cost 2) 
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2, Stealth Modifier +1
  Description: Whether albino or not, superintelligent gorillas 
  who use science to beat humans at their own game make for 
  memorable and entertaining foes. They are typically found 
  in hidden laboratories wearing lab coats, with their nefarious 
  plans almost brought to fruition. It’s always a toss-up as to 
  whether they’d rather hit you or test a new invention on you.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Gorilla (Regular): Scuffling +2, Shooting +0; Damage 
  Modifier +1 (clenched gorilla fist), −1 (flung gorilla poop); 
  remove special abilities
  X
  X 	Anthropoid Demogrifier: This superintelligent gorilla 
  has invented an anthropoid demogrifier, a large and 
  improbable-looking gun. The anthropoid demogrifier 
  de-evolves a human target back into a gorilla, requiring a 
  special Difficulty 4 Chronal Stability test; failure means that 
  the target’s intellect lowers to that of a standard gorilla until 
  the demogrifier is destroyed.
  X
  X 	Time Traveler: Branching Point (cost 4), Clock Out (cost 
  2). A time traveling gorilla is mastering chronal manipulation, 
  and knows enough to use time to its advantage. 
  X
  X 	Genius 
  Cyber-Gorilla: 
  Remove 
  Technology, 
  add 
  Cybernetics (cost 2)
  X
  X 	Gorilla (Superintelligent and Psychic): Remove beam 
  weapon and Technology. Add Mental Attack (Mental 
  Damage — cost 0) and Psychic (cost 2)
  Guard Dog
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 6
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +0 plus Worrying (bite) 
  Abilities: Athletics 10 
  Special Abilities: Worrying (cost 0 — if two bites in a row 
  succeed against the same target, the dog’s teeth clamp down 
  and the second attack does double damage. The dog need not 
  roll to hit that target thereafter, but will continue to worry the 
  foe, doing normal damage to him each round until killed or 
  driven off. The dog’s Hit Threshold is only 3 against an enemy 
  clamped in her jaws)
  Description: A prehistoric wolf, an armored Roman canis 
  pugnax, a military-trained German shepherd, or the genetically 
  enhanced Molosser Superior of the Second Matriarchy. Man’s 
  best friend, assuming it isn’t trying to rip out your throat.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Untrained Dogs and Wolves: Health 3; Scuffling +1; 
  Athletics 8 
  
  CHAPTER FIVE
  162
  X
  X 	Cinematic Velociraptors: Stealth Modifier +2. These stats 
  can also be used for other prehistoric pack animals.
  Immortal
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 14
  Offense: Scuffling +4, Shooting +4; Damage Modifier +2 
  (katana), +1 (pistol)
  Abilities: Tempus 20
  Special Abilities: Does not age
  Description: An immortal is a human who, for whatever 
  reason, does not age. They typically spend their centuries 
  becoming experts with a variety of weapons, settling on one 
  or two that they particularly enjoy. They usually become rich 
  and learn many social graces and many hobbies. Unfortunately, 
  while they’ll live forever if uninjured, they can be killed just like 
  anyone so they work to keep their identities hidden. Immortals 
  make superb sources of information.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Warrior: Health 50; Regenerate (cost 0 or 2; all damage 
  regenerates at the end of the round except for decapitation). 
  These immortal warriors seem to occur in normal human 
  families, appearing unpredictably throughout history. They 
  often have served as mercenaries across the ages in a 
  hundred different wars. There would be more of them if 
  they didn’t have a predilection for hunting each other down 
  and chopping off each other’s heads.
  X
  X 	Warlord: Armor 2, Health 20; Military Tactics 2; Flashback 
  (cost 5), Seize Initiative (cost 2), Cybernetics (cost 2) or 
  Technology (cost 2). Some immortals decide that they’re 
  destined to conquer, and these seek out every advantage to 
  triumph in battle. 
  Neighborhood Child
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 1 
  Offense: Scuffling −1; Damage Modifier −1 (fist)
  Abilities: Athletics 3 
  Misc: Alertness Modifier −2, Stealth Modifier −1
  Description: Enthusiastically annoying 8 to 12 year olds, 
  adept at stumbling into adventure. 
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Kid Genius: Tempus 8, Tinkering 8; Mastermind, 
  Technology (cost 2). Typically discovered making horrific 
  technology in a garage, possibly influenced by intelligence-
  enhancing cast-off alien technology. Let’s hope they’ve 
  been treated well by their parents…
  X
  X 	Psychically Controlled and Enhanced Neighborhood 
  Child: Scuffling +0; Damage Modifier +0 (clenched 
  pointy rock or old board with a nail in it); Scuffling bonus 
  rises by +1 each round of combat, max +6. When linked 
  as a distraction by a nearby psychic antagonist, a pack of 
  neighborhood children becomes a real threat if not dealt 
  with quickly.
  Police
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Armor 2 (police tactical vest), 
  Health 6
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +3; Damage Modifier +0 
  (baton), +1 (pistol), Stun 4 (Taser; Stun 5 if neural disruptor 
  or tear gas / stun grenades)
  Abilities: Athletics 6, Vehicles 4 
  Special Abilities: Scuffling rises to +3 if there is a second 
  police officer attacking the same target
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Description: Town guard, street cop, plainclothes or uniform; 
  use for private security forces. 
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Medieval Town Guard: Replace more advanced weaponry 
  with a club or sword, and a crossbow
  X
  X 	Future Law Enforcer: Armor 2 is a personal force field; 
  beam weapon (Damage Modifier +2) replaces traditional 
  firearms; Flight from flying hover-bike
  Postapocalyptic Raider
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 8
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +0; Damage Modifier +1 
  (machete), +0 (makeshift spear)
  Abilities: Athletics 6, Tempus 10
  Special Abilities: Mutation (cost 2), Regenerate (cost 0 — 
  Health refreshes 1 point per round when exposed to high 
  radioactivity); Beheading (cost 0 — Damage Modifier rises to 
  +4 if target is Restrained)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +3
  Description: Postapocalyptic raiders are mutated and 
  degenerate humans who hunt the radioactive desert wastes. 
  They heal 1 Health per round while exposed to high 
  radiation. They use high stealth to sneak up on prey, Restrain 
  them with an initial Scuffling attack that does no damage, 
  then cut off their heads with a powerful machete swing. 
  They typically hunt in pairs, with one raider Restraining and 
  one Beheading each round.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Mutant Raider: Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +1 (rifle). 
  Remove Beheading, add Mental Attack (Mental Damage — 
  cost 0). This highly deformed monstrosity is still technically 
  human, but not by much. Seemingly drawn unerringly 
  towards non-mutated humans. Probably cannibalistic.
  X
  X 	Bunker Rats: Health 1, remove Beheading. The dregs of 
  human society, willing to risk death for any improvement in 
  their miserable lifestyle. 
  Robot
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, Health 10
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +1 
  (pistoning jab), +2 (welding laser)
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  163
  Abilities: Tempus 8
  Special Abilities: Cybernetics (cost 2), Extra Action (cost 2), 
  Technology (cost 2), Unfeeling
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2, Stealth Modifier −1
  Description: A standard futuristic industrial robot, possibly 
  gone rogue. May or may not be humanoid. The stat block 
  above is for standard cinematic robots, but they are simple 
  to customize by picturing the robotic feature that you want 
  (such as electrical blasts, or super-precise targeting computers, 
  or inexplicable whirring saw blades) and tweaking the statistics 
  accordingly.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Clockwork Automata: Scuffling +2, Shooting +0; 
  Damage Modifier +1 (spinning clockwork swordblade); 
  remove Technology, add Electronic Interference (cost 2)
  X
  X 	Military Robot: Scuffling +2, Shooting +3; Damage 
  Modifier +2 (jagged sawblades), +3 (military laser), Stun 6 
  (Close range — military neural disruptor); Regenerate (cost 
  0 — self-repairs 1 Health per round)
  X
  X 	Assassination Drones: Armor 0, Health 1; Damage 
  Modifier +1 (razor-sharp helicopter blades), +2 (beam 
  weapon); Hivemind; Stealth Modifier +1; usually dispatched 
  in perfectly coordinated flights of 6 units
  X
  X 	Gremlins: As assassination drones, but Damage Modifier 
  +3 (mechanical and electronic objects only); Electronic 
  Interference (cost 2); Stealth Modifier +4. Gremlins are 
  specialized robotic drones designed to disable and destroy 
  only machinery and vehicles. They are hardened against 
  their own Electronic Interference. During World War II, 
  time traveling Nazi scientists continually attempt to use 
  gremlins to surreptitiously disable Allied aircraft.
  X
  X 	Lovable Robotic Sidekick: Scuffling +0, Shooting +0; 
  Damage Modifier −1 (no weapons); remove Extra Action
  X
  X 	Killer Robot: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +2 (metallic 
  blades), +2 (laser eyes); Add Strength (cost 0). Sometimes 
  what you want is an unthinking killing machine. Built into 
  both humanoid and nonhumanoid forms, killer robots have 
  one particular task that they excel at, and you can bet it’s not 
  vacuuming the kitchen floor while the rest of the household 
  sleeps. 
  Scientist
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 3 
  Offense: Scuffling +0, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier −1 
  (flailing fists), +2 (envenomed dart gun or beam weapon), 
  Stun 5 (beefed-up Taser or neural disruptor)
  Abilities: Tempus 10, Tinkering 15; Science! 2
  Special Abilities: Cybernetics (cost 2) or Technology (cost 
  2), Venom (cost 2)
  Description: When you need an amoral and generic scientist, 
  these stats serve nicely for the lab-coated miscreant who has 
  just enough time to trigger a deadly invention before getting 
  shot. Science! Is often used to set off inconveniently deadly 
  explosions.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Muscle-Bound Scientist: Hit Threshold 4, Health 8; 
  Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +0 (improvised weapon, 
  possibly a clipboard); Athletics 8. Useful when you want 
  strong and smart, with a little more lasting power in a fight.
  Soldier
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 7
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +0 
  (club or baton), +1 (sword or bayonet), +1 (bow, pistol, or 
  assault rifle), grenades
  Abilities: Athletics 8, Vehicles 3 
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Description: Regular military soldier.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Conscriptee or National Guard: Lower all ratings by 1; 
  Hit Threshold 3
  X
  X 	Ancient History Soldier: Scuffling +2 
  X
  X 	Sniper: Shooting +3 when not moving; Shooting +5 when 
  not moving for the prior 3 or more rounds
  Spy
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 10
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +0 
  (knife or martial arts), +1 (pistol)
  Abilities: Burglary 8, Tempus 12, Vehicles 8; Charm 1, 
  Falsehood Detection 1, Reassurance 1, Spy 2
  Special Abilities: Disguise (cost 1), Flashback (cost 5), 
  Venom (cost 2 — poison dart)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2, Stealth Modifier +3
  Description: Whether a suave secret agent or a femme fatale, 
  a ragged infiltrator or a bribed traitor, the spy is excellent at 
  entering closed locations and uncovering secrets.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Spanish Inquisitor: Remove Charm 1, replace with 
  Intimidation 1
  X
  X 	Master Spy: Scuffling +3, Shooting +3; Tempus 18; Charm 
  2; Technology (cost 2); Stealth Modifier +4
  X
  X 	Private Eye: replace Charm 1 with Streetwise 1; Alertness 
  Modifier +3, Stealth Modifier +1
  Swarm of Cyber-Bees
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Armor 5 vs. physical attacks 
  (Fluid), Health 15
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +0 plus Venom (bee 
  stings)
  Abilities: Tempus 14
  Special Abilities: Flight, Fluid, Universal Attack (cost 1 
  per target), Venom (cost 2 — venom paralyzes, reducing 
  
  CHAPTER FIVE
  164
  the target’s Athletics pool by 1d6. A poisoned target with an 
  Athletics pool of 0 is Restrained and can fight but is unable 
  to move. Movement is restored should a paralyzed target’s 
  Athletics pool refresh above 0)
  Description: A swarm of cyber-bees is a thing to be feared. 
  Tiny robotic assassins with molecular venom generators, they 
  attack all hostile targets in an area (i.e., anyone who tries to 
  swat a cyber-bee) and use their venom to prevent their targets’ 
  escape. Cyber-bee swarms are often utilized by futuristic 
  assassins who wish to immobilize their prey before closing to 
  deliver the final blow.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Killer Bird Flock: Remove venomous bee stings, add 
  Damage Modifier +0 (razor-sharp beaks) and Lightning 
  Speed (cost 2). Killer bird flocks (often passenger pigeons, 
  for reasons no one at TimeWatch yet understands) effectively 
  restrain their targets by blanketing them with their flapping 
  and pecking bodies. There’s no venom involved, so the 
  target is no longer restrained once the birds are slain or 
  driven off.
  Thief 
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 6
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +0 
  (dagger or throwing knifes), Stun 3 (blackjack)
  Abilities: Athletics 10, Burglary 12 
  Special Abilities: Spider Climb (cost 0)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +3
  Description: Need something stolen? Turn to a professional 
  thief! They aren’t necessarily combatants, but they can usually 
  get in and out with your goods. 
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Mook: Health 1
  X
  X 	Burglar: Remove Shooting rating (most burglars don’t 
  carry weapons)
  X
  X 	Child Pickpocket: Add Damage Modifier +0 (thrown 
  rock, fish, or street debris)
  X
  X 	High-Tech Thief: Add Tinkering 10; Hacking 1, Science! 1
  X
  X 	Time Thief: Add Tempus 12; Clock Out (cost 2), 
  Technology (cost 2); time thieves are superb at escaping 
  from chases. In any chase or time chase where the time 
  thief is the quarry, target Difficulties on chase abilities for 
  the thief are lowered by −1 (so their default Difficulty is 3 
  instead of 4). 
  Thug
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 6
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +0 or 
  Stun 4 (brass knuckles), +1 (pistol)
  Abilities: Athletics 6, Vehicles 3 
  Description: Muscle for a criminal organization, professional 
  miscreant, random guard. Strong, not smart. 
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Gladiator: Hit Threshold 4, Health 8; Athletics 8, Vehicles 5
  X
  X 	Trained Shooter: Shooting +3
  X
  X 	Bouncer: Scuffling +3; Intimidation 1
  Tyrannosaurus Rex
  Defense: Hit Threshold 2, Armor 2, Health 50
  Offense: Scuffling +3; Damage Modifier +8 (bite — 1 Point-
  Blank target), +6 (claw stomp — 2 Point-Blank targets with 
  one attack), +4 (tail — 3 Close targets with one attack)
  Abilities: Athletics 24
  Special Abilities: Strength (cost 0); several of its attacks can 
  target more than one creature at once — roll a separate test 
  for each target
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier −4
  Description: A cinematic dinosaur, a roaring juggernaut 
  of toothy destruction. It’s easy to hit a T. rex; the hard part is 
  hurting it enough to stop it. While we know that the T. rex should 
  technically be classified as a Dinosaur (Large) above, some dinos 
  are important and unique enough to get their own category.
  Vehicle  
  (Tractor-Trailer with Renegade AI)
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, Health 25
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +6 (speeding truck)
  Abilities: Tempus 16, Vehicles 20
  Special Abilities: Lightning Speed (cost 2), Regenerate (cost 
  0 — self-repairs 1 Health per round), Technology (cost 2), 
  Unfeeling; two damage dice instead of 1 (2d6+6) if the vehicle 
  moved but did not attack on the previous turn; Scuffling rises 
  to +3 when outside and the target has little cover
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2
  Description: This sentient tractor-trailer possesses a rogue AI 
  that is hostile to humanity. It operates autonomously when it 
  chooses to do so.
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Intelligent Car: Health 20, Damage Modifier +3 (speeding 
  car). From Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to KITT, there are 
  plenty of models for intelligent cars in cinema and literature.
  SAMPLE STATS FOR ADVERSARIES
  Adversaries are the big bad guys who act as the perpetrators 
  of your mysteries. There are as many types of Adversaries as 
  you can imagine, including ones drawn from the Mook and 
  Opponent stats above, but only a few different types will likely 
  be involved with your Agents at any one time. Adversaries 
  are almost always named, so they usually won’t be considered 
  Mooks with only 1 Health. 
  When you create Adversaries, choose abilities from the 
  Special Ability list that make sense thematically. Here are 
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  165
  some samples, both of villainous individuals and categories 
  of antagonists. 
  ANIKA BABBAGE
  Born in 2054 in an alternate history London, Anika Babbage 
  is the great-great-(etc.)-granddaughter of the union between 
  Lady Ada Byron (aka Ada Lovelace) and Charles Babbage. 
  In Anika’s history, Byron and Babbage had more than just 
  technical conversations via correspondence. Ada ended up 
  fleeing England prior to her dreary marriage with William 
  King, and she was married to Charles in Italy. Ada’s direct 
  participation in Babbage’s research put the world decades 
  ahead in computational technologies, and Babbage’s 
  relationships with more rigorous medical minds saved Ada 
  from an early demise in England.
  The world Anika was born into was a virtual paradise. A 
  world government built on a technocratic base and fueled by 
  progressive ideas had brought the world together in peace and 
  prosperity. Her family’s company was the primary provider of 
  advanced technologies to a grateful Earth, and her privatization 
  of interdimensional/inter-time tech was supposed to be the 
  start of a golden age for her world.
  Unfortunately, Anika’s world was a “mistake.” Antagonist 
  manipulations in the 19th century (probably sophosaur, 
  possibly ezeru, or whatever antagonist you wish) started the 
  ripples that pushed Ada into Babbage’s arms. TimeWatch 
  stopped the problem at its source… but “upstream” from 
  the change, Anika was working with some of the most 
  advanced chrono-dimensional technology constructed in 
  any time frame. When the timeline was corrected, Anika 
  remained, finding herself in a very different 21st century 
  than the one she was used to. She used the gear she had 
  with her and borrowed materials from the new timeline to 
  ensure her survival. She’s a constant in the universe now, a 
  woman well anchored in time and guaranteed to always exist 
  as herself.
  Anika has made herself into the immovable object, and she’s 
  butting up against the unstoppable force that is TimeWatch. 
  TimeWatch, to her, is an arrogant bunch of murdering 
  bumblers trying to play God. She’s smart enough to see both 
  sides of the argument, but her very life and the lives of her 
  FOUND BY TIMEWATCH ON A MEDIA DEVICE LEFT BEHIND BY LADY 
  BABBAGE AFTER A PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING ENCOUNTER:
  Daily Star — “Babbage Babe Buys Big!” — 09/20/2089
  The world has been set on its head yet again by the Babbage dynasty, as Lady Anika Babbage 
  purchases all rights and licenses to the Kleiner-Rosen Institute.
  For years the United Nations has vowed that the world’s resources would see big dividends from this 
  interdimensional research institute. They wowed us all with their demonstration in the great Tolbert 
  Amphitheatre in Monrovia, Liberia. None of the assembled national governors had seen a living 
  dinosaur before, but scales and feathers galore convinced the gathered politicians that the world-
  state’s money had been well spent.
  Now, at the cost of an estimated 1.7 trillion dollars, Lady Babbage has purchased the institute and 
  its technologies, privatizing interdimensional travel and boosting the bottom line of the World Bank 
  considerably.
  “My company was founded at the end of the 19th century. My ancestor, the great Lady Ada Babbage, 
  believed that technology was the way to bring the world together. Fusion, maglev technology, artificial 
  protein growth… Marylebone Technologies has fueled some of the greatest scientific advancements of 
  the 20th and 21st centuries. Now, through technology, we’ll bring all worlds together.”
  The UN Secretary-General has already allocated many of the funds. The final phases of the international 
  transmat system will be installed, finally connecting the Australian Outback and the depths of the 
  Amazon with Trafalgar Square and the Eiffel Tower. The international disease eradication board will 
  have the funds it needs to complete inoculations against the common cold, and the few remaining 
  strains of cancerous growths will finally see their end.
  Meanwhile, there’s great speculation about what kind of products the institute will pursue now that it’s 
  part of the MT empire. Our technologies expert…
  <End of File>
  
  CHAPTER FIVE
  166
  family were snuffed out incidentally as part of a random, 
  relatively unimportant time op.
  Anika’s toolkit includes vast knowledge about the theory and 
  practice of time travel. She knows all the “little tricks” to come 
  out ahead in a time-related clash, and she’s found that bringing 
  overwhelming force to bear at precisely the correct time has 
  a very good record for being successful. She possesses the 
  best in bleeding-edge technology whether she’s acquired it or 
  invented it herself, giving her access to most items in the Gear 
  chapter. Most importantly, Anika is patient. She is the type of 
  “villain/antihero” that sees a slight memory modification and 
  an energy rifle as equally powerful weapons. If need be, she’s 
  happy to abandon her plans and blend into the background 
  to avoid capture or death. She’s in this for the long game, not 
  the short-term win, and she plans her operations accordingly.
  Anika’s major weakness is compassion. If at all possible, 
  she avoids killing. “If possible” is the focus here, and she’s 
  much more careful about killing “locals” than time agents. 
  She’d never, for example, drop a nuke on a crowded stadium 
  to achieve her goals, and if she can let a time agent live without 
  it impacting her broader plans, she’ll do so. She’d rather go 
  back in time and convince a TimeWatch agent to pick a 
  different line of work, possibly recruiting them for her own 
  organization, than have them killed during an operations. 
  She’ll gladly weather a little paradox if it means a net win for 
  her own plans.
  Anika’s goals, in order of importance:
  1.  Restore her timeline. She’s long since figured out the 
  specific events that created her unique timeline. She also is 
  well aware getting her home back isn’t as simple as recre-
  ating the antagonist plot that TimeWatch dismantled. She 
  needs to not only create the timeline, but safeguard it from 
  any further time traveling interference. So far she hasn’t 
  discovered or created any technology to do this, but she 
  might have some ideas of where to go to start down this 
  path.
  2.  Destroy TimeWatch. She assumes that eventually she’ll 
  have to wipe TimeWatch out to achieve her primary goal. 
  She doesn’t want to kill anyone if she can help it, but she 
  wants to ensure the organization never exists, doing to 
  them what they did to her. Anika, of all of TimeWatch’s 
  adversaries, may be the most dangerous because she 
  doesn’t fear paradox when researching up and down the 
  time stream. She remains determined to subvert and dis-
  mantle the organization, and she’s busy collecting the loose 
  threads she’ll have to pull to unravel everything at once.
  3.  Learn, collect, and develop technology. Rare technol-
  ogies and one-of-a-kind finds are so prized by Anika that 
  it’s almost a weakness. Her goals in any given timeline or 
  time frame will usually involve making off with a notable 
  theorem or prototype. It’s how she’s managed to stay alive, 
  and how she hopes to one day take down TimeWatch and 
  return history to what she knew.
  4.  Make lasting friends. Anika is deeply lonely, and she trea-
  sures friends and allies that she knows she can trust 100%. 
  As a result, she’s befriended numerous people throughout 
  history, some of whom are influential. Such individuals 
  trust her as well, and act as her eyes and ears across time 
  to help keep her informed. She’d be loath to sacrifice them 
  to ambition, however, unless she had no other choice and 
  the stakes were unthinkably high. She keeps her personal 
  friendships secret as a result, so that her enemies cannot 
  use them against her.
  Anika Babbage’s Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4 or higher (usually 5 due to 
  Distortion), Armor 3 (personal force fields), Health 20 
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +3; Damage Modifier +2 
  or higher, plus special effect (any technology from the Gear 
  chapter, possibly improved)
  Abilities: Tempus 50 (uniquely high), Tinkering 15; 
  Bureaucracy 2, Hacking 2, High Society 3, History (Future) 2, 
  Paradox Prevention 3, Science! 3, Timecraft 3
  Special Abilities: Distortion (cost 2), Flashback (cost 5), 
  Mastermind, Oracle (cost 1); Anika’s vast array of futuristic 
  tech can use Technology (cost 2) to emulate virtually any other 
  Special Ability from the list found on p. 152. 
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +3 (hyper-optimized tether); Stealth 
  Modifier +1 to +5 (invisibility generator)
  COLONEL SIR BAYARD CAIDE
  A charming grin. A hearty laugh. A lethal stab in the back, 
  followed by a firm push down the stairs.
  Caide is an utterly charismatic English baronet and career 
  cavalry officer at the end of the 18th century. He leads his men 
  with competence and dignity, charms the ladies (unmarried or 
  not) with casual ease, and pretty much commands any room 
  he happens to step into. His commanding officers look at him 
  with wonder and not just a bit of jealousy; Caide exudes that 
  aura of charm, kindness, and competence that makes him a 
  trusted leader. 
  And that’s really a pity, because Sir Bayard Caide is a ruthless 
  and unapologetic cad. He enjoys ruining others’ lives, breaking 
  the law, and flouting societal mores, and he believes deeply 
  that if one should betray others — and make no mistake, 
  Caide really does enjoy betraying others — then one should 
  do so with style and panache. “Make it memorable and make 
  it count,” he says, because lesser methods would demean 
  his gifts. As a result, Caide’s plans are clever, dastardly, and 
  practically cinematic. He overplans, but it’s usually in the 
  interest of humiliating his foes at the best possible time. 
  Caide’s good reputation is all-important to him, and he 
  never acts against someone who could spread scurrilous 
  rumors unless that person can be controlled or destroyed. Sir 
  Bayard Caide may have started as an English cavalry officer, 
  but true talent seldom goes unnoticed for long. He is now a 
  known freelancer for time traveling agents of various nefarious 
  operations, all of whom need a capable and resourceful human 
  agent. He’s so good with people that he can almost always talk 
  himself out of trouble, and his reputation as a team player 
  means that rebel groups and enemies of humankind are lining 
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  167
  up to hire him. He may be working for someone else, but he’s 
  ultimately out only for himself. His employers would be wise 
  to remember that.
  Caide can inspire a good bit of loyalty in underlings and 
  allies of convenience, but his one weakness is strong-minded, 
  stylish women. He’ll go to extreme lengths to impress or pursue 
  one who has caught his eye, and he may get so wrapped up in 
  the romantic dance that he forgets his task at hand. When that 
  woman is a TimeWatch agent, Caide may even be talked into 
  changing sides… at least briefly. 
  Sir Bayard Caide’s Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 15 
  Offense: Scuffling +3, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +1 
  (cavalry sword), +1 (pistol)
  Abilities: Tempus 22; Authority 3, Charm 3, Falsehood 
  Detection 2, Military Tactics 2, Spying 1, Taunt 2
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Extra Action (cost 2), 
  Flashback (cost 5), Technology (cost 2 — see below)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +3 (Notice); Stealth Modifier +1
  Description: Handsome and dashing, Caide makes a good 
  first impression and inspires friendship. If Caide is on a job, 
  he usually has a technological item or two held in reserve for 
  a fast escape. 
  CHRONO-HOUNDS
  The agony of disintegrating flesh. The scent of the universe’s 
  birth. The drifting soot of death.
  It’s foolish to assume that humankind was the universe’s 
  first sentient species — or, for that matter, the first species to 
  master time travel. Chrono-hounds were born in the chaos of 
  the universe’s creation, human-sized winged creatures made of 
  antimatter. Their true appearance is almost impossible to discern 
  due to the antimatter, but they seem to squirm with sprouting 
  wings, beaks, and tentacles. They smell like ancient dust, and the 
  noise they make is quite literally impossible to forget.
  By our time, 13.82 billion years later, chrono-hounds have 
  largely disappeared, since interacting with matter causes them 
  to blink out of existence. Outside of this significant and really 
  unfortunate evolutionary design flaw, they are impressive 
  hunters who follow scents through time and space. For that 
  reason, some sentient races use them for assassinations — 
  find a chrono-hound (or go back in time to when they were 
  common) and give them a whiff of a target, and they’ll home 
  in on its source. If successful, it’s like the target disappeared 
  without leaving behind any evidence, since the attack destroys 
  both hound and victim; while it’s believed that some chrono-
  hounds regenerate after a fight, the same can’t be said of its 
  victim.
  In game terms, a chrono-hound damages both its target 
  and itself with every attack. By the same token, attacking them 
  unarmed will cause personal damage, while melee weapons used 
  against them are quickly destroyed (unless they’re made with 
  antimatter). Whoever reaches −12 Health first is destroyed on 
  a molecular level. That means several Agents working together 
  could destroy one or two, but chrono-hounds are devastating in 
  one-on-one combat. A chrono-hound pack is especially vicious, 
  but is rare unless gathered from the earliest days of the universe. 
  Recruiting a hound for an assassination typically requires 
  an unorthodox cost; chrono-hounds don’t think like humans, 
  and their motivations are usually ineffable, but they don’t track 
  down prey for free. The assassin who recruits a hound usually 
  finds that their Drive changes unexpectedly at a later date, 
  suddenly compelling the individual to accomplish a task or act 
  in a certain way for a short period of time. Mind you, that’s 
  usually a small price to pay for a near-perfect murder.
  Dr. Breen recruits a chrono-hound to kill a pesky but resourceful 
  enemy. At a later date, Dr. Breen’s Drive changes from “Hubris” to 
  “Noble Self-Sacrifice” for the length of  a mission. Dr. Breen never 
  learns why or what that price accomplished, but — assuming she 
  survives her newly found attempted martyrdom — she swears never to 
  seek out a chrono-hound again.
  Hunting Chrono-Hound Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4 or 5 (Distortion), Health 25 
  Offense: Scuffling +3; Damage Modifier +1 (antimatter 
  disintegration)
  Abilities: Tempus 16
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Destabilize (cost 4 — 
  all creatures within Close range), Distortion (cost 2), Flight, 
  Regenerate (cost 0 — all Health at end of scene), Unfeeling
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2; the chrono-hound suffers the 
  same amount of damage it inflicts on its foe; weapons used 
  to attack a chrono-hound disintegrate the second time they 
  touch it
  THE COLONY
  The sweet smell of rancid yeast. Endless, silent patience. 
  Inhuman and uncaring colonization.
  The Colony consists of fungal intelligences that arrived on 
  Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period, coming in with 
  the dinosaur-killing meteor 65 million years ago. The Colony 
  colonized the world during the icy darkness that followed, 
  feeding off of the flesh of dying dinosaurs and psychic animal 
  fear. How are you alive to read this? Somehow, the Colony was 
  wiped out before it destroyed Earth’s history. No one is sure 
  how, but it’s assumed that TimeWatch bathed (or will bathe, 
  if they haven’t already) the meteor with sterilizing radiation 
  before it hit Earth. TimeWatch hasn’t sent anyone to go check 
  in the fear of accidentally causing a paradox that brings the 
  Colony back into a world-spanning existence. 
  This is a case where in “true time,” none of humanity would 
  have existed if it weren’t for both a paradox and TimeWatch. 
  No one knows how a nonexistent TimeWatch managed 
  to save history from extinction, or even if it was actually 
  TimeWatch who was responsible for eradicating the Colony. 
  Chronal instability from the victorious time travelers seems to 
  have erased their identity from memory. It could be anyone. 
  
  CHAPTER FIVE
  168
  It could be you.
  Quiescent spores continue to be a rare threat that is burned 
  out (literally) whenever they appear, usually manifesting 
  themselves through normal mold and fungus. The Colony 
  has a group intelligence and can mind control any creature 
  it has colonized. It cannot time travel, but it seems to vaguely 
  know everything that its rhizomes have experienced forwards 
  and backwards in time, giving it vast knowledge and the ability 
  to plan ahead. In an emergency it can secrete acid, but can 
  only affect those who deliberately touch the Colony. It cannot 
  move, other than by having mold-colonized drones seed new 
  patches elsewhere.
  Colony Spore-Patch Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 12 (per patch)
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +0 (secretes acid)
  Abilities: Tempus 20
  Special 
  Abilities: 
  Electronic 
  Interference 
  (cost 
  2), 
  Hivemind (cost 0 or 2), Immaterial (cost 0 — vulnerable to 
  fire and radiation), Mental Attack (Mental Damage — cost 
  0, Domination — cost 3/round, Possession — cost 3 to 
  establish), Oracle (cost 1), Unfeeling
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +4, Stealth Modifier +3
  Description: A Colony spore-patch appears as a sickly, 
  spreading fungus. It is exceptionally difficult to damage 
  without fire or radiation, and although it secretes acid that 
  burns anyone who touches it, it attacks primarily with mental 
  attacks. Any player or supporting character left possessed at 
  the end of a scene becomes a mold-colonized drone within 
  several days, slowly sprouting mold and losing their sense of 
  self. 
  Mold-Colonized Drone Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 1
  Offense: Scuffling 6 (1-1-1); Damage Modifier +2 (unnatural 
  fungal strength)
  Abilities: Tempus 6
  Special Abilities: Hivemind (cost 0 or 2), Strength (cost 0), 
  Unfeeling, Universal Attack (cost 1 per target); Colonize (cost 
  0 — when killed, the drone bursts into an explosion of spores 
  and rotten flesh. The Colonize attack uses all remaining points 
  of Scuffling with Universal Attack to attack all non-Colony 
  creatures within Point-Blank range. Minimum damage is the 
  number of Scuffling points remaining. Creatures killed by this 
  attack immediately rise as mold-colonized drones. Drones are 
  usually human, but may be any large plant or animal)
  Description: The Colony uses these as their hands and feet. A 
  mold-colonized drone appears as a normal human or animal 
  that is sprouting fungus from its flesh. Their eyes are usually 
  blank. If they lack a better tactic, drones try to close to Point-
  Blank range with as many enemies as possible to maximize 
  their Colonize attack when killed. 
  CRYPTIDS
  A roar in the dark woods. A huge footprint. Unnaturally 
  intelligent eyes. Flippers and wings where there should be 
  legs. Monstrous humanoids, slipping through the trees.
  Somewhere in history, one or more maniacs (such as Dr. 
  Dansky Cordova) are breeding intelligent abominations and 
  time-beaming them into the past. This is where yeti and 
  the Loch Ness Monster come from, but it’s far worse than 
  just those. Hideous and unexplainable amalgams of normal 
  creatures are also being sent back: swarms of bumblefrogs, 
  packs of snake-apes, sentient time-bears, the platypus, all sorts 
  of clearly manufactured amalgam creatures that take over 
  ecologies and change the world. The exceptionally cautious 
  scientists responsible don’t travel themselves, or they know 
  how to bribe people, so no one has caught them… yet. 
  TimeWatch usually focuses on eradicating cryptid infestations 
  before they take root and destroy the local ecology. There’s an 
  unofficial reward for the agents who can stop the attacks and 
  infestations permanently.
  Cryptid missions make for a nice change of pace. There’s 
  probably no overweening, cackling bad guy; instead, there’s a 
  woolly mammoth with weaponized squid tentacles and a very 
  disgruntled attitude, and all it wants to do is breed. Stop the 
  world from being overrun, and you probably win the day.
  When facing the fungal Colony, Skegg knows  
  her best tactic: burn them out.
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  169
  Bigfoot  
  (Cryptid; Sasquatch, Yeti, etc.) Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 20
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +2 (massive 
  hairy claw), +3 (swung uprooted tree), +3 (thrown boulder)
  Abilities: Tempus 14; Intimidate 1, Outdoor Survival 2
  Special Abilities: Distortion (cost 2), Electronic Interference 
  (cost 2), Strength (cost 0)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +3 
  Description: Genetically engineered by a future scientist and 
  sent back through time to confound and mystify humanity, 
  the Bigfoot is crafty but not particularly intelligent. Their 
  very presence disrupts electronics. It prefers avoiding human 
  contact, but might react violently if forced into a fight. 
  Occasional Bigfoot are misanthropic geniuses capable of 
  careful, competent, and deadly planning against humanity. 
  Blemmye Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 8
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +1 
  (held or thrown spear)
  Abilities: Tempus 10
  Special Abilities: Strength (cost 0); have no heads and their 
  faces are in the middle of their chests (which isn’t really a 
  special ability, but it’s definitely worth noting)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1 (−1 if forced to wear a shirt)
  Description: The blemmyes (go look them up!) are Nubian 
  monsters described by 5th-century BCE Greek historian 
  Herodotus as “headless creatures with eyes in their chests (at least, 
  that is what the Libyans say).” They aren’t myth at all, being instead 
  either mutations or genetic monstrosities from the future who 
  have made a home in the past. They enjoy feigning friendship, 
  lulling their prey into trustful insensibility with powerful drink, 
  then pulling off their heads to use as balls in a soccer-like sport. 
  Bumblefrog Swarm Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 5 vs. physical attacks 
  (Fluid), Health 15
  Offense: Scuffling +1; Damage Modifier −1 plus Venom 
  (venomous stinger)
  Abilities: Tempus 12
  Special Abilities: Chronal Drain (cost 2), Flight, Fluid, 
  Universal Attack (cost 1 per target), Venom (cost 2 — each 
  sting causes 1 point of Health damage per round for 5 rounds)
  Description: Bumblefrogs are easy to hear coming; they’re 
  a fast-flying, buzzing, croaking, stinging swarm of aerial 
  amphibians with a taste for flesh that can take down a cow in 
  seconds. Each bumblefrog sting inflicts 1 point of damage per 
  round for 5 rounds. That doesn’t seem like much, but a swarm 
  can attack everyone within Close range to it simultaneously. 
  Many bumblefrog swarms also have a chronal anomaly where 
  they feed on Reality Anchor points, draining them from their 
  victims with every successful attack.
  Chupacabra Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 15
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +1 plus Drain 
  Blood (piercing tongue)
  Abilities: Tempus 10
  Special Abilities: Help Yourself (cost 5); Drain Blood (cost 
  0 — the chupacabra Regenerates 3 Health in any round when 
  it slurps blood through its glossa, a hollow, needle-like tongue)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2, Stealth Modifier +3
  Description: Slinking through the Mexican countryside to 
  slurp blood from livestock and small children, the hideous 
  “goatsucker” is a predator of opportunity who prefers to feed 
  upon the drunk, weak, and foolish. 
  The chupacabra has a rare ability to duplicate itself in time, 
  bringing in up to two future or past versions of itself to assist 
  in any fight. This makes it three times more dangerous than it 
  might first appear.
  Platypus Stats
  It’s just a platypus. They don’t do much. And anyways, we know 
  from experience that TimeWatch let this one slip through.
  Sea Serpent Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 5, Armor 2, Health 60
  Offense: Scuffling 20 (usually 2 per attack); Damage Modifier 
  +4 (razor fangs)
  Abilities: Tempus 20 
  Special Abilities: Distortion (cost 2), Lightning Speed (cost 
  2), Strength (cost 0), Universal Attack (cost 1 per target); 
  Swallow Whole (cost 2 per target — a sea serpent can swallow 
  anyone it bites. Swallowed prey is restrained, automatically 
  takes Damage Modifier +4 Scuffling damage each round, 
  and must make a Difficulty 4 Athletics to act each round. It 
  is impossible to cut through the sea serpent’s hide from inside 
  until the creature is dead, but the stomach has a Hit Threshold 
  2 and Armor 0)
  Description: Whether the Loch Ness Monster or a traditional 
  deep-sea serpent, this cryptid is over thirty meters long and 
  capable of taking down whales for food. They’re hard to 
  photograph and capable of swallowing a half-dozen sailors 
  at once. According to rumor, a victim that survives the initial 
  bite attack is swallowed and might survive for a short time 
  within the serpent’s gullet. No one is particularly eager to 
  prove whether or not this is accurate.
  Snake-Ape Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 20
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Damage Modifier +1 plus Venom 
  (snake fangs), +3 (gorilla slam), +0 plus Restrain (constrictor 
  snake tail)
  Abilities: Tempus 6
  Special Abilities: Extra Action (cost 2), Spider Climb (cost 
  
  CHAPTER FIVE
  170
  0), Strength (cost 0), Venom (cost 2 — triggers an immediate 
  Stun 5 test); constrictor tail Restrains
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2 
  Description: Five meters long with the tail of a giant 
  anaconda and the torso of a great ape, possessed of a dim and 
  vicious intelligence that usually results in mayhem, snake-apes 
  are never going to end up on anyone’s list of “most-favored 
  cryptid.” Regardless, they’re occasionally found in the tropical 
  places of the world, appearing throughout time in jungle 
  civilizations to overthrow humans or be worshipped as gods. 
  TimeWatch works to eradicate them every time one shows up, 
  but their predilection for only being beamed into primitive 
  societies means that they’re usually noticed in artwork long 
  after the fact, and care has to be taken to avoid paradox during 
  the cryptid’s elimination.
  Time-Bear Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 16
  Offense: Scuffling +3; Damage Modifier +2 plus Destabilize 
  (big honking time-bear claw crackling with chronal energy)
  Abilities: Tempus 14
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Destabilize (cost 2), 
  Extra Action (cost 2), Lightning Speed (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier −1
  Description: Time-bears are a result of the worst kind of 
  experimental error. They are sentient, intelligent ursines that 
  can intrinsically time travel, can close on you despite your 
  drawn weapon, can attack more than one person in a turn, 
  and whose unnatural existence is such a paradox that being hit 
  by one risks chronal instability. They wander history and stalk 
  time travelers, who provide the chronal energy that salmon 
  just can’t deliver. Rarely, time-bears establish themselves as a 
  surreptitious leader in primitive human society, demanding 
  food and worship in exchange for protection or wisdom. 
  CYBES
  Monotone, imperious commands. The clicking of servos. 
  The whirring of gears. A smell of machine oil. The screams 
  of fleshy slaves.
  Cybes are typically sentient robots and cyborgs who wish 
  to remove fleshy, mewling impediments from their conquered 
  world of pure order. There are any number of places in 
  history from which they can arise — alternate futures after 
  the technological singularity, alien invasions, insane inventors, 
  replicants on the run, government-built super-soldiers, or 
  Victorian steam-punk technology. From emotionless cold 
  metal intelligences to terrifyingly accurate extermination tools 
  to half-human cyborgs forging their own new culture, cybes 
  make for excellent antagonists.
  Cyborg Leader Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, Health 25
  Offense: Scuffling +3, Shooting +3; Damage Modifier +1 
  (casually wielded club), +3 (inexorable vise-like cyborg grip), 
  +3 (beam projector)
  Abilities: Tempus 20; Authority 2
  Special Abilities: Cybernetics (cost 2), Regenerate (cost 0 — 
  regenerates 2 Health at the beginning of each round), Resist 
  Stun, Shape-Shift (cost 2), Strength (cost 0), Technology (cost 
  2), Unfeeling
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Description: Use the entry for Cyborg on p. 160 for unnamed 
  cyborg warriors, and the above entry for their leaders and 
  decision-makers. Cyborg leaders are notoriously difficult to 
  fully destroy, and Agents may need to use creativity to do so.
  DIMENSIONAL MASTER
  Self-assured insolence. A knowing, infuriating laugh. 
  Braggadocio in abundance. 
  The Dimensional Master often refers to himself as “secret,” 
  but in truth he’s anything but. He isn’t out to alter the timeline to 
  create some twisted, utopian vision like some other adversaries; 
  in fact, he very much wants to keep the timeline as intact and 
  normal as possible. What he is, however, is a revisionist. He 
  inserts himself into significant points in time and does what 
  he can to manipulate outcomes so that two things occur: 
  everything happens as it’s supposed to, and he can take credit for 
  each event as if they were his idea, by incorporating some subtle 
  “marker” or “hint” revealing his involvement into the historical 
  event. The marker doesn’t disrupt the timeline, but if someone 
  goes looking for it they easily recognize his signature.
  He is even more pervasive due to the number of times he has 
  copied and crossed himself. There are dozens or hundreds of 
  versions of the Dimensional Master out there, some real and 
  some from alternative branching futures, all of them irritatingly 
  confident. Capturing or killing one incarnation won’t slow the 
  others down, and even he is no longer sure what is real and what 
  isn’t. He’s gotten into a competition and rivalry with himself 
  more than once. Capturing his original incarnation might put 
  the timeline in peril by endangering the hundreds of events he 
  has since altered; more than once, TimeWatch agents have had 
  to choose between justice and unraveling a chain of occurrences 
  that could take years to correct. 
  The Dimensional Master serves as both an ally and nemesis 
  to TimeWatch. Perhaps he was once an agent, perhaps he 
  was born in the far future and has come back; he isn’t saying. 
  From his perspective, he’s matured beyond the primitive 
  limits of “preserving the timeline” to a more altruistic goal 
  of being responsible for the timeline itself, which really just 
  translates as “he’s a self-involved narcissist running around 
  photobombing history.”
  That said, he tries to act like he really doesn’t care about any 
  recognition at all, even though that’s exactly what he craves. 
  He’s responsible for killing off the dinosaurs; he lived for 
  decades as Leonardo da Vinci; he holo-projected images of 
  future events into a bowl of water Nostradamus kept looking 
  at; he erected Stonehenge; he shot Hitler in his bunker; he 
  had the BBC make a TV show about a time traveling hero… 
  anything for bragging rights. 
  
  ANTAGONISTS
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  Secret Dimensional Master Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 22
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +3; Damage Modifier 
  −2 (ineffectual punch), +2 (beam weapon), Stun 5 (neural 
  disruptor)
  Abilities: Tempus 30
  Special Abilities: Branching Point (cost 2), Clock Out (cost 
  2), Disguise (cost 1), Flashback (cost 5), Help Yourself (cost 
  5), Mastermind, Oracle (cost 1), Technology (cost 2), Teleport 
  (cost 2) 
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +1
  Description: The Dimensional Master’s appearance is 
  impossible to remember after the fact; witnesses recall a 
  brilliant smile and a cheerful voice, but no other details of 
  appearance.
  DISEMBODIED BRAINS
  Meaty, glistening, whorled flesh. The psychic breath of 
  spiraling migraines. A hollow and knowing cackle inside 
  your skull. 
  By the time humanity hits the 30th century, medical 
  science has evolved enough to separate our psyche from the 
  clumsy meat-shell that contains it. Although we’re far from 
  transcending our bodies entirely, technology can now keep a 
  brain happy, healthy, and effective long after the physical body 
  dies. Independently of technology, some humans have even 
  developed psychic powers so advanced that they don’t require 
  braincases for their disembodied brains to survive. Their 
  intellect has shucked off their flesh and freed their brains 
  to exist on psionic energy alone. It’s just a shame that such 
  towering intelligence carries with it the common condition of 
  megalomania, and the ability to indulge nearly any whim with 
  the “lesser” people of eons past.
  Braincase-Clad  
  Disembodied Brain Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, Health 15
  Offense: Scuffling +0, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +2 
  (beam weapon or electrical shock), Stun 5 (neural disruptor)
  Abilities: Tempus 20
  Special Abilities: Cybernetics (cost 2), Flight (cost 2 to 
  exceed a slow hover), Regenerate (cost 0 — regain 2 Health 
  at the beginning of each turn), Spider Climb (cost 1 to sprout 
  mechanical spider legs from the braincase), Technology (cost 2) 
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2; vulnerable to Stun effects — all 
  Stun tests made by the disembodied brain are at +1 Difficulty
  Description: These Adversaries are encased in transparent, 
  nanotechnology-equipped armored braincases. The braincases 
  usually remind people of fishbowls. 
  High-tech disembodied brains seldom possess significant 
  levels of psychic power, surviving instead due to exquisite 
  medical nanotechnology. The armored braincase can hover 
  due to antigravity generators, manipulate nearby objects, 
  produce futuristic weaponry on a whim (well, okay, on a 
  Tempus-based Preparedness test or by using Technology), 
  and generally suffer no disadvantages from not having limbs 
  or a body. Killing such a brain doesn’t necessarily end the 
  lingering threat, as anyone rich enough to afford braincase 
  technology upon death can also usually afford to have copies 
  of their personality downloaded into autonomous robots. If 
  the braincase is somehow destroyed, the individual may live on 
  in distributed cybernetic form. 
  Not all technologically preserved disembodied brains are 
  megalomaniacal or insane. Many retain their sanity and use their 
  advanced technological prowess to travel through time and set 
  up their own paradise on Earth at a point in history that best 
  suits them. They may choose to be military demagogues or 
  benevolent dictators in this historical playground they create, 
  but one thing is certain: they don’t have the best interests of 
  the locals at heart.
  Psychic Disembodied Brain Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4 or 5 (Distortion), Armor 1, Health 20
  Offense: Scuffling +0, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +0 
  (telekinetically swung object), Stun 5 (mind-blast)
  Abilities: Tempus 16
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Disguise (cost 1), 
  Disembodied psychic brains prefer to have  
  other people do their fighting for them.
  
  CHAPTER FIVE
  172
  Distortion (cost 2), Flight (cost 2 to exceed a slow hover), 
  Mastermind, Mental Attack (Mental Damage — cost 0, Mind 
  Control — cost 3 to establish), Psychic (cost 2), Summoning 
  (cost 3 — mind-controlled minions)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2
  Description: These floating brains glimmer with psychic 
  luminescence, drawing sustenance from the very thoughts 
  around them. 
  Technology is for the unevolved. Truly evolved humankind 
  (or possibly dolphinkind, in some parallel realities) eschews 
  technology in favor of pure mental and psychic might. 
  These floating brains don’t exist because medicine is helping 
  them cling to a paltry few more centuries of life, they exist 
  because their intellect was so great that their weak flesh could 
  not contain it! All lesser life forms must pay tribute to their 
  intellectual superiority, or pay the consequences.
  As you can imagine, most psychic disembodied brains don’t 
  have many friends, unless you count the people they’ve mind 
  controlled or terrified into obeying them. They repay devotion 
  with glimpses of oracular futures, with direct manipulation 
  of the brain’s pleasure centers, and with power and wealth. 
  These are creatures who usually hide at the center of a web 
  of conspirators and lackeys, and they seldom seek out combat 
  themselves. They’d rather use their massive ability to plan in 
  order to seek out humiliating defeats for their foes.
  ETERNAL CHURCH OF 
  THE PIERCING CONSCIOUSNESS
  A sonorous chant. The urgent dogma of faith. Deadly beam 
  weapons, casually handed out to 16th-century pilgrims as 
  proof.
  The Eternal Church of the Piercing Consciousness 
  is a cult, pure and simple. This late 22nd-century quasi-
  religious organization maintains that time travel is the closest 
  humankind will ever get to experiencing the true essence of 
  God. Led by an incredibly charismatic multiracial (South Asian 
  and South American) guru named Father Antonio Hajarnavis, 
  the Eternal Church equips its followers with stolen time travel 
  technology and sends them off across time to teach past and 
  future people the true dogma of the church. Unfortunately, 
  that dogma is “time travel is real,” and it’s always proven by 
  providing local indigenous populations with futuristic artifacts 
  that completely disrupt the time stream.
  Hajarnavis likes it this way. Equipping Native Americans 
  with neural disruptors prior to Columbus’ arrival proves to the 
  natives that their holy doctrine is real. The more disruption, 
  the more time travel as others try to fix history; the more time 
  travel, the more that unbelievers are exposed to the glory and 
  sanctity of the time stream. While Hajarnavis and his cult don’t 
  necessarily have a sinister motive in mind (as far as we know), 
  their gifts of free futuristic technology cause tremendous 
  amounts of paradox and historical change. TimeWatch would 
  love to stop him, but with thousands of cult members out 
  “spreading the word,” even trying to change Hajarnavis’ youth 
  has proven to be nearly impossible. 
  The Eternal Church of the Piercing Consciousness won’t 
  necessarily be a mission prime antagonist, but their arrival 
  and involvement in a situation is guaranteed to complicate 
  the situation and raise the stakes tremendously. Their well-
  meaning gifts of future-tech, whether it’s limitless cheap 
  energy or deadly antipersonnel devices, enable societal change 
  and prove to primitive people that time travel exists. History 
  will never be the same unless TimeWatch can prevent the 
  missionary work early enough to control the situation.
  Agents should be careful about directly threatening 
  Hajarnavis or his church. For a so-called man of peace, he 
  surely does have deadly countermeasures and time traveling 
  bodyguards in place to protect himself.
  Father Antonio Hajarnavis Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 16
  Offense: Scuffling +0, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +0 
  (bludgeoning holy book), +2 (customized beam weapon)
  Abilities: Tempus 20+ (Embrace Instability); Authority 3, 
  Charm 3, Paradox Prevention 3, Reassurance 3
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Embrace Instability, 
  Flashback (cost 5), Summoning (cost 3)
  Misc: Father Hajarnavis’ cult members would gladly give 
  their lives to protect him, and act as guards and security so 
  that Hajarnavis himself never need lift a finger in anger or 
  disappointment.
  EUROPANS
  Glazed eyes of an unwilling slave. The clicking of flesh on 
  glass. A tongue, squirming. Mental chittering at the edge 
  of your dreams. A faint glimpse of a truly disturbing tongue 
  behind a smug, knowing smile.
  When humans finally reached the moons of Jupiter and 
  drilled beneath the impossibly thick ice, the Europan parasitic 
  hivemind we found there was hostile to us. They possessed our 
  astronauts and nearly colonized Earth before they were stopped. 
  Humanity responded by bombing and poisoning Europa’s 
  hidden oceans into radioactive wastelands, and the Europan 
  hivemind responded by somehow shifting themselves into an 
  unknown parallel timeline. They effectively vanished. Now they 
  strike at us throughout history from that parallel timeline and 
  seek to colonize us fully. Most of the fragile, crystalline eellike 
  worms can’t survive on Earth without a living host, but they 
  are breeding infiltration agents known as master worms who 
  can. Similar to the earthbound fish parasite Cymothoa exigua that 
  replaces a fish’s tongue with its own body (seriously, they’re real. 
  Google for astounding and vaguely disgusting pictures. Nature 
  is better than anything we can think up), evolved Europan 
  parasites attempt to colonize humans en masse.
  Humanity’s one advantage is that the Europans don’t seem 
  to understand technological time travel at all. They infiltrate 
  communities and lay complex plans, but they lack the rapid 
  ability of TimeWatch agents to jump forwards and backwards 
  in time.
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  173
  Europan Master Worm Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 3
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +0 (lamprey-like 
  worm mouth)
  Abilities: Tempus 10
  Special Abilities: Fluid, Hivemind (cost 0), Mental Attack 
  (Possession — cost 3 to establish), Regenerate (cost 0 — on 
  host only; regenerate all damage between scenes)
  Misc: Stealth Modifier +2
  Description: With a successful Scuffling attack, Europan 
  master worms burrow into their potential host and launch 
  a mental attack. Once that succeeds the Europans take 
  possession of a new host, and keep possession until they are 
  destroyed or removed from their host. Keeping their hosts and 
  themselves healthy through pure force of will, they devour the 
  host’s tongue and replace it with a portion of their own body. 
  They then prepare their host’s body to birth more Europans: 
  internal flesh deliquesces and tissues transform until a body is 
  a misshapen sack of more squirming Europans just waiting 
  for a new host. The scent of a breed-host, apparently, is 
  impossible to mistake once you’ve smelt it once.
  It’s generally impossible to damage a master worm until its 
  host body is destroyed. Use game stats for another creature to 
  represent the host body.
  Europan Host Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 8
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +1 plus Destabilize 
  (terrifying mental visions upon a hit)
  Abilities: Tempus 5
  Special Abilities: Destabilize (cost 2), Hivemind (cost 0), 
  Impersonation (cost 2), Mental Attack (Mental Damage — 
  cost 0)
  Description: Europan hosts (at least the ones that haven’t 
  been turned into breeding sows for more Europans) are 
  almost indistinguishable from normal humans. They’re 
  personable, clever, and active. Then again, they also have alien 
  and inhuman tongues coated with eyes and cilia, and they can 
  cause physical and mental pain simply by touching the flesh of 
  a noninfected human. Hosts may look human and remember 
  their past relationships, but their motivations are dictated 
  solely by their alien hosts. 
  Europan Juggernaut Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 20
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +2 plus Destabilize 
  (crushing force plus terrifying mental visions)
  Abilities: Tempus 12
  Special Abilities: Destabilize (cost 2), Extra Action (cost 2), 
  Hivemind (cost 0)
  Misc: Stealth Modifier −2
  Description: Juggernauts are the result of a Europan 
  possessing a nonhuman creature of some size — a cow, a 
  rhino, an elephant, a gorilla. They typically attack twice during 
  their turn, and they trust in the host body’s natural strength 
  and durability to carry the day. When brute force is needed 
  instead of finesse, a juggernaut or three are probably present. 
  Juggernauts are not easily recognized unless their tongues can 
  be seen… and by then, it’s probably already too late.
  EZERU
  The clacking of mandibles. The slurp of melting  
  pseudo-flesh. The vibration of terrible wings.
  The ezeru, or clockroaches, are massive shape-shifting 
  insects. Most resemble 2–3 meter tall alien cockroaches, 
  although smaller and much larger specimens have been 
  encountered. Ezeru sabotage usually focuses on raising the 
  background radiation level of Earth. It’s theorized that they 
  evolved in our distant and highly radioactive postapocalyptic 
  future from mutated cockroaches, but that’s never been 
  completely confirmed.
  The drunken man squinted across the floor of  his fallout shelter 
  into the shadows. “Is it just me,” he slurred, “or are those damn 
  cockroaches getting smarter? And bigger?”
  “Yesss,” he heard deep within his brain, and then they were upon him.
  In the same way that the monarch butterfly flies thousands 
  of kilometers every year to a specific Mexican forest, ezeru 
  spread across time with the biological imperative of ensuring 
  their own existence. Unfortunately for humanity, this 
  requires them to bring about the approximate environmental 
  circumstances that led to their mutation, and that means 
  increasing the level of background radiation on Earth far 
  above what is acceptable for human habitation. 
  They do so by infiltrating Earth’s history and seeking 
  opportunities to raise the level of background radiation. This 
  might mean encouraging humanity to build with contaminated 
  materials (something they’ve been most successful with 
  in places like Ramsar, Iran, or Yangjiang, China), triggering 
  nuclear contamination and meltdowns, setting off widespread 
  GM ADVICE:  
  FROM ONE, MANY
  One possibility for your campaign may be 
  that all ezeru are genetically identical. This 
  may be because there’s only one intelligent 
  insect that has duplicated itself so many times 
  across the timeline that there appear to be 
  hundreds of thousands instead, or there may 
  be a single queen that lays eggs which hatch 
  identical warrior drones. In this scenario, 
  ezeru with different capabilities indicate ezeru 
  at different stages of their natural lifespan.
  
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  174
  nuclear war, placing nuclear weapons and theories in the hands 
  of those most likely to use them, and even by destroying or 
  replacing pro-peace activists.
  Ezeru Drone Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 3, Health 15
  Offense: Scuffling +3 (+2 when impersonating a human), 
  Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +2 (hideous clacking pincers), 
  +3 (jagged mandibles), +1 (pistol), +4 (acidic bile), Stun 6 
  (psi-active bile)
  Abilities: Tempus 12
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Extra Action (cost 
  2), Impersonation (cost 2 —psychically links the ezeru 
  drone to a single human or animal encased in the ezeru’s 
  paralytic bile), Lightning Speed (cost 2), Resist Stun; 
  drones can attack by spitting acidic or paralytic bile within 
  Close range
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +1
  Description: A standard ezeru drone is sly, deadly, reliable, 
  but not particularly creative. They follow instructions superbly 
  but usually lack the inspired planning or quick thinking of 
  creatures that aren’t tied into a massive insectoid hivemind. 
  When circumstances change quickly on an ezeru and it doesn’t 
  have time to plan, it often responds with brute force.
  Drones are the most common ezeru, bred for food 
  gathering, warfare, and work. They are armored, possess 
  multiple clawed arms, have vicious pincers, and can spew 
  acidic or psi-active bile on enemies. 
  In their natural form, ezeru drones prefer to use natural 
  weapons; their pincers and claws are well suited to combat, and 
  are significantly more dangerous to human flesh than most 
  weapons would be. When disguised, they will use whatever 
  weapons are close at hand, but prefer to let other humans 
  do their work for them so that their disguise is not ripped or 
  compromised by injury. Their acidic bile can boil flesh.
  Ezeru typically stun a victim with their paralytic bile and 
  coat them in psi-active mucous cocoons. This keeps the victim 
  unconscious, and allows the ezeru to duplicate their voice and 
  appearance so long as the cocoon stays relatively (within several 
  kilometers) near the psychic host. If the psi-active mucus is 
  shattered and scraped away, that portion of the ezeru’s flesh-
  mask also dissolves, revealing hard brown chitin behind it.
  Ezeru Warrior Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 4, Health 25
  Offense: Scuffling +3 (+2 when impersonating a large 
  animal), Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +3 (razor-sharp 
  chitin), +4 (jagged mandibles), +4 (acidic bile), Stun 7 (psi-
  active bile)
  Abilities: Tempus 18
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Extra Action (cost 2), 
  Flight (cost 2), Impersonation (cost 2 —psychically links the 
  ezeru drone to a single animal encased in the ezeru’s paralytic 
  bile), Lightning Speed (cost 2), Resist Stun; warriors can attack 
  by spitting acidic or paralytic bile within Close range
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Description: Ezeru warriors, sometimes called the Hungry 
  Ones, are far less common than drones. These massive rhino-
  sized insects are bred by their queen for battle, and a single 
  one might be the equal of a fully equipped TimeWatch team 
  (especially if they don’t find a method to bypass its armor). 
  They are limited in their ability to impersonate others, and 
  typically choose to impersonate large animals such as horses 
  or cows when moving amongst humans. Expect nearly 
  impregnable armor, razor-sharp leg-blades, acidic spittle, the 
  ability to fly in short hops, and unpredictably creative tactics. 
  Any hit from an ezeru warrior leaves a painful and itchy 
  radiation burn behind.
  Their major disadvantage is that they require large amounts 
  of food, and the disappearance of nearby livestock or gutting 
  of local food stores may reveal their presence to agents hunting 
  them if the warrior is not canny. They are naturally highly 
  radioactive, and can often be tracked by Geiger counters and 
  other sensors.
  Warriors can “gift” human servants with the Clock Out 
  ability and the one-time pool of 10 Tempus to use it. They 
  do so by vomiting special bile upon them; doing this also 
  gives the human Distortion (Temporal) and drives them 
  completely insane. It’s usually saved as a gift for their most 
  useful human pawns.
  Ezeru use paralytic bile to immobilize their prey.
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  175
  Ezeru Queen Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4 or 6, Armor 6, Health 100
  Offense: Scuffling 30 (3-3-3, rising as needed), Shooting 20 
  (2-2-2, rising as needed); Damage Modifier +6 (razor-sharp 
  chitin), +4 (radioactive acid spittle — Close range)
  Abilities: Tempus 50
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Destabilize (cost 4 
  — all targets in Close range), Distortion (Temporal) (cost 
  3), Flashback (cost 5), Lighting Speed (cost 2), Mastermind, 
  Oracle (cost 1), Resist Stun, Seize Initiative (cost 2), Strength 
  (cost 0), Summoning (cost 3 — drones), Universal Attack 
  (cost 1 per target)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +3, Stealth Modifier −3
  Description: Ezeru queens are legendarily rare, and no 
  known TimeWatch agents have encountered one and escaped 
  to report on it. Their existence is known from biological 
  evidence and egg repositories occasionally found throughout 
  history; the fact that queens are no longer there when agents 
  arrive at newly discovered hive locations suggests that they may 
  possess some sort of predictive senses. Ezeru brood queens 
  are huge and terrifying, the size of buildings, ten meters of 
  barbed chitin and acid-spewing lethality. Their brains are 
  the repository for their species’ entire history and memory. 
  Queens spend most of their time laying toddler-sized eggs in 
  quantities that could fill sports stadiums. Submerged in effluvia 
  and carefully tended by drones, it’s no surprise that they are 
  unable to shape-shift. What is surprising is how quickly they 
  can move when roused to battle.
  Multiple queens war with one another for territory, food 
  sources, and dominance. Their wars ripple across the time 
  stream; two queens hunting in the same era are bound to catch 
  TimeWatch’s attention, but solutions may be limited.
  Why Use Ezeru?
  When it comes to iconic TimeWatch Adversaries, it’s difficult 
  to beat giant mutant radioactive cockroaches that walk 
  amongst us undetected by wearing human skin. They’re 
  terrifying, cinematic, generic (for those games where you 
  don’t care to make unique bad guys), and challenging to fight. 
  Anyone who’s seen the movie Men in Black knows the value 
  of an insectoid bad guy you love to hate. Just remember that 
  your actual players may have cockroach phobias, in which case 
  reskinning them into a different shape or simply substituting 
  another antagonist into your missions may make everyone 
  happier. 
  Origin
  No TimeWatch agent has yet found the parallel reality that the 
  ezeru originate from, or perhaps more accurately none have 
  found it and returned. Brief interviews with ezeru captives 
  suggest that it is a radiation-soaked, postapocalyptic hellscape 
  of twisted metal, mutated wood, and squirming insects. Few 
  if any humans remain there, but it will never exist if humanity 
  does not suffer from multiple globe-spanning nuclear 
  exchanges, and so the ezeru are in a deadly race to ensure 
  their own existence. They need humans to trigger radioactive 
  fallout, and they are seldom shy about concocting plans that 
  make such war inevitable.
  Radioactivity analysis on ezeru carapaces indicate that 
  the species evolves on Earth or a colony planet from the 
  71st century onward. Ezeru sprung into existence during 
  a temporary and unrelated history change that led to their 
  evolution. Their parallel timeline was quickly erased from 
  history when TimeWatch set the original problem to rights, 
  but “quickly” doesn’t matter much when it comes to alternate 
  timelines. The difference between most brief and temporary 
  futures and this one is that the ezeru evolved or developed the 
  ability to naturally slip through time, giving them an escape 
  hatch when their world disappeared. 
  It’s believed that after denuding their home environment of 
  suitable prey they then hunted by time traveling, shape-shifting 
  into the form of local sentient creatures to lure more such 
  creatures into an ezeru ambush and feeding frenzy. After their 
  alternate timeline was inadvertently erased by TimeWatch, at 
  least one ezeru queen and a number of drones escaped into the 
  original, true timeline. Ezeru have set out to restore their original 
  existence, a difficult task since they don’t truly know or understand 
  exactly what events led to their evolution in the first place. 
  At least one ezeru queen has found a hiding place to 
  breed and hatch eggs somewhere within Earth’s history, and 
  from there they range forwards and backwards in time to 
  investigate, feed, infiltrate, and sabotage. The nature of an 
  ezeru hive is such that TimeWatch may only be able to find 
  it by researching what missions agents don’t come back from. 
  Regardless, it’s reasonable to assume that all TimeWatch 
  resources will be dedicated to wiping out any egg-filled 
  infestations once they’re discovered.
  TimeWatch believes that the ezeru’s mission to cause 
  nuclear war is preferable to the alternative; humanity would 
  be in dire straits if the ezeru ever stop attempting to restore 
  their own timeline, and instead travel back in time to breed and 
  colonize Earth before humans ever arrive. 
  GM ADVICE:  
  IT’S ALL THEIR FAULT
  For extra fun, begin a TimeWatch campaign 
  with no ezeru, and no institutional knowledge 
  of ezeru, and have one of the Agents’ early 
  missions secretly be responsible for bringing 
  them into existence. The Agents must then 
  live with the knowledge that in setting history 
  to rights, they’ve unleashed a major threat 
  against humanity. Hey, no one said patrolling 
  time would be easy.
  
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  176
  Ezeru Capabilities 
  “And what happens when I do… this?” asked Dr. Breen, as she 
  used a chisel to crack a chunk of  hardened resin from the head of  the 
  man lying at her feet. 
  For a few seconds, the undersecretary’s face sagged, then pouched, 
  going slack almost as if  he’d suffered a sudden stroke. Then the 
  flesh of  his left cheek peeled away from his face in a single sheet, 
  dangling grotesquely to the side of  his mouth and only held in place 
  by bloodstained facial hair. Beneath the bloody ruin of  the politician’s 
  face, Dr. Breen could see the dull glint of  brown chitin.
  “Tsk. Unfortunate choice,” the man said in mellow and understanding 
  tones, and he flexed. Flesh exploded off  of  him to splatter across the room. 
  An impossible number of  legs and pincers burst from within what was 
  left of  his handmade tailored suit. His voice rose to a nauseating buzz. 
  “Tkkkk. Verrry unfortunattte. Tkk.” 
  Dr. Breen raised her weapon just as the ezeru leapt.
  Shape-Shifting. Ezeru shape-shifting is the result of psi-
  active bile vomited upon foes. Acting as a Stun 6 ranged 
  attack, the bile hardens on contact with air into an amber-like 
  substance. Once the victim ceases movement and is entirely 
  encased, they enter suspended animation and the ezeru can 
  draw upon their intelligence, memories, vocal patterns, and 
  appearance. The ezeru’s body becomes encased in flesh as 
  the victim is entombed in resinous bile, and within a few 
  minutes (or in some cases even faster) the ezeru is virtually 
  indistinguishable from their cocooned victim. It has access to 
  all memories from the victim, except perhaps for the most 
  deeply buried and emotional responses, and players need to 
  make a Difficulty 6 Sense Trouble test or use Assess Honesty 
  if they have reason to suspect a disguised ezeru.
  Science hasn’t yet explained exactly how the disguise 
  forms. The most robust theories from TimeWatch’s scientists 
  suggest that psi-active fluids given off by the ezeru’s carapace 
  duplicate the victim’s appearance exactly, including size, scent, 
  and appearance. Even clothing is duplicated if the ezeru so 
  wishes. This disguise can be maintained without effort until 
  the cocoon is removed from the victim. Removing resin 
  during combat is usually a three round process with no ability 
  tests needed, or in one round with a Difficulty 4 Medic test. 
  Removing the hardened resin from a trapped victim causes the 
  corresponding portion of ezeru flesh to weaken, slacken, and 
  fall loose. As this happens, the ezeru’s natural body reasserts 
  itself. The result can be horrifying to onlookers. The disguised 
  ezeru can also choose to cast off this disguise prematurely, and 
  resume it at a later time if the victim is still cocooned. Victims 
  can be held paralyzed in stasis for decades without ill effect, 
  and do not age while comatose. 
  Ezeru typically use their shape-shifting ability to imitate 
  and impersonate humans. An ezeru may run a deception for 
  years or longer if it serves the ezeru cause. The ezeru must 
  remain within several kilometers of their victim in order 
  for the psychic link to remain active. This distance can be 
  boosted to dozens of kilometers if the ezeru is given time 
  to prepare, but even this link begins to falter after 24 hours. 
  Many shape-shifted ezeru travel with their encased victim in 
  the trunk of their car, just to ensure that their psychic link 
  remains intact. 
  Time Travel. Except for newly hatched grubs, all 
  known ezeru can time travel without the use of technology. 
  TimeWatch hasn’t determined how this is accomplished; they 
  seem to do so instinctively by manipulating mental geometry, 
  running for cover into temporal shadow when it serves their 
  interests. It’s believed that ezeru can somehow see cracks in the 
  existence of time itself and can scurry into temporal rifts in 
  an attempt to seek safety. There’s also some evidence that this 
  rapid 1-action time travel leads the fleeing ezeru to random 
  locations and eras instead of to specific times and locales, but 
  that an ezeru taking a minute or more to clock out can arrive at 
  their desired destination. Since ezeru seldom flee a fight, more 
  experimentation is required to confirm this.
  Paradoxic Vulnerability. It’s worth noting that as a species 
  continuously invading a time stream that doesn’t believe they 
  should exist, ezeru are more prone to paradox and Chronal 
  Stability Loss than other creatures. Any Tempus tests they 
  make to avoid paradox have a Difficulty and potential Loss 
  1 point higher than normal. This is seldom relevant in play 
  unless Agents use a chronal weapon on them, but destabilizing 
  an ezeru can be an efficient method of defeating it.
  Ezeru Schemes and Tactics
  Ezeru don’t think like humans, and they play an exceptionally 
  long game. If dispatched by a queen they may travel decades 
  or millennia in time to set events in motion that result in a 
  nuclear or radioactive catastrophe; for instance, it’s suspected 
  that the ancient Egyptian beetle god Khepri originated with 
  the ezeru. Alternatively, some ezeru acting purely on instinct 
  can be surprisingly blunt, trying brute force methods instead 
  of subtlety. Such ezeru commonly reveal their existence to 
  humanity when trying to trigger radioactive devastation. 
  It is possible that this difference in tactics is analogous to 
  trying to bash a door open after failing to pick its lock, as the 
  species attempts every option before rejecting a junction as 
  unworkable. TimeWatch is charged with covering up these 
  encounters, as knowledge of aliens would change history.
  Ezeru drones often work together in loose swarms, 
  separating and rejoining as part of a complex job. Any stranger 
  passing on the street could potentially be a shape-shifted 
  ezeru. More than one TimeWatch team has been horrified 
  to find that its own members have been compromised. The 
  ezeru squirm into social and emotional cracks, hiding in blind 
  spots. Not all blind spots are visual. They may be bureaucratic, 
  or legal, or logistical. Ezeru are instinctively infiltration and 
  disguise experts, and this makes them hideously dangerous. 
  Regardless, their predilection for seeking out and triggering 
  radioactive catastrophes means that they’re often predictable once 
  you can discern their target. Knowing a swarm of clockroaches 
  stole a 28th-century earthquake machine means that you should 
  probably plan for seismic events and tidal waves in a nuclear era. 
  Suspecting that a starship captain has been replaced means that 
  you should worry that the starship has a nuclear core. 
  Ezeru are almost never afraid to perish, and do not seem to 
  have much of a survival instinct so long as their death would 
  
  ANTAGONISTS
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  further their cause. If one darts away and hides, you can assume 
  that combat would endanger a carefully laid plan. Ezeru never 
  hesitate in setting off nuclear explosions or radioactive leaks 
  even if the resulting catastrophe would destroy the clockroach 
  as well. It’s believed that their loyalty to their species and their 
  future is greater than their loyalty to any individual ezeru. That 
  said, ezeru are immune to radiation effects and usually radiate 
  high levels of radiation even when shape-shifted. Radiation 
  badges are one method to detect a shape-shifted ezeru.
  Appearance
  Ezeru drones are physically imposing, massive humanoid 
  beetles with a variety of legs, mandibles, pincers, and eyes. 
  Their dark brown chitin glistens in the light, although they’ve 
  been observed deliberately dulling its sheen and color to better 
  blend into shadows. They’re remarkably stealthy for something 
  so large, and have the ability to flatten their bodies to better fit 
  into tight spaces.
  Their voices are understandable by humans when they 
  choose to speak. That’s usually the case; ezeru have a propensity 
  for clicking, hissing monologues about their inevitable triumph. 
  Variant Ezeru
  There are many ways to change ezeru to keep your players 
  off guard, or to customize the game to make it as rat-
  bastardly as possible.
  The Rulers: For reasons no one can quite comprehend, 
  shape-shifted ezeru have an unusual talent for managing and 
  investing money. Most likely it is their innate chronal sense that 
  guides them to profitable decisions; whatever the reason, ezeru 
  who have spent a long time in human bodies tend to become 
  quite rich, and are seldom squeamish about using that money to 
  bribe and coerce others into following their rules and dictates.
  The Hivemind: All ezeru in a given time can, if desired, be 
  connected by a hivemind. There is a social drive encouraging 
  them to do so, but it is not biologically mandatory (there may 
  be social pressure from other ezeru, however). This allows fine 
  coordination across thousands of kilometers. They actually 
  communicate with each other across the chronosphere, 
  somehow; it’s possible to disrupt this in a limited area by 
  tinkering up a temporal disruptor and spending 1 point of 
  Timecraft. 
  Genetic Duplicates: Consider making ezeru biologically 
  identical. Under this variant, every ezeru is an exact genetic 
  clone or duplicate of every other ezeru. It’s possible that 
  they’re clones of their queen (suggesting that later clones 
  are more degenerated than the relatively powerful early 
  clones), either biological or the exact same individual who has 
  duplicated itself thousands of times across the time stream 
  with no regard to chronal instability. If you choose this option 
  it means that ezeru will typically react the same way every time 
  in a given situation, making them predictable and somewhat 
  easier to manipulate. 
  The Old, the Deadly: In this option, ezeru become more 
  powerful with age. A relatively young and inexperienced ezeru 
  has few powers, while an ancient and experienced clockroach 
  has a terrifying array of abilities.
  The Swarm: Perhaps ezeru tend to attract swarms of 
  cockroaches to themselves, and have minor control of these 
  swarms. Such swarms seldom do much damage, but are 
  horrifying to most humans and can be used to stampede or 
  influence humans. Summoning a swarm gives an ezeru a pool 
  of 2 Intimidation points to spend; in addition, when they 
  swarm a time traveler these swarms trigger a D4/L4 Paradox 
  test as the roaches drain away stability and will.
  Swarm Locations
  Ezeru can exist anywhere and in any time, but they tend to 
  cluster or congregate in several types of locations.
  X
  X 	Areas of artificially high radioactivity. If an atomic bomb 
  or a nuclear disaster occurred there, such as Chernobyl or 
  Nagasaki or the American Southwest, there’s likely some 
  ezeru about.
  X
  X 	Areas of high natural radioactivity. Some areas on Earth 
  are radioactive hot spots. Guarapari, Brazil; Ramsar, Iran; 
  Arkaroola, Australia; Yangjiang, China; and Karunagappally, 
  India, are all examples of places with higher-than-normal 
  natural radioactivity.
  X
  X 	Natural disasters. Ezeru hunt in areas where many people 
  are about to naturally die, especially when many bodies 
  won’t be recovered. In this way they can kidnap humans 
  or feed to bursting without the lost corpses being noticed. 
  In any sizeable disaster, it’s likely that ezeru are raiding the 
  heart of the tragedy.
  X
  X 	Away from light. Whether underground in deep cave 
  systems, in urban sewers, in abandoned buildings, or in far 
  northern or southern climes in winter, ezeru prefer to live in 
  low-light locations.
  GIDEON MONTOYA
  The foulest mouth in any era. A haven for those who have 
  none. Questionable taste in friends.
  Gideon Montoya runs the small town of Longtree, located 
  far into the American western frontier in South Dakota in the 
  year 1811. Anyone with any history knowledge might notice 
  that this is a bit unusual; in 1810 the only people in the territory 
  that eventually became South Dakota were Native Americans, 
  and the town vanishes from the spot by the time most eastern 
  travelers make their way that far west. The isolation is why 
  Gideon has set up his refuge there. The town of Longtree is a 
  neutral territory between time travelers, a place to hide or heal 
  up when someone is gunning for you and you have nowhere 
  else to go. It is possible to have a showdown in the middle 
  of Longtree, but only with Gideon’s express permission. 
  Folks figure that’s so he can bet on the results. Try violence 
  without his okay, and you’ll instantly find yourself exiled to a 
  completely different era without any of your belongings, and 
  you’ll never find your way back to the town. No one knows 
  how he does it, but it works without fail.
  
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  178
  Mind you, Gideon Montoya is no prize; he’s unkempt, 
  unsavory, and unhygienic. He runs his town with subtle 
  cunning and an iron fist. Gideon swears colorfully and 
  incessantly, with curses drawn from a hundred different 
  eras, and he isn’t shy about letting people know that if they 
  transgress his rules they’ll never be able to find Longtree again. 
  He himself will break his own rules to have people expelled, 
  killed, bribed, or manipulated if it serves his needs, and he has 
  hundreds of people indebted to him who will do him a favor 
  without question. He’s saved too many people’s lives, or given 
  too many people a fresh start and a new identity, for it to be 
  any other way. That makes him the most important man in 
  town, and he knows it. 
  His deputy is an insane, revivified floating head named 
  Jessica Carson who runs the town’s vice: brothels for both 
  sexes, arms markets, black market cybernetic surgeries, and 
  information brokerages. Between them, Jessica and Gideon 
  can help the Agents find almost anything in the time stream 
  they’re looking for… but there’s always a cost, the cost 
  is usually an unsavory favor, and even going to Longtree 
  requires a disguise. Amongst the time traveling multi-era 
  rebels, criminals, murderers, and saboteurs who cluster there, 
  TimeWatch isn’t exactly what you’d consider popular. 
  Gideon Montoya’s Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 20
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +3; Damage Modifier +0 
  (trained bar brawler), +1 (Colt six-shooter)
  Abilities: Tempus 20; Streetwise 3
  Special Abilities: Exile (cost 0 — automatic if someone 
  commits violence in town without his permission), Interdiction 
  (cost 0 — town can’t be found or time traveled into or out of 
  without his okay), Lightning Speed (cost 2), Seize Initiative 
  (cost 2), Summoning (cost 3 — anyone who owes him a favor)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +3
  Description: Gideon has never been known to leave town. 
  He’s clearly time traveled extensively, but no one has ever 
  seen him out of Longtree, leaving people to speculate as to 
  his origin and true identity. His powers can’t be duplicated by 
  known technology; whoever Gideon really is, he’s best taken 
  seriously and bribed with a bottle of good whiskey.
  Jessica Carson’s Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4 or 5 (Distortion), Armor 1, Health 20
  Offense: Scuffling +0, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +0 
  (telekinetically swung object), Stun 5 (mind-blast)
  Abilities: Tempus 16
  Special Abilities: Distortion (cost 2), Flight (cost 2 to exceed 
  a slow hover), Mental Attack (Mental Damage — cost 0, Mind 
  Control — cost 3 to establish), Psychic (cost 2), Summoning 
  (cost 3 — mind-controlled minions), Teleport (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2
  Description: Like a psychic disembodied brain but with all the 
  flesh and bone still attached, Jessica hovers around Longtree 
  keeping a slowly rotting eye on all the lawlessness and vice. 
  Jessica has a local girl apply her makeup and brush her long, lank 
  red hair each morning, but she has to change girls more often 
  than she likes. Their minds begin to go after a while. Jessica is 
  a witty conversationalist, and people in Longtree live in fear of 
  gaining her attention. She isn’t exactly healthy to be around. 
  THE KEEPER
  Infinite objects, artfully arrayed. A web of incomprehensible 
  insanity. Pain.
  Sometimes, things disappear from the world, and even 
  TimeWatch can’t prevent it. These people and articles — 
  plants, animals, buildings, objects — aren’t erased from the 
  world due to time travel, chronal instability, or anything else. 
  No, they just vanish and can’t be found. And when it happened 
  to a TimeWatch agent who was on a live radio conversation at 
  the time, it turned out that he had vanished but his friends 
  could still him hear on the radio… screaming. For six days. 
  Screaming nonstop. And after that, it’s believed that his voice 
  had given out. 
  If you go to that location, and tune your radio to the right 
  station, you can hear him trying to scream even today. He’s 
  still alive, and he still hasn’t been found. That’s because he’s 
  being Kept.
  The Keeper is a 5th dimensional entity that exists outside 
  of normal time and space. It dwells across time; in the same 
  way that you might stroll up and down your butcher’s display 
  case, looking through the glass and picking out a choice cut of 
  meat, the Keeper can look at all of human time and reach in 
  at any point it chooses. It likes to collect things. No one is sure 
  how it chooses these things — brilliance? Creativity? Beauty? 
  Some sort of ineffable pattern linking multiple objects across 
  time? — but it plucks them effortlessly from our world and 
  holds them pinned between invisible and metaphysical glass 
  in its own reality. Perhaps it is an artist, constructing a living 
  and twitching collage that it can admire at its leisure. But either 
  way, that agent is still screaming. 
  It is believed that if TimeWatch could predict the arrival 
  of the Keeper’s pseudopods, an agent with the right chronal 
  sensing gear might get a temporary fix on the non-space the 
  Keeper hails from, and (with a proper expenditure of Paradox 
  Prevention points) actually travel there to attempt rescue 
  missions. Several teams have tried this. None have yet returned.
  Late at night in the Citadel, or while hidden in backcountry 
  caves while out on missions, TimeWatch agents try to guess 
  what the Keeper truly looks like. Everyone is wrong. The most 
  accurate guess is that it looks like everything, a swirling and 
  stench-ridden amalgam of everything that it has ever observed 
  in all of existence, all trying to force its way into your eyes and 
  ears and nose and tongue and pain receptors simultaneously, 
  all of existence felt and seen at once. It hangs in the center of 
  an endless swirling abyss, all the items it has collected orbiting 
  around it, and it keens with unknowable need. The human 
  mind can’t possibly comprehend that, and yet the Keeper’s 
  existence forces it to. 
  No wonder that poor bastard is still screaming.
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  179
  Pseudopod of the Keeper Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 5 (due to temporal distortion), 
  Armor 1 (armor of 5th dimensional unreality), Health 30
  Offense: Scuffling 21 (1-2-3-4-5-6); Damage Modifier 
  +4 (pseudopod slap; unconscious targets adhere to the 
  pseudopod, and are drawn back with it after it withdraws)
  Abilities: Tempus 30
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 0 — automatic when out 
  of Scuffling), Destabilize (cost 4 — all within Close range), 
  Distortion (Temporal — cost 3), Resist Stun, Stability Drain 
  (cost 2)
  Description: When projected into our world, the Keeper’s 
  pseudopods look like huge and amorphous tentacles that 
  unpredictably bulge and contract. They project into reality like 
  hands plunged into shallow water, and they rotate and turn in 
  a way that can trigger insanity. Even being near them damages 
  Chronal Stability in a fundamental way. While they can be 
  damaged enough to make them withdraw, it’s unlikely that this 
  hurts the Keeper any more than cutting a human hair hurts the 
  human it’s attached to. A pseudopod attacks for a short period, 
  getting more accurate each round; when it runs out of Scuffling 
  points it withdraws from this reality, bringing its victims with it.
  K’HORN
  A helpful chattering that mimics the most amazing of 
  sounds. Many eyes from many angles. Chitin within the 
  Meeting Tree.
  Discovered by the third human vessel to conquer wormholes 
  and travel faster than light speed, the k’horn are an alien life 
  form uplifted millions of years ago by a species that resembled 
  dragons. Technologically advanced and innately curious, their 
  arrival in human affairs has the potential of transforming 
  human technology and philosophy. Unfortunately, human 
  prejudice against nonhuman life forms creates the risk that the 
  k’horn might withdraw their support or, worse, turn against 
  humanity. 
  K’horn come from a very hot planet in a jungle 
  environment with a slightly higher gravity. This species has 
  an unusual sexual dimorphism: they are hermaphrodites and 
  mutate between male and female. This change is triggered by 
  pheromones and is accompanied by a period of hibernation, 
  with gender changes reoccurring in three year cycles. Their 
  bodies transform during this process.
  K’horn have a tendency to involve themselves in human 
  business that does not necessarily concern them; the degree to 
  which they are welcomed dictates the level of their subsequent 
  assistance and help. Overall, k’horn are attentive, curious, and 
  imaginative. They have the ability to create technological 
  devices out of organic materials. Give a k’horn a tree and 
  sufficient foliage, and they can construct devices that humans 
  are entirely unable to replicate. As a result, needy humans 
  may seek out k’horn to ask for assistance or technological aid. 
  In exchange, the k’horn may ask to be made a part of the 
  human’s daily lifestyle, and possibly their work or family units 
  as well. More than one human town has developed inexpensive 
  power through a k’horn technological artifact, in exchange for 
  allowing the k’horn into their community.
  Despite the k’horn’s apparent good intentions, some humans 
  are suspicious of their motives. This prejudice is resented by 
  k’horn. Assuming that the species isn’t biding their time until 
  they reveal their true intentions, only species-specific violence 
  is likely to unentangle them from humanity’s future.
  Female K’horn Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2 (chitin), Health 14
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +1 
  (tree claw), Stun 4 (pheromonal blast) 
  Abilities: Tempus 15; Notice 3
  Special Abilities: Impersonate (cost 1 — noises and 
  sounds only), Seize Initiative (cost 2), Spider Climb (cost 0), 
  Technology (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +5
  Description: The “female” form is very slim and of average 
  human build and height, with four long prehensile limbs that 
  aid rapid movement on land or in treetops. The female has a 
  chitinous exoskeleton to protect itself and its only progeny, 
  four pairs of eyes nested between horns on the top of its face 
  that grant 360° vision, and remarkable hearing. The female can 
  mimic any sound it’s ever heard, can transmit emotions thru 
  pheromones, and has a long forked tongue that can be used to 
  manipulate small objects with great accuracy. Constantly aware 
  of approaching threats, the female k’horn is more likely to run 
  than fight unless cornered. 
  Male K’horn Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 18
  Offense: Scuffling +3, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +2 
  (razor-sharp tree claw) 
  Abilities: Tempus 15; Notice 2
  Special Abilities: Seize Initiative (cost 2), Spider Climb (cost 
  0), Technology (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +3, Stealth Modifier +2
  Description: The “male” form of the k’horn is a little smaller 
  and of a slightly heavier built, and is typically camouflaged in 
  a thin green fur. While blessed with vision that can pick out 
  human-sized objects from kilometers away, the male k’horn 
  prefers to constantly nap instead of hunt when given the 
  opportunity. Their song echoes through forests in a hauntingly 
  beautiful tune, and k’horn music is quickly integrated into 
  human music as well. 
  
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  180
  KING TUSK
  Wise, ancient eyes. A trumpeting of outrage. The smell of 
  hatred and victory.
  King Tusk is an ancient African bull elephant with 
  an extended life span, given vast intelligence by an alien 
  technological device.
  King Tusk’s Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, Health 40 
  Offense: Scuffling +3, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +3 
  (stomp), +2 plus fling (tusks), +2 plus Restrain (trunk grapple 
  — Close range), +2 (collapsing laser cannon — Long range)
  Abilities: Tempus 25; Intimidate 1, Military Tactics 2, 
  Outdoor Survival 2
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2 — usable once only), 
  Flashback (cost 5), Strength (cost 0), Summoning (cost 3 — 
  elephants and fanatical human worshippers), Technology 
  (cost 2), Teleportation (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2
  Description: King Tusk is closer to a woolly mammoth than 
  a modern elephant, born around 4000 BCE and (unless killed) 
  living for almost 7,000 years. His wrinkled skin and huge size 
  hide a genius intellect. He is well aware than it is a human’s 
  world and that humans seem to feel that they can slaughter 
  elephants on a whim. The lord of elephants chooses to return 
  the favor. 
  He regularly leaves his hidden refuge in Central Africa and 
  moves through the world, using superb tactics and futuristic 
  tech to lay traps for human hunters. By the time he is finished 
  freeing an elephant herd, the local humans have either been 
  cowed into worshipping elephants as gods, or they’re dead or 
  fleeing. King Tusk accepts no other results.
  He is aided by alien nanotechnology that can adapt and 
  change technological behavior at his command. This gives him 
  access to force fields, heavy weaponry, mind-control devices, 
  and other super-science through his Technology ability. 
  He commands lesser elephants, and over the course of 
  several months can raise a herd’s intelligence with his very 
  presence; under his leadership a herd of elephants goes from 
  animal intelligence to highly intelligent, far smarter and wilier 
  than the humans who hunt them, staying that way permanently. 
  In his long life he has partnered with other species to achieve 
  his aims. The sophosaurs in particular are a sympathetic ally. 
  While King Tusk can teleport easily due to his nanotechnology, 
  he can time travel once only due to a sophosaur gift. He saves 
  this for a dire emergency, and will use it to travel back to the 
  glory days of woolly mammoths 20,000 years ago.
  PARALLEL UNIVERSE IMPOSTER
  Honestly, it’s just like looking in a mirror.
  Egregious goatee aside, just about anyone could be a 
  parallel universe imposter, and most people would never know 
  it. Abrupt personality or behavioral change? They may have 
  been abducted and replaced, or murdered and exchanged. 
  There’s no way to tell without chronal sensing equipment, and 
  by then they may have already accomplished their mission in 
  our reality.
  That assumes they have a mission, of course. Some parallel 
  universe imposters might just be on the run from their own 
  reality, and they’ve drawn their enemies along with them to our 
  world. Perhaps they haven’t tried to live their duplicate’s life, 
  but their identities are clashing regardless (something that’s 
  certain to be likely in the world of the future, when biometrics 
  has cataloged and categorized most citizens). 
  It’s interesting to consider that many parallel universe 
  imposters might be aware of different and parallel timelines, 
  yet have no knowledge or control of time travel. Stepping 
  between parallel universes doesn’t normally shift a person in 
  time, so the appearance of TimeWatch might be a significant 
  shock. This brings up the question of whether there’s a 
  parallel universe equivalent of TimeWatch that monitors 
  parallel universe crossovers, and how they might feel about 
  TimeWatch agents.
  Duplicate Imposter Stats
  All stats as per duplicated creature, character, or antagonist, except:
  X
  X 	The imposter gains Impersonate (cost 0 — duplicated 
  creature only).
  X
  X 	Give the imposter a new personality or motivation.
  X
  X 	You may choose to tweak pools to reflect different training; 
  for instance, a replacement for a particularly violent 
  and murderous individual may actually be peaceful and 
  enlightened, without the combat abilities of the original. A 
  peaceful character’s duplicate may be homicidal or sadistic.
  PI’DRAK
  Hatred trapped in sentient stone.
  The Jemdet Nasr is a ring fashioned from a single piece 
  of lapis lazuli, found in 1934 by a German archaeologist in 
  Iraq at a dig site of the same name. It is inscribed with proto-
  cuneiform script around the outside of the band. Further 
  research published by the archaeological team linked the ring 
  to one described as having belonged to the legendary ruler 
  of Uruk, Gilgamesh, in the early 27th century BCE. The 
  description of a similar ring has surfaced many times over 
  the millennia, always in the hands of a brutal warlord and 
  conqueror. Yet at that warlord’s death, the ring disappears 
  from history until the next time it surfaces with a warlord. The 
  ring was last recorded in the panoply of the Nazi regime in 
  1943, but disappeared before the capture of Berlin in 1945. It 
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  181
  is rumored to be in the possession of one of the many radical 
  warlords in sub-Saharan Africa. 
  The Nasr is in fact the sentient prison of an alien entity 
  known as Pi’drak’ne’din. Pi’drak was the war leader of the 
  dreaded Kergaol warriors who plagued the galaxy over 
  1,000,000 years ago. When the Kergaol were finally defeated 
  by the forces of the Haarnol Empire, Pi’drak’ne’din’s 
  consciousness was imprisoned within a crystal matrix and 
  jettisoned in the direction of a young class G2 star known as 
  Sol. The star was expected to be Pi’drak’ne’din’s executioner 
  after millennia of contemplating the nature of his crimes 
  against sentience. Unfortunately the prison crashed into the 
  third planet before meeting its final destruction in Sol’s fiery 
  embrace. 
  The crystalline prison was found in a crater by tribal people 
  in what is now northern Iraq, and fashioned into a ring 
  during the late Neolithic. Being trapped without a body for 
  over an epoch has driven Pi’drak’ne’din insane (or further 
  insane depending on your point of view), but his personality 
  has gained immense strength within the prison, so much so 
  that he can seize control of any human that touches the ring. 
  When this happens he drives the victim to acts of violence 
  with the need to conquer all. The last millennia has taught 
  Pi’drak’ne’din subtlety, and he no longer asserts complete 
  control but instead influences the victim. Someday when this 
  miserable rock has gained enough technological advancement 
  he hopes to gain a new body, then he will exterminate all life 
  on Earth and gain his revenge on the Haarnol.
  Those that wear the Nasr are exposed to Pi’drak’s sentience. 
  He typically uses dreams to influence the wearer, spending 
  Interpersonal points to guide the wearer towards the tactical 
  or ethical decision that Pi’drak prefers. If things go badly, 
  Pi’drak can use Mental Attack to control the wearer directly.
  Pi’drak’ne’din (in Ring Form) Stats
  Defense: As per wearer
  Offense: As per wearer
  Abilities: Tempus 15; Authority 2, Intimidation 2, Military 
  Tactics 3
  Special Abilities: Extra Action (cost 2), Mental Attack (Mind 
  Control — cost 3), Seize Initiative (cost 2)
  REPTOIDS
  The subtle variations of shape-shifting flesh. The snap of a 
  darting tongue. Slitted pupils in unblinking eyes. 
  Reptoids — sometimes also called “reptilians” or 
  “draconians” — are members of an unimaginably ancient 
  species of apparently immortal shape-shifting reptilian 
  bipeds from a plane of reality beyond four-dimensional 
  space-time. Although their true origins remain a mystery, 
  TimeWatch xeno-archaeologists have encountered limited 
  evidence of reptoid activity dating to — possibly even 
  predating — the birth of the current physical universe, 
  fueling speculation that the reptoids may be refugees from 
  a previous timeline that collapsed catastrophically before 
  the Big Bang. Because reptoids somehow exist outside 
  true space-time, they cannot time travel. However, reports 
  indicate that in a few notable cases the same reptoids have 
  been encountered by TimeWatch in multiple parallel realities, 
  suggesting that they may be capable of experiencing multiple 
  linear timelines simultaneously. 
  Reptoid Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 18
  Offense: Scuffling 4 (2-2), Shooting 6 (3-3); Damage Modifier 
  +1 (reluctant strength), +1 (reluctantly used firearm) 
  Abilities: Tempus 25
  Special Abilities: Extra Action (cost 2), Flashback (cost 5), 
  Impersonation (cost 2 — disrupted by chronal radiation), 
  Mastermind, Regenerate (cost 0 — 3 Health regenerates at the 
  beginning of next round), Resist Stun
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +3
  Description: In what is believed to be their natural forms, 
  reptoids are 2.1 to 2.7 m tall powerfully muscled humanoids 
  covered in green or grey scales that serve as natural armor. 
  Their hands are equipped with three claw-tipped fingers 
  and an opposable thumb. Their faces are dominated by 
  large hypnotic eyes bisected by slitted pupils and a wide, 
  lipless, expressionless mouth filled with sharp, tearing teeth. 
  Despite their physical prowess, reptoids abhor direct physical 
  confrontation, preferring to use unwitting thralls to forward 
  their inscrutable aims, probably in part because they are few 
  in number. 
  Infiltrators Par Excellence
  Regardless of how they got here, the reptoids’ earliest activities 
  were focused on the Alpha Draconis system. They used these 
  planets as a base from which to infiltrate and manipulate any 
  other inhabited planets they encountered, including Earth. 
  Reptoids can alter their physical forms into visually perfect 
  copies of any carbon-based life form they touch by absorbing, 
  modifying, and then replicating the creature’s DNA, so 
  successfully imitating native life forms means that they can in 
  some cases interbreed, producing half-reptoid hybrids used 
  to further infiltrate and control host planets. Despite their 
  chameleon-like abilities, chronal radiation and quantum waves 
  caused by the presence of nearby time travelers can disrupt their 
  disguises and temporarily reveal their true saurian appearance. 
  Reptoids are also highly intelligent and effectively ageless, 
  planning their machinations for centuries — even millennia 
  — at a time. Reptoid plots often focus on placing hybrids 
  in positions of power, where they can deliberately manage 
  cultural and technological developments to ensure long-term 
  ascendance to a properly ordered society: to the reptoids, this 
  usually means political or corporate autocracy. Consequently, 
  reptoids may be found manipulating powerful political, 
  military, or corporate figures, engineering elections and 
  political assassinations, or even ensuring that their half-breed 
  kin become influential celebrities.
  
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  Never content to shove when a slight nudge will do, reptoids’ 
  plans are subtle, focused on establishing and maintaining 
  control over other sentient species, or entire timelines. To the 
  reptoids, freedom is synonymous with chaos and entropy: 
  all concepts that they consider inimical to their survival as a 
  species, and a clear danger to the long-term viability of the 
  multiverse. While the illusion of liberty may be important to 
  maintain in order to keep a species docile, to the reptoids and 
  their agents, it is but another tool to be used to maintain order. 
  RODRIGO ISTALINDIR
  A knowledgeable smile, unforgettable music, and a 
  whispered secret — at a price.
  There are those people in the world who simply never age 
  or die. This Spanish musician and courtier was born in 8th-
  century Spain and was educated by the Moors, largely because 
  they had tried to kill him in battle and completely failed. 
  Rodrigo educated himself in all the finest arts he could find: 
  music, poetry, song, and dance. He didn’t start to go insane 
  until he realized that he couldn’t be killed and he couldn’t age.
  He was on his fifth instance of trying to drink himself to 
  death, somewhere around the 11th century, when he ran into 
  his first time travelers. He recognized them because he’d seen 
  the same strangers 90 years before. Rodrigo managed to 
  sober up enough to approach them, and they revealed their 
  true identity as chronal anthropologists. Rodrigo was smitten 
  by the idea and traveled with them to acquire his own time 
  machine.
  Now Rodrigo is a part-time information broker, a part-
  time spy, and a full-time hedonist. He time travels to soak 
  in experiences, to learn new music and art, to meet amazing 
  people, and to eat astonishing food. If he learns some 
  interesting information along the way, he’s happy to sell it to 
  whoever wishes to pay him — whether that’s TimeWatch, 
  sophosaurs, lazy researchers, or rebel time travelers. He’ll 
  work for whomever seems the most fun and interesting, and 
  potential employers need to connect to his artistic soul to get 
  his attention.
  Because he’s apparently going to live forever, and because 
  he has a time machine, there are literally hundreds of 
  crisscrossing copies of Rodrigo Istalindir out there, all trying 
  not to collapse under the weight of paradox. It doesn’t help 
  that he has a lover in nearly every port and a bevy of children 
  sired across the ages. Rogrigo isn’t exactly big on responsibility, 
  but he’s well meaning; if he’s working for a loathsome group, 
  he likely doesn’t realize their true identity… or they promised 
  him an experience he can’t find anywhere else.
  Rodrigo Istalindir’s Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 12
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +0 
  (improvised weapon)
  Abilities: Reality Anchor 10, Tempus 20; Charm 2, High 
  Society 2, History (all) 3, Spying 2, Streetwise 2
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Help Yourself (cost 5), 
  Regenerate (cost 0 — all Health at beginning of each round)
  Description: Rodrigo has dark hair, a square chin, olive skin, 
  and old, old eyes. His skill at music and oration is enough to 
  entrance those listening if he chooses to show his true talent.
  SAMANTHA JANE UNDERHILL
  A brave, waifish grin. Sad sniffles, barely withheld. A wide-
  bore hypodermic needle, slowly dribbling acid.
  The government is capable of doing some horrible things 
  and, in the case of Samantha Jane Underhill in the mid-21st 
  century, they did a whole bunch of them. Blessed with off 
  the charts intelligence, Samantha Jane caught the attention 
  of the government at an early age and, with the permission 
  of her naïve parents, was subjected to a litany of tests and 
  experimental formulas designed to make her even more 
  brilliant. 
  They succeeded, which was bad news for everyone.
  It was especially bad news for Samantha Jane because while 
  it made her perhaps the most brilliant thinker on the planet, 
  it arrested her physical maturation at the level of an average 
  nine year old, while increasing her mental and emotional 
  development at an accelerated rate. Frustrated and bitter, she’s 
  convinced that she will be able to concoct a serum to bring 
  her body’s state of growth up to speed. She’s wrong, and it 
  doesn’t help matters that in a fit of pique she arranged for the 
  premature deaths of the only scientists who might be able to 
  help her. 
  As a result, Samantha Jane developed her own time machine 
  to gather alternative scientists, and began to alter history to try 
  to gather the materials these scientists need to “fix” her. It so 
  happens that the sort of chemicals she needs developed are 
  substances produced by the human endocrine system while 
  the body is being wracked with horrific pain — and thus the 
  “scientists” she’s saving are the very worst sort of monsters 
  doing unspeakably awful research. She’ll spread her “research” 
  forward in time as she keeps failing to restore her true age, and 
  she’s not particularly discriminating about the test subjects she 
  acquires.
  While Samantha Jane is displeased by her youthful 
  appearance, she’s more than smart enough to use it to her 
  advantage. Agents who haven’t been given a description of her 
  will possibly discount her as their target. Those who attempt 
  to apprehend her in any sort of populated area cause her to 
  play the “accosted waif” persona to the fullest as she has zero 
  qualms about drawing in innocents to help her escape. She is 
  fluent in most known languages and almost always prepared 
  for contingencies.
  Life as an adult in a child’s shell has left her hardened and 
  sociopathic. She’s quite adept at manipulating the emotions 
  of others and won’t hesitate to use tears and guile as effective 
  weapons. The little girl that was Samantha Jane Underhill is 
  long, long gone. 
  
  ANTAGONISTS
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  Samantha Jane Underhill’s Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 15
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +2 
  (injected acid), Stun 6 (electrical beam pistol)
  Abilities: Tempus 25, Tinkering 15; Charm 1, Falsehood 
  Detection 2, Medical Expertise 2, Reassurance 1
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Electronic Interference 
  (cost 2), Exile (cost 2), Flashback (cost 5), Mastermind, 
  Oracle (cost 1), Regenerate (cost 0 — 2 Health per round), 
  Summoning (cost 3 — muscle-bound scientist, see p. 163), 
  Technology (cost 2)
  Misc: Stealth Modifier +2
  Description: Corn-blonde hair, wide blue eyes, a cherubic 
  (if occasionally cynical) grin, and 1.3 meters tall; Samantha 
  looks like an innocent 9-year-old girl, even if her true age is 
  33 and she is utterly amoral. She is a meticulous planner, and 
  is typically loaded down with a variety of useful technology, 
  chronal exile traps, or injectable drugs to aid in an emergency. 
  Her body quickly repairs itself from physical damage, and 
  Samantha Jane has no reason to think that she won’t live 
  forever — even if she’s trapped in her detested youthful form 
  the entire time.
  SANGUINE
  A bloody tear. The squelching churn of clotted fluid. The 
  smell of hot copper in the still night’s breeze. 
  A sanguine is an immortal, churning, humanoid mass of 
  sentient blood. They speak with burbling voices when not 
  possessing a host. 
  Sanguine Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 5 (Fluid — vs. physical 
  attacks only), Health 15
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +1 
  (clotted slash), +1 plus Destabilize (squirming spray)
  Abilities: Tempus 20
  Special Abilities: Destabilize (cost 4 — all within Close 
  range), Fluid, Mental Attack (Mind Control (see below) — cost 
  3 to establish; Possession (see below) — cost 3 to establish), 
  Regenerate (cost 0 — all damage regenerates between scenes)
  Description: Such a creature is created when a time traveler 
  sheds blood during time travel. The spilled droplets of blood 
  absorb whispers of history and gradually gain sentience. 
  Sanguine slide out of the time stream into our world at 
  locations of great slaughter and bloodbaths, and can appear 
  at any violent point in history past, present or future. Due to 
  their regeneration, sanguine tend to exist for a long, long time.
  A sanguine in blood form seizes a host body by first cutting 
  a target with Scuffling. Once the victim is bleeding (at Health 
  0 or below, or after one attack against a Mook) the sanguine 
  makes a Mental Attack for possession. If successful, the 
  sanguine forces itself into the victim’s body through the cut. 
  The victim’s blood is instantly absorbed into the sanguine’s 
  essence, and any victim who is possessed instinctively knows 
  that their blood has been replaced by the sanguine itself. The 
  creature then demands obedience from its host with the threat 
  of simply exiting the body, leaving the host behind to flop 
  bloodlessly for a few seconds before it dies. So long as the 
  victim submits, the sanguine wears its body as a meat suit for 
  a few months until it becomes bored. 
  Against time travelers or ranged foes, their Shooting attack is 
  a wide spray of squirming blood that attacks everyone within 
  Close range. Victims struck take damage and must make an 
  immediate D4/L4 Paradox test. 
  While the sanguine can absorb another’s blood, that’s what 
  they must do, not what they want to do. They truly feed from 
  feelings of prestige, importance, and fame. Sanguine disdain 
  prey that is socially unimportant, and they seek out experience 
  and fame. They like to be loved, feared, and respected.
  Injecting others with their own blood is their only method 
  of establishing mind control in others. Some sanguine present 
  their host as a surreptitious drug addict, sharing needles with 
  the unobservant in order to create lackeys through its mind 
  control. 
  A sanguine host has a bad tendency to leak. It takes careful 
  concentration to stop blood from slowly dripping from eyes, 
  nose, ears, and mouth; even the host’s skin can slowly sweat 
  blood when the sanguine becomes excited or distracted. 
  Variants: 
  X
  X 	Plaguebringer: Infection, Venom (cost 2). A normal 
  sanguine crossed with sentient Ebola, this variant leaves 
  plague and poison and hideous death in its wake. One can 
  wipe out an entire country during a time period prior to 
  competent healthcare. 
  X
  X 	The Ungodly: Immaterial (cost 2). Convinced that they are 
  born from the blood of a dead god, ungodly sanguines fade 
  in and out of reality. They have an obsession with being 
  worshipped, and will usually do anything to make sure they 
  gain proper obeisance from their cultlike flock.
  X
  X 	Unstable Sanguine: Branching Point (cost 4). These 
  variants have a greater tie to paradox and the branching 
  paths of time. 
  SENTIENT HOLOGRAMS
  A static hiss and crackling voice. The smell of money, loose bills 
  piled in corners. Reverent worshippers, predicting the future. 
  An unusual villain is one who isn’t physically present at all. 
  If a scientist has figured out how to project her image and her 
  sentience from a parallel timeline into our own (or vice versa), 
  she would be gifted with knowledge of our history but be 
  unable to physically touch a thing. The hologram would know 
  only what its creator knew, and it’s up to the GM whether it 
  can transmit what it learns back through time to its creator. 
  Such a villain would have to summon and organize locals 
  to do her dirty work for her, paying them off with secret 
  information about local resources. Whether those resources 
  are secret troop movements and enemy intelligence, or lottery 
  
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  numbers and winning horse races, depends on which era the 
  hologram finds herself in. 
  A sentient hologram is in some ways the ideal master villain 
  for highly narrative GMs, in that it can’t do much more than 
  monologue; being unable to physically or mentally attack (or 
  even touch anything), it is limited to putting previously arranged 
  plans into action through the ministrations of loyal third parties. 
  If you’re using this as your villain, it will act entirely through 
  cat’s-paws and lackeys while it directs the show. 
  Some sentient holograms throughout the time stream 
  stem from the same scientist, and show her at different 
  stages of health, aging, and philosophy. They likely strive 
  towards a common goal, such as preventing the formation of 
  TimeWatch. 
  These holograms cannot touch any physical objects. They 
  can control computers and most information systems, and 
  typically carry out plans by using their encyclopedic historical 
  knowledge to trade sports and stock market tips to gullible 
  followers in exchange for service. Sentient holograms often 
  maintain a cultlike, loyal following of untrained recruits.
  A sentient hologram is hard to destroy; beam weapons 
  could do it, but holograms can interfere with other electronics 
  at will. Massive fire can disrupt their signal, as can uniquely 
  created Science! devices that overwhelm or blanket out their 
  signal. Holograms inflict no damage themselves, relying on 
  their loyal mob of followers to do so for them.
  Sentient Hologram Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 10
  Offense: Scuffling +3; Damage Modifier nil (can Destabilize 
  by walking through people; no other method for inflicting 
  damage)
  Abilities: Tempus 15
  Special Abilities: Destabilize (cost 2), Electronic interference 
  (cost 2), Flashback (cost 5), Immaterial, Oracle (cost 1), 
  Summoning (cost 3 — loyal Mooks)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Description: Until touched, sentient holograms appear 
  human. Physical objects slide through them without effect.
  Fanatical Recruit Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 1
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +0 
  (club), +1 (cheap handgun)
  Abilities: Athletics 3 
  Description: Dependent on the hologram for wealth, 
  fanatical recruits show their loyalty by keeping it safe. They’re 
  more likely to knock people unconscious than kill, but no one 
  wants to lose their gravy train.
  Variant:
  Sometimes, Adversaries keep themselves safely at home 
  while they send their sentient holograms out across time to 
  spy, record, observe, and comment. They can’t easily affect the 
  environment around them, but if you want a witty villain who 
  is effectively undefeatable until the Agents can track down his 
  true location, this is one way to manage it.
  Historical Voyeur Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 10
  Offense: Scuffling +3; Damage Modifier nil (can Destabilize by 
  walking through people; no other method for inflicting damage)
  Abilities: Tempus 15; Taunt 3
  Special Abilities: Destabilize (cost 2), Flashback (cost 5), 
  Immaterial, Oracle (cost 1), Teleport (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Description: Periodically throughout history, people with 
  enough money and time have chosen to live vicariously 
  through the actions of others. We see it in online videos, we 
  see it in reality TV… and in the future, we see it with historical 
  voyeurs. A sentient hologram can’t easily be hurt and can walk 
  through walls, making them the perfect on-the-scene voyeur or 
  journalist to view and broadcast historical events. Some well-
  meaning historians use these surreptitiously; other civilians or 
  youths, not caring about paradox or historical accuracy, use 
  them to hound and constantly spy on their idols.
  Rarely, TimeWatch agents themselves fall under the scrutiny 
  of such fans. A hologram who knows them from their 
  tremendous fame and success (which might not have happened 
  yet!) will begin following them around, asking questions, 
  broadcasting their adventures to an external audience, and 
  generally making themselves into a nuisance. Whether the 
  Agents respond with kindness or hostility likely affects the 
  historical voyeur’s propensity to help the Agents or sabotage 
  their efforts. Either way, the hologram can be anything from a 
  Greek chorus, a narrator, an obsessive fan, a silent observer, or 
  a source of mischief. With all the security that many centuries 
  and complete anonymity can provide, historical voyeurs make 
  for excellent supporting characters in a mission’s B-plot. 
  SOPHOSAURS (“TIME RAPTORS,”  
  “PSI-RAPTORS,” OR “PHILOSORAPTORS”)
  Dewclaws on tiles. Hissing excitement. Silent shadows in 
  dark corners.
  Sophosaurs are clan-based sentient dinosaurs from an 
  alternate timeline where the meteor never struck Earth. Secure 
  in their knowledge that they should be the true inheritors of 
  Earth, it rankles them that humanity and TimeWatch have 
  denied them their true history. They seek revenge not just by 
  hunting and destroying humans — anyone can do that — but 
  also by hunting and destroying human culture.
  “Please! I’m just an actor here, don’t kill me!”
  The raptor’s voice snaked directly into her head. “Understand, 
  mammal. I do not stalk and kill you because I hunger, for I have 
  recently fed. I stalk and kill you because you are an actor.”
  “Wha-what?”
  “By thought and claw, you are a good actor. I have traveled the 
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  185
  ages and I have seen it. You are destined to be the best artist of  your 
  generation, inspiring humans for generations to come. You succeed. You 
  are a marvel. You push your mammalian culture forwards. You make 
  the world a better place.”
  She blinked and stood up a little straighter. “Really?”
  “Yesss. So you see, mammal,” the raptor grinned toothily, “you’re 
  going to have to go.” 
  Sophosaur Hunter Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, Health 18
  Offense: Scuffling +3, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +2 
  (claws and teeth), +2 (crystalline beam weapon)
  Abilities: Tempus 15
  Special Abilities: Disguise (cost 1), Extra Action (cost 2), 
  Lightning Speed (cost 2); if two Scuffling attacks (using Extra 
  Action) hit the same target in the same round, the second 
  attack does an additional +2 damage
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2
  Description: Sophosaur hunters are warriors and food 
  gatherers. They patrol borders, hunt for the pack, and 
  coordinate to take down more dangerous prey. Their 
  actions are guided by their clan’s philosophy, but they tend 
  to be focused on more immediate concerns than sophosaur 
  philosophers are. Even in clans that espouse nonviolent 
  philosophies, hunters will reluctantly kill to protect their own.
  Hunters are swift and agile, competing to see who can down 
  their foes the fastest. They use Lightning Speed and Extra Action 
  to dart in and out of combat. Expect coordinated attacks against 
  one individual target until it drops, at which point hunters move 
  on to the next target. They focus on killing healers and technology 
  users first, but they take particular joy in eviscerating anyone who 
  exhibits poor or crude taste in art, song, or thought. They will 
  typically attack refined or sensitive enemies last.
  Sophosaur Mindwhip Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 12
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +2 
  (claws), +2 plus Stun 5 (psychic mindwhip)
  Abilities: Tempus 20
  Special Abilities: Disguise (cost 1), Mental Attack (Mental 
  Damage — cost 0, Domination — cost 3/round) 
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2
  Description: Sophosaur mindwhips are typically female and 
  are chosen from the wittiest conversationalists in the clan. 
  Mindwhips consider ripping a foe apart with claws or teeth to 
  be a sign of weakness, and prefer not to use physical violence 
  against prey unless absolutely necessary.
  Mindwhips specialize in stunning and mind controlling 
  their enemies. They can use Mental Attack to dominate 
  their prey or directly attack Chronal Stability. Their psychic 
  mindwhip Shooting attack does physical damage to the 
  target while triggering a Stun 5 test. Interestingly, this psychic 
  mindwhip stuns a victim into insensibility by projecting 
  extreme pleasure, happiness, and peace. Sophosaurs consider 
  this a good death, and edible prey killed by mindwhips is 
  believed to taste particularly delicious.
  Mindwhips usually serve as diplomats and explorers. 
  Their combination of good social skills and engaging 
  personalities usually distracts enemies from the hunters 
  circling in from behind.
  Sophosaur Philosopher Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 14
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier +1 
  (smallish claws), Stun 5 (psychic stab)
  Abilities: Tempus 20
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Disguise (cost 1), 
  Flashback (cost 5), Mastermind, Oracle (cost 1), Psychic (cost 
  2), Seize Initiative (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2
  Description: Sophosaur philosophers are the clan instructors, 
  historians, advisers, masterminds, and strategic thinkers. They 
  determine the clan’s purpose in the world, build crystalline 
  matrices and psychic devices, and instruct the clan in the 
  proper philosophical doctrine. If a clan philosopher detests 
  humanity, it’s a fair bet that the entire clan will follow suit. 
  A philosopher isn’t particularly hardy, but they don’t need 
  to be. They’re deadly planners, improvisers, and tacticians. 
  Sophosaur mindwhips use teamwork against an ezeru. 
  
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  186
  The Stun effect from their psychic stab works by triggering 
  instinctive, profound terror. With access to time travel 
  and a willingness to risk paradox if it benefits their clan, 
  philosophers often jaunt into the future to assess various risks 
  to their community, all so they can take countermeasures to 
  change that future when necessary. Philosophers plan “little 
  surprises” such as deadly ambushes that take advantage of 
  the information they’ve learned in potential futures. Other 
  sophosaurs consider these to be hilarious and heroic, worthy 
  of stories for years to come.
  Sophosaur Alpha Stats
  Mace Hunter stood on the curb of  the dusty street and looked at 
  the dead sophosaur at his feet. He kicked it. “That’s it?” Mace asked. 
  “That’s the alpha? He wasn’t so tough at all.” 
  The wall of  the building behind Mace shattered, and 600 kilos 
  of  angry dinosaur landed on Mace’s back. The Agent was driven 
  face-first into the dirt, and the draft horse–sized raptor on his back 
  screamed in triumph before unleashing a devastating psychic attack 
  down into Mace’s brain. The Agent’s eyes began to weep blood.
  “No,” hissed the sophosaur. “You took the bait. I’m the alpha.”
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, Health 30
  Offense: Scuffling 20 (3-3-3-3-3-3-2), Shooting 6 (2-2-2); 
  Damage Modifier +3 (claws and teeth), Stun 6 plus Destabilize 
  (psi-blast) 
  Abilities: Tempus 24; Intimidate 2
  Special Abilities: Destabilize (cost 2 — triggered along with 
  Stun when psi-blasting), Disguise (cost 1), Extra Action (cost 
  2), Lightning Speed (cost 2), Psychic (cost 2), Seize Initiative 
  (cost 2) 
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2
  Description: Sophosaur alphas control each sophosaur clan, 
  and are equally likely to be male or female. There is usually 
  only one alpha per clan, ascending after a philosophical and 
  physical struggle for dominance ends with other challengers 
  exiled, slain, or thoroughly disgraced. Raptors who win such 
  a battle typically gain additional size, weight, and power over 
  several years. Expect alpha sophosaurs to be strong in body, 
  mind, and cultural certitude. 
  Alphas are typically clever, fast, hardy, and remorseless. It’s 
  their task to make difficult decisions for the good of the clan, 
  and they do so with no hesitation or regrets. Other members 
  of the clan obey them without hesitation. An alpha’s psi-blast 
  is more powerful than that of lesser sophosaurs, and has a 
  high chance of instantly stunning foes or ripping apart the 
  Chronal Stability that keeps time travelers in place.
  A good alpha uses all tools available to it, including 
  crystalline technology, the environment, unorthodox allies, 
  and time travel to win a fight. Surrender is rare once battle is 
  joined, and don’t expect any sophosaurs to surrender or sue 
  for peace until the alpha is defeated. 
  Why Use Sophosaurs?
  Historically, actual velociraptors were small, feathered, 
  and nowhere near as dangerous as movies like Jurassic Park 
  portrayed them. Luckily, TimeWatch is a science fiction game 
  that gleefully throws actual facts to the wind when it means 
  we can have psychic dinosaurs as antagonists. Sophosaurs 
  combine the utter sinister brilliance of a master planner, 
  the hilarious panache of Atomic Robo’s Dr. Dinosaur, the 
  bloodthirsty stalking terror of inhuman lizards, and the 
  psychic crystalline techno-magic of cinematic psychic abilities. 
  Even better, they prefer to wage war on humanity not 
  through rampant bloodshed and warfare, but through the 
  deliberate destruction and appropriation of human culture. 
  It’s a fair bet that Jurassic Park was secretly produced by 
  sophosaurs, and there’s no telling how many reality TV shows 
  have been influenced by the saurians attempting to dumb 
  down humanity. They deliberately kill great human actors, 
  influencers, philosophers, and artists, and enlightened human 
  scientists before they ever have the opportunity to improve 
  humanity. Sophosaurs are Adversaries who strike at us through 
  our culture, and that makes them a relatively unique villain. 
  Sophosaurs have a highly rigid and stratified clan structure 
  ostensibly based on family units and the color of their scales. 
  In truth, clans are defined by the philosophical and artistic 
  beliefs that inspire them. One grey-scaled clan may feel like 
  humanity is a scourge that must be exterminated, with human 
  blood used to create paintings and murals of great delicacy 
  and taste; another orange-scaled clan may feel like humanity 
  is best discouraged and beaten down simply by removing 
  uplifting stories from their world, and thus they target great 
  writers, storytellers, and publishers to influence what people 
  see. And of course, sophosaurs remain great big lizards 
  with deadly psychic powers and razor-sharp claws, because 
  attacking humanity’s art only goes so far.
  GM ADVICE:  
  COLD-BLOODED INSPIRATION
  If you wish a more optimistic and helpful 
  sophosaur culture, perhaps some saurians 
  aren’t trying to reduce us to cultural 
  barbarism. Instead, they’re actually trying 
  to improve popular culture and the human 
  condition by serving as secret muses, inspiring 
  numerous works of literature and art intended 
  to improve the human spirit. Remove the 
  raptors from this situation, and humanity is 
  far poorer for their absence. Considering 
  that they also still hunt us for food, does that 
  still make them enemies of TimeWatch? What 
  happens to human culture when TimeWatch 
  ignorantly removes them from the timeline?
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  187
  Origin
  According to sophosaur philosophers, true history unraveled 
  after TimeWatch agents traveled into their past from a parallel 
  reality just in time to steer a massive meteor straight into 
  Earth. The resulting firestorms and artificial winter killed 
  most dinosaurs within a remarkably short period, destroying 
  the true timeline. The most enlightened and innovative 
  civilizations across saurian history were wiped out as this 
  change rippled forwards through time. Gone were the vast 
  matrices of knowledge crystals, the ineffably beautiful psychic 
  art that was woven over generations, the herds of mammalian 
  meat-creatures that the sophosaurs would eat. The rumbling 
  approach of annihilation rewrote history, and smart dinosaurs 
  were no longer a part of the story.
  Luckily, the highly cultured and urbane sophosaurs had 
  evolved strong psychic abilities and invented the technology 
  to harness them for a myriad of uses. One of those inventions 
  was a crystalline rod that enabled time travel and parallel 
  dimension jumping when adequately charged with psi. The 
  sophosaurs were largely a wise and stable culture, and they 
  had previously agreed not to invade such dimensions without 
  invitation. That went out the proverbial window when their 
  reality began to collapse. Not many sophosaurs escaped — 
  perhaps tens of thousands across the globe, from a number 
  of different species and clans — but escape they did. They 
  weathered the temporal storm and emerged from the buffeting 
  changes to discover what world had been left for them.
  They discovered our Earth, and what we mammals had 
  made of it, and they did not approve.
  Sophosaurs appeared across the globe and in hundreds of 
  different times when they first fled their disintegrating timeline; 
  with clan units of 30 to 300 raptors, and fewer than 500 clans 
  able to escape to our reality, perhaps 50,000 sophosaurs 
  successfully managed to evade temporal annihilation. Legends 
  of dragons from across history stem from the sophosaurs’ 
  first arrival into our world. 
  It took decades for the clans to make contact with one another, 
  and even now some clans remain physically or temporally in 
  complete isolation. Initially most sophosaurs traveled backwards 
  to humanity’s early days and built equatorial empires.
  This situation didn’t last for long; the psychic trauma 
  of losing millions of their fellows drove some sophosaurs 
  towards a divisive philosophy of hatred. Clans separated; 
  some sought privacy, some accepted the situation and sought 
  cohabitation with humanity, and many embraced anger and 
  declared war on humanity. 
  Most sophosaurs encountered by TimeWatch are vengeful 
  urban saboteurs using psychic disguises to walk unnoticed amongst 
  humanity. They hunt, and scheme, and manipulate thoughts in 
  the areas where they dwell. How this affects the humans around 
  them varies greatly depends on the sophosaur clan’s philosophy. 
  TimeWatch hasn’t yet cataloged all the clans and their degree of 
  hostility, and so any encounter with a sophosaur must be treated 
  with great caution. An overly aggressive encounter may shift an 
  unaligned clan into hostility, and in theory spectacularly successful 
  diplomatic overtures may actually convince a hostile clan to 
  moderate their attacks on humanity. 
  Clan Madness
  The problem with a psychic species that shares a common 
  philosophy is that clans can become psychically poisoned or 
  corrupted. When one sophosaur begins to obsess on a foreign 
  idea contrary to the clan’s philosophy, that compulsive focus 
  can spread to the entire clan if the clan’s philosophers do not 
  catch the infection in time. Such corruptions cause the raptors 
  to discard their high-minded philosophies in exchange for sly, 
  feral, brutal ancestral instincts. Sophosaurs suffering from 
  clan madness become extraordinarily dangerous because their 
  usual good judgment is discarded for power and bloodlust. Is 
  a non-clan member weaker? It must be slain and eaten. Is it 
  more powerful? Reinforcements must be gathered, and then it 
  must be slain and eaten. There is no consideration of ethics or 
  morality, as strength becomes the only factor. 
  Sophosaurs suffering from clan madness have been known 
  to eliminate entire human settlements. Other philosoraptors 
  consider this disease embarrassing and taboo to discuss; they 
  will typically isolate or eradicate any other clans suffering from 
  clan madness, in fears that the corruption might leap into their 
  own clan. It’s unknown if clan madness can be cured, but it’s 
  been shown to leap species into psychically sensitive humans. 
  If sophosaurs ever catch humans deliberately attempting to 
  infect them with clan madness, their punishment is the worst 
  they can devise. Typically, philosophers will weather paradox 
  and kill the humans’ forefathers to ensure that such humans 
  never exist.
  Sophosaur Time Travel
  Sophosaurs are not natural time travelers like the ezeru. They 
  use psychically activated, twisting crystal rods to pass through 
  time. These rods function effectively like autochrons. Humans 
  can easily use these rods only when they are specifically 
  designed for human use; such rods are usually imprinted with 
  one or two specific chronal destinations in mind. 
  Schemes and Tactics
  Sophosaur clans are divided as to whether they wish to 
  destroy humanity, or just punish it for what happened to what 
  they consider to be true history. Sophosaurs are principled, 
  thoughtful, occasionally condescending, and usually vengeful. 
  They can think of no worse punishment than to deprive 
  humanity of its best and brightest accomplishments and 
  individuals, stripping away the things that define human 
  civilization. If there’s a cultural achievement that makes 
  humanity happy, it’s a likely target for a sophosaur attack as 
  the raptors try to grind humanity into the spiritual dirt. They 
  don’t want to destroy humanity, they want to ruin it.
  This means that sophosaurs are most often found infiltrating 
  human society to remove great thinkers and inspirational creators. 
  They are delighted to use roundabout methods for doing so, 
  hiring mercenaries or local ruffians to do their work for them. The 
  sophosaur predilection for witty banter and intelligent discourse 
  means that a sophosaur spy can often be found near other great 
  thinkers, even if that means they spend time near humans that they 
  
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  are soon to eliminate from existence. Sophosaur philosophers in 
  particular are willing to risk paradox to ruin human quality of life, 
  or to improve the sophosaur condition.
  One thing is certain: the one group who detests the ezeru 
  more than TimeWatch are sophosaurs, who often compete 
  with them for control of time. The hostility is reciprocated; 
  sophosaurs and ezeru will often try to destroy one another on 
  sight, creating paradox problems in areas occupied by human 
  witnesses. In any given sophosaur scheme to control the time 
  stream, TimeWatch may run across ezeru working against the 
  saurians as well. The enemy of your enemy isn’t necessarily 
  your ally, however. Neither group has humanity’s best interests 
  in mind, and if you uncover sophosaur involvement against an 
  ezeru plot, or vice versa, it is certainly to turn the time change 
  to their own advantage. 
  Sample Clans
  The Ones Who Remember. Hostile to humanity and sworn 
  to restore what they consider their true reality, this clan lives in 
  the deep Central American rain forests of the 19th century. It’s 
  possible they deliberately depopulated Mesoamerican cultures 
  by introducing disease; if true, this suggests that “true” human 
  history would have turned out differently for European 
  conquistadores if the sophosaurs had never arrived. The Ones 
  Who Remember keep perfect secrecy and kill or mind-wipe 
  any humans who stumble across them; when they succeed at 
  passing back in time and destroying the meteor that changed 
  everything, they will erase humanity from ever having existed.
  The Muses of Decay. Hidden in plain sight in Hollywood, 
  California, the Muses have their talons in everything from 
  song to cinema to television. TimeWatch knows they exist, 
  but not where to find them; even more troubling, it’s unclear 
  whether the Muses are trying to improve human culture or 
  destroy it. It’s possible that the clan is actually multiple, smaller 
  clans working against one another. It’s believed that in an 
  attempt to degrade human culture and raise human anxiety, 
  pop-up ads and the ubiquitous news ticker were invented and 
  implemented by the Muses.
  Pristine Claw. This clan has more members working for 
  TimeWatch than any other clan of Sophosaurs. They believe 
  that reality is what it is, and have taken the practical belief that 
  they should make reality as strong as they can even if it means 
  working alongside humanity. Other clans often consider them 
  traitors to their culture, and have sworn to destroy them. 
  Bloody Song of Loss. These sophosaurs move through 
  history, ambushing humanity’s greatest achievements and 
  working to eliminate them one by one. They seek to weaken 
  humanity’s culture and morals by destroying the things that 
  could make humanity great.
  Sophosaur Technology
  The crystal used in sophosaur devices has a specific crystalline 
  structure that is accommodating to psychic energy. The crystal 
  is difficult for sophosaurs to find in large amounts or high 
  quality. Clans who do discover and mine high-quality deposits 
  will possess higher-quality inventions and devices, including 
  crystal-powered psychic firearms and psychic armor. GMs who 
  wish to create tougher-than-average antagonists can use this as 
  an explanation for amplifying sophosaur combat statistics. 
  Locations
  From their initial equatorial settlements, sophosaur clans have 
  spread out across the globe both forwards and backwards 
  in time. They still have a tendency to avoid particularly cold 
  locales, and they prefer intellectually vibrant locations where a 
  culture of learning and curiosity tends to inspire them as well. 
  X
  X 	Sophosaurs have a noted presence in Alexandria, suspecting 
  that a TimeWatch agent was involved with burning down 
  the Great Library for the first time.
  X
  X 	The appearance of dragons in 7th-century Japanese 
  mythology suggests that sophosaurs settled in the Asuka 
  period of classical Japan.
  X
  X 	Sophosaurs 
  are 
  active 
  throughout 
  the 
  European 
  Renaissance, preying on inventors and artists before their 
  work can culturally influence others.
  X
  X 	Sophosaur agents in universities identify gifted students 
  (such as child prodigy William James Sidis in the early 20th 
  century) and subtly turn their intellect away from great 
  achievements and towards minor trivialities.
  TE’PK
  Staccato syllables squirm into your head, refusing to leave, 
  chanting in a language that needs to be understood. Are 
  you lonely? Will you listen? It will grant you knowledge and 
  friendship and power, and all you need to do is learn.
  Te’Pk (pronounced tay-PEK, but only if you want to be 
  colonized) is a sentient and memetic language, a parasitic alien 
  concept accidentally brought to Earth by a TimeWatch team 
  returning from a distant parallel timeline. Te’Pk colonizes anyone 
  who learns to speak it; its phonemes and sentence structures 
  rewrite and reorganize human thought patterns, granting great 
  power over normal humankind but degrading original thought 
  and actual humanity in the process. By the time a person 
  becomes fluent in Te’Pk, the language has fully colonized their 
  brain and their original personality is long gone. Only sentient 
  creatures can serve as hosts for the Te’Pk, and infesting a mute 
  creature is the Te’Pk equivalent of eternal solitary confinement.
  Te’Pk Host Stats
  All stats as per the entity’s host body, except:
  Defense: Armor 1, Health +4
  Special Abilities: Hivemind (when speaking with other 
  Te’Pk); Colonization (see below), Te’Pk 3 (Interpersonal 
  ability that echoes mind control — see below)
  The purpose of Te’Pk is to spread. It wishes to exist, and its 
  actions reflect this driving need for preservation. Any physical 
  changes it creates in its host are usually to make the voice 
  louder or more resonant, or to protect and improve the host’s 
  
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  health. It drives its hosts to pass on the memetic life to other 
  uninfected listeners, hoping that the language takes root in 
  them as well. TimeWatch does what it can to stem the infection 
  at its source, and to stop the language from spreading.
  Te’Pk is a highly social intelligence that detests the concept of 
  individual self. When two Te’Pk talk to one another through their 
  hosts, they erase their sense of self and mingle what each of them 
  know, effectively becoming the same intelligence in two bodies. As 
  a result, Te’Pk hosts gather to talk to each other in the language as 
  often as possible. Such gatherings both strengthen Te’Pk resolve 
  (refreshing all spent pools after half an hour or so of conversation) 
  and erase any individual quirks in Te’Pk personality, sharing all 
  knowledge from every host amongst all Te’Pk present. This doesn’t 
  create an ongoing hivemind, but it is a remarkably efficient method 
  for equalizing knowledge across the vast sentience.
  Te’Pk deride combat and only strike at individuals who are 
  unable to hear their voices. For them, it is always preferable 
  that they pass on their language — thus effectively breeding 
  — than it is that they keep their host alive. They don’t entirely 
  lack preservation instincts for their host, but from their point 
  of view, infecting more than one other host in the process of 
  losing a single host body is a dramatic success.
  When allowing their host to speak in its native tongue 
  instead of Te’Pk, conversations tend towards the pedantic. 
  They work individual Te’Pk words and phrases into normal 
  speech, slowly educating the people around them. Once 
  listeners learn a word or phrase that they can remember, the 
  parasitic language has found a new home. The proto-host can 
  draw on this language to gain influence over other people 
  around them; say a few words in Te’Pk, and the proto-host 
  finds that she can bend minds and influence the weak willed. 
  This inevitably encourages more use of the language, and the 
  proto-host is soon completely colonized. 
  Te’Pk considers anyone who is temporarily or permanently 
  deaf to be a dangerous and super-capable anathema unfit 
  for colonization. Such people are destroyed through physical 
  means as quickly as possible to minimize risks to the tongue.
  Writing down Te’Pk is considered to be an act of fertilization 
  and breeding; sentient words enter the page as they’re 
  inscribed. They lie sleeping and inert forever more, but are 
  able to colonize anyone who reads them in the future. Librams 
  and scrolls teaching Te’Pk have been scattered throughout the 
  ancient world by infected TimeWatch agents, urban graffiti 
  spreads its message, and shadowy Internet websites offer 
  learning classes in the language for anyone who blunders 
  across the site. Shutting down such operations is typically a 
  priority for TimeWatch, since language and memes spread 
  more quickly than anyone human can control.
  Te’Pk surfaces multiple times throughout history, with 
  some colonization attempts entering myth and legend. The 
  most famous example is the Tower of Babel, where almost 
  all of Babylonia spoke Te’Pk until Alexander the Great (and 
  some unidentified TimeWatch agents) somehow destroyed a 
  sacred ziggurat and thwarted the language in 331 BCE. Details 
  remain hazy, possibly because you’re the agents this happens 
  to. Most recently, TimeWatch maintains agents at all 21st- and 
  22nd-century major social media sites in order to intercept 
  Te’Pk photo memes before they go viral across the Internet.
  How Does Te’Pk Colonization Work?
  Unwelcome addition. Learn even a single word of Te’Pk, 
  and the GM assigns the character a new Investigative 
  (Interpersonal) ability: Te’Pk. Even if the character doesn’t 
  want it (and they probably don’t!), accepting the new ability is 
  mandatory. Supporting characters to whom the GM assigns 
  the ability have no say in the matter, either. 
  Listen and learn. The character may wish to understand 
  the language when others talk in Te’Pk around them. They 
  can draw upon their Te’Pk ability to do so; in exchange for 
  understanding any Te’Pk speech within earshot, they make a 
  Difficulty 4 Chronal Stability test or gain +1 additional points 
  of Te’Pk. In addition, the GM may assign them an additional 
  +1 point of Te’Pk (up to rating 2) if they demonstrate that 
  they’ve learned a number of words in the language.
  Simple mind control. Speaking the language to others 
  bends them to the character’s will; they may spend 1 point 
  of Te’Pk to duplicate an ability spend from any other 
  Interpersonal ability. Doing so opens their neural pathways up 
  to an unwelcome rush of new alien insight. After choosing 
  to understand others, they must make a Difficulty 6 Chronal 
  Stability test or gain +1 additional point of Te’Pk. 
  This power is a great draw for the meek and downtrodden, 
  and most Te’Pk infestations spread through societies because 
  an underclass suddenly learns that the language gives them 
  great power over their oppressors. 
  3 points and they’re gone. The maximum achievable 
  rating of Te’Pk is 3; at rating 3 the language has colonized 
  a character who then acts solely in the sentience’s interest, 
  laboring to pass on and teach the language to others. Control 
  of the character passes to the GM until such time as their 
  companions are able to erase the language from their memory. 
  There’s no easy way to remove a point of Te’Pk gained 
  during play. This can be accomplished with brain surgery, 
  induced aphasia, or sympathetic TimeWatch memory 
  reconstruction technicians who risk infestation while erasing 
  the language from memory. If the GM allows, these methods 
  allow a character to remove 1 point of Te’Pk at the end of 
  every mission.
  TIMEWATCH AGENT (RIVAL)
  Familiar call signs, polite greetings, slightly narrowed eyes 
  — followed by a deliberately engineered suicide mission.
  Not all agents are a player character’s allies, and their training 
  is equally good. If a character is working at cross purposes 
  against another set of agents from their own organization, 
  expect that they have as many (or more!) resources as the 
  player character does. Player character Agents will have to out-
  think them to win. Of course, if they have more pull with 
  TimeWatch bureaucracy than the player’s Agent does and can 
  manage to get the player character reassigned, the player’s 
  Agent may have to find subtle and creative ways to accomplish 
  their goals without being betrayed. 
  It’s obviously frowned on for TimeWatch agents to fight 
  one another, of course. Murdering another agent is cause for 
  
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  severe discipline, execution, or exile. Because such a crime can 
  be easily investigated by anyone who can time travel, simple 
  out-and-out combat only usually occurs when one party has 
  planned an airtight alibi. It’s more common that hostile agents 
  set deadly traps for their rivals, coerce others into acting in 
  their interest, and pull bureaucratic strings to get you sent on 
  a deadly no-win suicide mission. Like player characters, other 
  rival agents have access to futuristic technology and weaponry. 
  Their capabilities will echo standard player-controlled Agents, 
  and that makes for a dangerous enemy indeed.
  Rival Agent Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 12
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +3; Damage Modifier +0 
  (improvised club), +2 (beam pistol), Stun 5 (PaciFist)
  Abilities: Tempus 20
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Flashback (cost 5), 
  Oracle (cost 1), Technology (cost 2), Teleport (cost 2)
  Misc: Stealth Modifier +3 (until noticed — impersonator 
  mesh)
  Description: Hostile and rival TimeWatch agents are as 
  varied as the player characters. More experienced agents have 
  even more tricks up their sleeves.
  Variant:
  Such agents aren’t necessarily from the TimeWatch that the 
  Agents know and love, either. Tying closely in with the Parallel 
  Universe Imposter, above, there is an alternate-TimeWatch 
  known as the Clockpath that no one in the organization 
  chooses to (or can) acknowledge. The Clockpath’s leadership 
  is corrupt, its mission is badly skewed, its preferred approach 
  is one of militant and oppressive violence, and every single 
  time TimeWatch becomes changed and then returned to 
  its true nature, this alternate organization becomes larger, 
  swollen with refugees from the brutal TimeWatch that never 
  was. Worst of all, the initial branching point was ludicrously 
  minor, a simple misinterpreted order, and the butterfly effect 
  has carried it from there.
  There will come a time when this alternate organization is 
  able to breach dimensional walls en masse and make an assault 
  on the Citadel. The Citadel is woefully unprepared for this; 
  the few agents who have met Clockpath agents have had 
  their reports mysteriously disappear. Whether that’s due to a 
  conspiracy or a traitor is still unclear.
  For other potentially rival and hostile TimeWatch-like 
  organizations that can threaten the Agents, see p. 240.
  WALK-INS
  A different pattern of speech. A new spring in her step. And 
  the woman you love no longer remembers your name.
  There’s a new age concept of walk-ins, people whose 
  original soul has departed their body only to be temporarily 
  or permanently replaced by a different soul. In the world of 
  TimeWatch, this isn’t imagination; it happens, it’s horrific, and 
  it’s typically caused by time travelers.
  Walk-ins occur when incautious time travelers suffer 
  chronal instability and become subsumed by the time stream. 
  Sometimes these travelers have their flesh physically ripped 
  away from them as time attempts to erase them from existence, 
  but muster enough force of will to hang on to their sentience 
  — even if they aren’t so lucky about maintaining their sanity. 
  Their insane spirits find themselves in a new time and location, 
  sentient but bodiless and largely unable to affect the world 
  around them. In effect, they become ghosts. 
  Although they’re scattered across both centuries and 
  continents and thus appear rare, there are actually tens of 
  thousands of walk-ins possessing humanity. Most of these 
  come from the early days of time travel, back before chronal 
  explorers understood how paradox worked. 
  Some of these disembodied and insane time travelers are 
  able to possess normal people, exiling or destroying their soul 
  as they set up residence in a new body. If they’re lucky, they 
  don’t remember any of their past life and live out their years in 
  their new stolen body. If they’re unlucky, they remember just 
  enough to be dangerous. Their memories may be patchy or 
  delusional, but walk-ins who remember how time should have 
  gone usually have the ability and knowledge to change history 
  in their favor. They may be motivated by vengeance, greed or 
  anarchy, or they are just trying to cry for help. 
  The worst and most dangerous walk-ins can casually hop 
  from body to body, possessing new hosts easily and evicting 
  or eradicating their souls in the process. They often use this 
  power to commit serial murder or other untraceable crimes. 
  Walk-ins make for fun Adversaries when you want a less 
  obvious and more subtle villain, perhaps a serial killer who 
  only murders historically significant figures, or a walk-in who 
  possesses a normal insignificant nobody and who manages to 
  make that host historically significant. 
  It’s up to you whether a walk-in cohabits with, evicts, or 
  eradicates the original soul of a possessed host. The former is 
  easier for Agents to fix than the latter. More powerful, amoral 
  walk-ins tend to opt for more permanent eradication.
  Most walk-ins are limited to whatever physical abilities and 
  resources their hosts possess; killing a host, however, does not 
  typically slay a walk-in. Their souls remain chronally unbound, 
  and more extreme solutions that rely on chronal technology 
  or super-science may be required to actually defeat a rogue 
  walk-in.
  Unbodied Walk-In Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3 (or higher due to Invisibility), 
  Health 3
  Offense: Scuffling +1; Damage Modifier −1 (fist, only against 
  another immaterial creature)
  Abilities: Tempus 7+ (Embrace Instability)
  Special Abilities: Embrace Instability, Flight, Immaterial 
  (cost 0 — constant), Invisibility (cost 0 — constant), Mental 
  Attack (Possession — Cost 3 to establish)
  Misc: Stealth Modifier +3 (or higher due to Invisibility)
  Description: An immortal loose spirit unable to affect the 
  world around it, unbodied walk-ins are often angry and insane. 
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  191
  A few learn how to possess people and lose their unbodied 
  state; a handful of these become rememberers or possessors. 
  If unbodied cause enough mischief to have time travelers 
  come after them, their Embrace Instability kicks in and they 
  gain Tempus every time the Agents make a Paradox test.
  Rememberer Walk-In Stats
  All stats as per their host body, except:
  Abilities: Tempus 7+ (Embrace Instability)
  Special Abilities: Embrace Instability, Oracle (cost 1)
  Description: Rememberers are unbodied who have found a 
  permanent host, losing their mental attacks in the process of 
  regaining flesh. They often have true flashes of their past lives 
  or of future events, enough to confuse or terrify them. 
  Possessor Walk-In Stats
  All stats as per their host body, except:
  Abilities: Tempus 15+ (Embrace Instability)
  Special Abilities: Embrace Instability, Mental Attack 
  (Possession — Cost 3 to establish), Oracle (cost 1)
  Description: Possessors have claimed a body, often devouring 
  the soul within it, but can abandon that body at any time 
  to claim another. They retain their ability to possess others 
  and gain Tempus from Agent Paradox tests. If a possessor 
  abandons a body without claiming another immediately, they 
  briefly become an unbodied. These creatures are completely 
  sociopathic and often homicidal, and are considered a 
  nightmare to hunt and capture. 
  Inanimate Walk-In Stats
  Sometimes, walk-ins don’t possess people. They possess 
  objects. Mostly, they possess dolls. The following game stats 
  reflect the animated doll, not the walk-in inside of it.
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 8
  Offense: Scuffling +1; Damage Modifier +0 (razor blade or 
  kitchen knife)
  Abilities: Tempus 7+ (Embrace Instability)
  Special Abilities: Embrace Instability, Lightning Speed (cost 
  2), Mental Attack (Possession — cost 3 to establish; only with 
  chosen child) 
  Misc: Stealth Modifier +1 
  Description: With no particular concept of passing time, 
  possessed dolls spend their unobserved time talking to their 
  chosen child, never revealing their sentience to others except 
  through quiet giggles or distant footsteps. Typically the doll 
  will try to convince the child to change places with it, putting 
  the child’s soul in the inanimate doll and the walk-in’s soul 
  inside of the child. This is the only way the walk-in can possess 
  anything except for the doll.
  YGG, THE GALLOWS-TREE
  Tangled, crawling vines. The slow inexorable cracking of 
  roots through concrete. The sound of singing Norsemen. 
  The scent of toxins shriveling skin. 
  Ygg the Gallows-Tree is the original inspiration for legends 
  of Yggdrasil, the immense Norse ash tree that spans worlds. 
  Originally it was nothing but a mutated scrub plant in a future 
  postholocaust wasteland, desperately clinging to life amidst 
  the radiation and nuclear winter. It had no sentience per se, 
  but its fragile roots could detect heat and vibration, and so 
  they slowly burrowed downwards through the barren soil. It 
  took years before the roots cracked through the reinforced 
  concrete bunker and everything changed.
  That’s because the scrub plant managed to grow its way into 
  a bunker of buried, forgotten time portals in what was once a 
  top-secret laboratory. The humans were gone but the portals 
  remained, and the scrub plant slowly grew right through the 
  time portal and into other ages. 
  One of those ages was 11th-century Scandinavia, where 
  fresh air and abundant soil combined with the plant’s survival-
  based mutations to cause it to sprout with unnatural speed 
  and vitality. The roots soon spread, sliding through other time 
  portals in the bunker and growing in those times and places 
  as well. 
  As the tree grew, it gradually gained sentience. Faint chronal 
  echoes educated it; the people who climbed in its branches 
  or strolled beneath its boughs taught it language. When 
  Norsemen learned that they could walk between worlds by 
  using the tree, Ygg strove to find a way to communicate 
  with them. A year growing a sentient and ambulatory tangle 
  of vines worked poorly, but Ygg refined its wooden mock-
  humans to communicate with people that now regarded it 
  as a god.
  It wasn’t long before the tree believed that as well. It had 
  learned that gods require sacrifices. It liked the idea. Blood is 
  rich in nutrients.
  Now stretching roots and trunks and branches into a 
  hundred different times and places, Ygg, the Gallows-Tree 
  calves off servants in every time to bring it worshippers — 
  and if the servants can’t find worshippers and humans to 
  serve it, then be sure they will find sacrifices. 
  Ygg’s Daughters Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2 (Armor 1 against axes), 
  Health 18
  Offense: Scuffling 14, Shooting 3; Damage Modifier +2 
  (whipping branches — Close range), +1 plus Venom (thorns), 
  +1 (spear grown from own body)
  Abilities: Tempus 12
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Regenerate (cost 0 — 
  all damage unless completely burnt, healing between scenes), 
  Resist Stun, Stony (well, Woody; immune or resistant to most 
  weapons, takes full damage from fire), Summoning (cost 3 — 
  worshippers), Venom (cost 2 — poisonous rash burns like 
  fire, penalizing all actions by −1)
  
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  192
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +1
  Description: Ygg’s daughters appear to be beautiful women 
  aged anywhere from childhood to crone, made entirely of 
  solid animated wood. They have the rare ability to inspire 
  others, and so often have little difficulty attracting a cadre of 
  lost, lonely souls looking for guidance. Like puppet masters, 
  the Ygg’s daughter then sends her fanatically loyal minions 
  out on a crime spree to bring back proper sacrifices for the 
  Gallows-Tree.
  When she clocks out, an Ygg’s daughter plants her roots and 
  slides back onto the branches of Ygg itself. Anyone touching 
  her is carried along.
  ADVERSARIAL MOTIVATIONS
  There are lots of reasons why people might try and change the 
  course of time. Here are a few.
  BRAND-NEW TIME TRAVELERS
  TimeWatch spends a surprising amount of time educating and 
  counseling new time travelers. It’s not always a dangerous task, 
  although it can be; more commonly, it’s an exercise in patience, 
  diplomacy, and creative solutions.
  The first thing a surprising number of new time travelers do 
  is try to kill Hitler, to the extent that TimeWatch maintains a 
  Berlin safe house where TimeWatch teams queue up to handle 
  one assassination attempt after another. A new traveler is 
  seldom bitter and sinister, but they tend to have a bad habit of 
  blundering into paradox and catastrophe. TimeWatch agents 
  often try to help them out and educate them, hopefully without 
  revealing the existence of TimeWatch during the process.
  DO-GOODERS
  Some people want to save the world. History includes a lot of 
  loathsome and reprehensible events, some human made and 
  some natural, and it’s natural that someone who invents a time 
  machine is going to try and prevent some of these things from 
  occurring. These tend to be painful missions for TimeWatch 
  agents; who really wants to ensure an assassination of a 
  beloved figure who time travelers just saved?
  Rebels, former TimeWatch agents who have gone rogue, 
  sometimes fall into the category of do-gooder. Many claim 
  either that history and the fate of humanity can be improved 
  if only TimeWatch would let it, or that we’re deliberately 
  living in a changed and suboptimal timeline that TimeWatch 
  unknowingly (or perhaps knowingly, depending on the scope 
  of the potential conspiracy) perpetuates.
  ERELIM
  When human religions gained access to time machines, they 
  shook the pillars of the world in their attempts to confirm 
  or bring about the major historical underpinnings of their 
  religions. Worse, it’s common for fanatically religious time 
  travelers (or the mercenaries they hire) to directly target their 
  religious enemies. Not all fanatics cares about consequences 
  when they strikes in the name of their god, and it’s up to 
  TimeWatch to prevent tragedy.
  The Erelim (or Ophanim) are highly religious human time 
  travelers named after the Thrones, a class of Christian angel 
  said to be the living symbol of God’s authority. Their historical 
  appearance, a fiery wheel within a wheel covered with eyes, 
  is believed to be derived from the appearance of the most 
  common time machine available to churches during this era. 
  Despite the angelic origin of the name Erelim, it is certainly 
  not only Christian origanisations who have attempted to 
  influence history to favor their religion. The term Erilim is use 
  by TimeWatch to denote all such groups, Christian or not. From 
  the smallest cults to the largest religious conspiracies, those who 
  consider themselves divinely inspired have felt that traveling 
  through time is one way to touch the mind of their god. 
  TimeWatch records shows that some miracles and visions 
  ascribed to religious history may be caused by mischievous or 
  devious time travelers. For instance, although unconfirmed, 
  it’s rumored that the legend of the Greek gods may have been 
  started by drunk time tourists and not caught in time.
  NATIONALISTS
  Sometimes your nation or ideological cause takes a beating, and 
  you decide to go do something about it by playing around with 
  time. These saboteurs seldom have personal aggrandizement 
  in mind, preferring to work towards what they consider loftier 
  causes. They seek to redraw borders, reverse (or engineer) 
  assassinations, rewrite peace treaties, and generally promote 
  their own cause or nationalistic organization over others. Nearly 
  every stereotypical Nazi time traveler seeks this, of course, but 
  this might also apply to a robot species who time travels back to 
  try and kill the mother of their greatest human enemy.
  PARALLEL UNIVERSE DUPLICATES
  Not all TimeWatch campaigns feature parallel timelines and 
  universes. In the core view of time travel, parallel timelines 
  may appear only briefly, or may be mere shadows of the 
  central and true course of history. 
  That should never get in the way of a good adventure, 
  however, especially if you’re running a campaign where 
  multiple parallel universes exist. With an infinite number of 
  parallel universes, there will be one or more that have also 
  discovered time travel, perhaps even earlier than our own 
  universe discovered it; and it’s possible that they’ve used 
  this to infiltrate, invade, plunder, or flee to other universes. 
  That makes them ideal antagonists for a TimeWatch game, 
  particularly when they can kidnap and replace their duplicates 
  in our own universe so easily. Given the proper technology to 
  sense and detect such things, an individual can be identified 
  as originating from a parallel universe with the use of the 
  Timecraft ability. Typically this is determined by comparing 
  their baseline radioactivity, tachyon absorption ratio, and other 
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  193
  Science!-related technobabble, but cultural behaviors may also 
  provide clues. 
  When parallel universe duplicates arrive in our own history, 
  or when TimeWatch agents slip between parallel universes, 
  they traditionally arrive in the exact same location in the new 
  world that they left their old world from. 
  Using parallel universe duplicates or antagonists gives you 
  free rein to provide the Adversaries with whatever technology, 
  knowledge, and motivations you wish; just be sure you can 
  justify them based on the duplicate’s home timeline and culture. 
  For instance, a thief from a parallel where parallel-jumping 
  technology is common may rob our own history’s valuables 
  by leaping in to the corresponding location from their own or 
  a different world, grabbing what they wish to steal, and then 
  leaping away. A wise and nonviolent political refugee from 
  another timeline may arrive in our own world, displacing his 
  greedy and violent duplicate back to the alternate dimension.
  It is completely optional as to whether parallel universe 
  duplicates are wearing goatees.
  REBELS
  Former TimeWatch agents have a bad tendency of rebelling 
  against the organization that trained and equipped them. 
  When agents become convinced that TimeWatch is doing 
  more harm than good, they may flee with their equipment and 
  then work to actively sabotage TimeWatch missions, agents, or 
  facilities. There are multiple groups of former agents out in the 
  multiverse, most led by charismatic freedom fighters, and they’re 
  constantly wary of infiltration from their former masters.
  Is TimeWatch as evil or misguided as they believe? That’s up 
  to the GM, and even so it’s not an easy answer. In more than 
  one case a corrupt agent has poisoned the minds of his or her 
  compatriots. Alternate timeline TimeWatches, agencies that 
  have gone bad, also may confuse the issue. Regardless, if you 
  need Adversaries who know TimeWatch’s playbooks down to 
  the last letter, former agents make a good choice.
  Chimeras, agents driven insane by too much chronal 
  instability, also fall into this category. They often develop 
  ludicrously powerful chronal mastery from the multiple times 
  that they were subsumed by the timeline. A chimera can forge 
  his own parallel timeline, interdict whole decades, or face 
  off against an entire TimeWatch team as an equal. They’re 
  to be feared, and should be defeated without direct combat 
  whenever possible. See more about rebels on p. 297.
  REFUGEES
  Parallel time streams often lose energy and die out, or are 
  eventually reabsorbed by the main flow of history. When one 
  of the dying time streams has time travel technology, however, 
  they might not be willing to go peacefully into that long night. 
  Every available resource is poured into projects that might 
  save the inhabitants. If they do not achieve time travel or 
  dimensional transfer, they disappear as if they never existed at 
  all. If they do, other times or realities suffer a sudden influx of 
  refugees from the world or reality that is vanishing. 
  Such refugees are unlikely to try and threaten their new 
  timeline’s history, but their very presence is inevitably disruptive. 
  It’s also possible that such refugees are actually fleeing 
  a worse threat than a slowly dying world. Alien invasion? 
  Incurable diseases? Natural disasters? Whatever drove them 
  into the real timeline, it’s up to you to figure out why, fix it if 
  possible, or find them a safe haven for them if you can’t.
  SABOTEURS
  Some people just love screwing up history just because they 
  can. Whether motivated by personal greed, academic interest, 
  or a monumental ego, these are time travelers who take it upon 
  themselves to make what they call a better world. 
  Saboteurs make for nice and easy Adversaries, but to be 
  satisfying they should have some reason and motivation for 
  their actions. Why are they going to all the trouble to change 
  history? Perhaps they’re wiping out an unpleasant past, or 
  putting themselves into positions of power, or arranging 
  for true love and great wealth. Perhaps they’re sociopathic 
  and racist and are trying to wipe out great swathes of their 
  enemies. A rationale can even be slightly fluid; if you think 
  of a good historical pivot point that you want to build an 
  adventure around, just pick the motivation for the antagonist 
  that makes the most sense.
  You can tell he’s from a parallel dimension, he has a goatee.
  
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  194
  SANITY-BENDING ABERRATIONS
  What if things exist outside of normal time and space, and 
  you touch their realm whenever you time travel? What if these 
  horrors are drawn behind you in your chronal wake, taking 
  shape from the fears and terrors of the society in which you 
  emerge? These unnatural monstrosities gain power from 
  paradox and chronal instability, shatter the sanity of those 
  whose lives they touch, and live on fear and screams.
  These monsters can be represented by crossing TimeWatch 
  with the unremitting horrors of The Esoterrorists or Trail of  
  Cthulhu. They make for a much darker, more serious, even 
  terrifying campaign. A TimeWatch game with sanity-bending 
  aberrations is one where the Agents will need to ride in like 
  the cavalry, diagnosing where and when something terrible has 
  broken through and showing up to stop it before it can do too 
  much harm. See more about chronal horror on p. 245.
  SCORE TO SETTLE
  Repeating Adversaries are the best kind of antagonists. 
  Enemies who are bitter, and who wish to Make Someone 
  Pay™, provide the sort of single-minded mania that drives 
  horrific and far-reaching chronal plots. Most of Hitler’s 
  would-be assassins fall under this category, but it also includes 
  people who believe that TimeWatch is mining and polluting 
  their world for scarce resources, or people who believe their 
  alternate timeline was destroyed by TimeWatch’s actions. 
  Many tribes of sophosaurs qualify for this motivation.
  SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY
  Due to paradoxes, some species will never exist if they don’t act 
  to ensure their own existence. The ezeru are one example; they 
  seek to create enough radiation to begin their own evolution, 
  an evolution that shouldn’t ever exist if there is never enough 
  radiation. This type of paradox makes for a good story hook 
  when you want villains who have well-established backstories 
  that don’t fit into Earth’s history as you see it. The bitter and 
  horribly scarred man who supplies his younger self with 
  high-tech gear, thus ensuring a firefight in which he becomes 
  horribly scarred, may make for a satisfying adventure. 
  WARMONGERS
  “I’ve got a bright idea,” someone in the future will say. “Instead 
  of fighting our enemy here, let us fight them in the past or 
  the future, where our weapons will not hurt our land.” That 
  person is an idiot, but it happens regardless. Occasionally, 
  whether planned or accidentally, a future war will spill over in 
  full or in part into an anachronistic era. Woe betide the locals 
  when that occurs.
  It’s also common for army units, warships, and other engines 
  of destruction to be time-napped by chronal miscreants 
  and deposited in an earlier or later era. The motivations for 
  doing so vary tremendously, but the soldiers and professional 
  warriors who find themselves in a new era seldom have any 
  idea what happened or why. From their perspective, their best 
  solution is to go right on fighting and winning wars, and that 
  causes paradoxes aplenty.
  When the battles of warmongers spill over into true history, 
  TimeWatch needs to ride to the rescue. They may need to act 
  as peace negotiators, to prevent the war from ever spilling over 
  into time travel, or to contain and manage the situation once it 
  does. See more about time wars on p. 314.
  
  ANTAGONISTS
  195
  
  196
  
  197
  This chapter is meant for the GM. 
  PLANNING FOR YOUR FIRST GAME
  Okay, you’ve got TimeWatch and some trusting players. What 
  the heck do you do with it? There are lots of options here, but 
  we’ve got a “no analysis paralysis” philosophy: start simple, 
  have fun, expand from there. Here’s how.
  One-Shot, Series, or Campaign?
  A one-shot game can be quite different than a series or 
  campaign game. In a one-shot, the Agents can burn bridges and 
  run roughshod over the investigation. There’s little or no worry 
  about setting bad precedents with Investigative spends, and 
  there’s no foreshadowing or need to link to any Investigative 
  clues that lie outside the scope of the current mission. In a 
  one-shot, shadowy conspiracies have little or no context and 
  even less effectiveness, because the Agents don’t understand the 
  status quo enough to be upset when it’s overturned.
  A series game, one that lasts for a predetermined number 
  of sessions (like a three-episode season of an investigative 
  TV show) has a different level of complexity. Each episode 
  typically has at least one small clue leading to the foreshadowing 
  of the final mission in the series. Missions may or may not 
  be linked by plot or antagonists (and usually aren’t, to make 
  sure each game feels unique and memorable), but every game 
  ideally resonates with a given theme for the series: betrayal, 
  trust, consequences, friendship, exploration, mysteries, or 
  the like. In a series, continuity is a little more important; if 
  you let an Agent use Tinkering or Preparedness to produce a 
  technological tool in the first game, it will hopefully show up 
  in later games as well. Agents will likely show both character 
  development and mechanical advancement over the course of 
  the series, growing as characters even as they slowly grow in 
  power and capabilities. Small paradoxes in a series may build 
  up, and it isn’t uncommon to find Agents having to return to 
  the scene and time of an earlier investigation, being careful not 
  to encounter themselves during this second trip. A series also 
  lets you establish reoccurring rivals and enemies, and allows 
  you to build on the structure and supporting personalities 
  at TimeWatch’s Citadel. Keep notes on the names and 
  personalities of supporting characters that you’ve introduced, 
  so that you can call back to them in later sessions.
  A TimeWatch campaign is made up of two or more series. 
  Like different seasons of a TV show, each series making up 
  the campaign may have different story arcs with completely 
  different threats, and will likely have old antagonists rear 
  their heads at incredibly inconvenient times. Use a variety of 
  threats, mission types, and challenges to keep game play fresh 
  across a campaign. Campaign play is where conspiracies, 
  betrayal, and complex mysteries truly shine, as the extended 
  play time gives you the opportunity to slowly roll out linked 
  mysteries and foreshadowed clues. For campaign play, each 
  series may have a different theme, evolving as the game 
  progresses and layers of mystery get peeled back. Individual 
  sessions likely have an A-plot that focuses on the immediate 
  crisis, and a B-plot that calls back the reoccurring mystery or 
  crisis that is only slowly revealed. 
  Our advice? Start simple. Most people play a one-shot first 
  to find out if they like the game, then run a short series or 
  extended campaign with continuing characters. TimeWatch is 
  well suited to either. While it probably does best in a short 
  series of connected episodes much like a season of a TV show, 
  it is ideally suited to a four-hour game session at your local 
  convention or game day. In addition, the different campaign 
  frames work better in certain styles of games; a deliberately 
  humorous game tends to work best as a one-shot, while a 
  conspiracy-based game or one focused on the consequences 
  of time traveling really shines in repeated play.
  We’ll give you specific advice as we go along on the best 
  methods for running both one-shots and continuing campaigns. 
  In the meantime, keep in mind that they’re both a good option 
  GM ADVICE:  
  GET STARTED NOW!
  Want to run a pre-written one-shot adventure right 
  now? The sample starting TimeWatch adventure 
  Recruiting Call can be found on p. 359. It’s a 
  good choice for your first mission.
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  198
  for starting play, and that the best continuing campaigns avoid 
  falling into a routine by interspersing single-session “monster of 
  the week” episodes with continuing themes, clues, plotlines, and 
  mysteries that carry over from mission to mission.
  When generating player characters for a one-shot game, 
  be sure to consider using the templates on p. 158, or (even 
  faster) the completed template built into the TimeWatch PDF 
  character sheets available at www.pelgranepress.com. Just 
  print one and go; perfect for unexpected pickup play. 
  What Sort of Campaign Frame?
  This is something you’re going to want to decide on fairly 
  quickly. It’s a much easier decision for one-shots because 
  you aren’t locking yourself into a specific tone of adventure 
  for any length of time. It takes a little more thinking before 
  deciding on the campaign frame for your continuing game. 
  We recommend that you think about what your favorite time 
  travel TV shows and movies and books are, then read through 
  the summaries of all the various campaign frames offered in 
  TimeWatch. Find one that matches. You’ll have an easy time 
  (and a lot of fun) riffing off of themes that you’ve already 
  seen explored in the shows and stories that you’re already 
  familiar with.
  Paul doesn’t know much about time travel, not having seen much 
  Doctor Who growing up, but he’s a huge fan of  TV shows and 
  stories about parallel worlds such as Sliders, the Amber novels, and 
  Jack L. Chalker’s G.O.D. Inc. stories. He decides to pretty much 
  jettison time travel from his TimeWatch game, and instead run a 
  Parallel Realities game where the player characters pass between 
  parallel universes. That limits the wacky time travel hijinks like 
  showing up to save yourself  in a fight, but it means that he can have 
  an entirely different parallel timeline for each play episode, and there’s 
  bound to be parallel universe duplicates showing up to complicate things. 
  That sounds perfect to him. And if  it gets boring, he can always add 
  time travel back into the mix by letting the heroes encounter a parallel 
  universe where time travel has been discovered.
  We’ll make two suggestions for campaign frames to start 
  off with.
  If you love alternate history, start with a fairly serious 
  Patrol game. That’s the default campaign frame throughout 
  most of this rulebook, and it’s detailed on p. 235; having 
  the players run time cops who solve historical sabotage is 
  going to get you pretty far, and you’ll find the first two or 
  three games easy to plot out. By then you’ll have the hang 
  of the freewheeling nature of TimeWatch, and you’ll be more 
  comfortable introducing complications, interpersonal hooks, 
  and more conniving villains.
  A Pulp game is the way to go if you’re more interested 
  in fast-paced, two-fisted adventure. Pulp is unabashedly 
  dramatic, full of comic book and adventure serial tropes. 
  Where a Patrol game may feature vindictive time traveling 
  assassins or even horrifying sci-fi aliens, Pulp probably features 
  psychic time traveling dinosaurs from an alternate reality 
  who are trying to reclaim the world for themselves. It’s less 
  concerned with historical details and more concerned with 
  punching people in the face. We’d argue it’s easier to run as 
  a result, but there’s a definite difference in tone between this 
  and a Patrol game. Make sure your players know what to expect 
  when making characters.
  These two frames aren’t mutually exclusive, either. A fairly 
  serious game about alternate history that also features a 
  number of pulp tropes (such as alien conspiracies or super-
  science) may perfectly hit your sweet spot.
  You can look at the different campaign frames for other 
  play-style examples (see p. 245). The important thing when 
  choosing a campaign frame is to find an idea that makes you 
  say “hell yes!” Pick one that makes you excited to come up 
  with missions and adventures. If you do, this game is going to 
  be easy to run.
  What’s Your Theme?
  Not every adventure needs to have a theme, but you’re going to 
  find it’s easier to link adventures together if you think about them. 
  Adam decides that everything this rulebook tells you about 
  TimeWatch history is wrong, and that what we consider “real” 
  and authentic history is actually an alternate history stream that 
  has already been ruined by time travelers. He decides that his first 
  game sessions will be about the players slowly discovering this, fixing 
  an error, and setting history back to a more exciting version that 
  they’ll be adventuring in from then on. This theme — uncovering 
  the changes in “true history” that we’ve come to accept, then 
  reverting them to something better — will carry through most of  
  his TimeWatch games.
  Whether your adventures focus on big scale issues such as 
  historical assassination, famine, slavery, or war; or small-scale 
  issues such as lost love, missing relatives, singular mysteries, 
  and wayward time travelers, is completely up to you. You’ll 
  probably run a mix of both types. Either way, you’ll have an 
  easier time developing them once you start building them 
  around a theme.
  If this game as a whole can be said to have a theme, it’s that 
  consequences matter. Who we talk to, what we do, what we 
  don’t do… all of these things ripple down through the ages, and 
  might change the time stream if we’re the right person doing the 
  right thing at the right time. History tends to be self-correcting, 
  but TimeWatch is founded on the idea that history has to be set 
  to rights if it becomes accidentally jumbled. Stick with that for a 
  theme, especially at first, and you won’t go wrong.
  What’s Your First Adventure?
  You’ve got your initial campaign frame, you’ve maybe got a 
  rough theme, and it’s time to think about what you want for 
  an adventure. We’ll talk more about adventure creation, but 
  the best adventures (especially when starting play for the first 
  time) have a few things in common.
  X
  X 	They aren’t too complicated. You know what’s annoying? 
  A ton of red herrings, so many that players feel paralyzed by 
  
  GM ADVICE
  199
  the amount of possibilities in an investigation. That feeling 
  gets multiplied when you have all of time and space to look 
  for clues in. A good starting adventure, and a good one-
  shot adventure, has mystery without an overabundance of 
  confusion. If your average movie-viewer would become 
  bewildered while trying to read a plot summary, it’s too 
  complex for a first adventure.
  X
  X 	They aren’t too simple. A mission that is “clock in, kill (or 
  save) someone, clock home,” doesn’t make for a particularly 
  satisfying plot. TimeWatch is about consequences, mystery, 
  and investigation. The best missions are about what happens 
  in history after a seemingly minor change, and in most cases 
  the players will be working backwards from the end results to 
  figure out what that change was. It’s tremendously satisfying 
  to give the players the end result of a small historical shift, 
  and then let them investigate backwards to discover what 
  changed and why. 
  The characters discover from TimeWatch that neither world 
  war occurred. The Agents suspect that there’s a difference in 20th-
  century European politics, and they need to discover for themselves 
  through investigation that the German and Prussian states were never 
  unified during the 19th century. That means the country we know 
  as Germany never existed. They’ll then need to work backwards and 
  discover that the German states were never unified because Otto von 
  Bismarck never got into politics, and the reason he never got into politics 
  is because he got married to a young English girl that he chased at age 
  20 (which really happened, putting his career in jeopardy, although 
  in the real timeline they never got married). By the time the Agents 
  discover that the girl was a time traveler, they’ll know that making sure 
  that marriage never happens is what they need to do to set history back 
  on its proper course. 
  X
  X 	They let the characters kick ass. TimeWatch agents are 
  exceptional, each of them handpicked from history and 
  trained to succeed. They’re given remarkable technology 
  and control over time and space. All in all, they’re probably 
  not going to get beaten up in a medieval bar fight as their 
  first adventure unless something goes horribly wrong.
  X
  X 	They make players think. The best adventures require 
  players to think creatively, either because they need good 
  tactics or because the best solution is one that requires 
  thinking outside of the box. One method for catching 
  players off guard is with a bait-and-switch adventure, 
  where the players think their mission consists of something 
  straightforward, but the most important aspect of the 
  adventure is something that catches them off guard. 
  TimeWatch Agents have been given a relatively simple job: recruit 
  Amelia Earhart before she dies of  exposure at her crash site. A 
  hidden time traveling Nazi assassin takes her down before they can 
  complete their recruitment, and the Nazi gloats that she has just 
  ensured the victorious future of  her people. Clearly, Amelia would 
  have made a real difference as part of  TimeWatch. They must go back 
  in time to save her life, dogged by Axis assassins, and in doing so they 
  learn that they’re being betrayed by an Axis spy back at TimeWatch 
  HQ. The mission changes from simply “save Amelia” to “root out 
  the Axis spy within TimeWatch’s bureaucracy,” a very different 
  mission indeed.
  X
  X 	They relate to one or more player characters. This 
  doesn’t always have to be the case, but you’ll get a lot of 
  emotional and narrative mileage out of making a mission 
  be linked somehow to one or more of the player characters. 
  Perhaps their home city or country is involved, either before 
  GM ADVICE: SAMPLE THEMES
  Search the Internet for a topic such as “common book themes.” Whether you pick something like 
  “small changes have huge consequences,” or “great people change the world,” you’ll have plenty of 
  ideas to choose from. They’re not all going to apply to adventure development, but they’ll probably 
  inspire ideas.
  For instance, take the theme “heroism — real and perceived.” What if a time traveling anthropologist 
  whose only job is to observe the Battle of Hastings ends up accidentally changing the course of the 
  battle through his own inadvertent heroics? What if he’s then too embarrassed to correct his change, 
  and before he knows it he’s shifted all of history? And what if his rising fame as a popular war hero 
  influences other warriors to act more heroically than they otherwise would have?
  With the theme “preservation of antiquities,” perhaps the Agents are charged with saving great 
  artifacts of history before they can disappear from the historical records. The original Ark of the 
  Covenant is said to have disappeared into Babylon in 597 BCE; perhaps it was recovered and saved 
  by TimeWatch instead, and by your Agents in particular. 
  Continuing themes don’t have to be highbrow. When you think about adventure themes, don’t stress 
  about it or overthink it. A theme of “radioactive mutant cockroaches from the future want to cause nuclear 
  war” isn’t just a fantastic idea, it’s so good we’ve designed an alien species to make it even easier.
  
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  200
  or after their own time; perhaps their personal nemesis is 
  behind the chronal attack; perhaps their family fortunes are 
  affected by the change. If you can tie a mission to a player 
  character’s secret, either directly or in passing, you’ll have 
  that player’s attention for the entire play session.
  X
  X 	They have a great final scene. We’ll discuss the Narrow-
  Wide-Narrow structure of adventure design later, but it’s 
  handy to go into a TimeWatch game having at least an idea 
  for a cinematic, fun final encounter. Try to guess what the 
  players will think is going to happen, then subvert their 
  expectations in the most spectacular way possible. That’s 
  possible to do without excessive metagaming; whether 
  for TimeWatch Agents or their antagonists, time travel 
  allows for great flexibility when information gathering. An 
  antagonist might risk a paradox by finding out what was 
  supposed to happen historically in a fight, then taking steps 
  to subvert that and change the future to ensure their own 
  victory. As the GM, you should aim for a final confrontation 
  that wouldn’t seem out of place in a good action movie, and 
  then don’t worry at all if clever players make sure it never 
  comes to pass. Making your players think on their feet is a 
  hallmark of a good TimeWatch game.
  X
  X 	You spend most of your time saying “yes, and…” 
  instead of “no.” This is the most important advice we 
  can give you. TimeWatch relies on improvisation on the 
  part of the GM, and improvisation always works best if 
  you take your collaborators’ ideas and run with them. Your 
  players will have brilliant and confounding ideas that you 
  haven’t thought of, and they’ll find solutions that completely 
  short-circuit your well-made plans. Good for them! That’s 
  fine; welcome it, embrace it, and find a way to make their 
  success still be fun and interesting. Saying yes a lot doesn’t 
  mean eliminating challenge or complications. It means 
  encouraging creative play at a cost, and then figuring out 
  how that creativity changes the completion and aftermath 
  of the bad guys’ plans. 
  Who Are Your Bad Guys?
  Villains and Adversaries are primarily determined by the 
  nature of the mission, unless they belong to a continuing 
  group of antagonists that has cause to oppose the player 
  characters. Bad guys should be a mix of unnamed Mooks, 
  mid-tier Opponents, noncombative supporting characters 
  who are around for exposition or witty commentary, and 
  named Adversaries.
  A cinematic example: imagine that the superb movie Raiders 
  of the Lost Ark is a TimeWatch game, and that Indiana Jones, 
  Marion Ravenwood, and Sallah are all player characters. Nazis 
  are the continuing group that bedevils the Agents. Dr. René Belloq 
  and interrogator Major Arnold Toht are named Adversaries, the 
  Monkey Man and the bald airplane mechanic who fistfights Jones 
  are Opponents, and every Nazi who goes down with a single punch 
  or bullet is an unnamed Mook. You’ll notice how the best fight scenes, 
  such as the brawl at Marion’s bar in Nepal, consist of  a mix between 
  the three types.
  Antagonists in an adventure should always be memorable, 
  unique, and easily distinguishable. You may enjoy considering 
  what actor would play them, if your TimeWatch game was 
  a movie. Considering this helps fix their face, voice, and 
  mannerisms in your mind, making them that much more 
  real. You’ll also get a lot of mileage out of giving them scars 
  or distinguishing characteristics that the player characters 
  themselves create for them in a fight. 
  A badly scarred elderly Adversary with a cybernetic eye shows up 
  to fight the Agents. The GM describes him as looking like an elderly 
  Christopher Lee. Later they encounter his much younger self, who 
  (through GM description and player action) loses an eye during the 
  fight. The players know that he’ll escape, and that they’re responsible 
  for his future appearance. Best yet, even if  the Agents killed the elderly 
  version, they know that he survived to that age — so his younger and 
  middle-aged versions can continue to plague the group, and killing any 
  of  those versions triggers paradox and Paradox tests.
  The best bad guys have character hooks that make them 
  seem villainous or memorable. They may be visual (clothing, 
  appearance), auditory (voice, accompanying sound), olfactory 
  (perfumed, foul stench), or philosophical (a fact usually learned 
  through their conversations or monologues). 
  Coming up with a good and memorable bad guy may 
  be half the battle in adventure design, especially if you 
  understand what his or her goals are. Once you know your 
  bad guy’s motivations and needs, and you think about what 
  they’d do to achieve them, a half dozen plots and missions 
  will spring to mind.
  Giles and Carlton Worthington-Fiske are a married pair of  
  British theoretical anthropologists from the 24th century. They have 
  a lot to recommend them: they’re smart, incredibly snappy dressers, 
  blissfully happy together, and they’re passionate about their work. 
  Unfortunately, they’re also completely unethical, as they test their 
  theories by having Giles make small changes in actual time and then 
  studying how those changes ripple forward. Giles is suffering from 
  chronal instability that’s driving him towards megalomania, Carlton 
  doesn’t know how to help him and is loyal enough not to betray him, 
  and their experiments are getting more and more dangerous. When 
  TimeWatch Agents encounter them for the first time, how they make 
  their approach may dictate how dangerous the encounter becomes.
  Knowing who these Adversaries are, you have lots of  possible 
  adventure hooks, including:
  X
  f 	They change a British monarch, perhaps saving the life of  
  Mary, Queen of  Scots, to see how England changes.
  X
  f 	To test theories about religious development, they have 
  ancient Pacific island tribes and far-future planetary colonists 
  worshipping them as gods.
  X
  f 	To study the effects of  fear, they inspire multiple serial killers.
  
  GM ADVICE
  201
  How Do You Deal With  
  Research and Game Prep?
  Traditionally, the need to research time travel adventures is 
  pretty damn intimidating. You’ll have to imagine our Old Guy 
  Voice here as we shake our canes at you, but back in our day, 
  we used to have to go to the library and pick up encyclopedias 
  to research a historical game! It took forever, and few people 
  wanted to go to the trouble. As a result, good time travel 
  games were few and far between. 
  Use the Internet
  The best research tool you’ll find is your phone, tablet, or 
  computer. Between Wikipedia and alternate history message 
  board forums, between historical podcasts and the ability to 
  just enter a question into your favorite search engine, it turns 
  out that you have a wealth of already developed plot hooks 
  and amazing ideas at your fingertips. 
  Use these to inspire you. For instance, go type “alternate 
  history what would have happened if” into Google and see 
  what pops up. Not every result will be brilliant, of course, and 
  there’s a good chance that you and your group can provide a 
  better answer to these questions than strangers on the Internet 
  can, but this provides a fantastic resource to draw inspiration 
  from. 
  The other advantage of the Internet is that you actually 
  benefit from players having tablets and smartphones at the 
  gaming table. A quick Wikipedia search that they can look 
  up themselves means that’s information you don’t have to 
  memorize or write down. Just don’t hesitate to address the 
  problem if players start skimming social media instead of 
  researching, of course.
  Don’t Make It All About the History
  Instead, use history as a backdrop for other adventures. The 
  BBC’s Doctor Who does this marvelously. Episodes tend to be 
  about people, not about history, and time travel is the backdrop 
  through which this becomes possible. If you’re not a person 
  who delights in alternate history, this is a great approach to 
  take in a TimeWatch game.
  A Conspiracy-style game, for instance, is about trust and 
  suspicion in TimeWatch, and about covert infiltration of 
  history by shape-shifting aliens. The actual alternate history 
  adventures become secondary to the main story. Likewise, 
  a game where the quarry is a time traveling refugee who 
  has gone to ground in another time period doesn’t usually 
  require you to think through all the historical changes that 
  person would cause. 
  You can make the focus be about a particular Adversary 
  and her conflict with TimeWatch. You can make it be about 
  a relatively recent historical event that you know well, such as 
  what might happen if a time traveler had founded a real-world 
  massive tech company. You could focus on alien infiltration 
  at a particular place and time. Or you can have it focus on a 
  power struggle within TimeWatch itself, catching the Agents 
  between two opposed factions in a schism and requiring them 
  to make peace or take sides before it turns into civil war.
  This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t make your games all 
  about alternate history and the glorious cascade of change 
  throughout time. It’s just not mandatory, and you can 
  have lots of fun with missions that require a minimum of 
  historical prepwork.
  Don’t Sweat All the Details
  You don’t need an encyclopedic knowledge of the time periods 
  and locations where your mission takes place, you just need 
  to know a little bit more than your players do. Ten or fifteen 
  minutes scanning the Internet usually gives this to you. You 
  make up the rest, and with a few jotted notations you’re ready 
  to run a game. If the players ask you about something you don’t 
  know about, you can either tell them that the information isn’t 
  an important clue, or you can ask one of your players to look it 
  up and tell you. It’s not going to happen very often. 
  Think about what a place looks and smells like. What season 
  is it? What time of day do the Agents arrive? Describe this, 
  and just give the players as much information as they need to 
  feel like they’re standing there. If your team landed in ancient 
  Egypt, you wouldn’t need to bore them with descriptions 
  about the current pharaoh (until they choose to talk to him, at 
  least); instead, you’d describe the dust, the heat, and the lines 
  of slaves in the process of constructing the Great Pyramid.
  Your players clock into Sarajevo in 1914 to find out why World 
  War I doesn’t start when it should. They quickly learn that Archduke 
  Ferdinand of  Austria wasn’t assassinated there, or in fact assassinated 
  at all. While reading the newspapers, they also see mentions of  the 
  Prussian city of  Berlin. Now, you as GM have no idea what most 
  of  the 30-odd German states were preunification, but you do know 
  that Berlin was in Prussia and that Bismarck was the driving force 
  behind unification. 
  “Sarajevo is crowded and polluted right now. It’s June, so the 
  temperature is just starting to warm up. Oddly, the archduke isn’t 
  here right now. Apparently he’s visiting Prussia.” You pause. “Wait,” 
  you tell your players, “do any of  you have Contemporary History? 
  Something has changed. In 1914, Berlin was in the German empire, 
  not Prussia. Otto von Bismarck made sure of  that back in the 
  1800s.”
  “Is there a German empire now?” asks a player.
  “You check the newspaper, and nope. There are three dozen 
  squabbling states instead.”
  “No wonder there’s no world war; all of  politics is different, and all 
  of  the treaties between European nations are different. Has Bismarck 
  already died in this new timeline?” 
  “You have Research, right? It takes you days to find the answer to 
  that, but you’re time travelers, so it’s not like that matters. Nope, he’s 
  alive, but he’s not where you’d think. It looks like Bismarck never got 
  into politics at all. You find a single reference to him being a lawyer in 
  London, married to a British woman.”
  “That’s not right!” say the Agents, and they’re off  to London to 
  interview the frustrated and solidly middle-class Otto von Bismarck, 
  London solicitor.
  Notice that you made it through this example with a 
  minimum of questions about obscure German politics. 
  Players quickly focus in on the fact that the information you 
  
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  202
  know best is the information important to the mystery, and 
  the information you don’t know isn’t relevant to the plot. If 
  you think of it like that, not over-preparing actually helps 
  your game considerably; you’ll give out fewer inadvertent red 
  herrings.
  Start at the End, and Work Backwards
  If you’re completely out of ideas for your adventure, or 
  you have so many possibilities that you can’t decide, go with 
  whatever would look best on a movie screen. 
  X
  X 	A Chinese spaceship crashes through the atmosphere into 
  the heart of 24th century Beijing.
  X
  X 	A dinosaur rampages through Chicago.
  X
  X 	The supervolcano beneath Yellowstone National Park 
  erupts, and a time traveler witnesses the devastation.
  X
  X 	Ancient Vikings rampage through the modern-day 
  Cotswolds.
  It’s fine if you don’t know yet why these things are 
  happening. Just assume that’s going to be the hook that starts 
  your adventure. 
  Have your cinematic moment? Start there, and then work 
  backwards to decide how the world got to this state. That may 
  be the same path your players take in investigating the mystery.
  X
  X 	A dinosaur rampages through Chicago. It escaped through a 
  time-hole generated in a Northwestern University research 
  lab. The researchers were experimenting on time travel 
  equipment found entombed in solid stone. The TimeWatch 
  Agents must travel back to save that time traveler who lost 
  his equipment, thus preventing the dinosaur from ever 
  rampaging.
  X
  X 	The supervolcano beneath Yellowstone National Park 
  erupts, and a time traveler set it off. Why? Either it’s meant as 
  a weapon against the United States, or some poor researcher 
  from the future got too close and triggered thermal stresses 
  they shouldn’t. Players are most likely to assume a military 
  plot (especially when the US is invaded post-disaster), so the 
  latter is the true case. A probe left by a time traveling player 
  character Agent with Spying can identify the researcher; so 
  then it’s a matter of tracking them down in their native time, 
  convincing them that they cause a disaster, and staving off 
  attacks from alternate history agents who really want the 
  volcanic disaster to have occurred.
  X
  X 	Ancient Vikings rampage through the modern-day 
  Cotswolds. A mysterious mist blew over their company 
  and transported all of them to a different time. After some 
  brutal fighting and cultural misunderstandings, the Agents’ 
  Science! and Timecraft abilities indicate that the mist which 
  transported them came from a disintegrated TimeWatch 
  autochron. Whose, and why? Perhaps one of the Vikings 
  is actually a TimeWatch agent who lost her chronal stability 
  when her time machine was sabotaged by a rival. The Agents 
  must remove the Vikings, re-anchor her, get her help, and 
  deal with her would-be assassin. 
  All those stem from just one nifty cinematic image, and 
  there are a hundred other ways those adventures could go. 
  If you want a strong start to the game and don’t like tracing 
  historical ripples forward, this is a fast and fairly easy way to 
  generate missions.
  Or Start at the Beginning, With High Concept
  Prefer to start at the beginning instead? A fun way to build an 
  adventure is to start with a strong hook and extrapolate from 
  there as you make stuff up. Think of your hook as the tagline 
  on a movie or a novel. 
  X
  X 	Too many Napoleons! 
  X
  X 	George Washington, dictator! 
  X
  X 	Why is your face on the Great Sphinx of Egypt? 
  X
  X 	The Roswell crash was real! 
  X
  X 	25th-century medicine saves 15th-century Mesoamerica… 
  and won’t the conquistadores be surprised! 
  You get the idea. At this stage, exclamation points are 
  important; if your hook isn’t enough fun to deserve an 
  exclamation point, it might not make an exciting adventure. 
  “Modifying the stitch pattern in Betsy Ross’ American 
  flag design” probably wouldn’t pass immediate muster, for 
  instance.
  You’ll take your hook, decide how it occurred, and follow 
  those changes forward through time. This isn’t a simulation, 
  so you won’t need to come up with every possible change; 
  just pick a handful of things that shift, and aim your players 
  towards those. 
  X
  X 	Too many Napoleons! For whatever reason (a future 
  descendent, perhaps?), someone has been gathering 
  versions of Napoleon from different alternate realities and 
  different parts of his life, bringing them all into France to 
  help him conquer all of Europe. The Adversary is using a 
  paradox dampener, a plot device you make up on the spot, 
  to temporarily reduce paradox and stop the duplicates from 
  de-stabilizing and disappearing during their gathering. After 
  the Agents discover that the Napoleonic Empire spans the 
  globe during the 20th century, they must work their way 
  back to diagnose the problem.
  X
  X 	George Washington, dictator! How would the fledgling 
  United States of America change if Washington had taken 
  Col. Lewis Nicola’s advice of May 22, 1782, and ended 
  the Revolution by declaring himself king of America? 
  He’d never accept unless mind controlled or replaced by a 
  duplicate, but plenty of TimeWatch antagonists have that 
  capability. Read some online commentary then throw the 
  Agents back into a Royalist USA, one with less stability 
  than the original that’s wracked with internal dissension and 
  further civil war. Someone who benefits from a destabilized 
  US is probably behind it, such as an expanded Spanish 
  empire after Mexico invades. Once they arrest the actor 
  playing George Washington, the Agents would need to 
  make sure he never rose to power in the first place.
  X
  X 	Why is your face on the Great Sphinx of Egypt? In this 
  case, “your” is one of your Agents, who in the future has 
  been Subsumed too many times from chronal instability to 
  hang on to her sanity. You decide she has gained horrible 
  chronal powers and technology, and has become the new 
  god-empress of Egypt. That wouldn’t be a problem if 
  
  GM ADVICE
  203
  she hadn’t also exterminated other life on Earth with a 
  bioengineered plague. It’s up to the Agents to break the 
  interdiction device preventing time travel out, escape, and 
  surreptitiously stop her from being Subsumed during one 
  of her future encounters. Doing so will ensure her sanity 
  and save the past.
  X
  X 	The Roswell crash was real! Worse, it marks the spread 
  of shape-shifting aliens throughout the US intelligence 
  services. They’re deliberately triggering global climate 
  change to make Earth’s atmosphere more hospitable for 
  their species. It’s up to the Agents to wipe them out or 
  capture them when they come down, replace the spacecraft 
  with a fake, and not get caught in the process.
  X
  X 	25th-century 
  medicine 
  saves 
  15th-century 
  Mesoamerica… and won’t the conquistadores be 
  surprised! Disgusted by the Portuguese slaughter of 
  Central American natives, a well-meaning time traveler 
  develops a vaccine to the infectious diseases brought by 
  Europeans and seeds it into rain clouds over North and 
  South America. Within a generation, Native American 
  tribes are made immune to the plagues that would otherwise 
  historically kill 90% of them. Agents will need to decide 
  whether or not it’s moral to reverse this, and whether or not 
  the scientist (heralded as a god by later generations of Native 
  Americans) should be punished. Warriors from the variant 
  future may violently object if the vaccine is reversed…
  And so forth. From a strong hook you develop consequences 
  and backstory, then decide where in the historical changes 
  to insert the Agents. This method is a little more involved 
  than working backwards is, because you are starting with 
  an originating event instead of a result that you can reverse 
  engineer, but it works just as well for producing fun missions.
  Set a Time Limit for Prep
  Still seems like too much work? Set yourself a deadline: 
  half an hour to think up a mystery and do prep. Sure, you 
  can make it longer if you want to, but you shouldn’t feel like 
  you need to. If you don’t have anything clever and satisfying 
  at the end of half an hour of noodling, go with something 
  fun and lowbrow. Steal the plot of The Terminator and set it 
  in Shakespeare’s London. They’ll notice, but everyone will be 
  having too much fun to care.
  The point, of course, is not to overthink the plot of your 
  first game. If you stick with fast, fun, and action filled for your 
  initial exposure to TimeWatch, it’s hard to go wrong.
  Fast Game Plotting
  The important thing to remember is that your game isn’t 
  a simulation, so you don’t need to know exhaustive details 
  about your plot and the background. Think of a clue-
  containing year in TimeWatch just like a clue-containing room 
  in a fantasy dungeon. Agents show up, gain clues or fight 
  enemies, and they don’t necessarily need to know all the 
  details about what else is going on at the time. If you do want 
  to be prepared, of course, typing any year into Wikipedia 
  delivers a superb summary of world events from that year, 
  so it’s easy to grab a few things for verisimilitude. Just don’t 
  overplan, or analysis paralysis will prevent you from ever 
  running a single game. 
  For faster and simpler game prep, we suggest following the 
  results of strong personalities. Consider what might happen 
  if someone influential made a different choice than they did 
  in true history. This might be easier than trying to consider 
  historical cause-and-effect or a “linked history” type of 
  adventure (where Agents chase down the results of changed 
  history backwards through the years) because it relies more on 
  personality and leadership, and less on historical minutiae. In 
  a pinch, you could even run a great game where the Agents 
  never leave TimeWatch HQ, as they’re just tracking down a 
  traitor within their ranks and trying to find proof of their 
  perfidy.
  Your friends are showing up in an hour, and you don’t have a 
  game planned. To the Internet! Google “major events in 19th-century 
  Russia” and you get Wikipedia’s “Timeline of  Russian History.” 
  Scanning it, you see that Napoleon invaded Russia but was forced 
  out. That seems perfect to change. So you Google “what if  Napoleon 
  had succeeded in Russia?” After all, you can posit that with some 
  advanced weaponry and good communications equipment that would 
  be a real possibility. That could make for a fun adventure: snow, 
  swearing Frenchmen, and bullets flying everywhere.
  You want a personal reason for this to occur instead of  an ideological 
  or time-linked reason, since you don’t want to do any more research 
  than you have to. Personal or family pride? Sure, that’s plausible — 
  people do surprising things in the name of  family pride. So you decide 
  a descendent of  Napoleon from the 23rd century hijacks a time travel 
  tour, gathers arms, and goes to resupply his famous ancestor with 
  tactical information and futuristic rayguns. Napoleon takes Russia 
  and then India as a result, setting up a series of  monarchies run by 
  Bonapartes — of  whom the time traveler is one. Time tends to right 
  itself  so the empire collapses in a few decades with few long-term effects, 
  and the time traveler is assassinated by rebels. The other time tourists 
  who have been kept as hostages the entire time are also killed.
  The Agents are briefed when one of  the time tourists, a famous 
  holo-star, goes missing. They track the tour to someplace and sometime 
  exotic, and manage to see the hijacking, but they are prevented from 
  stopping it due to the tourist vehicle’s non-interference chronal shield 
  that prevents tourists from messing up history. (This is a fairly blatant 
  plot device, but it’s something a time traveling tourist vehicle might 
  legitimately have, so it’s fair game.)
  The Agents then track the chronal signature back to Moscow. The 
  city is ruled by Napoleon, and his soldiers have modern firearms. The 
  Agents do some investigating and learn that the saboteur rules some 
  other city. They head there to talk to him, convince him he’s made 
  a terrible mistake, find out when he arrived with the tourists, head 
  there, and stop the hijacking — thus eliminating that time loop. All 
  they need to do is avoid the deadly Napoleonic troops he’s sent ahead 
  to guard that location, in anticipation of  interference just like this.
  Note that you need to know a minimum about actual history 
  to run this adventure. To get the feel right, maybe you’ll Google 
  “what was 19th-century Russia like?” and “what was 19th-century 
  France like?” 
  
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  204
  Help Your Players Build Characters
  For your first TimeWatch game, you’re just as well off having 
  the players use pregen characters or taking characters from 
  a template as you are having them make their own. There’s 
  always a fear amongst players that they’re making an ineffective 
  character, and that’s doubly true in any sort of point-buy 
  system. We’ve tried to negate this fear in three ways:
  X
  X grab-and-play templated characters to use, or to provide a 
  starting character that your players can then customize
  X
  X sample iconic characters you can download from the 
  Pelgrane Press website
  X
  X 	lots of examples in the character-building chapter
  Even with this help, we’re of the opinion that it’s always 
  easier to tune and create characters in a system once you’ve 
  already played it once. For your first game, feel welcome to use 
  the template characters for anyone who doesn’t want to take 
  the time pregame for character creation.
  To help your players build Agents, be sure to communicate 
  the feel of the game you want to run. If you want a relatively 
  serious game or traditional game, tell them that you’d like 
  human Agents only. If you want a game where all the characters 
  are from roughly the same time period (such as a game where 
  futuristic law enforcement has been transported accidentally 
  into the past), communicate that as well. Restrictions actually 
  make it easier for people to make choices; telling an undecided 
  player some arbitrary cutoff dates, such as “if you aren’t sure, 
  create a character from the year 2025,” for your first game 
  might make it easier for those players to pick.
  Once every player has a character, do a quick read-through 
  to discover what Investigative abilities (if any) haven’t been 
  covered by at least one person. If one or more isn’t, you have 
  three choices: 
  X
  X 	Require that someone puts a point in that ability.
  X
  X 	Avoid creating mysteries with related clues.
  X
  X Rely on the Agents’ tethers, allies throughout time, and 
  Research ability to fill in those blanks when such a clue 
  comes up. 
  Any of these works, but the third may be the most fun 
  for creative players. It should be fine for no one to possess 
  Medical Expertise, so long as one of the Agents doesn’t mind 
  spending an Interpersonal or History (Ancient) point to be 
  friends with the 6th-century BCE Indian surgeon Sushruta.
  HOW TO BUILD A  
  ONE-SHOT ADVENTURE
  Before you ever plan to run a series or an entire campaign 
  of a new RPG, you run a single game. A one-shot is your 
  opportunity to showcase both the game rules and your GMing 
  style. You’ll want to make that first game (or any unconnected 
  one-shot game) as much fun as possible. Here’s how.
  DON’T OVERTHINK CHARACTER GENERATION
  You know what no one wants to do? Spend half their first 
  game session making new characters for a game they may 
  not be playing every week. Save time and jump right into 
  the action by using either pregenerated TimeWatch characters 
  such as the iconics featured throughout these rules, or by 
  giving your players access to the fast-start archetypes available 
  available on Pelgrane Press’ website. The former include plot 
  hooks and character interactions; the latter allow your players 
  to customize them thoroughly, adding a name and background 
  but minimizing time spent on the rules-intensive action of 
  actually assigning build points to Investigative and General 
  abilities. The sooner you jump into the action, the more fun 
  everyone has.
  If you use the fast-start archetypes and want to keep playing 
  further games with all or some of the same characters, let your 
  players tweak their archetypes’ point allocation as much as 
  they wish before the second game session. 
  WHAT’S YOUR GOAL?
  This is your players’ first exposure to the game, and first 
  impressions count for a lot. Your goal should be to run a 
  complete mission in a set time (usually 3–4 hours, including a 
  fast 30-minute rules briefing).
  That means one-shot adventures are typically structured a 
  little differently than an ongoing series. They’re a little simpler 
  and more straightforward than campaign-based missions, 
  with fewer encounters; you’ll probably focus on fun historical 
  plot hooks, difficult decisions, and showy set pieces. By 
  starting the new Agents on a clear and specifically assigned 
  mission, or even in medias res with action going on around 
  them, you may limit their first few options at the game’s start. 
  You’ll also eliminate any first-game-starting analysis paralysis, 
  encouraging your players to jump right into the action. That’s 
  worth the trade-off.
  PACING
  The best one-shot adventures we’ve seen are tightly paced, 
  with clues aplenty so that players don’t spend a lot of 
  time deliberating on what to do next. That’s a good thing, 
  because otherwise they’ll spend all their time discussing 
  how to do something instead of just doing it. For better or 
  worse, TimeWatch gives players tremendous flexibility when 
  
  GM ADVICE
  205
  problem-solving; whether they get past a security guard by 
  shooting him or by traveling back in time to become his shift 
  supervisor, you’ll likely have the most fun when your players 
  have more options. That means giving them more clues than 
  they need instead of too few clues. 
  To do this, consider including a minimum of three different 
  types of clues to link scenes together. Your players may 
  miss one or two, but they’re unlikely to miss all three, and 
  discovering every clue means that they then have a clear path 
  to further the investigation.
  The Agents are investigating the murder of  Meriwether Lewis and 
  Sacagawea during the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1806. Medical 
  Expertise indicates that the bodies were ripped apart by something larger 
  than a grizzly bear; Outdoor Survival indicates whatever the animal was, 
  it isn’t native to the Pacific Northwest; Notice lets the group spot huge, 
  humanoid footprints (the scene’s core clue); Timecraft allows their tethers to 
  detect aberrant chronal radiation; Trivia suggests that this is indicative of  a 
  Bigfoot or Sasquatch. Put together, the group can conclude that they’re facing 
  a Sasquatch that’s been somehow deposited here from the far future… but 
  as long as they Noticed the footprint, they can track the beast, assuming 
  they don’t wish to go back in time and lay a trap for it.
  That can be useful, because a four-hour one-shot game has 
  fewer scenes than you probably think you need. Playtesting has 
  indicated that four different scenes, with a mixture of combat 
  and roleplaying and mystery-solving, fill up a four-hour game 
  quite nicely. With half an hour to explain rules and an hour for 
  the final climactic encounter, you’ll have two and a half hours 
  to draw in the players, establish the mystery, and get them to 
  an exciting final scene.
  SESSION START
  Scene one is where the initial game hook is established and 
  when the Agents are given their first destination to start 
  their investigation. The job of your first scene is to launch 
  the Agents into the adventure or the mystery. This usually 
  happens when they learn that something in time has changed. 
  You can do this easily enough with a briefing officer and an 
  assignment that’s secretly more complex, but it tends to lack 
  adventure or passion.
  Agents, your briefing officer at TimeWatch tells you to go to 13th-
  century Manchuria and discover why the Jin dynasty was never 
  defeated by Genghis Khan. 
  It’s generally much more interesting to have the Agents 
  notice the problem on their own. Doing so establishes 
  the Agents as self-reliant, autonomous troubleshooters. In 
  comparison, giving the Agents a mission through a briefing 
  officer emphasizes their troubleshooting role within a much 
  larger organization.
  You were assigned to guard King Béla IV of  Hungary from a 
  rumored assassination attempt during the Mongol attack of  1241, 
  and you’ve never had a more boring job. Not only hasn’t there been an 
  attempt on his life, there haven’t been any rumors of  a Mongol army. 
  Prefer action? Start the game’s first scene in medias res. 
  There’s little time for debate when the game starts in the 
  middle of action, and this helps you teach the rules while you 
  establish the flow and tone of the game right up front.
  It’s some time in the middle of  the 16th century, and your feet slide 
  on the slick, rain-damp stone of  the Great Wall of  China as you 
  chase down your quarry. She’s a time traveler who been smuggling 
  antiquities into the future, not a huge crime, but she is trying to make 
  a run for it. It’s fair to say that she’s as surprised as you are when the 
  world shimmers and the Great Wall vanishes out from underneath 
  you. Roll an Athletics test… 
  The mystery is established by the end of the session’s 
  start, even if the Agents don’t yet understand the mystery’s 
  root cause. You may or may not have foreshadowed the true 
  Adversary, but the Agents will have found clues that start 
  them on their travels through time to learn more.
  MID-SESSION
  The middle of a one-shot TimeWatch game is when Agents buckle 
  down to investigate multiple clues and the plot branches in different 
  directions. This may be a linear investigation, as a clue in one time 
  period leads to clues in a second period, perhaps with Agents using 
  local reference material to find out what happened in the past. It 
  may instead be nonlinear, a trip to three different eras where each 
  holds a partial clue to the entire mystery. The complexity of the 
  investigation generally relates to how much time you have for 
  gaming, with linear plots tied to shorter game sessions. 
  Mid-session is when mysteries become unraveled, motivations 
  emerge, villains make themselves known, and Agents concoct 
  nefarious plans. This is where the mission really hits its stride, 
  and it’s also where you’ll want to pay the most attention to 
  pacing. New groups may have a tendency to hunker down mid-
  mission and analyze what they’ve learned so far. In doing so they 
  open themselves to tedious overanalysis, not realizing that in 
  GUMSHOE the best strategy is to keep moving and investigating 
  if you don’t yet have enough clues to piece together the mystery.
  As a result, it’s important that the GM recognize when the 
  players are having fun sorting through chronal mysteries, and 
  when they would really just prefer to go somewhere and hit 
  something. Use action sequences to prod them on their way when 
  necessary. If they’re hiding somewhere that isn’t easily found, the 
  best part of an ambush by unknown foes is that you can tell 
  your group “that’s right, you’ve never seen them before but they 
  seemed to know and hate you. You must encounter them in the 
  future. Who do you think they are?” In doing so, the very action 
  encounter becomes another clue to keep the group moving.
  The five futuristically dressed Chinese warriors are still shimmering 
  with chronal energy when they appear on the nearby hill. “You will not 
  destroy that for which we have fought and died!” shouts the shortest, 
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  206
  and all five kneel and put an arrow to their bows. “Kill that one first,” 
  says the short man, pointing at one of  your characters, and all five aim 
  at you. We’re in combat. Who wants to go first?
  Keep at least one combat encounter prepared and ready 
  to spring on your group when the pacing makes the most 
  sense. Because Agents can anger people or organizations in 
  the future that then come back to bedevil them in their past, 
  you don’t even need to initially explain who the assailants 
  are — and encountering and killing them early in the game 
  means that when their younger selves show up later in the 
  game, the Agents can’t kill them once again without making 
  a Paradox test. These groups of floating assailants should 
  largely consist of Mooks, faceless antagonists who hit hard 
  but go down quickly, perhaps accompanied by one or more 
  named Opponents to make the fight more challenging.
  You may also wish to simply tell a group of players 
  locked in overanalysis that they shouldn’t overthink things; 
  many things might be happening, but only one thing is, so 
  the more they go out and investigate the faster they’ll reach 
  the correct conclusion.
  During this mid-game period, it’s likely that Agents might 
  time travel to eras that don’t necessarily contain clues. When 
  this occurs, have them roll two Travel tests (or spend two 
  Stitches instead) and simply tell them that the information 
  they’re hunting for can’t be found there. This locks off lines of 
  inquiry quickly and efficiently, making the investigation faster. 
  If an Agent wishes to spend an Investigative point for a clue, 
  remind them that Investigative points never need be spent for 
  clues, and that there’s no information there helpful to the case.
  Once the Agents have identified the root of the mystery, 
  and are planning their actions to change time back to the 
  correct path, you’re approaching the game session’s end.
  SESSION END
  As the mission draws to a close and the Agents circle in on 
  their Adversaries, it’s common for your players to surprise you 
  with a plan you never even considered. 
  “Next month I’m going to put a satellite-based weapons platform 
  into geosynchronous orbit two months back, and have it stationed 
  directly above Victorian London so I can use it in this encounter. 
  Okay if  I spend a Science! and an Intimidation for that?”
  “We know her last name, right? Can we trace her father if  I spend 
  a Research or Contemporary History? I’m going to go back in time 
  to quietly and quickly sterilize him with radiation back when he’s a 
  teenager. That way he’ll never have a daughter, and so she won’t be 
  here kicking our asses right now. I don’t care if  it causes paradox. 
  Let’s do it.”
  “All those onlookers watching this fight? I have Flashback 
  through Preparedness. They’re actually our future selves, in disguise, 
  waiting to be reinforcements. Get ’em, everyone!”
  You get the idea.
  Even new players have usually wrapped their heads around 
  time tricks at this point, so creativity may run rampant: as 
  noted above, they may try to make sure their enemies were 
  never born, may use time travel to make their Adversaries’ 
  plans redundant or nonsensical, or may intercede at the critical 
  moment to take their enemy by surprise. The kindest Agents 
  may try to make their foes’ lives better so that they never need 
  turn to chronal sabotage; more action-oriented antagonists 
  may launch an ambush where their own future selves act as 
  emergency backup.
  The one risk here is that by dropping back to a time when 
  their enemies have not yet encountered them, particularly 
  good plans run the risk of being anticlimactic. The solution? 
  Answer their plan with a “yes, and…” Assuming their plan 
  makes sense — and if the plan clearly doesn’t work, their 
  knowledge of Timecraft should let you hint at any obvious 
  holes in their planning that they should account for — quickly 
  think about what the consequences are. 
  Aspects to consider include:
  X
  X 	Does this return the river of history back into its main 
  channel?
  X
  X 	Are there any difficult moral or ethical decisions that you 
  can bring into play instead of combat?
  X
  X 	What paradoxes and changes, small or large, might echo 
  back into the future?
  The end of a session may mean some rewards.  
  “I dub thee SIR Uurrk!”
  
  GM ADVICE
  207
  X
  X 	Who will be angry that history is returned to its true path?
  X
  X 	Do those angry people have access to a time machine, or 
  know someone who does? Can they travel back to stop the 
  Agents before their entire reality unravels around them?
  X
  X 	Did the antagonists somehow predict this, and place non–
  time traveling countermeasures in place to stop the Agents 
  from interfering?
  X
  X 	Is there enough paradox and chronal instability in the game 
  that you can justify something fun and unexpected like 
  rampaging Vikings or lethal robots randomly springing into 
  existence in the temporally weak spot that the Agents are 
  trying to close?
  Keep in mind that sometimes your players need a slam dunk, 
  and you should let them claim one if they deserve it. If they’ve 
  been through the wringer and come up with a foolproof plan 
  to solve the mystery and restore time, by all means let it work 
  and then reward them with praise and build points. Combat 
  is fun, but sometimes being successful and clever is an even 
  better ending to a game.
  If the game has been combat-lite, however, time traveling 
  future antagonists in potentiâ whose timeline is about to be wiped 
  out may take umbrage at their own imminent destruction. If 
  they’re smart enough to figure out the linchpin in time, they 
  may show up at the game’s climax to talk the Agents out of 
  making the change, or to stop them by force if necessary.
  For less serious or more freewheeling games where the 
  fabric of time has been put through the proverbial wringer, 
  you may also be able to explain strange chronal effects by time 
  rifts that have opened at the problem’s source, and which must 
  be fixed in conjunction with wrapping up the mystery. This 
  is a little gratuitous and shouldn’t be used at every game, but 
  ending games on a high point with fun action might excuse the 
  liberty. Just ask yourself “is this so random my players will be 
  annoyed by it?” before launching the encounter.
  When games wrap up and time snaps back to normal, 
  Agents don’t normally need to face the paradox caused by 
  a final change. In normal circumstances, clear success at the 
  game’s end means that a final Paradox test isn’t necessary.
  MOVING ON AFTER THE ONE-SHOT
  If you want to run more than one one-shot game for the 
  same group of players, don’t fall into the trap of running 
  the same style of adventure each time. One or two similar 
  missions in a row is fun; more than that can get monotonous 
  and formulaic, especially if the antagonists are unrelated. Use 
  villains mindfully, and combine them with other continuing 
  subplots to make sure that players remain interested.
  Even once you’re varying the style and theme of missions, 
  you’ll want to tweak how you pace each individual game 
  session. The secret to a fun TimeWatch game is knowing when 
  to simplify or throw in additional complications. If the group 
  is getting bogged down and the game threatens to be boring, 
  it’s time to alter your pacing and the flow of the game. 
  Pacing should change from game to game when you’re 
  running more than one one-shot for the same group of 
  players. If every game starts off with action in a nonessential 
  introductory scene, the players will come to discount those 
  scenes as unimportant. Better to vary the game’s flow. One 
  session might begin in a mission briefing, one with the group 
  running for their lives, and one mid-investigation (with any 
  previously earned clues quickly summarized). You can even 
  begin a game by narrating the historical change; while this 
  spoils any mystery about what was changed, it immediately 
  starts the players thinking about how it was changed and 
  why, and that’s a useful technique. It’s particularly effective 
  when the final change is a small one that has a very long-
  reaching effect. 
  WHAT’S DIFFERENT  
  IN A SERIES OR CAMPAIGN?
  The biggest difference between an ongoing game and a one-
  shot? Continuity. Even in a game where the whole point is 
  setting history back to its factory-installed settings, players 
  gain buy-in by seeing how they change the world. Little bits 
  of paradox build up, with small changes from past adventures 
  occasionally showing up; personalities and friendships grow 
  and deepen, hatreds swell, enemies learn the Agents’ favorite 
  tactics and use them against them in carefully planned traps, 
  and perhaps a repeating pattern of nefarious change begins 
  to manifest as an arching series-long plot. By embracing 
  continuity and showing your players how their actions and 
  heroism change TimeWatch and change the world around 
  them, you’re going to make your players feel proud of the 
  missions they’ve wrapped up.
  If you’re running more than a single adventure or two, be 
  sure to vary the tone and the nature of the missions. Use 
  all eras of history, not just particular ones, and use villains 
  with varying motivations. Mix up large, epic catastrophes 
  with small and personal missions that matter a great deal to 
  a single person, but which might not otherwise make huge 
  ripples through history. Sometimes the mission hook doesn’t 
  need to be a nuclear bomb detonated in ancient Babylonia, 
  and can instead be a nameless person who gave kind advice 
  to an emotionally vulnerable world leader giving bad advice 
  instead, and turning that person down a different path 
  that changes the world to come. Both missions may affect 
  history equally, but they have very different investigations, 
  antagonists, and pacing. 
  In a series, be sure to build out the characters of rival 
  agents and other members of TimeWatch. Similarly, develop 
  the families of the Agents, especially if an Agent is still living 
  at home and is sneaking off to handle time missions. The 
  mundanity of family pressures is a wonderful counterpart to 
  the far-reaching consequences of chronal change.
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  208
  BUILDING YOUR  
  MYSTERY’S STRUCTURE
  Most investigative scenarios are triggered by a crime or 
  conspiracy, usually committed by a group of antagonists. The 
  player characters must figure out what happened and who did 
  it, fix the problem, and put a stop to the antagonists’ activities.
  In the typical TimeWatch setting, the team investigates a 
  change in official history that has shifted the timeline into 
  alternate history, finds out who did it and why, and takes 
  action to restore the timeline to normal — hopefully without 
  further disturbing history in the process. The investigators 
  may detain, exile, or kill the saboteurs behind the change. 
  They may destroy or capture any parallel universe aliens 
  and anachronistic technology involved, and then they likely 
  confirm their solution and report back to TimeWatch for their 
  next mission.
  You design each scenario by creating an instigating event, a 
  mission trigger, an antagonist, and a chain of clues.
  The instigating event. This is the change to the timeline 
  that cascades forwards through the river of time like a flash 
  flood, sweeping away and changing events as it goes. It can 
  be small, such as a single person’s life being altered in a single 
  way at a crucial time, or huge, such as the mass extinction of 
  millions of people. Minor changes may not be noticed for 
  decades or centuries; major changes might be picked up by the 
  chronal sensors that TimeWatch has planted in every decade 
  to identify major incongruities in radiation, atmosphere, 
  pollution levels, and the like. 
  When the rippling results of an instigating event are noticed, 
  TimeWatch scrambles one or more mission teams into the 
  field to deal with it. Due to the nature of changes over time, 
  the instigating event is seldom obvious to the Agents at first, 
  because the mission trigger is far more evident. 
  TimeWatch’s headquarters, the Citadel, is seldom affected by 
  chronal change, as it exists before time, nestled in the quantum 
  singularity that ends up birthing the Big Bang. Everything else 
  in time might be caught up in the change, however, including 
  chronal anthropologists, local resources, TimeWatch spying 
  devices, and more.
  The mission trigger. This is the event that attracts the 
  attention of TimeWatch, a chronal anomaly that results in the 
  initiation of an investigation. It’s usually more noticeable and 
  creates larger ripples through time than the instigating event, 
  but the two can be one and the same.
  If  a time traveler saves Abraham Lincoln’s life by tackling John 
  Wilkes Booth in Ford’s Theatre, the mission trigger and instigating 
  event are pretty much the same thing. If  a time traveler saves Lincoln’s 
  life by killing Booth’s father, it’s unlikely that TimeWatch will notice 
  until Lincoln lives past April 14th, 1865. In this case the mission 
  trigger is Lincoln’s survival, and the instigating event is Booth’s father’s 
  murder before Booth was born. 
  When you want the investigation to be straightforward, the 
  mission trigger and the instigating event are the same thing. 
  When you want more mystery and investigation, they differ.
  The Antagonist. There’s no end to people mucking 
  about with the time stream. Possible antagonists include time 
  traveling aliens; parallel universe duplicates; sentient holograms 
  projected from the prison parallel; rogue TimeWatch agents; 
  loyal TimeWatch agents who messed up; time machine 
  inventors; normal people who borrowed, bought or stole 
  GM ADVICE: VARY YOUR MYSTERY COMPLEXITY
  The scenario structure given in the main text assumes you’re using the default TimeWatch campaign 
  Patrol frame, or a similar setting of temporal investigation and repair. In other campaign frames, the 
  chronal mystery may be the backdrop to sinister double-dealing and conspiracies within TimeWatch 
  itself. It may be the MacGuffin to inspire a full-fledged action movie fight scene. It may be the premise for 
  hilarious, bumbling comedy involving Neanderthals in high school (probably not, but you never know).
  Different scenarios may call for a simpler and less convoluted structure. The bad guys could still be in 
  the process of preparing a sinister plot, or they may be doing nothing after committing the triggering 
  time-crime other than watching it play out and hoping that TimeWatch investigators don’t catch up 
  with them. In this case there are no loopholes to close or unexpected temporal pitfalls. To achieve 
  victory and bring the scenario to a successful conclusion, the investigators need merely prove their case 
  against the criminals. The climactic scene might involve wringing a confession from the wrongdoer or 
  provoking the revelation of the crucial bit of evidence which will justify an apprehension.
  You may also find that your time-related mysteries aren’t convoluted and confusing enough. This is 
  particularly true if your players love history (or alt-history). When that’s the case, run an occasional 
  game where the logic trail is labyrinthine, where the true cause of a temporal disaster is put into 
  motion hundreds or thousands of years prior. Even if they don’t want this at every game session, your 
  inquisitive players will love you for it.
  
  GM ADVICE
  209
  a time machine before the technology was appropriated by 
  TimeWatch; and regular people changing their predestined 
  actions due to paradoxical messages from the future. 
  Sometimes the antagonist does not have nefarious intentions. 
  More commonly, though, they seek to change time to obtain 
  a personal or ideological advantage for their family or friends. 
  The particularly ambitions and/or insane antagonists seek to 
  cause nuclear warfare or wholesale societal change. The least 
  ambitious just want personal revenge, minor mischief and ego 
  gratification, or to get rich as easily as possible. 
  A preemptive win for the bad guys. TimeWatch differs 
  from traditional investigations in that when the game starts, 
  the bad guys have already succeeded and their plan has 
  gone forward. It’s up to the Agents to then determine what 
  happened and retroactively (and preemptively — it’s nice 
  having a time machine) derail it. 
  You determine what has to happen to prevent the antagonists’ 
  plot from going forward. This, unknown to the players, is their 
  victory condition — what they have to do to thwart the bad 
  guys and bring the story to a positive conclusion. They may 
  be one or more solutions, including some you haven’t yet 
  considered and some that leave paradoxes and chronal fallout 
  behind them. 
  Trail of clues. Once you have the logic of the time 
  change worked out from the villain’s point of view, including 
  its consequences that result in a mission trigger, you then 
  think in reverse, designing a trail of clues leading from the 
  mission trigger to an understanding of the sinister plot and its 
  architects, sufficient to get the players to work destroying it. 
  Every scene has a core clue that leads to another scene.
  Optionally, you may also plan a series of antagonist 
  reactions. These lay out what the bad guys do when they 
  find out that they’re being investigated. You determine what 
  conditions trigger them, and what the antagonists attempt to 
  do. These may include further crimes or backup contingency 
  plans throughout time, giving the team more to investigate. 
  Antagonists may try to destroy evidence, leave themselves 
  paradoxical warning messages, hinder the investigation by 
  planting false leads, or intimidate or dispose of potential 
  witnesses, including accomplices they no longer trust. They 
  may attack the investigators. Foolish, overconfident, or 
  risk-taking antagonists may take them on directly. Clever 
  antagonists will strike from a distance and through time, taking 
  great pains to cover their tracks.
  HOW TO PLAN — AND RUN —  
  A TIMEWATCH MISSION
  You’re going to find that TimeWatch runs very differently 
  from many other RPGs. It can be nonlinear, it demands 
  improvisation, it thrives on player rewards, and as a GM you’ll 
  find yourself needing to say “yes, and…” a huge amount.
   
  Nonlinear Play
  “The security guard won’t let us in? Screw it. I’m going back in 
  time six months, meeting him, and making good friends with him so 
  that he lets us in now. That’s a Charm Investigative spend, right?”
  “Are you sure you don’t want to just go back in time three days and 
  give him the flu? I’ve got a Medical Expertise point just poised for that. 
  Then we’ll have someone else here at the gate.”
  “No way. Too much of  a risk of  starting an epidemic. But you 
  know, we already know he won’t let us in, so any change is going to 
  cause a paradox and chronal instability. Is there a plan that doesn’t?”
  “Sure. Go make friends, but with his boss, not with him. That way 
  his boss can go let us in now instead of  him. No paradox at all.”
  “Done!”
  To say that TimeWatch allows creative problem-solving is 
  possibly understating the issue. As the GM, your job is going to 
  be listening to the players’ whack-a-doodle ideas and deciding 
  “yes,” “yes, with consequences or a cost,” or (more rarely) 
  “no.” If the players want to try a plan that to you is obviously 
  flawed, you shouldn’t feel bad about pointing out possible 
  plot holes before they try it, especially if you’re running the 
  system for the first time; it’ll save time and stop the game 
  from being sidetracked. Your goal at any particular point is to 
  answer the question “what’s the most awesome thing that can 
  happen next?” That’s what you should then help arrange. That 
  awesome thing might not be in the best interests of the players 
  and their characters, of course, but as long as it makes logical 
  sense, ramps up tension or excitement, and makes the game 
  more fun it hardly matters. 
  Nonlinear play works both ways. Even after the Agents 
  capture a bad guy, they may be attacked by a younger version 
  of that same Adversary. The Adversary may have recruited 
  villains in different timelines to attack them all at once. The 
  older version of the Adversary, having repented their evil 
  ways, may try to set things right and save the Agents from 
  a trap. With a time traveling enemy, the amount of chronal 
  mischief is only limited by your imagination, local timeline 
  stability, and how confusing you want to make the game.
  While you won’t want to do it often, you’ll get your players’ 
  attention when they meet a stranger only to suddenly realize 
  that they’ve known the person their entire life. After the 
  Paradox test from any potential paradox, the roleplaying will 
  be tremendous amounts of fun. While the players can spend 
  Interpersonal points and use this trick to make friends with a 
  supporting character or even an antagonist, trying to have a 
  supporting character use it on a player character will almost 
  always result in tremendous amounts of suspicion. Don’t be 
  surprised by this if it crops up.
  The most dangerous antagonists are the ones with the 
  Flashback ability, or even more powerfully, the Mastermind 
  ability (see p. 155). These allow Adversaries to use the same sort 
  of Flashback techniques that Agents with high Preparedness 
  can use. Trying to chase such a villain during a time chase can 
  be lethal, as they’ve probably planned out an exact route that 
  is safe for them and deadly for people chasing them. These 
  abilities indicate an above-average amount of preplanning, 
  allowing you to be especially sneaky in the villains’ schemes. 
  Players can do the same. Their Flashbacks with Preparedness 
  are guaranteed to stymie your best-laid plans. Go with it. It’ll 
  be fun.
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  210
  One interesting conundrum with time travel is that the 
  villains start with a fait accompli. At the beginning of the 
  mission, the antagonists have already won. If the Agents are 
  able to trace this success back to the beginning of their plan, 
  the Agents may be able to stop the antagonist before they’ve 
  even put their plan into action. To say that these bad guys will 
  be confused is an understatement. In some cases, their later 
  selves may try to warn them; in other cases, the actions of the 
  Agents will themselves propel the antagonist into action; and 
  in others, the Agents may be able to convince the antagonist 
  to take another action at the crucial juncture, thus changing 
  the future.
  Improvisation
  We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: saying “yes, and…” 
  when a player asks a question is the most important GM tool 
  you have. Players and time travel have a nasty habit of pulling 
  the rug out from underneath your well-trodden GM plans. 
  Accept this instead of preemptively shutting them down, and 
  make sure their tactic is both fair and fun. You can decide a 
  tactic’s effectiveness by moderating its cost. Something that’s 
  both fair (to the game, to you, and to the other players) and 
  which makes the game more fun has a lower cost than a tactic 
  that isn’t. 
  For instance, let’s say an Agent wants to spend Science! to 
  have a futuristic device that kills the antagonist. That’s neither 
  fair nor fun, and it’s not how the rules work, so the GM is well 
  within her rights to disallow it. Instead, the Agent suggests a 
  futuristic device that encloses the antagonist in an unbreakable 
  force field. It’s fair, but maybe not much fun (at least versus a 
  major villain). The GM allows it with some conditions, and the 
  GM asks the player to suggest what those conditions might be. 
  The player suggests that no one can hurt them while they’re in 
  the force field, and the force field only lasts for a short time. 
  That seems fun and fair, so the GM allows it for a 1-point spend.
  Remember that Preparedness can get a creative player a 
  long way, but that the Flashback Booster (p. 49) is necessary 
  for booby traps and schemes that are already in place. If they 
  declare that a fleeing quarry is running across an already-
  prepared minefield, make sure they’re using Flashback.
  Tone
  You may be shooting for a particular tone, from hilariously 
  light hearted to spooky to serious, so you’ll need to make 
  sure your play style and rules reinforce the mood you want 
  to create. Little factors such as the room you’re playing in, the 
  number of players, and rules you stress will all have an impact 
  on the game’s tone. Most importantly? Tell your group what 
  kind of a game you’d like to run. If it’s meant to be a serious, 
  pulpy, light-hearted, or scary game, they should know it in 
  advance so that they can set their expectations accordingly. To 
  remind your players, reward Stitches to people for specifically 
  reinforcing and advancing that tone.
  Here are quick summaries of some guidelines to follow 
  when you’re shooting for a particular mood during a game.
  Funny: Don’t worry much about TimeWatch’s rules, to 
  the extent that you’re better off improvising an answer 
  than stopping to look up details in the rulebook. Break or 
  ignore the rules whenever it’s funny to do so. Investigative 
  spends and various chronal antics can produce completely 
  improbable results as long as they make people laugh. 
  Encourage or allow nonhuman Agents, such as sentient dogs 
  or wisecracking dinosaurs. 
  Hand out Stitches when players do something funny, 
  especially if the funny action isn’t necessarily in their best 
  interest. Relax the 3-Stitch limit and increase it up to 5 per 
  player at any one time. Lower the Difficulty (and tell players 
  you’re lowering it) for any test or action that’s funny. Raise it 
  for anything boring. Agent lethality should possibly be lowered 
  unless you’re allowing easy access to clones and chronal 
  duplicates; if you are, kill ’em all and let Science! sort them out.
  In a funny game, you want bad guy motivations and plans to 
  be ridiculous — either unnecessarily complex and convoluted, 
  ludicrously ambitious in scope, or with a hilariously simple 
  goal in mind. Also, keep in mind that your job as GM is to be 
  the foil, which frees the players to be completely funny at your 
  supporting characters’ expense.
  Serious: Avoid adventures, supporting characters, and 
  scenarios based on bad puns, literary characters, or in-jokes. 
  Discourage or disallow nonhuman Agents. Follow the rules as 
  written (except where you’ve made changes and house rules 
  you prefer). Assume that the characters are experts at their 
  Even when you’re shooting for a humorous tone, Sophosaurs 
  object to becoming a primary source of protein.
  
  GM ADVICE
  211
  jobs, so don’t require die rolls or spends for any action that a 
  clearly competent character in a movie or sci-fi story would be 
  able to do without trouble. For instance, no Athletics test is 
  normally necessary to climb a ladder; if someone is shooting 
  at the character, however, that might be another story.
  Consequences matter in a serious game, and difficult 
  choices can rewrite the world. Also, pay attention to who the 
  Agents thwart; offending powerful people can have serious or 
  long-term consequences — and in a time travel game, making 
  an enemy now means that their older selves can attack or 
  inconvenience the characters at any time.
  High Action: You’ll want to slightly relax the laws of 
  physics and mortality. Athletics become more cinematic, 
  weapons knock back foes, and things blow up — a lot. You’ll 
  probably have more combat and chases in a high action game, 
  so include lots of Mooks whose primary job is to be gunned 
  down, issuing a Wilhelm scream before clutching their chest 
  and falling off a high ledge.
  Historical: Focus on particular historical eras, with 
  adventures that involve less time travel and more immersion 
  and understanding within a particular time frame. Time travel 
  in this sort of game might be more difficult or less common, 
  occurring only at the beginning and end of missions; it’s 
  primarily used to get you to a mission location, instead of as a 
  tool for actually solving the mystery. 
  Sci-Fi: Set adventures in the future. Have enemies with 
  futuristic weapons and gear, and use this technology as a 
  core part of the mystery. Have robots attack the past. Create 
  your own future history. Time travel is more common as a 
  mystery-solving tool in a sci-fi-toned game, as are weapons 
  and antagonists that directly attack the Agents’ Chronal 
  Stability. Drawing from popular science fiction or the 
  GUMSHOE game Ashen Stars, allow Agent species which 
  are all or partially alien.
  Pulp: If bad guys aren’t getting punched in the face, 
  hopefully while fighting on the back of a mammoth or atop 
  of a dirigible (possibly both at the same time), you’re probably 
  not living up to pulp’s potential. Pulp is a genre of black-and-
  white extremes, of improbable action and glorious escapes. 
  See p. 293 for more information on running Pulp games of 
  TimeWatch.
  Conspiracy: Running a game with a heavy tone of 
  conspiracy is a study in inculcating paranoia, distrust, and 
  betrayal from even the people that the Agents should trust 
  the most. Pass notes. Remember that even memories can be 
  hacked and altered, and that when given the choice, people in 
  power tend to abuse it. Don’t allow tethers to automatically 
  listen in to their surroundings unless one Agent has deliberately 
  hacked another’s. Each character may have a different briefing 
  officer back at TimeWatch, and those officers might have their 
  own goals, motivations, and methods for manipulation. 
  See p. 251 for more information on running a game steeped 
  in conspiracy.
  Horror: Horror games of TimeWatch rely heavily on the 
  assumption that the Agents’ great power does little or nothing 
  against actual, true threats from beyond. Agents should be 
  afraid of the things that dwell in the darkness, whether it’s 
  because they are largely immune to TimeWatch weapons, or 
  because they can destroy the things that characters care about 
  most. Play on the players’ primal fears: dim the lights, use a 
  soundtrack, describe sensations in great detail, contribute to a 
  feeling of powerlessness in small and numerous ways. 
  In horror games, the ability Chronal Stability doubles as an 
  emotional stability stat. You can lose Chronal Stability from 
  seeing something horrible or inhuman, just as you can lose 
  sanity or emotional stability from time traveling through the 
  hideous membrane that humankind was not meant to pierce. 
  This means that characters who are low on Chronal Stability 
  might exhibit signs of emotional breakdown or mental 
  illness as well.
  A very important aspect of a horror game is information 
  and control. Something snarling in the dark is scary, but “a 
  wolf” isn’t; a hideous wet squirming on the other side of the 
  basement door is terrifying, but “a shoggoth” isn’t. Naming 
  something reduces its ability to inspire terror, and being able 
  to control something makes it less scary. As a result, horror 
  games often have antagonists that are hard to identify, pin 
  down, or stop from maneuvering during a fight.
  Rules-wise, reduce maximum Stitches to 2 instead of 
  3, and don’t be afraid to increase the lethality of important 
  antagonists. Technology and super-science should never be an 
  auto-win. Mooks might not exist in a horror game, and time 
  travel may be more difficult, dangerous, or have more of an 
  effect on Paradox tests. 
  See p. 245 for more information on Horror games.
  Wondrous: Wonder is a difficult emotion to capture  
  in a roleplaying game. You run across it in TimeWatch 
  when your eAgents see things that are vast and wonderful  
  and unknowable: 
  X
  X 	the sound of Krakatoa exploding, so loud it traveled around 
  the world four times or more
  X
  X 	the sight of the Zanclean Deluge, when an unthinkable 
  torrent of water from the Atlantic came through the Straits 
  of Gibraltar and filled the entire Mediterranean Basin in less 
  than two years
  X
  X 	the infinite parade of multiple realities, all being rewritten 
  every second with every action taken by every creature in 
  the universe
  You won’t capture it every time, but plan out particularly 
  astonishing or wonderful events or natural catastrophes. It will 
  make your players glad that they’re playing time travelers.
  Structure
  Your adventure structure is likely to vary for a one-shot, single-
  session game than for an ongoing campaign. A campaign 
  game with no set time limit has more of an opportunity to 
  stretch out, take digressions, circle back on itself, and deal with 
  multiple plotlines at the same time.
  That’s less true for a one-shot mission, as discussed on p. 197. 
  You’ve got three or four hours, and you damn well need to make 
  them count, running a full game in that period of time that wraps 
  up with an exciting conclusion. To do so, you’ll need to be conscious 
  of pacing and of the mission’s structure. 
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  212
  For any game with a time limit we recommend the 
  Brontosaurus1 method, also known as the Narrow-Wide-
  Narrow structure. In this structure, any choices the players can 
  make are constrained at the beginning and at the end, but they 
  have free rein to explore lots of possibilities and strategies in 
  the middle of the adventure. 
  Start with a narrow array of choices. You start the mission 
  as late as possible and in medias res, mid-action and mid-
  encounter, or with a particular assignment. Based on immediate 
  action, the Agents know instantly that they have to deal with 
  this problem or accept the assignment to get started with the 
  adventure. For instance, you wouldn’t start a game by saying, 
  “You have a meeting with your briefing officer in three hours. 
  Anything you want to do before then?” Instead, you’d start 
  by saying, “You’re galloping your horse across the seemingly 
  endless Great Plains of 17th-century North America, passenger 
  pigeons filling the sky overhead, and you’re hot on the heels 
  of a well-armed time traveling thief who’s carrying stolen 
  technology that might be damaged by time travel. She’s ahead 
  of you, trying to lose herself and her exhausted horse in the sea 
  of grass. What do you do?” The players immediately know their 
  goal, where they are, and what’s happening. They may not know 
  all the details — who is this thief? What’s the stolen technology? 
  Why is it sensitive to time travel? — but you can impart that as 
  the chase and fight progresses. 
  We often think of this initial encounter as the opening 
  scene of an action movie, and so we make it high-action as 
  a result. Combat, infiltration, death-defying escapes… this 
  sort of a starting scene quickly grabs your players’ attention. 
  Ideally, the scene also serves as a lead-in to the rest of the 
  adventure, providing clues, foreshadowing, and direction for 
  what happens during the rest of the game.
  Continue with a wide array of choices. After the first 
  encounter, give the Agents lots of latitude on how they 
  approach the adventure. They may want to time travel back 
  to the Citadel, follow leads and clues to the future or the past, 
  or go and investigate a red herring. Give them signposts in 
  the form of clues, but don’t steer them too closely. When 
  you’ve got the whole universe and array of time open to you, 
  you may want to poke around a bit, and that’s half the fun of 
  TimeWatch. 
  It’s this wide range of choices that prevents any game 
  from feeling like a tightly orchestrated railroad. As a GM, 
  it’s usually a good idea to have two or three useful locations 
  that the group can travel to, and perhaps they’re more likely 
  to travel to them in a particular order, but that shouldn’t 
  necessarily be mandatory. Clues in locations should lead to 
  other clues, and those will eventually point towards a specific 
  time and place. The safest method is to have three separate 
  clues that lead to each stage of the mystery. Players regularly 
  miss clues that GMs think are obvious, and having multiple 
  methods of reaching the same conclusion works perfectly in 
  GUMSHOE games.
  1 Yes, we know brontosauruses aren’t a thing, and apatosauruses 
  are, but TimeWatch takes place in the parallel history where “thunder 
  lizard” is a much cooler name than “unreal lizard.” It’s important to 
  have priorities.
  Take the above example. Perhaps the Agents captured 
  the fleeing felon, or perhaps they killed her, or perhaps she 
  escaped. If the former, they can question her, and she’ll lead 
  them to a person or location that provides even more clues 
  to a deeper plot. If they kill her, they can use information on 
  her body (and in the device) to track her origins, and even 
  time travel to speak with a younger version of her; or they can 
  get information from her belongings and the device she had 
  stolen. 
  Finish with a narrow range of choices, leading to one 
  or more climactic encounters. You started in a focused 
  location, and you let the Agents roam wide to gather clues. All 
  those clues lead to one or two conclusions, and it’s up to the 
  Agents to solve the problem. In a game without time travel, 
  that’s an easy stage to set; you may not know how or when the 
  heroes are arriving at the final encounter, but you know that 
  your clues will lead them there. 
  The timing in TimeWatch is a little different. Because many 
  missions begin with a villain’s fait accompli, and the point 
  of the mission is for the Agents to learn how and negate his 
  actions using time travel, it’s possible that the Agents will learn 
  of a showdown with their foe and avoid it entirely. Perhaps 
  they’ll find a way to slay his ancestors, or entirely remove the 
  reason he’s there in the first place. If so, that’s a fantastic end 
  to your adventure, and you should congratulate the players on 
  their creativity instead of penalizing them or forbidding them 
  to think outside of the box.
  But you want some combat as part of the final encounter, 
  and that’s not going to occur if the Agents out-think their 
  foe. Give some thought as to who (if anyone) is staking out 
  the final place the Agents need to go. If the antagonists have 
  time travel as well, and if they feel themselves fading due to 
  the Agents’ actions, they may try to stop them before all is 
  lost. Perhaps they can get a message to their allies in that time 
  frame, or they can travel there themselves. Either way, it isn’t 
  uncommon for you to be able to rationalize a final combat if 
  that’s what you think will be most fun.
  It may not be necessary, however. The joy of time travel is 
  using your brain to neutralize your foe before he can even act. 
  If the Agents succeed in this, let them have their well-earned 
  victory by watching their enemies fade ineffectually away. If 
  they’ve left any openings or flaws in their planning, exploit 
  them viciously.
  A rebel former TimeWatch agent has succeeded in dismantling 
  security at a TimeWatch armory in the Paleocene, stealing enough 
  weapons to destroy a sizeable city. Knowing that the agent would 
  have the theft site staked out with allies as an ambush, the Agents 
  instead do considerable research on the rogue agent. They meet her 
  in her youth and befriend her, encounter her several times during her 
  career, and make sure they’re nearby when her lover dies and she first 
  makes the decision to rebel. Their friendship and reasonable argument 
  makes the difference, and she stays loyal to the organization instead of  
  betraying them. It’s an emotional, tragic scene and the Agents should 
  be rewarded for their cleverness. Because she never rebels, she never 
  steals the weapons.
  In the future, however, her allies (former TimeWatch agents 
  themselves) know that something has gone terribly wrong. Their own 
  
  GM ADVICE
  213
  knowledge of  Paradox Prevention informs them that history has 
  changed around them and leaves them with shadow memories of  the 
  changed agent. It doesn’t take them long to identify the pivot point, and 
  seconds after the player characters have resolved their new friend’s crisis, 
  a number of  very angry rebels clock in to eliminate the competition. 
  The fight is on.
  Pacing
  Pacing a mystery or investigation can be tricky if you aren’t 
  used to it. You need to give players a reason to care about your 
  mystery, you need to give everyone something to do with their 
  focused abilities, you need a villain or antagonist worth hating, 
  and you need to make sure that investigation proceeds at a 
  pace that prevents people from becoming bored. If you see 
  people lose attention or check their phone, your pacing needs 
  some tweaking.
  That means that for adventures with a slightly less enticing 
  hook — “Why do we care about President Taft’s bathtub, 
  again?” — you’ll want higher action or external excitement 
  to draw people in. For adventures that have a great hook — 
  “Wait, have we always had dinosaurs as pets?” — action can be 
  slipped in at portions of the adventure that might otherwise 
  lag. Classic pulp pacing is start as late as possible, and 
  end early. Determine the latest possible moment to dump 
  your Agents into the action, and then start a little after that. 
  That means you’ll usually skip the mission briefing, only 
  to summarize it for the Agents afterward, and that’s fine. 
  Similarly, stop when the excitement is over and focus on an 
  emotional wrap-up instead of a logistical one. It’s fine to leave 
  unanswered questions at the end of a successful and exciting 
  TimeWatch mission.
  In the same way that many of the best action movies begin 
  with a heart-pounding action scene that’s loosely linked to the 
  main plot, consider doing the same thing in your game. Action 
  doesn’t always need to be violent. It can be a frenetic chase, a 
  difficult and important roleplaying exchange, a villain’s plans 
  coming to fruition around the Agents, or a cleverly planned 
  trap being sprung. Scenes like this showcase the nature of the 
  game and, at least for new players, illustrate the rules in a fast 
  and easy manner.
  Think of your adventure as a three-act play. The first act 
  establishes the plot and ends as the plot thickens. The second 
  act nails down the true nature of the mystery, probably 
  contains at least one combat encounter, and ends once the 
  Agents know what they must do to save the day and fix 
  history. The third act draws everything to a close, and gives the 
  Agents the opportunity to make difficult choices and collar 
  their Adversaries.
  If you’re gaming with limited time, it is almost always better 
  to cut minor mid-game encounters in favor of the plot-heavy 
  payoff at the end of a game. The nonlinear nature of time 
  travel means that you can plan small drop-in encounters or 
  ambushes with enemies that the player characters haven’t 
  even met yet, but who hate them for actions that will take 
  place in the future. Best yet, that knowledge means that the 
  Agents can’t kill their attackers when they meet again without 
  suffering from paradox and Chronal Stability Loss.
  SCALE: 
   EPIC VS. PERSONAL SCOPE ADVENTURES
  Not every mission needs to be about Christopher Columbus 
  sinking in the Atlantic. You can create truly epic and world- 
  (and history-) spanning adventures in this game, but you 
  shouldn’t feel obligated or constrained to make that the only 
  type of play. Perhaps a mission requires the Agents to act as 
  a particular child’s guardian angels, ensuring that he grows up 
  safely and without any major phobias. Alternatively, a mission 
  might require Agents to make sure that a particular couple fall 
  in love with one another. Sure, that’s also the premise of Back 
  to the Future, but the best adventures take well-known tropes 
  and then riff off of them. Feel free to do the same.
  When an adventure is about emotions and personal loyalties, 
  many of the “I have to know history!” anxieties that a GM 
  may experience go away entirely. Recruiting new members, 
  searching for a lost agent who’s also a rival, tweaking your own 
  family’s history and backstory… all give Agents a chance to 
  affect history on a small and intimate scale. It’s a nice change 
  of pace from saving the world every week.
  MYSTERIES THAT STRIKE HOME
  Ask your players what history they’re personally interested in. 
  That allows you to build adventures around topics they love. 
  Whether it’s the Great Molasses Flood of 1919 Boston, the 
  Holocaust’s persecution of European Romani, Anglo-Scottish 
  border reivers in the 14th century, or Cleopatra alongside 
  Egyptian mummies, you should consider this low-hanging 
  fruit when it comes to building missions. You’ll have instant 
  buy-in from that player, and their additional knowledge of the 
  topic will make the game come alive.
  Target your mysteries to the characters as well. If one of 
  your Agents is a Victorian doctor, run a session about Jack 
  the Ripper. If an Agent is from the near-future, set a mission 
  during the deadly war they were trying to take shelter from 
  when they were recruited. Exploring these time periods helps 
  round out the characters, and gives everyone a chance to know 
  more about the time periods they originate from.
  Similarly, hit them where it hurts. Have enemies destroy the 
  culture, composers, art, and inventions that they love best. 
  For egocentric Agents, perhaps their rivals use time travel to 
  poison their reputation; or perhaps an Agent finds her own 
  personal historical legacy removed entirely from the record 
  with no idea why. People love to hate an enemy who has it out 
  for them personally, so figure out what a player or a character 
  loves best and have it disappear from time. You can be sure 
  they’ll be motivated to find out why.
  Building Towards Revelations
  No Biblical references here — although if you want to face 
  down the apocalypse in your game, that’d probably make for 
  a fun session or three. Instead, we’re referring to how you 
  build towards the revelation of your adventure’s or campaign’s 
  central mystery.
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  214
  Think of your TimeWatch game as an onion made out of 
  multiple secrets. If you have a central secret or conspiracy in 
  your game…
  … dinosaurs should be truly ruling the world
  … TimeWatch is influencing history, not restoring it
  … aliens have lived beside humankind for millennia
  … cockroaches are ezeru spies that report back everything they see
  … that’s unlikely to come out in a single game. After all, 
  if your campaign was a TV series, it would take one or more 
  seasons to have that truth revealed. Instead, there will be a 
  myriad of tiny and subtle clues that only make sense when 
  looked at as a whole. Each clue is a single layer of the onion, 
  and it isn’t until the players have removed every layer that 
  they’ll learn what they believe to be the whole truth.
  Meanwhile, each mission has its own secrets. It’s 
  recommended that some of those game sessions tie into 
  your central secret, if any, and others are largely unrelated. 
  That helps stop the game from falling into a rut, and it helps 
  orchestrate a slow build to worthwhile revelations. 
  This gradual reveal is handy in a single game as well. Let players 
  gradually find out the changed state of the world by seeing, not 
  by someone telling them at great length how things now are. The 
  former is fun, and the latter is tedious at best. The TimeWatch 
  phrase for excessive exposition is “shut up, exposition cat!” 
  taken from a playtest game where an intelligent uplifted cat gave 
  players a history lesson that lasted for ten minutes. It took a 
  player running Uurrk to shout “SHUT UP, EXPOSITION 
  CAT!” to let the GM know there was a problem. The takeaway? 
  Let your players piece together the puzzle instead of trying to 
  hand it to them. Everyone will be grateful.
  DOS AND DON’TS  
  OF GMING TIMEWATCH
  DON’T OVER-PREPARE
  There are some games that are best run with fully detailed 
  notes in front of you, with every single scene laid out and 
  every single supporting character prepared. TimeWatch isn’t one 
  of them. The vast flexibility in time travel that the characters 
  control makes it problematic to run that sort of game every 
  week. You never want to be in a situation where preparing 
  the game isn’t fun. If you feel like you need an encyclopedic 
  grasp of what the players’ plans are, you’re going to shelve this 
  and go play Monopoly instead. For goodness sake, don’t let that 
  happen to you.
  DON’T MISTAKE  
  TIMEWATCH FOR SIMULATION
  Don’t overthink your game preparation. Your history and 
  time traveling consequences don’t have to be perfect. This 
  isn’t an alt-history simulation, and there is a multitude of small 
  changes that you can handwave. Better yet, asking the players 
  “what do you think would happen when X war was lost?” 
  might lead to an incredibly fun discussion that supplies you 
  with plot hooks for weeks to come.
  DO LET THE PLAYERS BE CREATIVE
  One of the great joys of TimeWatch is that the bad guys have 
  already won, and during the adventure the players will learn 
  how they did so. That means that the players have great 
  flexibility in how they stop the miscreants. Do they identify 
  the main Adversary and go back to stop her from learning 
  about time travel? Do they allow the crime to happen and then 
  duplicate its effect, so that history never knows the difference? 
  Do they rush in, guns blazing, and expect to cover up the 
  chaos before word gets out? Do they use diplomacy to recruit 
  their enemies to their own cause? Do they use Preparedness 
  and time travel to bring in very heavy weaponry?
  You’ll enjoy TimeWatch a lot more when you don’t try to 
  channel the players down a particular problem-solving channel. 
  They’ll give you a feel early on for what their strategy is going 
  to be; accept it, welcome it, then riff off of it to surprise them.
  DO GIVE THE PLAYERS  
  ACCESS TO INFORMATION
  Each Agent’s tether will inform them what “real” history 
  should have been, but it won’t change in concert with altered 
  history. For instance, say that the meteor missed Earth and 
  dinosaurs were not wiped out. Agents traveling into this 
  alternate timeline won’t have access to dinosaur history on 
  their tether; instead, their tether will incorrectly report to them 
  on nonexistent human history. 
  This is tremendously useful during investigations. If Agents 
  travel to ancient Rome and discover that Emperor Caligula 
  lived a long and sadistically insane life, and their tethers and 
  memories tell them that he should have died early, they’ll know 
  when to start their investigation.
  The Research ability helps Agents discover what the actual 
  timeline is like. Whether it’s checking computer archives or 
  libraries, or talking to ancient soothsayers, Research will 
  quickly help them identify what has gone wrong.
  DO KNOW YOUR MAIN CLUES
  If you know the main clues and motivations in a bad guy’s 
  chain of causality, you won’t be off track when the players try 
  clever tactics.
  How do you find out what your main clues, especially 
  historical information (and how it’s changed), are? Head to the 
  Internet. The world is full of smart people writing about what 
  they love, so you may be able to find good adventure ideas by 
  using this for inspiration.
  A historical change provides a multitude of clues, 
  whether from things that newly exist or events that now 
  
  GM ADVICE
  215
  never happened. These changes will be reflected in culture, 
  newspapers, and records. When Agents go scouring a new 
  time period to figure out what’s gone wrong, don’t make 
  them play an extended guessing game. It’s usually more fun 
  to help them latch onto their first main clue, starting them 
  in the right direction to further investigate. As long as you 
  know what has changed, or can think logical changes through 
  on the fly, it will be easy to describe clues to the player that 
  helps them notice the change.
  DO THINK ABOUT CONSEQUENCES
  Chronal Stability handwaves all the consequences you don’t 
  want to worry about — killed a local guard? Chronal instability 
  test — instead of worrying about what influential personage 
  he might have been the great-great-great grandfather to! — but 
  you’ll have the most fun when you think about consequences. 
  If something changes, what are the consequences that 
  ripple forward? Focusing on smaller, quirky consequences is 
  particularly interesting. 
  The Belgian musician Adolphe Sax is assassinated as a child. 
  As a result, Bill Clinton never plays his saxophone on The 
  Arsenio Hall Show in 1992, never seizes the youth vote, and is 
  not elected president (a dubious claim, but we’ll say that antagonists 
  are working in other areas to change history as well; blaming Sax’s 
  death is fun, so we’ll declare it to be the straw that broke the camel’s 
  back). Fifty years later the change in US presidents accumulates 
  into global economic catastrophe. When Agents investigate that 
  catastrophe, they’ll be told off-handedly by their GM that music 
  sounds a bit different. It won’t be until they investigate further, 
  with the GM telling them things that might be different with no 
  saxophone, that they start to put the clues together.
  DO THINK BACKWARDS
  Instead of thinking “what happens if X occurs?” pick a topic 
  and ask yourself “what would have to happen for X to occur?” 
  The best plots start with a worthy goal. If an Adversary wants 
  to avoid overpopulation, they may go back in time to engineer 
  a horrible plague or famine. If an Adversary wants a particular 
  country to be politically or economically ascendant, they 
  may time travel back to reveal hidden natural resources or to 
  influence key battles or diplomatic engagements. If you decide 
  what you want the changed future to be like, then think about 
  what might change to make that possible, you’ll quickly have 
  an intriguing plot.
  DO ADMIT RED HERRINGS,  
  AND MAKE THINGS UP
  If you don’t know, and it isn’t particularly relevant to the plot, 
  make it up. If you want to avoid sending your players off on 
  a red herring, tell them you’re making it up; it’s better to tell 
  them “you check, and Hitler’s grandparent’s don’t seem to 
  be involved” than it is to make up something that a player 
  with Wikipedia quickly disproves, causing the entire table of 
  players to fasten on the fact like a starved remora latching onto 
  a corpulent shark. 
  This is different from planning a specific red herring that 
  has adventure attached to it. That sort of fake out is fine and 
  is usually fun. What you should avoid, though, is a wasted half 
  hour while the group talks over possible completely misguided 
  theories and isn’t having fun doing so.
  If you ever goof and get called on it, consider quickly 
  whether your mistake can actually be worked into the mystery. 
  “Yes, that is interesting, isn’t it?” is a reasonable way to buy 
  time while you integrate your mistake into the main mystery. If 
  it isn’t easy to add or adapt on the fly, though, you’re best off 
  quickly admitting the truth and moving on.
  DO CONSIDER HISTORICAL RACISM
  Recorded history (and unrecorded history both past and 
  future, unless you’ve designed a future utopia for game play) 
  is full of accepted, ubiquitous racism. Racial barriers were 
  supported by political and (some) social leaders, and restrictive 
  laws helped enforce racism that many well-meaning people 
  fully believed was natural and appropriate. The world was 
  difficult when your skin color, appearance, or social stature 
  differed than that of your community’s ruling caste. It never 
  occurred to many people that it could ever be otherwise, or 
  that it should be otherwise.
  Consider what this means for your TimeWatch game. In any 
  game with time travel, characters are going to bump up against 
  racism almost constantly. The simplest way to address this is 
  to simply ignore it. The Disguise and Unobtrusiveness abilities 
  (along with the technological assistance that accompanies 
  those abilities, such as miniature holographic projectors, 
  chronomorphic clothing, and impersonator mesh) help 
  characters blend into the local social strata for wherever and 
  whenever they happen to find themselves. Differences in skin 
  color, gender, language, and height can all be handwaved with 
  an ability test or two. 
  If you’re primarily ignoring racism, these fundamental 
  differences can be quietly acknowledged by having the racist 
  supporting characters choose the least offensive (in their eyes) 
  player character to primarily interact with during roleplaying. 
  If you’re sitting down to play TimeWatch with players you don’t 
  know well, and the mission doesn’t explicitly revolve around 
  questions of historical racism, this might be the best option.
  A more complex but satisfying solution is for you to address 
  the issue in a way that makes the game more interesting and 
  thought provoking for everyone at the table. 
  X
  X 	What happens when the black Agents are forced to stop a 
  chronal saboteur who has helped prevent the African slave 
  trade by uniting, arming, and training disparate tribes, or 
  who helps John Brown succeed in Harpers Ferry? 
  X
  X How do Aztec and Native American Agents approach an 
  Adversary determined to inoculate native North, Central, 
  and South American tribes against deadly European 
  diseases? 
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  216
  X
  X 	Does a Chinese Agent take issue with someone determined 
  to assassinate Pol Pot? 
  X
  X 	What happens when someone interferes with history not 
  to stop racism or racially linked events, but to deliberately 
  cause them, preemptively wiping out one rival ethnicity 
  before that ethnicity can purge their own people? 
  Any answer to these questions needs to work as a game 
  and story instead of just a morality play, and needs to take 
  player sensibilities into account. Support and encourage 
  strong roleplaying by using the rules themselves; if you’re 
  foregrounding race, certain abilities work differently based 
  on your skin color. Authority and Charm may only work with 
  someone of your own skin color; Intimidate and Taunt may 
  be more effective than normal against someone of differing 
  ethnicity. Culture matters as well; expect nothing but hostility 
  if you are in Rwanda, trying to use Streetwise on a Hutu when 
  you are (or are disguised as) a Tutsi. Similarly, trying to gain 
  a clue from someone in 19th-century India’s “Untouchable” 
  caste without using Streetwise and appearing to be of a similar 
  caste will be fraught with frustration. 
  In this style of game, keep a close eye on game play and 
  make sure that clues are spread evenly across all characters. 
  Common sense is an excellent guide here; look for 
  opportunities to reinforce cultural norms and beliefs with 
  the rules and with the behavior and attitude of supporting 
  characters. One possibility for emphasizing social barriers 
  is to always require a spend when trust-related Interpersonal 
  abilities are used between characters of different races. 
  DO EMBRACE TIME TRAVEL TROPES
  The best part of a time travel game is classic time travel 
  conundrums. Want to come back in time and help yourself? 
  How about creating a paradox, or a new enemy, that causes 
  further problems down the road? Can you time travel 50 years 
  in the future and look up what happened in an encyclopedia? 
  Can you kill your own grandfather?
  Let the players do these things. They’ll love you for it. That’s 
  not to say that they’ll always get the exactly correct information 
  from that future encyclopedia; writers have biases, and history 
  is filled with lies written by the people who won or the people 
  who lost and have an axe to grind. With that understanding, 
  however, it’s better to let them hear about the results, especially 
  because hearing this locks them into an action. 
  How so? Remember that if you don’t know the future results 
  of an action, you risk no Chronal Stability. If you’ve learned 
  what happens, though, and your actions cause something 
  else to happen, you’ll create paradox and your whole team 
  will be making Paradox tests when the results change. That’s 
  a disincentive for players to find out what “should” have 
  happened.
  DO GIVE THEM PREDICTIONS  
  OF THE FUTURE… MAYBE
  If a player want to try something that’s clearly abusive, 
  consider requiring a Paradox Prevention spend of 1 or 
  higher to allow the action; Paradox Prevention acts as your 
  “this is fun but overpowered, so it should be limited” gating 
  factor. For instance, it’s quite common for a player to want 
  their Agent’s future self to send back a note describing 
  what’s about to happen, or giving a clue. It’s within your right 
  to disallow this if you don’t know what might happen, but 
  it’s more fun for everyone to allow it if the player makes a 
  Paradox test and spends a Paradox Prevention point. After 
  all, the player is unlikely to try this technique unless they’re 
  feeling lost and aren’t sure what to do next. If you allow it, 
  you can then steer the plot in a particular direction and still 
  make the Agents face paradox if they try to change what 
  they themselves said would occur.
  It’s worth noting that clever Agents leave themselves vague 
  warnings to avoid paradox. “You’re going to be ambushed at 
  the party” is a good warning because it doesn’t predict the 
  results of the ambush; so long as there’s an ambush, and the 
  predicted future comes true, no additional Paradox test is 
  needed. “You’re going to get ambushed at the party, and half 
  the group will die” is a bad warning, because the Agents will 
  then strive to protect the group — and if half don’t die as a 
  result, every Agent will need to make an additional Paradox 
  test. 
  DO KNOW WHEN TO END A SCENE
  In a novel or TV episode, writers can freely cut to the next 
  scene when their characters have acquired all of the clues 
  available in the current one. The characters might stick around 
  for hours tying up loose ends and pursuing fruitless questions, 
  but this doesn’t happen onscreen. The audience never has to 
  sit through such sequences.
  This kind of concise editing isn’t so easy in the roleplaying 
  medium. Players don’t know when they’ve got all the clues.
  Here’s a simple trick to gently steer them onwards, without 
  unduly breaking the illusion of fictional reality:
  Before play, take an index card and write on it, in big 
  block letters, the word SCENE. As soon as the players have 
  gleaned the core clue and most or all of the secondary clues 
  in a scene, and the action begins to drag, hold up the card. 
  When the players see this, they know to wrap up and move on. 
  (Of course, you have to explain the cue to them before play 
  begins.) Easy, efficient, yet somehow not nearly as disruptive 
  or jarring as a verbal instruction.
  Even better, use one of the musical stings available from the 
  Pelgrane Press website for just this purpose.
  
  GM ADVICE
  217
  “BSING WITH YOUR GROUP ABOUT TIME 
  TRAVEL IS 20% OF THE FUN”
  That heading is an exact playtester quote. If you’re not sure 
  how paradox or a change ripples forward, talk about it with 
  your group. This is absolutely one of the joys of a time travel 
  game, stretching your minds around paradox and clever time 
  traveling, and you don’t want to skip it.
  HACKING THE RULES
  TimeWatch variant rules aren’t limited to the campaign frames 
  in this book. GMs have control of certain sliders — rules 
  variants that can be tweaked to give the game the feel your 
  GM and players want. The TimeWatch rule set can be used to 
  run a lot of different styles of campaigns, and you may want 
  to customize the rules to fit the type of game you love best. 
  We encourage this. 
  CUSTOMIZING TIME TRAVEL
  Time travel is what defines TimeWatch, so you want to make 
  sure it matches your own vision of what great time travel 
  looks and feels like. 
  Make Time Travel Easier
  In the rules, time travel for Agents requires an autochron, 
  takes two turns to activate, and triggers a Travel test. You can 
  change any or all of this without necessarily breaking the game. 
  X
  X 	The simplest to change is the autochron; want a different 
  time machine, or no time machine at all? You can make time 
  travel innate, link it to the tether, or have any device you 
  imagine act as the time machine. 
  X
  X 	Making time travel take only one round is going to present 
  some fairly unbalanced combats. Agents will regularly clock 
  out in the middle of a fight, head somewhere to heal, then 
  clock back in with reinforcements a few seconds later. 
  Limiting this tactic is why most General abilities don’t 
  automatically refresh during a rest, and why autochrons 
  require two combat rounds to activate (with the first round 
  making them incredibly vulnerable to damage). If you love 
  the idea of Agents and enemies sliding in and out of a fight 
  to heal, or Agents trying to weaken an enemy by killing their 
  grandfather before he ever had children, make time travel 
  faster. Just don’t be surprised if it slows down a fight or gets 
  exploited by smart players.
  X
  X 	Travel tests exist because playtests showed that time 
  machines need some limits — without them, Agents could 
  literally hover in place and jump forward by 10 minutes 
  hundreds of times until a desired event occurred — but 
  limited fuel wasn’t a good choice because it encouraged 
  player analysis paralysis. After all, if you can only time travel 
  five times, you want to make them count! We considered 
  solar panels with a known recharging time (an hour, 6 hours, 
  24 hours) but these sharply curtailed time chases, something 
  we wanted to encourage.
  Travel tests were our solution: a slow, fixable Loss of Chronal 
  Stability that reminds players about the dangers of time traveling. 
  You can get the same effect by removing the Travel test and just 
  charging 1 point of Chronal Stability per Agent per jump. You can 
  also remove Travel tests entirely, understanding that unlimited time 
  machine use might make portions of the game less manageable.
  Make Time Travel Harder
  Patrol-style games assume that the Agents will time travel 
  multiple times during one game session. If that’s not the style 
  of game you want to run, you can limit this.
  X
  X 	Autochrons might damage local reality, and every time 
  you time travel both Travel tests and Paradox tests rise in 
  Difficulty, Loss, or both.
  X
  X 	Time machines take longer to warm up, so quick chases or 
  escapes become less likely.
  X
  X 	Instead of portable autochrons, time machines are large, 
  bulky, and immovable.
  X
  X 	Time travel is notoriously unreliable, varying in time- or 
  location-accuracy (or both) at the GM’s whim. You might 
  decide that the more accurate you are in time, the less 
  accurate you are in location, and vice versa. 
  X
  X 	Enemies and monsters might live in the time stream. For 
  instance, if Agents emerge from every time jump covered 
  with chronal leeches that suck Chronal Stability out of them, 
  they may voluntarily limit their time travel to emergencies.
  X
  X 	Interdiction devices limit time travel in both time and space. 
  Notoriously difficult to manufacture, they can lock certain 
  eras from time travel, and weaker versions can require a 
  spend of 1 or more Timecraft points per character in order 
  to break through.
  X
  X 	You can change how accurate time machines are, whether 
  they can also teleport you or not, and whether their time 
  travel is limited into a specific range of years.
  Change How Time Travel Works
  Autochrons get used for TimeWatch Agents because they 
  generally relegate time travel to a convenience when mystery-
  solving, instead of as a barrier or plot focus itself. That can be 
  easily changed.
  X
  X 	Agents are projected from the Citadel by a time-beam and 
  must meet a rendezvous to be picked up before they can be 
  beamed anywhere else.
  X
  X 	Agents must find “soft spots” in the space-time continuum 
  before their time machines will work
  X
  X 	Time travel happens through ritualistic magic spells.
  X
  X 	Time travel rips holes though the veil of reality, rips that 
  anyone can walk through while open, and which never 
  entirely heal. Monsters from the time stream might exploit 
  these openings for themselves.
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  218
  X
  X 	Time travel causes illness, triggering a Stun test for anyone 
  who passes from one time to another.
  Define What Happens While Traveling
  As written, time traveling happens quickly and conveniently, 
  and moving through the vast river of time is little more than a 
  narrative special effect. What if that’s not the case?
  X
  X 	Time has weather, including storms and floods and natural 
  disasters, and travelers may have to take shelter in other eras 
  while traveling (possibly explaining Chronal Stability Loss 
  from failed Travel tests).
  X
  X 	Creatures live literally inside the time stream. These may 
  range from nuisance parasites such as chronal leeches, to 
  ezeru (analogous to roaches hiding under floorboards), to 
  actual chunks of sentient time with their own goals and 
  desires.
  X
  X 	Humans have colonized time itself, setting up way stations 
  or battle stations inside the flow of time.
  X
  X 	Time travel takes surprisingly long, and autochrons 
  automatically anesthetize you to minimize boredom.
  X
  X 	Time travel takes literally a flicker of a second, with no 
  interstitial time whatsoever. 
  Adjust Paradox
  As written, TimeWatch paradox isn’t a terrible thing. Sure, 
  there are personal consequences to being exposed to 
  repeated paradox (including vanishing from existence), but 
  overlapping yourself isn’t likely to erase the entire world. You 
  can change these consequences if you want to ramp paradox 
  levels up or down.
  As always with rules, we suggest you play with the default 
  level of paradox at least once before ramping the consequences 
  up or down.
  X
  X 	Use narrative consequences instead of mechanical losses. 
  Keep Paradox tests but jettison the concept of Loss. 
  Instead, failing a Paradox test creates aberrations in the 
  universe: a remarkable coincidence occurs, or an outlandish 
  threat appears, or you rip open a hole in time and space 
  and something from another time frame steps out, or 
  you create someone’s identical twin duplicate from an evil 
  mirror universe. Make consequences into challenges and 
  inconveniences, instead of tracking Chronal Stability Loss. 
  X
  X 	Every unsuccessful Paradox test raises the Difficulty on all 
  future Paradox tests for that character by 1. This death spiral 
  will get ugly quickly, but definitely inspires fear and caution. 
  In such a case, spending a Paradox Prevention point will 
  reset the starting Difficulty back to 4.
  X
  X 	Losses are reduced. Paradox becomes less important, 
  something that the universe can easily absorb. Meeting 
  yourself becomes a common and viable technique, and 
  time-based mayhem occurs far more frequently than 
  TimeWatch would like to admit. 
  CUSTOMIZING INVESTIGATIVE ABILITIES
  Different GUMSHOE games have different quantities of 
  abilities for the investigators to use while solving mysteries. The 
  TimeWatch rules condense abilities down to the bare minimum, 
  under the theory that it’s better to have fewer abilities that do 
  more things than it is to have many abilities that you either 
  don’t often use, or that you can’t remember the details of.
  Ask yourself: what abilities does your game need? Only 
  add new abilities that are essential, or close to it. Only remove 
  abilities that will get very little use. If your game cries out 
  for a specific ability that will clearly be useful and which 
  isn’t otherwise covered (such as Magic or Occult in a fantasy 
  version of TimeWatch), add it without hesitation. 
  There are several different levels of rules hacking. The 
  simplest is to add or subtract Investigative abilities. You may 
  wish to fold Forgery in under Spying, for instance — spies 
  traditionally forge documents, so it’s at least slightly plausible — 
  or combine the three different History abilities back into just one 
  or two. Conversely, you can add abilities when you expect they’ll 
  get significant use in your game. This is what we’ve done with 
  the traditional GUMSHOE Academic ability History. That’s 
  too inclusive in a time travel game, so in TimeWatch it’s been split 
  into three logical abilities instead — History (Ancient), History 
  (Contemporary), and History (Future).
  Cybernetics, mentioned on p. 125, is a good example of 
  adding a completely new ability when you think it will see 
  sufficient use, and it’s not adequately covered under another 
  ability. If you want magic in your game, you could add an 
  Occult ability and give the ability to cast spells (with an effect 
  equal to the benefit of spending a Science! point) by spending 
  1 point of Occult.
  This method provides great flexibility for encouraging the 
  type of actions and investigation you want to see in game. 
  For example, let’s say that you have players who want to play 
  musicians as Agents, and you intend to have several missions 
  focus on historical composers. Right now musical ability and 
  knowledge is subsumed by High Society (for piano, harp, 
  violin, and the like) and Streetwise (for guitar, harmonica, and 
  more casual instruments). You may wish to instead create a 
  new Interpersonal ability named “Perform” and have musical 
  knowledge and ability reside there instead. 
  Adding and subtracting Investigative abilities is simple. Just 
  be aware that you may wish to increase or decrease the number 
  of initial build points by 1 point for every 2 Investigative 
  abilities you add or subtract.
  Either way, you can increase or decrease the number of 
  Investigative build points that players get when creating 
  their characters. Adding points makes the characters more 
  competent and more powerful; subtracting points makes 
  them less experienced. Should you wish starting Agents who 
  are significantly less seasoned, it’s recommended you use 
  the Novice option and subtract 3 points from the starting 
  allotment of Investigative build points. Doing so, however, 
  may make it difficult or impossible for players to have every 
  Investigative ability covered. 
  You can relax the suggestion on p. 204 that every ability be 
  covered by at least one player. Doing so has the potential of 
  
  GM ADVICE
  219
  making some clues unobtainable, something that you probably 
  don’t want unless you’re building redundancy into your trail of 
  clues — although really, every core clue should have multiple 
  ways to discover it regardless. When it’s impossible to cover 
  every Investigative ability, such as in solo play, consider giving 
  the Agent’s tether a personality (see p. 113) and assigning 
  the most important of the missing Academic abilities to the 
  tether’s personality. 
  CUSTOMIZING GENERAL ABILITIES
  You can add or subtract General abilities, although this gets 
  slightly more complex. A common new ability to add is Sense 
  Trouble, which might be used to determine Surprise in combat 
  (or hidden explosives) instead of rolling Unobtrusiveness. In 
  a game that doesn’t need Chronal Stability, you may wish to 
  remove that ability and its companion Reality Anchor. 
  You’ll want to create a Booster for any new General ability 
  you create. This rewards players who specialize in a niche. Be 
  cautious not to make Boosters too powerful or weak. They 
  should be handy but not game winners, and should let the 
  character do their job slightly better than they could otherwise.
  The threshold for General ability Boosters affects niche 
  protection and character power. As a default, Boosters 
  become available when a General ability rating is 8 or higher. 
  You can increase that number to 10 or 12 if you want to 
  encourage niche protection and specialization. Even if you do 
  this, however, we recommend that the Booster for Athletics 
  continue to stay at 8. Most characters really need that +1 
  improvement to their Hit Threshold if they’re going to stay 
  alive for long. 
  You can add up to two new General abilities without having 
  to increase build points, although you’ll want to help ensure 
  that Stitches are regularly handed out to keep characters 
  effective in the game. Consider dropping the number of build 
  points from 50 to 45 if you remove one General ability, or 
  to 40 points if you remove two or more. If you remove any 
  General abilities but don’t reduce the number of initial build 
  points, expect the Agents to be moderately more capable and 
  robust.
  Don’t reduce or remove the free starting 6 points of 
  Health or Chronal Stability unless you don’t mind your player 
  characters fragile. We’ve found that reintroducing these bonus 
  12 points into the starting build pool tends to encourage 
  characters who are “glass cannons,” incredibly talented in 
  certain areas but who drop quickly in combat or suffer rapidly 
  from chronal instability.
  Should a 0 Rating Allow Success?
  As a default in GUMSHOE rules, you cannot roll for a 
  General ability that has a rating of 0. You can relax this rule if 
  you want to reduce niche protection. One method is described 
  in the sidebar on p. 28, raising Difficulties by +2 when using a 
  0 rating ability. This allows success only on a natural roll of 6. 
  Raising Difficulties by +1 for untrained abilities allows 
  success on a 5–6 (33% of the time), and not raising Difficulties 
  at all gives characters a 50/50 chance to make tests in an ability 
  they don’t possess. This makes it less likely that characters will 
  put 1 rating point in a General ability just to make sure that 
  they have a modicum of skill in it, granting them extra points 
  for the abilities they choose to specialize in.
  Allowing an untrained roll, keeping Difficulties normal, 
  but describing (or having the player describe) a calamitous 
  fumble on a natural roll of 1 is one other method of handling 
  untrained rolls; success becomes more likely (50% chance), but 
  1/6th of the time you should anticipate possibly plot-changing 
  failure. If nothing else, it will keep the players on their toes and 
  keep the game unpredictable.
  Should You Reveal  
  Exact Difficulty Numbers?
  The assumption when playing TimeWatch is that players have 
  a feel for the task Difficulty, but that they don’t know it with 
  certainty. Under this system normal Difficulties are set at 4, 
  and the GM saying “that task is harder than normal” indicates 
  that the Difficulty is at least 5, possibly higher (although 
  a Difficulty of 6 or 7 would likely be described as “really 
  difficult” or “close to impossible”). A description of “an easy 
  task” usually means a Difficulty of 3, as any task of Difficulty 
  2 or lower is usually handwaved as a success. 
  That level of vagueness is intended to introduce risk and 
  excitement and reduce the amount of number crunching by 
  players. Some players, however, hate this. For these players, 
  spending consumable resources (General ability pool points) 
  and then failing anyway is pretty much the opposite of fun. 
  They feel similarly about vast overspending, burning 6 pool 
  points when only 3 would have succeeded. With this style of 
  player at your table, keeping most Difficulties secret will result 
  in a frustrated player who has less fun.
  We recommend you talk to your players and ask them 
  how they feel about revealing exact Difficulty Numbers. If 
  people have particularly strong feelings about the issue, use 
  that method and tweak your level of disclosure as you play to 
  make sure it’s working. Delighted players are arguably more 
  important than greater in-game tension, and changing the 
  default system won’t break the game.
  CUSTOMIZING PARADOX 
  AND CHRONAL STABILITY
  Chronal Stability (or the dangerous erosion thereof) is a 
  handy method for handling paradox that adds an extra layer 
  of danger to time travel adventures. 
  Emotional Stability  
  vs. Chronal Stability
  Chronal Stability is almost a direct analog of the General ability 
  Stability that’s used in other GUMSHOE games such as Night’s 
  Black Agents, The Esoterrorists, and Trail of  Cthulhu to represent a 
  character’s mental and emotional strength. Run low on Stability 
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  220
  in those games, and you temporarily lose control of your 
  emotions. This is different than Sanity. For instance, watch your 
  best friend get murdered before your eyes, and you’d probably 
  go berserk, screaming and crying or evidencing uncontrollable 
  anger. In game terms you’d have taken massive Stability Loss, 
  but such a sorrow wouldn’t necessarily drive you insane.
  The GUMSHOE ability Psychoanalysis restores lost points 
  of Stability in the same way that Medic restores lost points 
  of Health. Reality Anchor works the same way in TimeWatch, 
  re-anchoring a Fading time traveler into reality and preventing 
  her from fading out of existence. 
  Removing Chronal Stability Entirely
  It may be a useful ability, but it’s not essential to playing the 
  game. Go back to your preferred sci-fi source material when 
  deciding to make changes; aside from Back to the Future, many 
  time travel stories and movies don’t take Chronal Stability into 
  account. We’ve designed antagonists, phenomena, and weapons 
  that use Chronal Stability, and it’s key to handling paradox, but 
  removing it from the game entirely only makes adventuring in 
  time somewhat safer and more prosaic. It turns out that losing 
  points of Chronal Stability is scary for many players, so paradox-
  ridden adventures that strain Chronal Stability can often be both 
  exciting and tense — you won’t break the game by removing it, 
  but you may make play less exciting. 
  If you remove Chronal Stability, use an alternate consequence 
  for paradox from p. 89. Unexpected time portals, odd aging or 
  de-aging, impossible paradoxes, time running backwards, an 
  area frozen or running backwards in time… all of these are 
  possibilities for non-mechanical paradox.
  You don’t need to change the number of General ability 
  build points if you remove Chronal Stability and Reality 
  Anchor, other than eliminating the 6 points of Chronal 
  Stability that new Agents normally get for free.
  Adjusting Test Frequency,  
  Difficulty, and Loss
  Frequency
  Paradox tests other than Travel tests usually occur only a few 
  times in an average game session. If you want to make these 
  more frequent, and thus put greater stress on Chronal Stability 
  and Reality Anchor pools, find environmental and antagonist-
  related ways to trigger these that aren’t directly related to 
  suboptimal player choices.
  Examples include:
  X
  X 	requiring tests when a wave of historical change takes effect
  X
  X 	antagonists with the Destabilize special power
  X
  X 	antagonists armed with chronal destabilizer weapons, 
  whether pistols or grenades
  X
  X 	chronal anomalies2 such as time fissures, butterfly effects, 
  post-shadowing, birthday atrophy, spontaneous evolution, 
  lost time, second sight, and the déjà flu
  X
  X 	time disasters such as time quakes, timephoons, clocknados, 
  timebergs, ice aging, timevalanches, and retro-amnesia
  We advise against Paradox tests that increase in frequency 
  because you’ve added more stringent rules for what 
  constitutes a paradox. That turns out to not be much fun; 
  players view Paradox tests as a stressful “we screwed up” 
  punishment. Requiring one tends to discourage the action that 
  initially triggered it. If you decide to require them for minor or 
  inconsequential Agent actions when adventuring, you’re going 
  to put the players into a state of analysis paralysis, where every 
  action they take seems to be discouraged. Avoid that.
  Difficulty and Loss
  The more difficult and severe Paradox tests are, the more 
  dangerous paradoxes become. Should you choose to remove 
  or reduce the effects, the severity, or the frequency of Chronal 
  Stability tests, you’ll want to think about a method for ensuring 
  that any alien time travelers that drain Chronal Stability still 
  remain scary and effective. Using the other time tricks available 
  by spending Tempus (see p. 148) should hopefully be enough. 
  You could also increase the dangers of chronal instability. 
  Increasing the effects, severity, or frequency of Paradox tests 
  2 The names for most of the chronal anomalies and time disasters 
  are courtesy of the fine people behind the Thrilling Adventure Hour 
  podcast, used with gracious permission. We don’t know what most 
  of these are either, but if you’re looking for an excuse to spring 
  additional Paradox tests on your players, they work beautifully.
  Uurrk discovers that just because you CAN duplicate yourself 
  across time, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
  
  GM ADVICE
  221
  will make sure that the team is getting their money’s worth 
  from their Reality Anchor pools, and it will make them feel 
  much more fragile when time traveling. Time traveling to 
  alternate timelines already increases the Difficulty and severity 
  of most Paradox tests, usually by 1 point. Increasing this 
  amount will make alternate timelines feel much more unreal 
  and dangerous.
  You could change the results of what happens when an 
  Agent becomes unstable. By TimeWatch rules, the pattern 
  echoes that of Stability in other games; they’re shaken, 
  then effectively disabled, then destroyed (as opposed to 
  permanently insane, as they might be in a game like Night’s 
  Black Agents). What happens if you change this? Perhaps as the 
  Agent loses Chronal Stability they continue to fade, becoming 
  invisible, incorporeal, and silent between −6 and −11. Other 
  Agents would have to find a way to communicate with them, 
  and it might take some planning to use Reality Anchor on an 
  Agent who cannot communicate with the rest of his team. 
  We’ll note that this suggests that a haunted house is actually a 
  place inhabited by chronally unstable time travelers instead of 
  ghosts, which could be a fantastic adventure in itself. 
  At the extreme end of increasing the Difficulty and Loss 
  related to Chronal Stability, you can imagine a TimeWatch game 
  where the slightest amount of paradox destroys the universe. 
  Such a system would mean that Agents could never overlap 
  themselves in time or create any paradox at all; doing so might 
  erase their existence. This style of game relies less on action 
  and more on very careful planning, so be cautious about 
  implementing such a change until you understand its effect 
  on game play.
  Chronal Stability and Madness
  It’s intriguing to note that if you mashed together time travel 
  and horror, or decided that time travel could drive a person 
  insane due to the squirming and whispering monstrosities that 
  abide between the ticks of the clock, changing Chronal Stability 
  to Stability might make for a fun game. This is particularly true 
  in the Chronal Horror or Mythos campaign frame. 
  In this style of play, Chronal Stability is linked closely with 
  sanity. As Chronal Stability drops, Agents become slowly 
  insane or unbalanced. A Chronal Stability of −12 means that 
  an Agent’s mind is shattered and that their brain continually 
  picks up the thoughts of thousands of people in thousands 
  of time periods. That’s not a fate you’d wish on most people.
  With this rule, traumatic scenes trigger Paradox tests in the 
  same way that paradox does. Horror and trauma erode the 
  mind’s defenses as effectively as time travel does, and it takes 
  a strong and well-rested psyche to withstand the constant 
  undertow of time. Such a game tends to rely on Reality Anchor 
  more often than traditional Patrol-style games do.
  Linking Chronal Stability and emotional resilience is a fun 
  house rule that adds to roleplaying but which has virtually 
  no effect on game mechanics. If you like the idea of Agents 
  panicking and desperately trying not to break when things get 
  particularly rough, give this a try.
  Customizing Paradox Prevention
  The effectiveness (or lack thereof) of the Investigative ability 
  Paradox Prevention should be considered when customizing 
  Chronal Stability. If you don’t like the idea of the Agents 
  flouting the laws of space-time by leaving themselves a note 
  or showing up to assist themselves in battle, you can simply 
  prohibit such actions or (more effectively and entertainingly) 
  have Paradox Prevention spends also trigger a Difficulty 6 
  or higher Paradox test. That will leave the option open for 
  desperate Agents, while making sure it isn’t used casually.
  Paradox Prevention spends can also be used to simulate 
  extreme luck and coincidences. If a player wants to casually 
  bump into a famous celebrity of the day, or make sure that 
  the person they just accidentally ran over in a car chase 
  wasn’t destined to have an influential grandchild, a Paradox 
  Prevention spend is a reasonable way to do so. 
  Alternate Mechanics
  Love the idea of Chronal Stability, but not the mechanics? 
  Take a lesson from the superb horror game Dread and set up 
  a Jenga® tower next to the game table. Any time a Chronal 
  Stability or Travel test is called for, have players make a pull 
  from the tower and place their block on top. Players make 
  one pull for every 2 points of Difficulty; a Travel test requires 
  one pull, and a standard Difficulty 4 test would require two 
  pulls. If anyone ever knocks down the tower, reality shatters 
  and time rips apart. This method raises the stakes and adds 
  tension to the game, at the cost of taking slightly longer to 
  resolve paradoxes.
  CUSTOMIZING COMBAT RULES
  GUMSHOE combat in TimeWatch is designed to be overly 
  fairly quickly. It’s a combat system where the Stitch system 
  of action points encourages players to describe their attacks 
  and their surroundings. A common answer when a player asks 
  “we’re in a fight? What’s in the room?” is “you tell me.” This 
  gives players a certain amount of narrative control over their 
  combats, and that’s reflected in the rules when players decide 
  how successful their attacks are.
  If you want to tweak the combat rules for a specific effect, 
  there are many ways to do so.
  Tactical Complexity
  Frankly, there are other games that handle tactical complexity 
  better than TimeWatch; it’s designed as a cinematic, modifier-
  lite system that features fairly fast, effective combat. 
  If you want to model more of a cat-and-mouse tactical 
  approach, options include:
  X
  X 	Use a battle map. You don’t need 5’-square accuracy, but 
  understanding how many squares constitute a range helps 
  you manage tactical combat. It also helps to draw in walls, 
  obstructions, and open lines of sight.
  
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  X
  X Encourage creative use of Investigative ability spends. These 
  are incredibly useful for explaining and allowing great tactical 
  moves. For instance, an Agent might spend 1 point of 
  Architecture to know exactly how to collapse the upper floors 
  onto an enemy’s head, or how to shoot right through a weak 
  spot in full cover. A point of Military Tactics might allow 
  someone to effectively shoot around corners, ricocheting a 
  bullet. A point of Science! might generate a one-round force 
  field that gives Armor 4 against bullets only, allowing you to 
  safely close within Scuffling range. 
  X
  X 	Don’t allow Stitches to refresh pools mid-combat. By 
  limiting this, you encourage creativity as Agents run out of 
  Scuffling and Shooting points.
  Deadlier Combat
  Lots of Mooks can take down Agents quickly, but total party 
  kills are uncommon in TimeWatch (just as they are in most time 
  travel and sci-fi stories). Here’s how to amp up the lethality.
  X
  X 	PaciFists and neural disruptors make it easier for Agents 
  (and bad guys) to take captives. Removing them from 
  the game makes combat lethal (and somewhat slower) by 
  default. 
  X
  X 	To encourage more stunning (which can be brutally effective 
  against the player characters or against Mooks), increase 
  PaciFist and neural disruptor effectiveness by raising the 
  Stun number from Stun 5 to Stun 6, or increase Difficulties 
  by +2 instead of +1 for anyone who has succeeded at a 
  Stun test.
  X
  X 	Limit characters to Health 10 during character creation.
  X
  X 	Increase weapon damage values across the board by +1, so 
  that an unarmed attack does +0 damage instead of −1.
  X
  X 	Remind players that Stitches can be turned in to increase 
  damage.
  X
  X 	Disallow Stitches from being used to reduce damage.
  X
  X 	The GM gains a pool of 3 Stitches that can be used to 
  increase or decrease an antagonist’s damage during fights; 
  once they’re gone, they aren’t refreshed.
  X
  X 	Use more Mooks during fights.
  X
  X 	Remove the default Armor 1 that all Agents get from their 
  chronomorphic TimeWatch armor.
  X
  X 	Reduce the Medic ability’s effectiveness from “2 points 
  healed per point spent” to “1 point healed per point spent.” 
  This can be done most easily by removing TimeWatch 
  medkits from the game.
  X
  X 	Don’t allow the Medic ability to be used during active 
  combat, or rule that it takes at least a minute to use. This 
  makes death during fights more likely.
  Less Deadly Combat
  Are your Agents falling like tenpins? That’s an easy problem 
  to fix, whether initially (while the players are learning the rules 
  and tactics) or across the campaign.
  X
  X 	Allow Agents to stun enemies with appropriate weapons other 
  than their PaciFist (for instance, an impromptu sap made from 
  a sock full of coins or a pistol grip will act as a Stun 4 weapon). 
  X
  X 	Increase free starting Health during character creation from 
  6 to 8.
  X
  X 	Be more liberal when allowing armor, especially high-tech 
  armor created with Preparedness or Science!
  X
  X 	Remind players that Stitches can be turned in to reduce 
  damage.
  X
  X 	Increase the default Armor that all Agents get from their 
  chronomorphic TimeWatch armor from Armor 1 to Armor 2. 
  X
  X 	Remove the requirement for a medkit when using the Medic 
  ability.
  X
  X 	Lower most disruptors’ Stun rating from 5 to 4.
  More Cinematic Combat
  While this is a cinematic game by design (meaning that it relies 
  as much on movie and action story logic as it does on real-
  life history and physics), you can ramp up the fast-paced and 
  showy action element.
  X
  X 	Be less stringent about rules, handwaving edge cases to 
  encourage players attempting something awesome.
  X
  X 	Remove or change any rule that consistently slows down or 
  distracts from play.
  X
  X 	If you have to look up a rule more than once, make 
  something up and go with it. You’ll better remember 
  whatever you make up.
  X
  X 	Don’t require ability tests for most easy actions, and lower 
  Difficulties when players give you an incredibly cinematic 
  description of their actions.
  X
  X 	“Fail forward.” On a failure, players can still succeed but 
  with complications or at a cost. (This is a great idea to do 
  normally, in fact.)
  X
  X 	Encourage using Preparedness to acquire beam weapons 
  with interesting special effects, such as disintegration and 
  concussion.
  More Challenging Combat
  These tweaks make the game more challenging — and may 
  make it more finicky as well. As a rule of thumb, be cautious 
  about layering on more house rules than you can easily 
  remember off the top of your head.
  X
  X 	Never reveal target numbers.
  X
  X 	Limit maximum Stitches to 2, instead of 3.
  X
  X 	Aim occasional challenges at the group’s weakest points.
  X
  X Increase the frequency, Difficulty, or potential Loss of 
  Paradox tests during combat.
  X
  X 	Be more stringent about what creates paradox, resulting 
  in more Paradox tests. Did the Agents kill someone who 
  shouldn’t have died? Paradox test!
  
  GM ADVICE
  223
  X
  X 	Reduce the effectiveness of Investigative spends (and in 
  particular, Science! spends for super-science equipment).
  X
  X 	Use a variant initiative system that allows less flexibility and 
  teamwork (not recommended, but it’s an option).
  X
  X 	Turn some Mooks into full-fledged Opponents in a fight, 
  giving them far more survivability. Be aware that this 
  might cause your fights to be deadlier and last longer than 
  expected.
  X
  X 	Give enemies and antagonists access to Stun 5 disruptors, as 
  well as to chronal destabilizers that affect Chronal Stability 
  instead of Health.
  X
  X 	Give enemies and antagonists greater access to armor, reducing 
  all Scuffling and Shooting damage by 1 or more points.
  CUSTOMIZING POOL REFRESHES
  The biggest difference between TimeWatch and other 
  GUMSHOE games — time travel aside — is that TimeWatch 
  uses Stitches, a player-controlled resource meant to refresh 
  General ability pools. In GUMSHOE, that’s a big deal because 
  it empowers players to decide when and how abilities get 
  refreshed. The classic “you feel more scared due to declining 
  resources” tone of games like Trail of  Cthulhu is largely absent 
  in TimeWatch. 
  That’s deliberate, but you can adjust it to fit your own vision 
  of the game. Right now, as noted on p. 67, here are the ways 
  ability points can be refreshed under the standard rules.
  X
  X 	Turning in a Stitch refreshes one General ability pool by 2 
  points. 
  X
  X 	24 hours of rest fully restores Athletics, Shooting, Scuffling, 
  and Vehicles.
  X
  X 	24 hours rest restore 2 points of Health if you are not 
  Seriously Wounded (−6 to −11 Health).
  Other than that, General ability pools don’t refresh between 
  scenes. Investigative pools never refresh during a mission 
  (unless you decide one should under special circumstances). 
  The frequency and quantity of pool refreshes affect player 
  resource management and tough strategic decision-making. 
  Increase the frequency of pool refreshes, and it’s common for 
  the game to become too easy.
  You can customize this to reach the level of pool refreshes 
  you prefer. 
  X
  X 	The maximum number of Stitches and the frequency in which 
  they’re handed out affect pool refreshes, damage inflicted on 
  the Agents, and damage dished out by the Agents. You can also 
  adjust how many pool points each Stitch refreshes, ratcheting it 
  up or down from the default of 2.
  X
  X For maximum tension, don’t allow any Stitch-related refreshes 
  during action scenes. If Stitches refresh abilities only during 
  downtime, characters will need to husband their available 
  points more carefully during a fight, and will spend their 
  Stitches on boosting or reducing damage instead.
  X
  X 	For less tension and less threat, increase the frequency with 
  which player characters receive Stitches or pool refreshes. 
  X
  X 	To keep a fight going longer, and to model the Night’s Black 
  Agents rule that can give a 3-point refresh for the experts 
  of high-action pools (such as a 3-point Athletics refresh 
  for Agents who have Parkour), once per action scene per 
  player, allow them to count one Stitch as refreshing 3 pool 
  points instead of 2, so long as all of those points are spent 
  to refresh a pool that the Agents has a rating of 8+ in. 
  Mace Hunter has a Scuffling rating of  8, and this fight against 
  chrome-magnons (cybernetically enhanced troglodytes) has brought his 
  Scuffling pool down to 1. When spending a Stitch to refresh his Scuffling 
  pool, he declares that this Stitch is his special Stitch for the scene. It 
  refreshes 3 Scuffling points instead of  the normal 2 points. Mace punches 
  another chrome-magnon in the face and struggles towards higher ground.
  X
  X 	To maximize high action at the expense of making the 
  game feel easier, give every character a free 3-point refresh 
  for their Athletics, Scuffling, Shooting, and Vehicles pools 
  after every combat scene. Additional spent pool points are 
  regained normally with Stitches.
  PLAYING TIMEWATCH WITHOUT STITCHES
  Not everyone will want to play TimeWatch with Stitches. We 
  think there are a lot of good reasons to use them — they 
  positively reward players for being awesome, they help GMs 
  who never remember to award players a pool refresh, they 
  encourage players who feel that GUMSHOE damage is less 
  epic than they’d like, and they help mitigate PC mortality — 
  but if it’s not your thing, GMs, here’s how you remove them 
  and keep the game balanced.
  X
  X 	If you’re killing PCs, reduce bad guy Health. Reducing 
  antagonist Health overall will make enemies drop faster in 
  combat. Reducing Health to 3 or below will make them 
  vulnerable to a single hit from a PaciFist, taking them out 
  of combat sooner and causing them to inflict less damage 
  overall. You’ll want some of these Mooks in most fights, 
  anyways; it’s fun for players to mow down bad guys and see 
  an immediate effect from their attacks.
  X
  X 	If you’re killing PCs, tone down damage or combat 
  pools. There’s no easy way to reduce damage unless you 
  swap out a sword for a knife, but it’s simple to lower an 
  antagonist’s fixed combat modifier or combat pools. With 
  a +1 instead of a +3 fixed combat modifier, or with fewer 
  points in Scuffling and Shooting (and a formula for spending 
  those points mapped out; see p. 150), the enemy will hit 
  fewer times and inflict less damage before being dropped. 
  X
  X 	Allow Agents to gain partial pool refreshes after every 
  action scene. This bypasses the Stitch system. Climactic 
  scenes might trigger one or more full pool refreshes, and 
  regular action scenes might trigger one to three 3-point 
  pool refreshes (in other words, refreshing one to three 
  different pools by 3 points each). This helps make sure 
  that characters keep enough capability to be effective. You 
  can (and probably should) award partial pool refreshes as a 
  reward after players do something clever.
  
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  X
  X 	Tell your players when they’re awesome. Not everyone 
  needs the positive reinforcement, but time travel can be a 
  tricky and confusing genre. Let them know when you’re 
  having fun and when they’re doing a good job.
  CUSTOMIZING CHARACTER EFFECTIVENESS
  TimeWatch Agents are generally extremely competent. 
  You can easily adjust this, increasing or decreasing their 
  effectiveness for your own series or campaign.
  Increasing Effectiveness
  Want your Agents to be even more competent? Here’s how. 
  X
  X 	Allow players to shuffle ability ratings after every game.
  X
  X 	Encourage players to keep a small pool of unspent 
  Investigative points before the first game, and then assign 
  them on the fly as needed.
  X
  X 	Design your missions and plots to challenge the abilities that 
  Agents are best at. Does your group love Scuffling? Have 
  more hand-to-hand melees. Do they focus on Burglary and 
  Spying? Lean your game towards espionage themes.
  X
  X 	Add in mechanics for mid-combat combat refreshes (see 
  above).
  X
  X 	Increase mission-ending build points by +1.
  X
  X 	During character creation, allow players to exchange 1 
  Investigative point for 3 General ability points on their own 
  character, or vice versa. If you allow, this, specify a limit 
  (such as 3 Investigative / 9 General points).
  X
  X 	During character creation, increase the number of build 
  points allowed by 3.
  X
  X 	During character creation, increase the number of free 
  Chronal Stability or Health points from 6 to 8 (the Hardened 
  Agents option from p. 26)
  X
  X 	Make sure that Stitches are handed out regularly throughout 
  the game.
  Decreasing Effectiveness
  You may find that Agents are actually too good at their jobs. If 
  so, here are some solutions. One note, however: resist the urge 
  to decrease effectiveness by introducing complete red herrings 
  during mission briefings. Doing so makes players suspicious 
  and cynical, and soon sabotages game play. 
  X
  X 	Reduce by 3 the number of starting Investigative build 
  points characters receive at the game’s beginning.
  X
  X 	Reduce the free Chronal Stability and Health points during 
  character creation from 6 to 4 or lower.
  X
  X 	Remove Boosters for high General ability ratings (except 
  the Hit Threshold boost for Athletics).
  X
  X 	Increase the threshold for Boosters from rating 8 to rating 
  10 (except the Hit Threshold boost for Athletics).
  X
  X 	Taking away character technology (such as autochrons, 
  tethers, PaciFists, and translators) reduces effectiveness, 
  but is terrifying and much hated; only do so when it is 
  appropriate to the mission.
  X
  X 	Reduce the Stitch hoarding limit from 3 to 2, leaving Agents 
  with fewer resources.
  X
  X 	Decrease mission-ending build points slightly, reducing the 
  total to 1 or 2 per mission instead of per game session. 
  CUSTOMIZING GAME FEEL
  For a straightforward game about time travel, there’s quite 
  a few ways to quickly tweak the tone of the game to match 
  your preferences.
  X
  X 	The degree to which small changes affect the timeline 
  affects whether the game feels like an alt-history simulation 
  or an action game. The more forgiving to small changes the 
  time stream is, the less of a simulation (and probably the 
  less finicky) the game becomes.
  X
  X 	The faster enemies drop (particularly unnamed Mooks), the 
  more it feels like an action movie. If you want the Agents to 
  feel like big damn heroes, include 1 Health Mooks in a fight.
  X
  X Encouraging creative problem-solving through time travel 
  — even (or especially) when it’s a problem that could 
  usually be solved without time travel — reminds players of 
  what sets this particular game apart. Limiting time travel, 
  and solutions that use it, sets the game firmly in a grittier 
  and more grounded science fiction setting.
  X
  X 	As represented by spending Investigative ability points, 
  the liberalness with which characters can retroactively 
  change the past and have it ripple to the present  
  affects creativity and problem-solving. Restricting  
  players from narrative control, especially when  
  spending Investigative control, limits player options 
  and increases grittiness.
  X
  X 	Filling the game with potential foils and giving players 
  Stitches for making everyone laugh helps turn the game 
  towards comedy.
  X
  X 	Filling a high-stakes game with lethal, ruthless foes and 
  giving out Stitches for daring plans turns the game towards 
  heroic espionage.
  X
  X 	Putting players into traditionally unwinnable situations and 
  encouraging them to solve the problem using time travel 
  and super-science slides the game towards futurism and 
  science fiction.
  X
  X 	Having challenging, evocative mysteries that rely on more 
  than historical cause-and-effect reminds your players that 
  it’s an investigative game.
  X
  X 	Including complex, interesting supporting characters whose 
  loyalty can’t be gained through violence or threats turns the 
  game towards roleplaying and negotiation.
  X
  X Setting up opposed ideological factions both within  
  and outside TimeWatch, and having such battle for  
  historical control by trying to use the Agents as pawns 
  
  GM ADVICE
  225
  and tools, quickly establishes the tone of secrecy,  
  conspiracy, and politics. 
  X
  X 	Letting player actions change the world, even something as 
  simple as a minor historical change rippling forward, gives 
  them agency and buy-in into your campaign setting.
  USING TIMEWATCH WITH OTHER 
  GUMSHOE RULES SYSTEMS 
  If you play other GUMSHOE games such as the super-spy vs. 
  vampire thriller Night’s Black Agents or the investigative space 
  opera Ashen Stars, you may occasionally wish to integrate 
  time travel into those games. The commonality between rules 
  systems makes this fairly easy, but you should examine the 
  games’ themes and rules to make sure time travel makes sense. 
  Time travel in a Fear Itself game, for instance, probably doesn’t 
  make sense unless the time traveler is the serial killer with 
  the butcher knife. Which, now that we think about it, would 
  probably make a pretty good Fear Itself game.
  Melding TimeWatch into any other RPG is a chance to 
  expand your game’s options. Whether bringing TimeWatch as 
  an organization into an existing game’s structure and adding 
  time travel as a new component of play, or taking the opposite 
  approach and bringing the other RPG campaign’s elements 
  into TimeWatch (a time travel–based space opera with a whole 
  planet of sophosaurs? Ezeru as the tools of Hastur? Super-
  powered law enforcers as TimeWatch agents? Time traveling 
  vampires?), you have a ridiculous quantity of options. Choose 
  the ones that seem like the most fun, settle on a consistent 
  tone for your game, and forge ahead. Here’s how. 
  PICK YOUR CORE RULES
  The first step is choosing which GUMSHOE rules system to 
  use for your core rules.
  X
  X 	Use TimeWatch as your core rules if you want a simpler and 
  less specialized character sheet, and don’t mind losing the 
  genre-specific advantages of the other game.
  X
  X 	Use the other game as your core rules if time travel isn’t a 
  permanent feature or focus of the campaign.
  Neither of these approaches is wrong. You should pick 
  one based on what rules set you prefer, the tone of play, and 
  how large a part of the story you want time travel and chronal 
  manipulation to be. A game about time travel where the 
  players play spies (using TimeWatch with aspects of the Night’s 
  Black Agents rules integrated in) is going to feel different than 
  a game about spies where they briefly encounter time travel 
  (using Night’s Black Agents with the TimeWatch rules integrated 
  in). TimeWatch leans towards a fast, action-oriented play style. 
  If that’s the wrong tone for the GUMSHOE game that you’re 
  hoping to emulate, you may find it most effective to add time 
  travel into your game of choice.
  General Guidelines for  
  Starting With TimeWatch
  TimeWatch rules use a pared-down set of Investigative and 
  General abilities compared to some other GUMSHOE games, 
  with abilities that tend towards a high level of abstraction. 
  Unsurprisingly for a time travel game, TimeWatch’s abilities 
  focus closely on history and time travel but handwave other 
  large categories. For example, the many scientific abilities that 
  you’d find in other GUMSHOE games (such as Astronomy, 
  Chemistry, Geology, and Physics) are egregiously combined 
  into the catchall ability Science! That makes sense for the genre; 
  most time travel stories in film and literature feature scientists 
  and technologists with a very wide field of knowledge, and 
  TimeWatch emulates this. In comparison, a GUMSHOE game 
  like Ashen Stars breaks science down into multiple abilities, as 
  you’d expect in a space opera where crew members all have 
  different areas of expertise. 
  To bring the themes of other GUMSHOE games into 
  TimeWatch, look at what is most important about the other 
  setting and then combine or break out TimeWatch’s abilities 
  accordingly. In an Esoterrorists-themed TimeWatch game, 
  for instance, you’d want to add new abilities such as Occult 
  Studies and Evidence Collection, and change Chronal Stability 
  into Stability to accompany the theme of pervasive horror. 
  An Ashen Stars–focused TimeWatch game would add new 
  alien species abilities and some of the starship crew abilities 
  that make Ashen Stars unique. Night’s Black Agents’ influence 
  in a TimeWatch game might break the Spying ability into sub-
  abilities, and add back in the wonderful Network ability that 
  allows Agents to have friends everywhere they go. 
  Your goal is to create a game that largely uses TimeWatch’s 
  pared-down character sheet, but which feels like another game 
  in tone and play. Add as few new rules and abilities into the 
  system as you can manage, and make sure those are the most 
  important and flavorful rules.
  General Guidelines for Starting With 
  Another GUMSHOE Game
  Change the rules of the other game as little as you possibly 
  can, adding time travel only when needed. Consider adopting 
  TimeWatch’s Stun rules where they make sense, and use Stability 
  any time Chronal Stability might be relevant. For action-
  oriented games, consider carefully the role of Stitches; for 
  horror-oriented games, don’t use Stitches at all. Your biggest 
  concern is more in maintaining the feel of the original game, 
  as TimeWatch’s shiny sci-fi approach may not mesh perfectly 
  with the gritty super-heroic police procedural of Mutant City 
  Blues or the survival horror of Fear Itself. 
  ASHEN STARS
  Ashen Stars is an Investigative space game where you can play the 
  gritty reboot of your favorite science fiction TV show. You’re 
  a freelance troubleshooter and law officer on the fringes of 
  occupied space. Amid the ashes of a devastating war you’ll solve 
  
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  mysteries, fix thorny problems, and explore strange corners of 
  space — balancing the promise of a quick buck against the need 
  to maintain a reputation that wins you lucrative contracts.
  Adding Time Travel Into Ashen Stars
  As numerous sci-fi TV shows and movies have shown us, time 
  travel can go hand in hand with a space opera. The scale of 
  the storytelling is already expansive; in a game like Ashen Stars 
  different species and factions move from planet to planet, across 
  galaxies and solar systems. Adding an additional component of 
  crossing chronal dimensions isn’t much of a stretch.
  Ashen Stars is a good choice because it’s a game that handles 
  big stakes particularly well. It’s just as simple to have the whole 
  political future of multiple inhabited worlds at stake during 
  a mission, as it is to put a few innocents’ lives at risk. That 
  flexibility means that Lasers with a time machine can literally 
  craft the future they most want to see — and their enemies can 
  try to take that future away from them just as easily. 
  The biggest challenge is the ease of solving traditional murder 
  mysteries when the Lasers can go back in time to keep the 
  victim safe. This requires you to put extra layers of complication 
  or intrigue into a mystery, so that the obvious perpetrator might 
  not be the actual villain. Luckily, space opera time travel is 
  traditionally managed by gear that’s mounted inside of space 
  ships, and time travel doesn’t typically teleport the space ship in 
  space as well as time. This fundamentally changes the dynamics 
  of time travel and mysteries between Ashen Stars and TimeWatch; 
  when the entire crew has to launch the ship, manufacture a 
  relatively inaccurate chronal wormhole (or slingshot around 
  the sun), pilot back to wherever they needed to head, and hope 
  they arrive in time, you’ll see much less frivolous or casual time 
  traveling. Every leap will be an adventure in itself, and new 
  dangers can emerge every time the ship moves in time.
  For a game already set in humanity’s far future, you’ll want 
  to give some thought to what time travel might mean in your 
  game. Going into the future is little or no problem; you’re free 
  to foreshadow and launch war between the Combine and the 
  Bleed, to show how (or if) cybes integrate fully into human 
  society, or to launch a future alien invasion. Going into the 
  near past isn’t a problem, either, and will add a new aspect to 
  mystery investigations. 
  The challenge with Ashen Stars is that time travel invalidates 
  the Bogey Conundrum, the mysterious force that completely 
  prevents survivors of the war from understanding who or 
  what their enemy the Mohilar were. That magnificent mystery 
  goes right out the window when the Lasers time travel back 20 
  years and find out about the Mohilar firsthand.
  Options include:
  X
  X 	A chronal interdiction field prevents time travel to a period 
  during the war. Not recommended, necessarily, because 
  there are untold mysteries and adventures during an 
  interstellar war; but it’s certainly an option.
  X
  X 	The Lasers see and remember the truth whenever they 
  time travel prior to the war’s end, but they are unable to 
  communicate or even remember their knowledge once they 
  return to any later time.
  X
  X 	The Lasers see and remember the horrible truth even when 
  they return, at least at first, but no one else can comprehend 
  or remember their message. Pressing the issue might drive 
  other people insane. Thus, the player characters might be the 
  only people alive who know the Mohilar’s secret conspiracy, 
  and they have no one to turn to but themselves.
  X
  X 	The Mohilar realize the Lasers’ unique abilities and spare no 
  expense to track them down and destroy them.
  X
  X 	Time travel somehow helps the Mohilar, or harms them 
  terribly. Perhaps they themselves possess time travel 
  technology, or yearn to acquire it.
  X
  X 	The Agents themselves accidentally start or end the war.
  Several of these options require you to know, yourself, who 
  or what the Mohilar are. They may be another known species, 
  now disguised; they may have died, or fled, or burrowed into 
  the ground to wait. Whatever the secret truth, there’s a reason 
  that they didn’t want anyone to remember them after the war 
  ended, and the player characters have the opportunity to find 
  out the truth. Be ready for it, and make any revelation better 
  than even they suspected. 
  Some other logistical questions circle the presence of time 
  machines in Ashen Stars. These include:
  X
  X 	Where did the time machine come from, and how did the 
  Lasers get it? Was it a gift from a mysteriously grateful 
  inventor, ancient precursor technology, or something else?
  X
  X 	Can the ship teleport in space as well as time? If so, what 
  is its range? Could it travel back to ancient Earth, or to the 
  beginning of the Combine?
  X
  X 	How is a ship fueled in past or future eras when the 
  technology is long obsolete?
  X
  X 	Can Lasers travel to the future for superior technology, then 
  bring it back and use it freely without paradox to gain a 
  competitive edge?
  X
  X 	Should time travel be common, rare, or practically unique?
  Keeping time travel out of the wrong hands can be the core 
  theme of an Ashen Stars game, possibly turning the Agents 
  into defenders of precursor technology who are chased by 
  those who want it for themselves. This tonal shift can also 
  reinvigorate campaigns where the alien-or-monster-or-planet-
  of-the-week stories have started to grow stale. If you’ve set a 
  story in the middle of a war between two species, or between 
  the Bleedists and the Combine, the balance of power radically 
  alters the minute one side decides to travel back to stop their 
  enemies before they ever got started. 
  You could just as easily run an entire TimeWatch campaign 
  set in Ashen Stars’ Bleed instead of on Earth, fixing historical 
  damage done by eager starship pilots and corrupt Combine 
  corporations who try to prevent the Mohilar War while only 
  making it worse. 
  In space opera, the specialness of the setting is not the 
  technology itself, but how the technology is dramatically used 
  by the characters. When the farm boy gets a laser sword and 
  flies his personal spaceship on a bombing raid, the focus is 
  on his successful raid and not the fact that he’s in a personal 
  spaceship or that he’s asking a robot to help him fly. The same 
  
  GM ADVICE
  227
  is true of time travel. When it is not at the heart of conflict 
  where different groups want to possess it, a time machine can 
  be one more piece of technology like engines, blasters, or 
  force fields.
  We feel that time travel in Ashen Stars works best when you 
  make time travel rare, difficult to use, and possibly unique. 
  The traditional science fiction method of accomplishing 
  this is to use time-piercing wormholes instead of invented 
  technology, allowing you to play out stories in other eras 
  without worrying about technology. If you prefer tech, it 
  may be that the Lasers are one of the only people who 
  have found time traveling precursor technology and they 
  use it to their great advantage. It may be that others want 
  to take this away from them, or that a rival corporation or 
  organization has found it as well. This is decided by whether 
  you want a campaign where Lasers explore the history of 
  the Bleed and uncover the secrets of the Mohilar War, or 
  if they rarely use time travel for specific assignments and 
  limited plot arcs.
  Want time travel to move Lasers in space as well as time? 
  Have time travel move them out of the Bleed, perhaps as far 
  back as the heart of the Combine. This method allows you 
  to explore the foundations of the history and culture that the 
  Lasers know, while still allowing them to return home after 
  seeing their ancestral homeland.
  The decision of time travel in Ashen Stars is one of framing: 
  is time travel a tool, a phenomenon, or a weapon? Is it a 
  threat or a boon? Is it secret or public? Held by the many 
  or the few? Adding time as one more axis through which 
  stories about distant galaxies and aliens can be told should 
  be an encouragement for epic storytelling with large-scale 
  consequences, so don’t hold back. 
  Game Mechanics
  Chronal Stability: Chronal Stability should only be a relevant 
  ability when the Lasers are time traveling. One method for 
  adding Chronal Stability into the game after character creation 
  is to give the Laser team a fixed amount of Chronal Stability 
  (such as 6–8 points per character) that they can divide up 
  between themselves however they wish. Lower numbers make 
  the tone of the game more threatening; higher numbers turn 
  the tone more freewheeling. Alternatively, you can completely 
  ignore Chronal Stability and the mechanical effects of paradox. 
  A game that chooses this path treats paradox narratively, 
  describing negative consequences instead of representing 
  them with numbers and abilities.
  Reality Anchor: Reality Anchor goes hand in hand with 
  Chronal Stability, and adding one ability means that you 
  should add the other, using the same guidelines and method 
  noted above. A less intrusive solution has you removing 
  the ability Reality Anchor. Instead, allow players to make 
  Investigative ability spends to restore lost Chronal Stability. 
  Inspiration, Reassurance, and History spends are particularly 
  relevant to standing in for Reality Anchor. If the GM feels that 
  an Investigative spend is a great match for stabilizing a time 
  traveler, a 1-point spend gives a pool of 6 Chronal Stability 
  points that can be split between characters; if the ability spent 
  is somewhat questionable, it instead generates a pool of 4 
  Chronal Stability points that can be distributed. 
  The Laser crew has come out of  a temporal wormhole and is badly 
  shaken, having lost 2 points apiece from each characters’ Chronal 
  Stability. The pilot gives an inspirational pep talk and spends an 
  Inspiration point. The crew now has a pool of  6 Chronal Stability 
  points to split up between the members, which partially refreshes their 
  pools. 
  You could alternatively treat Reality Anchor as a fixed 
  refresh, allowing Lasers to fully or partially refresh their 
  Chronal Stability scores a small number of times (usually one 
  or two during a typical mission). Such refreshes typically occur 
  during the downtime after exciting adventure beats. 
  Timecraft: Unless a species or individual character is 
  particularly knowledgeable about time travel, Timecraft 
  doesn’t exist in an Ashen Stars game. 
  Paradox Prevention: This ability doesn’t exist in an Ashen 
  Stars game. Lasers needing to tell if something odd has 
  changed can rely on the History ability instead.
  Stitches: It’s simple to add Stitches into an Ashen Stars game 
  if you prefer, and they fit well with the game’s high-action 
  scope, but tread carefully; doing so may unbalance the game. 
  Ashen Stars already has numerous methods for refreshing 
  ability pools, particularly in combat. 
  Stun tests: Disruption weapons and NLD fire can easily 
  utilize TimeWatch’s Stun tests instead if you prefer, with a base 
  disruptor Stun rating of 5. Poppers in this system provide a 
  +2 bonus to Stun tests, burning out after each use.
  THE ESOTERRORISTS
  Several of the themes of The Esoterrorists — hideous modern 
  monsters drawn from beyond a veil between worlds, secretive 
  and shadowy agents protecting humanity from a threat that 
  they don’t even know exists — are echoed in the Chronal 
  Horror campaign frame. See p. 227 for details. 
  Adding Time Travel  
  Into The Esoterrorists
  The Esoterrorists is a game about the horror of humanity and the 
  monsters we manage to create ourselves. Instead of unearthly 
  quarries preying on us randomly from the darkness, Esoterror 
  entities are usually invited here and given specific form and 
  function by the cultists to summon them. We are our own worst 
  enemies, and the entities are simply tools of our own evil.
  As a result, time travel in this game should commonly be a 
  tool rather than a focus, a plot device that delivers the Agents 
  to a time and location where horrors await… or which delivers 
  the horror to the Agents. Investigation proceeds as normal 
  once the Agents are in the correct era, either physically or 
  by possessing the bodies of locals (see p. 156), perhaps with 
  the Agents handicapped by a lack of resources and local 
  knowledge when tracking down a monster.
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  228
  Other options for adding time travel exist, but we 
  recommend that you avoid introducing Outer Dark horrors 
  that can time travel freely when the player characters don’t 
  have the same ability to follow or chase them down through 
  time. Time travel as a concept can be a significant challenge 
  to procedural play if the player characters can’t also freely 
  follow clues forwards and backwards across the calendar; 
  you’ll have the most fun when it isn’t only the horrors who 
  can time travel. 
  One restriction might be limiting time travel to the span 
  of a character’s life. For instance, a 40-year-old Agent from 
  the year 2010 can only time travel backwards as far as 1970, 
  and can’t travel into the future at all. This approach limits the 
  historical span needed for game prep and keeps the game on a 
  smaller, more personal level.
  Another option is to use a fixed portal for time traveling. 
  Instead of free rein to go anywhen, a closet in a little girl’s 
  blood-spattered bedroom leads to 19th-century London. No 
  one knows why, it just does, and it’s this path that the Agents 
  must take to hunt their prey in unfamiliar territory.
  Another option is to alter the costs of time travel. Attach 
  at least one negative narrative consequence to time travel, or 
  mechanically raise either the Difficulty or the Chronal Stability 
  costs, and you’ll find that time travel becomes less of a go-to 
  solution and more of a tool of last resort. This allows The 
  Esoterrorists’ horror and suspense to take their place at center 
  stage with less of a risk of OV Agents popping forwards and 
  backwards in time to solve every mystery. 
  A more complicated solution, one that requires a little 
  less rules tweaking and a little more plotting, is to empower 
  the Adversaries to the same degree as the heroes. If you 
  wish, one of the side abilities of awful and terrifying 
  creatures can be the ability to move through time and 
  continue to plague someone throughout their life. The 
  horde of zombies that can move forward or backward 
  chronologically just as easily as they can shamble down a 
  flight of stairs means that jumping to another moment in 
  time is not always an escape, and without the cushion of 
  going elsewhen, few respites can be truly earned. 
  Empowering the antagonists with the ability to clock out can 
  make encounters that much more terrifying. A monster tries 
  to get into a house at midnight every night, and time travels 
  forwards from one midnight to the next with no intervening 
  time existing at all. It simply doesn’t exist when it isn’t trying 
  to slay at midnight, and so Agents have to be there ready for 
  it each night until they destroy it. A shame that the creature’s 
  acolytes harass and harry the Agents during the day as well, 
  limiting their ability to sleep.
  Game Mechanics
  Mechanical changes echo those from Trail of  Cthulhu, below.
  Chronal Stability: Follow rules for combining Stability and 
  Chronal Stability found on p. 89. 
  Paradox tests: Where you would normally call for a 
  Stability test, call for a Paradox test instead, as horror erodes 
  an Agent’s ability to resist the inexorable pull of time. 
  Travel tests: In this setting, time travel might strengthen the 
  enemy. Remove Travel tests from the game and replace them 
  with a more difficult Difficulty 4 / Loss 4 Paradox test every 
  time a character time travels. Whenever a player character time 
  travels, add 1 to the primary threat’s Aberrance rating.
  Stitches: Reduce the hoarding limit from 3 to 2, making the 
  game more difficult. Give out Stitches for roleplaying fear and 
  Stability Loss, and avoid giving out Stitches for funny jokes 
  and game-disrupting asides.
  Adding The Esoterrorists  
  Into TimeWatch
  If you’re short of completely terrifying alien monsters to use 
  in TimeWatch, The Esoterrorists is a superb source. It’s a game 
  of modern horror, and that means that the monsters that 
  penetrate the veil may be coming from a dimension made 
  more accessible by time travel — much to everyone’s dismay.
  It’s also possible that TimeWatch Agents may investigate 
  an Esoterror creature who is also being tracked by members 
  of the Ordo Veritatis. Other than the overlap between the 
  occult and science fiction, there’s no reason that the two 
  organizations can’t coexist in the same game world. The Ordo 
  Veritatis might ally with a TimeWatch team, but you can be 
  sure that they’d make acquiring an autochron a priority the 
  moment they suspect that time travel is real. 
  As mentioned above, scan the Chronal Horror campaign 
  frame for a TimeWatch setting with an Esoterror tone, and then 
  integrate more aspects of The Esoterrorists into the campaign. 
  
  GM ADVICE
  229
  MUTANT CITY BLUES
  Ever since the ghost flu, people have been able to fly. Phase 
  through walls. Read minds. Shoot bolts of energy from their 
  fingertips. Walk into dreams.
  As members of the elite Heightened Crime Investigation 
  Unit, you and your fellow detectives solve crimes involving 
  the city’s mutant community. When a mutant power is used to 
  kill, you catch the case. When it’s a mutant victim in the chalk 
  outline, you get the call. And when it comes time for a fight, 
  you deploy your own extraordinary abilities to even the odds.
  If chases, interrogations, and mutant battles weren’t enough 
  to handle, you also serve as a bridge between the authorities 
  and your mutant brethren. To successfully close cases, you 
  must navigate the difficult new politics of post-mutation 
  society, and deal with your own personal issues and mutation-
  caused defects.
  Adding Time Travel  
  Into Mutant City Blues
  TimeWatch’s time travel usually causes huge, history-shifting 
  events. Mutant City Blues is a gritty super-powered cop drama 
  set in a single city. Time travel for Mutant City Blues should be 
  on a different scale; it should be small, personal, and possibly 
  fraught with danger.
  The first decision is whether or not time travel in Mutant 
  City Blues is accessible by player characters. Mutation-based 
  time travel can easily be limited to a single enemy, making for 
  a fascinating and challenging case. Mutation-based time travel 
  could also be opened up to players to choose, in which case 
  it becomes less of a “case of the week” and far more likely 
  to become an integral component of the ongoing game. The 
  same is true with gadget- or technology-based time travel. 
  If it exists as a technological device, assume that the player 
  characters will somehow get their hands on it and want to use 
  it. The GM is well within her rights to deny that attempt with 
  a simple “it doesn’t work, and you can’t figure out why,” but 
  that might not be the most satisfying solution. Regardless, if 
  time travel isn’t a main theme of the game, limiting access to 
  its power is recommended.
  If time travel is something that the player characters 
  cannot access, whoever does control it will easily become 
  one of their most potent foes. An enemy who can travel 
  through time at a GM’s whim can be a procedural nightmare 
  to investigators, which is why time travel often has very 
  specific ways it gets demonstrated.
  It’s suggested that you sharply limit the range of time travel 
  in Mutant City Blues. A smaller range of scope when time 
  traveling helps refocus the game on the gritty cop drama it is 
  best at. Constraints for defining and limiting it include: 
  X
  X 	It flings the character’s consciousness forward briefly for 
  a set amount of time, experiencing one encounter, before 
  returning the character to the same millisecond that they 
  departed. This gives knowledge of the future. Mechanically, 
  the GM may allow the character to roll two d6s and take the 
  preferred roll during encounters where they have seen the 
  future and wish to make sure it occurs — but roll two d6s 
  and take the lower roll when they have seen a future they 
  don’t like and wish to change it.
  Sergeant Rodriguez has been to the future, and he’s seen his partner 
  shot down by a super-powered suspect he then proceeds to arrest. When 
  that moment in history arrives, Rodriguez’s attempts to change time 
  and save his partner’s life are penalized by rolling two dice instead of  
  one and taking the lower result. Rodriguez will need to invest more 
  points into his actions to make sure he succeeds. When it comes to 
  arresting the suspect, however, Rodriguez already knows he should 
  succeed; every die roll he makes to directly do so lets him roll twice and 
  take the better roll.
  X
  X 	Time travel flings the character’s consciousness back a set 
  amount of time, placing them back in their normal body 
  but with the knowledge of the immediate future. This 
  amount of time can be 10 seconds, a minute, 10 minutes, an 
  hour, a day, or more. The alternate rule above might apply 
  to changing known, previously experienced history.
  X
  X 	The character can fully time travel, but only within 24 hours, 
  an hour, or less.
  X
  X 	The character gains the ability to briefly freeze time, like 
  Hiro in the television show Heroes.
  X
  X 	Time travel allows immediate “do-overs” after a failed 
  roll, giving the character the opportunity for an immediate 
  attempt to change their result, at the cost of double the 
  normal amount of points (so on a re-spend, spending 2 
  pool points gains you +1 to the do-over die roll). 
  X
  X 	Time travel allows the player characters to travel a fixed 
  distance into the past, but creating any paradox could have 
  catastrophic results.
  X
  X 	Time travel allows the player characters to travel a fixed 
  distance into the future, such as exactly 20 years to the 
  second from the current time. This allows players to see 
  the world of the future and how mutant abilities and super 
  powers have changed it, just the thing if you love to world-
  build, but limits the challenging flexibility that comes with 
  time traveling to different dates. When a character can only 
  flip one of two places, they can still use the power creatively 
  but it ceases to be game-breaking.
  X
  X 	Player character time travel must be able to include 
  companions if its in-game effect takes up more than a 
  few minutes of real time to play out. To do otherwise is 
  to either relegate most of the table to boredom while the 
  one character has his solo adventures in a different time 
  period or make the character feel like he can’t use his power 
  because it inconveniences the rest of the table. 
  In popular fiction, time travel as a mutant power often 
  involves someone traveling from a future dystopia, someone 
  traveling to a future dystopia to correct some grievous wrong, 
  or (in case of criminals trying to escape the law in their own 
  home time) someone traveling to the past or future to commit 
  a particular crime. This requires that there be a dystopia as a 
  point of reference, and requires that it needs accessing. 
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  230
  As an alternative, consider what happens if the present is 
  the dystopia. A police force on the edge of burnout, officers 
  pushed to their emotional and logistical limits against a rising 
  tide of enemies who are now armed with mutant abilities… 
  moving through time would make time travel into one of the 
  most potent and dangerous enemy powers. By making the 
  linear procedural case nonlinear, it’s a reduction in structure 
  which can seriously challenge the ideas of investigation when 
  not carefully plotted. 
  For a criminal plot or conspiracy, time travel can either throw 
  a huge wrench into the works or act as a steroid for storytelling. 
  An enemy who can move through time becomes harder to 
  track, but tracking the consequences of their movements can 
  help. Think of wind: you may not know it’s there because it’s 
  invisible, but you see and hear the leaves rustle. A player may 
  not know the enemy has traveled through time, but when 
  something significant changes and they’re able to prove that 
  there has been a change, that divergence becomes integral to 
  the investigation. 
  This means that while the pursuit may not appear linear, it is 
  linear, just in a new way. Player characters need a method for 
  realizing that history has changed. In TimeWatch, that ability 
  is Paradox Prevention. In Mutant City Blues it might be Sense 
  Trouble, used as an Investigative ability instead of a General 
  ability.
  The complexity of the procedural potential is increased 
  if time travel is available as an option for player characters. 
  With both enemy and player character able to manipulate 
  time, the playing field becomes level; there is no sense of 
  lost agency, and the dangers can only increase in span or 
  plot when a crime’s components are able to be spread across 
  locations both spatially and chronologically. The challenge is 
  that very few villains can time travel, but a player character 
  with the power can do so in every game session. This can 
  fundamentally change the nature of investigations unless the 
  power is limited, as above.
  The ability to premeditate a crime in some time other than 
  when it gets committed makes it harder to prove motive, since 
  the line from “you wanted to do it” to “this is how you figured 
  out how to do it” is no longer a single progression of days in 
  a week, but days in different weeks that nonsequentially build 
  on each other. For a more serious campaign, this can breed 
  feelings that players have less agency. When there’s so much 
  going on it can be unclear what to do next, and players may 
  feel that there’s little reason to do anything since time travel 
  means anything can be resolved or changed by a time traveling 
  enemy or key supporting character. 
  In other words, player characters who can’t time travel are 
  going to find criminals who do infuriating. Characters who can 
  will have an easier and more satisfying experience catching the 
  miscreants. One solution might be a temporary ability to time 
  travel that’s available only for the duration of the case, perhaps 
  through a gadget. 
  You can further ratchet up tension by combining time travel 
  and other mutations, turning a single enemy into a rogues’ 
  gallery and turning opposition to the player characters into a 
  host of potential long-term or episodic enemies. A villainous 
  team (including the tried-and-true alternate dimension 
  versions of the player characters) with the right combinations 
  of abilities makes for a memorable series of cases:
  X
  X 	Strength and Time Travel could demolish milestone 
  accomplishments.
  X
  X 	Deplete Oxygen and Time Travel can assassinate a political 
  leader or cultural icon.
  X
  X 	Memory Alteration, Teleportation, and Time Travel can 
  make pursuit near impossible.
  Time travel without science such as an autochron is an 
  opportunity to examine the impact of “do-overs,” something 
  that a majority of people would likely take advantage of. 
  Consider the amount of media spent describing what happens 
  when a single person changes their own future; now imagine 
  what happens when everyone changes their future, especially 
  through an ability rather than technology. Does access to this 
  ability pose a risk? Should it be controlled? Harnessed? At least 
  with technology there’s the chance to destroy it or cease its 
  operations. But if the ability is core to a person, how then will 
  it be handled?
  A section on super-powered time travel would not be 
  complete without a discussion of historical paradox. It’s a 
  common trope in time travel to have travelers go back into 
  time to set into motion events like their own births or the 
  science that got them time traveling in the first place. Adapting 
  that trope for Mutant City Blues, a traveler who heads back in 
  time to disperse the ghost flu that spawned mutation in the 
  first place is an interesting quandary for players. Stopping such 
  an act would possibly lead to eliminating mutation all together, 
  but does that then strand people throughout the time stream? 
  Does that change the future for the better or the worse? 
  Massive paradox would erupt, possibly creating a mutation 
  event worse than the ghost flu. History has momentum, and 
  changing it doesn’t always lead to a utopian future.
  Game Mechanics
  Chronal Stability: We recommend you ignore Chronal 
  Stability and Reality Anchor, focusing instead on the gritty 
  trade-offs for mutant powers already found in MCB. To balance 
  this, consider creating negative side effects for triggering 
  paradox, such as attacks of psychological disturbances linked 
  to the power’s use.
  An alternative approach replaces Chronal Stability with the 
  standard Stability ability, and any paradox reducing Chronal 
  Stability affects Stability instead, with normal consequences 
  for low Stability. 
  Stitches: It’s simple to add Stitches into a Mutant City Blues 
  game, but only do so if you focus on a less gritty, more comic-
  book style of heroics. If you prefer the assumed grittiness 
  of the setting, reduce the benefit of Stitches or avoid them 
  completely. If you include Stitches, re-examine and reduce 
  other methods of refreshing ability pools.
  Stun tests: Taser and stun effects can use TimeWatch’s Stun 
  tests instead if you prefer, with a base Taser Stun rating of 4 
  and a higher rating of 5 for super powers used to stun. 
  Gaining time travel: It seems logical that this mutant 
  
  GM ADVICE
  231
  ability costs little or nothing to use, but has a high initial cost 
  to acquire. The trade-off in not expending Stability is a high 
  cost on the Quade Diagram, somewhere in the range of E2 to 
  E3 on the grid, with connections to mental or physical defects 
  as would be campaign appropriate. 
  Another way to tailor time travel as an ability into Mutant 
  City Blues is to think about time travel as a combination of 
  Teleportation and Memory Alteration, since one is the ability 
  to change location and the other is the ability to change 
  understanding of a situation in a location. Both are aspects 
  of time travel. It makes sense then that a Time Travel ability 
  connects to Megalomania (who could resist the potentially 
  limitless power?) as well as Voyeurism (it would be tempting 
  to become as much a tourist as an influencer) or Dissociation 
  (the ability to go anywhen means no one time has significance). 
  However it is handled, time travel is a rich vein of mutant-
  tastic storytelling to be mined. Mutant City Blues is a more 
  realistic, less pulpy game than TimeWatch’s core assumptions. 
  You’ll have the most success integrating time travel in a way 
  that embraces that grittiness and realism. 
  Adding Mutant City Blues  
  Into TimeWatch
  It’s a simple matter to have TimeWatch Agents pursuing a case 
  that takes them to Earth after the ghost flu. Ideally this puts 
  Agents in touch with local (and likely suspicious) detectives as 
  a part of the investigation. Treat super powers in the same way 
  that you’d treat super-science devices in TimeWatch, attaching 
  associated mental illnesses from the Quade Diagram to the 
  power and not making those powers available to Agents.
  It’s also possible for a TimeWatch Agent to originate from 
  the world of Mutant City Blues. If so, their super power is best 
  handled specifically by the GM, who might take the effects 
  from MCB and ask the player to set aside enough Investigative 
  points during character creation to reliably power it.
  NIGHT’S BLACK AGENTS
  Spies. Time machines. What could possibly go wrong?
  Well, a couple of things. Approached correctly, this 
  combination could be magnificent. Approached poorly, the 
  merging of secret agents and science fiction falls apart. Let’s 
  take a look.
  Adding Time Travel  
  Into Night’s Black Agents
  Night’s Black Agents is a super-spy game built around conspiracies 
  and the undead. There’s a risk that adding unlimited time 
  travel into such a game could significantly distract from the 
  core themes. If you’re sticking with the NBA rules, you’re 
  doing so because you love the spy and/or vampire genre. 
  TimeWatch is heavy on action, but that action isn’t necessarily 
  tied to vampiric plots or international intrigue. If you want 
  your players skulking around early 21st-century Krakow, you 
  may get annoyed when they decide to go dinosaur hunting.
  As a result, consider fixed time travel devices for a Night’s 
  Black Agents game. A device that moves the Agents between 
  the years 2015 and 1953 is a great example. Such a device 
  would allow no flexibility in destination: you dwell in one of 
  those two years, and time passes normally while you’re gone. 
  Leave 1953 and spend 24 hours in 2015, and when you return 
  to 1953 you’ll find that 24 hours has passed there as well.
  Such a setup allows you to build plots and conspiracies in 
  two different time periods. You can even keep the physical 
  locations the same, only allowing the Agents to travel in time 
  but not in space, and you can intersperse Cold War Communist 
  and nuclear paranoia (with 1950s vampires!) with modern spy 
  horror. 
  We prefer this approach over unlimited time travel because 
  it allows the Director to more tightly control the tone of 
  the game. The player characters still have flexibility when 
  problem-solving, especially if they can enter a building in 1953 
  and then flip forwards into the vault in 2015, but the lack of 
  freewheeling time travel means that mysteries can’t easily be 
  prevented before the triggering incident ever took place.
  When tying this concept into vampiric conspiracies, there’s 
  the interesting possibility of vampires finding access to a 
  time portal, heading back in time with modern technology 
  and vampiric abilities, and winning. They infect the world (or 
  enough of it to change society into one that favors them), 
  and back in the future the Agents wake up one morning and 
  everything is different. In this type of scenario, it’s up to the 
  Agents to determine that time has changed, seize access to the 
  time portal, and head back to reverse the changes before they 
  overwhelm the present. 
  Game Mechanics
  Use Night’s Black Agents with just a handful of changes.
  Chronal Stability: Follow rules for combining Stability and 
  Chronal Stability found on p. 89. 
  Preparedness: This ability can produce items from either 
  of the two relevant eras, but nothing beyond that range. 
  Paradox tests: Where you would normally call for a 
  Paradox test in TimeWatch, use a Stability test instead. 
  Stitches: Stitches work well in NBA, but first remove 
  cherry-related pool refreshes such as Technothriller Monologue.
  Adding Night’s Black Agents  
  Into TimeWatch 
  TimeWatch is already a game about hyper-competent Agents. 
  Focusing the game on super-spies in this role isn’t a substantial 
  leap, although spying becomes easier when you can simply 
  jump forward ten or fifty years and steal the information you 
  want. In many ways traditional spying becomes superfluous, 
  and the challenge instead might be facing down a vampiric 
  conspiracy as a primary group of antagonists.
  A more interesting approach might be examining what rules 
  features of Night’s Black Agents fit beautifully into TimeWatch. 
  Options include:
  
  CHAPTER SIX
  232
  X
  X 	The more detailed firearm choices of the Double Tap 
  supplement can be adapted for different historical eras.
  X
  X 	Conspyramids, and even Vampyramids, are a perfect 
  addition to the game. Create a Chronospyramid to track 
  cross-time conspiracies.
  X
  X 	The Network ability defines your friends, associates, and 
  supporters who assist you across the world. While finding 
  such people in TimeWatch is typically linked to an ability 
  spend, tracking them with Network is an equally reasonable 
  choice.
  X
  X 	The TimeWatch advanced chase rules can be replaced with 
  the Night’s Black Agents thriller chases for slightly more 
  complicated, cinematic pursuit.
  TRAIL OF CTHULHU
  Trail of  Cthulhu is an award-winning standalone game 
  produced under license from Chaosium, set in the 1930s. It 
  supports both Pulp (for Indiana Jones, Robert E. Howard, 
  thrilling locations sorts of games) and Purist styles of play 
  (for intellectual horror and cosmic dread). H. P. Lovecraft’s 
  work combined both, sometimes in the same story. 
  It includes a new take on the monstrous creatures, cults, 
  and gods of Lovecraft’s literature, and addresses their use in 
  gaming. It adds new player backgrounds, and bulks out the 
  GUMSHOE system to give intensive support for Sanity, 
  incorporating into the rule set the player characters’ desire to 
  explore at the risk of going mad.
  Adding Time Travel  
  Into Trail of Cthulhu
  For the most efficient method of merging TimeWatch and Trail 
  of  Cthulhu into a game that still really feels like ToC, see the 
  Mythos campaign frame on p. 267. Whether you use the Mythos 
  rules or import the notion of time travel back into Trail, this 
  section should give you everything you need for a game that 
  keeps a Lovecraftian tone while integrating non-technological 
  time travel.
  Trail of  Cthulhu set in the modern day, or even the near 
  future, works equally well with the Mythos’ Order of the Silver 
  Key. Mystery, horror, body-stealing, and burbling squamous 
  insanity will appear regardless of your preferred time setting 
  for the player characters.
  Game Mechanics
  Chronal Stability: Follow rules for combining Stability and 
  Chronal Stability found on p. 89. You may also wish to add 
  Sanity, as described on p. 219. 
  Paradox tests: Where you would normally call for a 
  Stability test, call for a Paradox test instead, as horror erodes 
  an Agent’s ability to resist the inexorable pull of time. 
  Travel tests: In this setting, the river of time is intrinsically 
  hostile to human sanity. Remove Travel tests from the game 
  and replace them with a more difficult Difficulty 4 / Loss 4 
  Paradox test every time a character time travels. Failure erodes 
  sanity and force of will, as measured by the Chronal Stability 
  ability.
  Stitches: Reduce the hoarding limit from 3 to 2, making the 
  game more difficult. Give out Stitches for roleplaying fear and 
  Stability Loss, and avoid giving out Stitches for funny jokes 
  and game-disrupting asides.
  Adding Trail of Cthulhu  
  Into TimeWatch
  While the Mythos campaign frame and similar play focuses 
  on keeping a Lovecraftian feel while opening up access to 
  other eras, adding Lovecraftian horror into TimeWatch takes 
  the opposite approach. In this method, you keep the science 
  fiction approach of time cops and overlay it with the sanity-
  eroding knowledge that every mission they run is an attempt 
  to salvage humanity for one more day. In this setting, chronal 
  change erodes the barrier between our feeble circle of warm 
  candlelight and the endless cold of the outer darkness. When 
  enough paradox and historical change builds up, the guttering 
  candle of human hope burns out and the entities of the Elder 
  Gods descend upon the world from every time and every 
  direction. Already, monstrosities across time have crept into 
  the dark places of the world, the Antarctic mountains and 
  the deep forests and the cellars of the corrupt and profane. 
  You join TimeWatch to try and preserve humanity for one day 
  longer, because if you don’t, who will? 
  For this feel of biding horror, remember that time is not a 
  flowing river. Time is the fragile membrane keeping out the 
  darkness. Time travel erodes Sanity and Stability, and chronal 
  or historical change rips the membrane of time into shreds. 
  TimeWatch-worthy threats may largely stay the same as in a 
  Patrol-style game, but there is the constant knowledge that the 
  stakes are far higher. 
  When the Mythos slides into our world, time acts oddly. 
  It may seem to speed up or slow down; haunted places such 
  as cellars and asylums may open doors into more than one 
  era or reality. Cultists have listened to these whispers and 
  have learned to time travel through rituals, something that 
  TimeWatch agents tend to find abhorrent. The more historical 
  change they can make, the easier entry the Elder Gods and 
  their ilk will have. Stopping such behavior is a priority for any 
  TimeWatch team.
  A sample ritual:
  Time Travel
  This rhythmic chant mimics the ticking of clocks, the meter 
  and repeated phrases ultimately lulling caster(s) into a dream-
  like state where time is as mutable as water. This ritual can 
  either send a person present for the ritual forward or backward 
  in time, or if a person’s blood is spilled, someone from 
  either the future or past can be drawn to the ritual during its 
  performance. 
  Cost: 1-point Occult spend, D4/L4 Stability test
  Time: Five hours if performed solo; additional cantors reduce 
  the time by thirty minutes each.
  
  GM ADVICE
  233
  Alternatively, cultists and other antagonists may use cursed 
  or haunted artifacts as time travel devices, although there’s 
  no guarantee that they’ll ever return from their journey. For 
  true believers and those with a blasted sanity, that’s of little 
  concern. Common items include watches, clocks, and vehicles, 
  but there’s no reason why any item couldn’t be imbued with 
  the ability to grant the wearer the ability to swim the screaming, 
  whispering time stream and reach distant eras. In this case, 
  essentially it’s a non-autochron autochron, giving Agents an 
  item to track down and a user to overcome. Mundane items 
  like chairs or a compass mean the item would not have to be 
  too technologically cutting edge for the time period. 
  Such an item may look like:
  The Chair From Collins Correctional Facility
  This electric chair was never given a chance, since during its 
  first trial run the body did not receive electrocution so much 
  as vanish from the execution chamber. This is due to a number 
  of runes and sigils both carved into the underside’s wood as 
  well as those naturally occurring in the grain. Electrifying the 
  chair will either provide a near-lethal dose of voltage to anyone 
  seated or send them to any point in time they can concentrate 
  on when they first sit down. 
  Raw time is hostile in this style of game, a medium through 
  which one can hear the whispering of eons, the mad piping of 
  Azathoth, and the fluttering of winged creatures that simply 
  should not be. Hounds of Tindalos chase time travelers, 
  looking for entrances into new eras. One thing is for sure: 
  chasing down a clumsy human tourist who gets lost in the 
  Paleozoic will probably be much, much more dangerous.
  If you wish to borrow Cthulhian monstrosities and use 
  them as TimeWatch Adversaries, you may find that you have 
  an incredibly rich well of antagonists that will catch your 
  players off guard. Such creatures typically disrupt the time 
  stream with their very presence. You can find such creatures 
  in the Mythos campaign frame, in Trail of  Cthulhu, or in ToC 
  supplements.
  
  234
  
  235
  The default setting for TimeWatch is classic sci-fi, a time cop–
  based investigative historical thriller. This is what people 
  usually think of when you say “time travel game” to them. 
  A Patrol-style game’s theme focuses on alternate history and 
  the consequences of changing actual historical events; players 
  must determine who and what has changed to combat the 
  sabotage and set history back to rights. Core play revolves 
  around the delightful puzzle of unraveling chronal sabotage 
  and noting the different ripples that such sabotage has caused. 
  If your players are clever, are knowledgeable about history, 
  think alternate history is kind of fun, and like investigation 
  interspersed with some action, this may be the way to go.
  For other TimeWatch campaign frames, see p. 245.
  JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE
  Holographic images swirled around them, showing maps, floor 
  plans, and timelines. Altani’s briefing officer gestured, and the 
  holographic map swelled, turned sideways, and settled so that it 
  looked like the team was literally standing in the map. The briefing 
  officer droned on about their mission, but Altani ignored him; 
  paying attention was Kelfala’s and Vidhvansaka’s job. She looked 
  at the holographic layout for good sight lines for sniping, noted the 
  many possibilities, and smiled. 
  A typical Patrol mission starts with a TimeWatch team 
  safe at headquarters, being briefed by their superior officer 
  in the organization. They’re given a place, a time, and a 
  problem. It’s up to the characters to unravel that problem, 
  track down its root cause, and set things to rights. They do 
  this by traveling between different times and places, where 
  they discover additional clues in each location that will lead 
  them to deductions about the nature and cause of the chronal 
  problem. Many missions also start in medias res, immediately 
  immersing players in action and only giving them their mission 
  briefing in a flashback.
  Pacing is important in a Patrol-style campaign frame, because 
  you never want each mission to start feeling rote or routine. 
  Adventures vary from the “historical crisis of the week,” to 
  ongoing political and conspiracy intrigues within TimeWatch 
  itself, to chronal horrors that crawl out of the time stream and 
  threaten the existence of history. 
  Your best tools for building Patrol-style missions are 
  Wikipedia, Google, and alternate history forums on the 
  Internet. A tremendous number of very smart people enjoy 
  thinking about “what if?” scenarios in history, and those are 
  bound to inspire your games. See p. 268 for additional details 
  and methods of constructing fun TimeWatch scenarios.
  CUSTOMIZING THE CITADEL
  TimeWatch is headquartered in a sprawling structure named 
  the Citadel. The bureaucracy, resources, information network, 
  and technology are all headquartered here. It’s impossible (at 
  least in theory) to force your way through the Citadel’s many 
  defenses, so to date it has never been successfully breached 
  by force. 
  The Citadel is located in the quantum singularity that exists 
  before the Big Bang. It technically exists before time, but it 
  maintains its own internal history, continuity, and flow of time 
  regardless. Because excessive paradox within the Citadel itself 
  is what triggers the Big Bang and the creation of our universe, 
  it’s known that the organization’s headquarters (and everyone 
  in the Citadel at the time) will one day be utterly destroyed. It’s 
  just not known when that’s going to occur. One reason that 
  agents are forbidden from traveling into the Citadel’s relative 
  past and future is to forestall that day as long as possible.
  Vidhvansaka wants to meet Eleanor of  Aquitaine, a famous 
  TimeWatch agent who has been permanently killed. She wants to 
  travel back in time 100 years within the Citadel itself  to meet her. 
  That’s forbidden; Vidh isn’t allowed to move into the Citadel’s past 
  
  CHAPTER SEVEN
  236
  or future, because the paradox might trigger the Big Bang. Instead, 
  Vidh travels to meet her in the 1100s in France instead, outside of  
  the Citadel.
  You’re encouraged to make the Citadel look like your own 
  personal vision of a time corps’ headquarters. Perhaps the 
  main corridors are white and brightly lit, but shadowy back 
  corridors and basements abound. Perhaps there are massive 
  bio-labs where hidden masters perform secret cloning 
  experiments. Perhaps there are remarkably few agents moving 
  through a truly vast space, and no one can describe why there 
  are so many fewer agents than there used to be1. Perhaps it is a 
  bureaucratic hive of red tape and tens of thousands of support 
  workers, all to keep the elite time agents running smoothly. 
  Perhaps the Citadel is truly endless, and behind locked doors 
  there are city-sized collections of humanity’s most important 
  inventions. Perhaps TimeWatch’s secret leadership hides in the 
  Citadel, afraid what would happen if they revealed themselves. 
  It’s up to you.
  1 Short on ideas for a good long-term B-plot? There’s a great series-
  long mission hook here where a vast wave of chronal instability 
  completely erased thousands or tens of thousands of TimeWatch 
  agents from existence, and no one remembers because their erasure 
  has wiped out everything they’ve done. Player characters find 
  themselves understaffed in vast and echoing work spaces clearly 
  designed for many more people, and it’s only gradually that the truth 
  is uncovered and the triggering event reversed.
  You may want to separate GM knowledge from player 
  knowledge regarding the Citadel. Initially presenting a shining, 
  efficient organization that slowly reveals its secrets might 
  make for great fun during an extended campaign.
  TEMPORAL EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
  It’s in your interest to have an early warning system in place 
  throughout time, one that can warn TimeWatch when 
  something odd happens. This can be anthropologists and 
  researchers living surreptitiously amongst locals, a high-tech 
  series of sensors that report back to TimeWatch, or something 
  completely different. Your goal is to have a system that can 
  indicate roughly the right location and decade that a historical 
  change is noticed.
  Note that we say “noticed” instead of “exactly when 
  a historical change happened.” A lot of the fun of time 
  travel is going to when a rippling change is first noticeable 
  by observers, and then doing investigative work and traveling 
  backward to find the cause. 
  Unless you choose a different method, TimeWatch is 
  warned of massive shifts in history by monitoring a series of 
  beacons that are hidden around the world in roughly five-year 
  intervals. These measure air quality, background radiation, 
  ground tremors, and other assorted local information; they’re 
  GM ADVICE:  
  THE CITADEL RESTRICTION
  At first glance it may seem unnecessary for 
  agents to be prohibited from time traveling 
  within the Citadel’s own future and past. In 
  truth, the rule is to protect the GM’s sanity as 
  much as it’s for the Citadel’s own consistent 
  history. If you think keeping track of game 
  events during a time travel game is tough 
  normally, imagine if the nerve center that 
  dispatched those agents was then subject 
  to time travelers constantly showing up to 
  interfere in events. Agents would appear and 
  fade out constantly as alternate timelines were 
  created and destroyed, chronal sabotage 
  would get vastly easier for any infiltrators, and 
  record keeping would become a nightmare. 
  It’s much easier for the GM if this area of the 
  game has a solid and consistent history — and 
  if she chooses to violate this rule, the resulting 
  mission will be that much more of a tense and 
  unwelcome surprise.
  This rule can easily be relaxed or ignored in 
  any comedic game where chaos just makes 
  game play more fun.
  Some gear is standard.  
  For everything else, there’s Preparedness.
  
  THE PATROL CAMPAIGN FRAME
  237
  designed to send back a ping to TimeWatch headquarters 
  should they detect parameters that they don’t believe to be 
  correct. These certainly don’t catch small changes in history, 
  but large-scale changes such as climate shift, nuclear war, or 
  overpopulation are often picked up. 
  Meanwhile, TimeWatch finds out more about prehistorical 
  tribes and unrecorded history by employing an array of 
  specially trained, undercover anthropologists and historians. 
  They either infiltrate societies or watch from afar, but they 
  report back to headquarters whenever they encounter 
  something that doesn’t seem quite right.
  When planning an adventure, it’s important to stress that 
  giving the Agents a starting point — any valid starting point 
  — may be the most important thing a GM can do. There’s 
  little worse than starting a game with the team wandering 
  about aimlessly, second-guessing themselves due to analysis 
  paralysis. If the players know on a metagame level that their 
  starting point is the start of a chain of clues, they’re far more 
  likely to look around and try different strategies until they find 
  it. Giving the players a red herring to start the mission usually 
  ends up in frustration and a slow start. As a result, some sort 
  of early warning system usually pays off better in games. 
  Are your Agents stuck in the past with no easy method for 
  alerting the Citadel? Handy tools for field communication are 
  dead drops, secret vaults (usually one or two per continent) 
  where agents can leave a stone tablet as a message. These vaults 
  are checked in the future by an agent who organizes rescue 
  attempts and equipment supplies when messages appear.
  TIMEWATCH EMPLOYEES
  TimeWatch is a game about saving time (and very possibly 
  punching dinosaurs in the face), and knowing the exact supply 
  chain processes that get you your PaciFist when you need it isn’t 
  a particularly gripping part of that story. This isn’t a simulation, 
  and the everyday, nitty-gritty details of operation are largely 
  irrelevant to most missions. That said, it’s useful to understand 
  TimeWatch’s structure, from front line to rear support.
  In play, Agents bump into enough fellow employees that 
  players are reminded that their mission team is part of a 
  sophisticated organizational structure that helps them do their 
  job as efficiently and effectively as possible. 
  Field agents make up only a small portion of TimeWatch 
  personnel. Quite a bit of time is (by definition) prehistorical, 
  and quite a lot of occurrences that occur during that period 
  could change the course of human history. TimeWatch uses 
  an army of surreptitious and disguised anthropologists and 
  historians to chart tribal movements, take copious records, 
  and secretly report their observations back to TimeWatch. 
  Anthropologists and historians who are established as field 
  agents can act as local contacts, safe houses, or information 
  sources for agents on an active mission. 
  Any number of support personnel also keep TimeWatch’s 
  Citadel running, roughly 20 for every field agent: cooks, 
  laborers, janitors, armorers, weaponsmiths, technicians, 
  recruiters, power systems personnel, security, instructors, 
  trainers, inventors, architects, historians, and a mild but 
  detectable bureaucracy to keep it tied together. 
  That means that if there approximately 200 active agents 
  at any one time (so to speak), there are over 4000 active 
  TimeWatch personnel scattered through the ages to help 
  them. This is complicated by the fact that current support 
  staff also has to support the requests of agents who are 
  technically dead, but whose earlier selves are still active and 
  using TimeWatch services. 
  Agents: No longer called troubleshooters to differentiate 
  them from the inhabitants of a dystopian postapocalyptic 
  alternate 
  timeline 
  where 
  paranoid 
  supercomputers 
  control human breeding, agents of TimeWatch have great 
  responsibility and authority for solving and eliminating 
  chronal crime. They are trained with neural memory implants 
  in a variety of skills and research fields, equipped with top-
  notch equipment, allowed an extended lifespan, and given 
  wide latitude as to how they solve problems. Autonomous 
  agents are expected to report back only after they’ve already 
  resolved a problem, instead of coming back to the Citadel and 
  requesting additional help and resources. 
  Handlers (Briefing Officers): Agents usually are given a 
  single point of contact back at the Citadel to instruct them, 
  guide them, and offer them advice or assistance. Handlers 
  are typically retired agents or highly capable noncombat 
  personnel who can interpret mission alerts and assign teams 
  to specific tasks. They may or may not be notable individuals 
  from history. A good handler can make the difference 
  between a team of agents who excels in the field, and one 
  who leaves waves of paradox behind them. If agents request 
  some sort of extremely unorthodox assistance (such as using 
  a MEM-tag to alter one of their own agents’ memories, or 
  requesting a unit of shock troops) it’s usually their handler 
  who has final say.
  Field Technicians: Relatively rare, these are elite 
  non-combat-trained engineers who specialize in chronal 
  installations and repair. If complicated equipment needs to be 
  fixed, installed, or repaired anywhere in time, a field technician 
  will likely be dispatched to handle it. They are not typically 
  given control of autochrons; instead, special holographically 
  disguised equipment sledges piloted by agents get the 
  technicians to their destination, and keep them safe while 
  they’re there.
  Mission hook: Agents are assigned to accompany some field 
  technicians for the relatively simple installation of  a safe house in 
  medieval Paris. Simple, that is, until the technicians are ambushed 
  and at least one is kidnapped by an unknown force. Who is behind it, 
  and why do they need a chronal engineer?
  Citadel Technicians: Similar to field technicians, these 
  engineers and technicians repair and install technology 
  throughout the Citadel. They specialize in repair instead of 
  inventions, so they aren’t who you’d call to create brand new 
  technology, but there’s no one better if something needs fixing 
  and you can’t handle it yourself.
  Field Anthropologists: Humankind doesn’t know what 
  happened in prehistory. That all changes for anthropologists 
  
  CHAPTER SEVEN
  238
  with time machines. Field anthropologists study ancient cultures 
  and civilizations, but they also work to keep less professional 
  would-be civilian anthropologists from accidentally disturbing 
  history when they stumble onto an illicit or unregulated time 
  machine.
  Researchers and Historians: These academics specialize 
  in particular areas of study, often linked to the era from where 
  they spent the first portion of their lives. If you need to talk 
  to an expert about history, a TimeWatch historian should have 
  every detail you’d need. It’s their reports and analyses which 
  the tether draws upon when examining the course of true 
  history.
  SciTech: The SciTech team scours history for innovative 
  or interesting inventions, and acquires samples for official (or 
  occasionally unofficial) experimentation. 
  Support: These capable employees are talented, intelligent 
  individuals from throughout time who would have otherwise 
  perished in an accident. Instead, TimeWatch offers to 
  employ them with the understanding that they can never 
  return to their former life. These employees handle logistics, 
  power, sanitation, food, housing, and supplies, and form the 
  backbone of TimeWatch’s bureaucracy. The intricacy of the 
  support network varies over TimeWatch’s history, with more 
  employees gradually accumulating over time.
  Shock Troops: Very rarely, subtlety isn’t what you need to 
  fix a problem in history. What you actually need are a large 
  number of incredibly dangerous and anonymous men and 
  women, armed to the teeth and with any impulse to moderate 
  their firepower completely removed from their brain. Shock 
  troops are isolated without time machines in the Paleozoic era 
  when they aren’t being used in an assault. The same troops are 
  called upon on roughly a weekly basis to fight battles that a 
  small group of elite agents can’t possibly win. With the GM’s 
  okay (as always), a team of Agents can draw on a small army of 
  shock troops by team members spending 2 Bureaucracy and 
  1 Military Tactics points. This is only allowed in cases where 
  the Agents’ plan requires troops to fight in the background 
  while they target a particular foe or vulnerability; if the GM is 
  worried she’ll need to actually roll dice for the shock troops, or 
  if the Agents’ handler feels shock troops would actually make 
  a situation worse, she’s well in her rights to refuse the request.
  If an agent ever goes rogue, or if the Citadel is ever 
  infiltrated, shock troops are responsible for resolving the 
  situation with lethal force.
  FACILITIES
  There’s no map of the Citadel because the Citadel is what 
  TimeWatch (and the GM) needs it to be at any given time. 
  Late in its existence it might be a broken-down, poorly staffed 
  shell of its former glory where would-be scientists hand out 
  equipment that they don’t know how to maintain or repair. In 
  the middle of its existence it may be a bustling hive of activity, 
  filled with bureaucrats and technicians and the hidden truths 
  of history. Early in its existence it may be a lean and suspicious 
  organization, highly protective of its secrets and fighting 
  internal battles to determine what sort of an organization it 
  truly becomes. 
  Regardless, some aspects of the Citadel remain more-or-
  less constant. This list is far from complete; the Citadel is as 
  large and complex as the GM wishes. 
  Entry Bay: When you time travel into or out of the 
  Citadel, you do so from here. Scanners constantly work to 
  detect and eliminate foreign contamination, alien life forms, 
  technological dangers, and any nonhuman threat. Human 
  threats are immediately identified by DNA analysis; arrivals 
  who aren’t vouched for are instantly exiled to a parallel time 
  stream. It’s possible to break into the Citadel, in theory, but if 
  it’s been done no one ever discusses it.
  While it is possible to time travel into and out of the 
  Citadel from areas other than the entry bay, doing so is strictly 
  prohibited. Every such entry and exit is tracked and analyzed. 
  When it comes to the Citadel, TimeWatch prefers to not take 
  chances.
  Meeting Rooms: If you need to meet with your handler, 
  you’ll do so privately in a meeting room. They have all the 
  comforts and training aids that super-science can provide.
  Disguise and Wardrobe Department: Need inspiration 
  for your outfit? Visit the wardrobe department, where typical 
  clothing exists for myriad cultures across the vast majority of 
  human culture. 
  Armory: Weapons, weapons, and more weapons, from 
  Zulu spears to Multhari Dust Beams. When an Agent makes a 
  Preparedness test to acquire a weapon during a mission, they’ll 
  often requisition it from here.
  Library: The label “library” is something of an 
  understatement; this holographic sensorium tracks and 
  records both true and (when available) variant history. Agents’ 
  tethers tap into these databases for their record of true history. 
  If you need to know something while you’re inside the Citadel, 
  researching here is a good place to start. 
  R & D: From experimental cloning techniques to esoteric 
  research into the nature of time, a great deal of super-science 
  research and technical inventing takes place in the Citadel’s R 
  & D department. R & D is where you head to speak to a 
  research scientist about science, technology, AI, or time travel. 
  Technicians in R & D handle memory-modification 
  reprogramming when you use a MEM-tag to make a 
  supporting character forget information they’ve learned. R & 
  D also works closely with the library to train Agents on vital 
  skills, correct history, and scientific techniques. 
  Dormitories: Agents who don’t have homes in the normal 
  
  THE PATROL CAMPAIGN FRAME
  239
  time stream often bunk down in the dormitories. There are 
  quite a few TimeWatch personnel who live here full time, 
  especially technicians who don’t have personal access to a time 
  machine. 
  Logistics: People have to eat, and TimeWatch’s vast 
  logistics systems make sure that food and supplies flow 
  smoothly from farm to table. That farm may be on the 
  prehistoric supercontinent of Pangaea, mind you, but the 
  theory is the same. It’s up to the GM as to whether the Citadel 
  boasts restaurants or cafeterias, but in an organization that can 
  rescue history’s best chefs seconds before they die, the food 
  tends to be fairly good.
  Prisons: Surprisingly, the Citadel doesn’t have substantial 
  prisons or brigs. Enemies of TimeWatch who aren’t killed in 
  action are either held in traditional prisons somewhere in the 
  timeline, stripped of their ability to time travel and abandoned 
  somewhere beautiful but inaccessible in the distant past, or 
  exiled to the Lockout, a “prison parallel” timeline that is simple 
  to travel into but almost impossible (requiring an expenditure 
  of 10 Timecraft or so) to escape. 
  SAFE HOUSES
  In addition to the central repository of knowledge and 
  resources that is the Citadel, TimeWatch maintains numerous 
  safe houses across the ages. Tethers have a record of these, 
  unless their existence is classified for some reason. A typical 
  safe house blends in perfectly with the surrounding terrain 
  and has its own version of site-based impersonator mesh 
  that makes it less likely to be noticed by any nosy passersby. 
  Trapped against intrusion, safe houses are designed to offer 
  safety, respite, and supplies to agents in need.
  Although safe houses exist in most time periods, they aren’t 
  necessarily convenient. Stranded agents have been known to 
  walk across whole continents to reach a safe house. A safe 
  house’s exterior and most of the interior is normal for the 
  location and era. Hidden within, however, is typically a high-
  tech bunker with weapons, vehicles, money, clothing, a lab, 
  and communications gear. When TimeWatch agents from 
  different strike teams meet, it is usually at a safe house.
  Safe houses may also be used as command centers in times 
  of crisis. The safe house in Berlin, Germany, for instance, 
  typically maintains a “take a number” line for the unfortunate 
  agents assigned to handle the constant attempts to assassinate 
  Hitler.
  TimeWatch safe houses vary dramatically in external 
  appearance. They are designed to fit in seamlessly with local 
  structures or geological features, and so are purposefully hard 
  to find unless an agent knows exactly what they’re looking for. 
  This difficulty is often amplified by stealth technology that 
  cloaks the property in a field of Unobtrusiveness; most people 
  passing by simply never pay any attention to a safe house at 
  all. When they do, better equipped safe houses use security 
  systems that holographically disguise the interior or even 
  shift highly advanced technological equipment backwards 
  in time out of the house. In a worst-case scenario, the best 
  equipped safe houses might self destruct before their secrets 
  are uncovered by outsiders, but there are so many logistical 
  problems involved with this approach (not killing the locals, 
  for instance) that it’s usually easier to have a team of agents 
  weather the paradox and show up a week earlier to clear the 
  property out by hand.
  Agents coming to a safe house can be reasonably sure of 
  the following:
  X
  X 	Security: A tether is needed to bypass the security and 
  stealth systems of most safe houses. Whether the tether 
  causes hidden doors to open, walls to rotate, gear to fade 
  in from being slightly out of sync, or lethal and nonlethal 
  weapon systems to deactivate, utilizing a safe house without 
  an active and functioning tether often becomes an exercise 
  in bleeding, frustration, and ingenuity.
  X
  X 	Advanced Medical Facilities: The group gets a 2-point 
  Medical Expertise pool to spend while in the safe house. 
  Using the standard guideline of “one spent Investigative 
  point equals 3 spent General ability points,” this can be 
  converted to 6 points of the Medic ability, enough to heal 
  up to 12 lost points of Health.
  X
  X 	Supplies: Preparedness tests made at a safe house have 
  a Difficulty 1 point lower than normal, and the GM may 
  simply declare that reasonable supplies (period-appropriate 
  weapons and ammo, food, clothing, survival supplies) are 
  available at no cost. Safe houses are also equipped with a 
  substantial amount of local currency.
  X
  X 	Disguises: A safe house is typically equipped with a small 
  number of high-quality, period-appropriate disguises. 
  Disguises acquired at a safe house have a Difficulty 1 point 
  lower than normal when their effectiveness is finally tested.
  X
  X 	Transportation: In technological eras, a safe house may 
  have some form of vehicular transportation. This may be a 
  cycle, car, ship, airship, or in appropriate eras even mounts 
  such as horses. Transportation gear is typically adjusted 
  and fine-tuned to be more powerful and faster than the 
  contemporary gear it resembles.
  X
  X 	Escape: Most safe houses don’t contain spare autochrons; 
  the risk of them getting into the wrong hands is simply too 
  dangerous. They do often have an escape kit consisting of 
  some form of sedative and a single spare MEM-tag. The 
  idea is that a stranded agent takes the sedative, attaches the 
  MEM-tag, and once asleep TimeWatch technicians will 
  beam them back to the Citadel. In truth, many agents are 
  hesitant to use this method; stories of agents who were not 
  deeply sedated enough to avoid insanity, or who were eased 
  off of active duty because they’d lost their autochron, make 
  this a less than ideal option.
  
  CHAPTER SEVEN
  240
  THE SECRET MASTERS 
  OF TIMEWATCH
  Who runs TimeWatch? It’s an important question. You 
  won’t find it as relevant during a one-shot game, but an 
  organization’s mission, tactics, and ethics are often set from 
  the top down. That’s true for extra-temporal troubleshooting 
  organizations as well, and your choices as GM create significant 
  consequences for the Agent in the field, as well as for the type 
  of supporting character agents that TimeWatch recruits. Even 
  more interestingly, what happens if management changes 
  during the course of your campaign? Navigating a chronal 
  coup is something that can shake up a game delightfully.
  It’s up to you as to how TimeWatch’s organization is 
  structured. It may be a vast and byzantine bureaucracy that 
  puts The X-Files’ FBI to shame, full of departments and 
  subdepartments and mid-level managers whose very task 
  seems to be obfuscation and secrecy. It may be a sleek and 
  streamlined organization, populated by brilliant women and 
  men of action and completely devoid of entangling red 
  tape. It may even be both of these things over the course 
  of TimeWatch’s organizational history. One thing remains 
  a constant, however: no one seems to know who truly runs 
  TimeWatch.
  Agents and case officers certainly have theories. Many 
  people believe that TimeWatch was founded and is secretly 
  run by highly advanced humanity, evolved beyond all 
  recognition and dedicated to making sure that it’s their history 
  — the true history — that ends up occurring. Others suspect 
  that the organization is run by normal men and women so 
  prosaic and unremarkable that they blend in with regular 
  agents and technicians, secretly leading the organization even 
  as they walk unnoticed amongst their employees. It may be 
  run by a human being who’s effectively immortal; or by a 
  highly advanced self-aware AI that’s trillions of times more 
  intelligent than humans, existing as far above humanity in 
  intelligence as humanity is above banana slugs; or by a hidden 
  corporation that is using TimeWatch to acquire unlimited 
  resources from parallel timelines; or by an alien intelligence 
  that is weaponizing humanity for use as a biological weapon 
  against its own planet’s aggressors. 
  What’s actually true? That’s up to you, and what appears 
  to initially be true to players may be a red herring designed to 
  mislead. In many non-conspiracy games the secret masters of 
  TimeWatch are so hands off or remote that they will never 
  become relevant in an adventure. If you set adventures at the 
  Citadel or at the numerous safe houses hidden throughout 
  history, give some thought as to who ultimately calls the 
  shots and to what their true motivations are. It may inform 
  what kind of missions the agents get assigned, the amount 
  of personal freedoms that agents are granted, and even the 
  physical layout and decoration of the Citadel. 
  ALTERNATE MASTERS
  Want other alternatives? You’ve got lots of them, and when 
  power shifts happen behind-the-scenes mid-game, you can always 
  change your mind after a campaign has started. Options include:
  X
  X 	highly evolved humans, whether still recognizably human or 
  evolved into something that transcends normal flesh
  X
  X 	a cosmic entity who is charged with keeping the time stream 
  clear to prevent the universe from breaking down
  X
  X 	the oldest woman in the universe, a being who (perhaps due 
  to an unimaginable curse) has lived to the heat death of the 
  universe, has returned to the beginning of the time stream, and 
  is living existence through a second time — but this time, she 
  formed TimeWatch to prevent herself from ever existing
  X
  X 	normal humans, consumed by a lust for greed and power 
  and willing to create a reputable organization to satisfy their 
  ambitions
  X
  X 	the vas kra from the GUMSHOE RPG Ashen Stars, godlike 
  energy beings of pure thought who like to dabble in human 
  development
  ALTERNATIVE  
  CHRONAL ORGANIZATIONS
  If you want your Patrol game to feature something other than 
  futuristic sci-fi, consider using other organizations that sponsor 
  and organize chronal patrols. There’s no reason that TimeWatch 
  necessarily has to be set in the future; pick an era and a type 
  of organization that sounds like the most fun, and run with it. 
  Musketeers, Romans, secret cyborg masters, alien overlords… 
  use an organization that gives you rich fodder for fun games in 
  whatever frame you prefer. If you need agents from a parallel 
  timeline to show up and stop TimeWatch from eliminating 
  their reality, these organizations can also be examples of who 
  they might work for in their own parallel universe.
  Similarly, the equipment that nonstandard TimeWatch 
  distributes may be functionally identical to standard equipment 
  but look entirely different. A group of ancient druids that 
  protects history may have a guardian spirit that serves as a 
  tether and a translator, spells to act as beam weapons and 
  PaciFists, a fey cloak that acts as impersonator mesh and 
  chronomorphic armor, and magic runes that serve as time 
  machines. Same mechanics, reskinned.
  For many organizations, the primary Adversaries and 
  enemies are directly linked to the intrinsic nature of the 
  organization. This helps tie missions to the causes that are 
  most important to the Agents themselves. 
  The Chronological Intelligence Bureau, as envisioned 
  by the podcast Thrilling Adventure Hour. This branch of the 
  WWII American Victory Commission monitors all time 
  breaches to find chronologically related Nazi initiatives. With 
  Nazis possessing their own time travel technology, AVC 
  briefing officer Abby Adams (code name: Lady Liberty) 
  dispatches agents such as Amelia Earhart to thwart Nazi 
  
  THE PATROL CAMPAIGN FRAME
  241
  agendas in whatever year they arise. This is pulp time travel 
  at its finest, with two clenched fists, witty banter, and whole-
  hearted nationalism standing in for high-tech solutions.
  The Council of Merlin, where noble knights, distrusted 
  varlets, and mysterious wielders of magic pierce the veil 
  into the distant past and far future to defeat the enemies of 
  Camelot, such as Mordred and Morgan le Fay. Technology is 
  replaced by magic, and agents try to maintain their chivalry 
  and ideals in future worlds that may have moved on.
  Division Nine, a vast government agency similar to TimeWatch 
  that suffers from the many organizational flaws endemic to 
  government bureaucracies. Mired in red tape, subcommittees 
  and groupthink, Division Nine agents need time travel just to get 
  all of their paperwork done. Don’t dismiss them, however; the 
  organization may not be nimble, but their employees have vast 
  momentum and unthinkable resources behind them. 
  The Enforcement Protocol, a criminal organization 
  from the 2080s that uses time travel to stop government 
  interference with its own criminal enterprises. In the process 
  the criminal time-agents prevent any kind of chronal changes 
  that act against their organization’s best interests, making those 
  agents into accidental heroes who save the time stream from 
  all intruders but themselves. There are worse things out there 
  in time than nosy cops…
  Freedom Fighters; in the megacities of the 23rd century, a 
  mysterious organization has given illegal time travel technology 
  to the dispossessed underclass, the poor and homeless refuse 
  of an ultra-authoritarian police state. These dregs of human 
  society use their psychic gifts, mild mutations, and never-say-
  die tenacity to gradually dismantle the horrific apparatus of 
  the future state. It’s just unfortunate that agents of that state 
  know about their existence and are determined to stop them, 
  both in their own time and in the past.
  Her Majesty’s Royal Chrono Patrol, another Thrilling 
  Adventure Hour creation. Queen Victoria herself heads up this 
  small steampunk organization of Victorian-era time police. 
  As their “trick clock” talking pocket watches open up time 
  holes, agents such as the inimitable Colonel Tick-Tock track 
  down chronological anomalies, paradox, and anachronisms in 
  Victorian England and beyond. 
  The Légion Temporelle is mostly comprised of 
  expendable criminals who are willing to risk being subsumed 
  in order to preserve their own timeline and earn immunity for 
  their crimes. Their methods are unorthodox, unethical, and 
  often brutal, and they have a reputation of men and women 
  who you cross only at your own peril. “You have joined the 
  Légion to die, and we will send you when men die.”
  The Lords of Creation are Anonymous-style open-
  source timeline hackers, mostly teenagers with time machines 
  who treat world history like a Wikipedia entry when they’re 
  having edit wars. They are completely decentralized, cling 
  to anonymity, communicate electronically, and compete to 
  achieve timeline changes that don’t get reverted.
  MOD ’76; the year is 1976, and a funky international 
  government task force has drawn together the hippest, 
  coolest cats and chicks in the entire industrialized world. Their 
  mission? To travel through time, to rock out to awesome 
  tunes, and to eliminate any enemy who is trying to take music, 
  dancing, and free love out of the world. Inspired by movies 
  like Austin Powers and your favorite guilty pleasure 1970s TV 
  shows, this light-hearted variant is perfect for retro one-shots.
  The Temporal Preservation League is a volunteer 
  organization made up of scientists who have discovered time 
  travel at assorted points in time and have kept it secret. They 
  save, study, and document extinct species and cultures.
  The TimeGuard is a heavily armed military force whose 
  soldiers eschew subtlety and use time travel as an offensive 
  weapon. After all, by using military might to destroy their 
  enemies before they ever become a threat, they’re saving lives. 
  Just ask them.
  TIC-TOC 
  Inc. 
  (Temporal-Industrial 
  and 
  Chronal 
  Technology Optimization Corporation, Incorporated) is a 
  privately owned corporation holding the patent to time travel. 
  TIC-TOC Inc. legally exploits the past for commercial gain. 
  Its employees deliberately seek out inventors who uncover 
  time travel prior to their own invention and either hire them 
  or… shall we say… “discourage” them. Note that such actions 
  wouldn’t have been legal before TIC-TOC changed the time 
  stream, but good lobbyists combined with effective chronal 
  saboteurs can be really effective in getting obstructionist laws 
  changed. Worse, most employees of TIC-TOC Inc. don’t 
  remember the alternate past and believe that their enforcement 
  is both ethically and legally appropriate, making them both 
  self-righteous and smug.
  Time Incorporated is the 22nd-century shadowy 
  international group which dispatches 21st-century agents to 
  remake the true timeline for its own purposes. Elite Time 
  Incorporated agents such as Kenneth Hite remake and 
  readjust history by drinking key figures under the table, causing 
  them to miss critical appointments that then ripple forward 
  through the years. If you want your Agents to reshape history 
  in specific ways, instead of just setting it back to rights, there’s 
  a good chance they’ll work for Time Incorporated.
  TimeZero chronal law enforcement exists in a parallel 
  universe with fundamentally different physical laws from our 
  own, where the vicissitudes of chance behave quite differently. 
  TimeZero agents serve a function very similar to TimeWatch, 
  and do so knowing that greater randomness may help or 
  hinder their investigation and their combat. They count on 
  good luck in their battle tactics, and it seldom fails them.
  
  CHAPTER SEVEN
  242
  THE TONE OF A PATROL GAME
  There are any number of ways to handle the framework of 
  personnel and management who keep TimeWatch running. 
  GMs should pick an approach they find most interesting, 
  possibly changing it mid-campaign should internal strife cause 
  a change in leadership.
  THE ELITE AGENTS
  This default campaign structure assumes that the player 
  character Agents are superb at their job, and they get treated 
  accordingly. They aren’t second-guessed and questioned by 
  their supervisors and case agents unless things go horribly 
  wrong; instead, their superiors assume that they’re going to 
  succeed. There’s no micromanagement in this sort of game, 
  which might be a delightful change compared to some players’ 
  real jobs, but there’s also no expectation of backup or strong 
  support systems. Elite agents make their own luck, and can’t 
  always rely on TimeWatch mid-mission for help.
  This type of game is ideal for one-shots because TimeWatch 
  management is hands-off and has little affect on the 
  organization’s culture, other than by recruiting superb agents. 
  If you want to stay focused on adventures instead of internal 
  politics, this is a good way to go.
  THE BUREAUCRATIC MAZE
  In this Orwellian and moderately humorous vision of a Patrol 
  game, the Citadel is full of bureaucrats, huge quantities of human 
  and alien office workers from throughout history. Quantum 
  computers and trained analysts spend their days tracking and 
  analyzing historical changes, projecting these ripples through 
  the ever-evolving timeline and dispatching agents to make fine 
  (or coarse) adjustments. There’s a surprising amount of red 
  tape. Agents largely operate on their own recognizance; they 
  can expect poor leadership, slow change, automatically assigned 
  benefits, a stack of procedures to follow, and groupthink 
  committees who usually mean well… usually. Smart and 
  independent agents have to contend with office drones from 
  throughout time who work on compartmentalized tasks in 
  order to ensure that the field agents — the player characters — 
  can function, succeed, and thrive. 
  In other words, think Brazil, Portal, or Paranoia, but (perhaps) 
  without an insane computer running the show. Browne 
  Chronometrics from game designer Epidiah Ravachol’s 
  excellent time travel RPG Time & Temp (where the time agents 
  are low-paid temporary workers) falls into this category. In 
  a dystopian setting like this, TimeWatch Agents might fight 
  the corporate bureaucracy as much as they fight enemies of 
  the timeline, and the Bureaucracy ability becomes essential 
  for cutting red tape back at HQ. In addition to chronal 
  instability, paradox-plagued Agents accumulate demerits from 
  increasingly annoyed handlers. 
  It’s interesting to consider what happens when a 
  bureaucratic TimeWatch is dismantled, revitalized, and rebuilt 
  by an energetic go-getter who decides that TimeWatch will fail 
  without some sort of renewal. Perhaps she includes the player 
  characters as key members of her team. The bureaucratic old 
  guard doesn’t take well to change, however, so this sort of 
  reinvention always carries the risk of chronal civil war. 
  THE ROWDY ADVENTURERS
  Less coolly professional and more enthusiastically adventurous, 
  TimeWatch Agents in this sort of a game are more akin to 
  Remo Williams, Indiana Jones, and Doc Savage than they are 
  James Bond. There is little or no organizational bureaucracy 
  within TimeWatch’s loose confederation of agents, and the 
  Agents may only see a handful of support personnel who 
  send them on missions. There’s a culture of excitement, 
  independence, adventure, and exploration as they tackle 
  chronal problems, and a lack of particularly useful intelligence 
  gathering. This is TimeWatch in its early days, when much 
  about history remained unknown and unregulated. 
  To run this sort of game, make the Agents’ direct supervisor 
  even more adventurous and gung ho than they are, perhaps 
  a risk-taker who has been forced to retire. When they have 
  strong support for taking absurd risks, players are more likely 
  to go for broke. Hopefully those risks will pay off, but either 
  way the Agents won’t get in trouble for making a difficult call. 
  It’s likely that this sort of organization slowly changes to a 
  more conservative, bureaucratic structure over time, leaving 
  elite teams who rebel against the additional regulations and 
  red tape.
  For a full treatment of this approach, see the Pulp campaign 
  frame on p. 293 or the Wild Times! campaign frame on p. 324.
  TOP-DOWN TREACHERY
  Conspiracy-focused games involve TimeWatch management 
  that almost certainly doesn’t have the Agents’ best interest 
  in mind. Whether there are much bigger stakes in play that 
  the Agents don’t know about or understand, or because 
  secret power groups within TimeWatch are clashing with one 
  another for control of the timeline and control of history 
  itself, the Agents become expendable tools in the eyes of their 
  supervisors. They have to look out for themselves and choose 
  their own sides, and they live with the risk that they might not 
  be able to trust even the people who are closest to them. This 
  sort of game feels like the best episodes of The X-Files and 
  works best in medium to longer-length campaign arcs. Any 
  other type of TimeWatch management may become briefly 
  tainted by conspiracies, breaking up the routine and making 
  sure the players stay on their toes.
  For a full treatment of this approach, see the Conspiracy 
  campaign frame on p. 251.
  
  THE PATROL CAMPAIGN FRAME
  243
  
  244
  
  245
  The following campaign frames are different ways to run 
  TimeWatch, but they’re not the only ways. You can easily 
  combine aspects of multiple campaign frames, toss them away 
  entirely to create your own, or move back and forth between 
  multiple frames during the course of play.
  CHRONAL HORROR  
  CAMPAIGN FRAME
  Sometimes, a shiny hopeful future isn’t what you want to portray. 
  Chronal Horror games reflect a beleaguered, exhausted 
  version of TimeWatch that has been put through the wringer. 
  Agents are clinging desperately to hope, attempting to save the 
  world but knowing that every time travel attempt weakens the 
  veil between reality and the outer darkness just a little bit more. 
  Every new incident makes Agents choose between saving lives 
  and endangering reality. Resources are scarce, and TimeWatch 
  agents do whatever they can to help humanity hang on a little 
  bit longer.
  This campaign borrows themes from Night’s Black Agents, 
  The Esoterrorists, and even Trail of  Cthulhu. It matches 
  traditional Lovecraftian or gothic horror against the forces 
  of the future, whose goal is to eradicate the supernatural 
  threat while keeping your presence and involvement as secret 
  as possible. The undead and supernatural forces don’t know 
  about TimeWatch — yet. When they find out, things get 
  much, much more dangerous.
  You may find yourself confronting a vampire before 
  he can infect King George or Alexander the Great. You 
  may exorcise a murderous ghost from Emperor Caligula, 
  prevent Queen Ranavalona of Madagascar from sacrificing 
  her people to the forces of the night, or rub out the Elder 
  God–summoning mark chalked inside the Titanic before 
  it sinks to the ocean’s floor and automatically summons 
  forth Those Who Wait. Meanwhile, creatures who stalk the 
  corridors of time attack you from the unexpected edges 
  of moments, and you must always keep a low profile or 
  risk the attention of unknowable forces behind the horrific 
  invasion. Your character could be anyone from a medieval 
  “Mommy never wants to play with me any more. Do you?”
  
  CHAPTER EIGHT
  246
  priest to a highly trained soldier experienced in horror-
  hunting and extermination. If the future is to have any 
  hope, it is up to you to bring it.
  RULES CHANGES
  Chronal Horror uses rules that are almost identical to standard 
  Patrol rules, with the following changes.
  New Character  
  Build Points Remain Normal 
  If the GM prefers a lower-powered campaign, reduce starting 
  Investigative points by 3 and General ability points by 5.
  New Investigative Ability: Occult 
  The Occult Academic ability is the magical equivalent of 
  Science!, and represents knowledge of magical and ritualistic 
  traditions in human magic. One or more points in Occult lets 
  you recognize the workings of magic and inhuman creatures, 
  and spending 1 point of Occult lets you perform minor magic 
  yourself. The effects of such magic should be on par with 
  the results gained from spending an Investigative point from 
  Science! Spending more than 1 Occult point at once gives a 
  corresponding boost in effect and power.
  Trying to track down a murderous body-shifting demon, Altani 
  spends 1 point of  Occult to protect herself  from possession. The 
  ancient Babylonian ritual is successful, and she is protected against the 
  demon’s first attempt to consume her soul and inhabit her body.
  New Antagonist Special Ability: Magic
  (Cost 2 per effect): The antagonist can trigger a predetermined 
  magical effect that the GM chooses, such as paralysis or flight. 
  Magical spells are typically linked to occult rituals or dark 
  magic. Magic spells are comparable to what a player character 
  could achieve with an Investigative spend, such as a super-
  science effect like telekinesis, psychic invisibility, +1 or +2 
  damage for the scene, and the like.
  Chronal Stability Is Directly Tied  
  to a Character’s Emotional State
  As Chronal Stability drops, you grow more panicky, worried, 
  and on edge. A Chronal Stability below 0 threatens your 
  existence because you’re so unsettled that you have trouble 
  concentrating on remaining anchored in time. Mechanically, 
  nothing changes; this shift is completely narrative and used 
  for roleplaying.
  The Hoarding Limit for  
  Stitches Drops From 3 to 2
  Players can earn fewer Stitches at once, and Stitches are 
  awarded for maintaining a scary and tense tone. As always, 
  Stitches are used to reinforce the mood of the game that the 
  GM is running; she can disallow any Stitches awarded for 
  jokes that drag players away from the scene’s tension. 
  Time Traveling Creates  
  and Strengthens Monstrosities
  Cultists and popular belief can’t usually create monsters, but 
  that all changes when time travel occurs. Time travel weakens 
  dimensional barriers and allows the impossible to manifest. 
  Additional time travel actually strengthens existing creatures; 
  supernatural Chronal Horror antagonists gain the special ability 
  Embrace Instability (see p. 153), meaning that every Paradox 
  test or Travel test strengthens existing monstrosities’ Tempus 
  ability by 1 point whether that test is successful or not. In time 
  periods that typically see a great amount of time travel, such 
  as WWII, chronal horrors (such as Nazi werewolves) are both 
  common and extremely dangerous. 
  Tracking down rumors of  ghosts, a TimeWatch team shifts 
  into Italy in the 1860s. Even if  there weren’t ghosts in this 
  era before now, the team’s time travel weakens the veil and 
  strengthens existing nonhuman monsters by 1 Tempus point per 
  Travel test. 
  Note that this isn’t a solvable problem for the Agents, 
  and it’s one of the factors that drives stress and anxiety in 
  this setting. The conundrum of “time traveling creates and 
  worsens the problem, but we have to time travel to fix the 
  problem” is a deliberate stressor that helps ramp up the 
  feeling of desperation and horror. Time traveling gives Agents 
  more resources, but now it will simultaneously strengthen the 
  monsters as well. 
  WHAT’S DIFFERENT?
  A Chronal Horror game runs quite differently from a Patrol game. 
  X
  X 	The enemies are seldom time travelers. Once Agents 
  arrive in a new era, they rarely have to worry about their 
  foes outmaneuvering them in time. Summoned entities are 
  focused strongly on the era in which they first enter. Agents 
  may still have to time travel to stop the monster’s first 
  appearance, which automatically strengthens the monster 
  due to its Embrace Instability ability.
  X
  X 	The enemies may not realize that time travel exists. 
  Creatures from beyond the veil generally have no reason to 
  understand time travel. A few entities are the exception, and 
  any thinking monster can learn if presented with the truth. 
  If a monstrosity gets ahold of a time machine, expect that 
  they’ll use it to create unthinkable mayhem.
  
  ALTERNATE CAMPAIGN FRAMES
  247
  X
  X 	Enemies are often both cultists and the monstrosities 
  they summon. Some monsters appear or manifest 
  autonomously, but the majority of chronal horrors are 
  summoned by cultists praying for their existence. Even a 
  cinema or literary audience that truly believes in a monster 
  can inadvertently draw it into existence. When exceptions 
  occur, the spontaneous arrival of an outer darkness horror 
  usually heralds a particularly canny foe.
  X
  X 	Monstrosities are generally too tough for locals. Law 
  enforcement and vigilantes do what they can, but by 
  definition, TimeWatch’s 24th-century headquarters (see 
  below) only notices the monstrosities that weren’t able to 
  be stopped when they first appeared. That means that by 
  the time your Agent gets involved, the supernatural threat 
  requires the sort of firepower or problem-solving that only 
  trained professionals can bring to bear.
  X
  X 	Ignorance grows the blossoms of fear. It’s really hard to 
  be scared of something when you know its capabilities and 
  can easily categorize it. It’s much easier to be scared when 
  your enemy is an unknown, something that moves through 
  shadows and takes another’s form, and you only know it from 
  the evidence you find. Chronal Horror games are noteworthy for 
  featuring monstrosities with unexpected appearances, habits, 
  and capabilities that you almost find out about too late. GMs 
  are encouraged to customize and reskin antagonists extensively.
  X
  X 	Stopping time travel doesn’t prevent the problem. 
  Agents have tried to prevent chronal horrors from ever 
  arising by stopping the time travel that lowered the barriers 
  in the first place, but it has never been successful. Efforts 
  should usually be focused on containing or destroying any 
  monsters instead of strengthening the barriers.
  X
  X 	Chronal horrors disrupt time travel. Chronal horrors play 
  poorly with the delicate temporal mechanisms within an 
  autochron. It varies unpredictably, but autochrons tend to fail 
  at the worst possible time when one or more temporal horrors 
  is within a 16 kilometer radius. The closer to the horror, the less 
  likely that time travel will work. This makes it simple for Agents 
  to arrive, but notoriously hard for them to escape when they’re 
  being stalked. Chronal horrors also work like interdiction 
  devices, preventing time travel in their immediate vicinity and 
  for a period of time on either side of their appearance.
  X
  X  There’s no check for this, and asking to spend 
  Timecraft Investigative points isn’t guaranteed to 
  override the effect. It’s entirely up to the GM. As 
  you’d expect in a game where horror is important, 
  easily teleporting or time traveling away from danger 
  doesn’t match the setting’s tone. 
  X
  X 	Magic exists. The new Academic ability Occult is a 
  reskinning of Science! and allows characters to cast minor 
  wards or spells, the equivalent of what a Science! spend 
  might be able to create with technology. Larger spends of 
  2 or more points might allow you to cast more powerful 
  spells with the GM’s approval. This catchall ability might be 
  used to track magical energy, create divinations, generate a 
  protective ward, exorcise a spirit from a possessed victim, 
  and the like. Some monsters might require an Occult spend 
  to truly banish once they are defeated.
  X
  X 	The true timeline does not include monstrosities, 
  so any addition of monstrosities changes history. 
  Unknowing people in a Chronal Horror timeline often suspect 
  that there is a shadow history where dark things dwell, but 
  so far TimeWatch has protected them well enough that 
  supernatural events are only a rumor. 
  X
  X 	Agents usually must destroy or eliminate both the 
  cultists and the creatures they’ve summoned to defeat 
  the problem. This holds true for any allies the Agents 
  recruit to help them, such as secret societies or shadowy 
  government organizations. Stopping a monster isn’t the 
  only step; stopping the people who brought it into existence 
  ensures that additional monsters aren’t summoned as well.
  X
  X 	Chronal Stability and sanity are linked. In a Chronal 
  Horror campaign, Chronal Stability represents both your 
  ability to stay anchored in time and your ability to withstand 
  the psychic horrors caused by creatures that should not be. 
  As a result, a declining Chronal Stability mirrors an Agent’s 
  descent into temporary madness. Creating paradox can 
  literally drive an Agent insane, even if no chronal horrors 
  have reared their numerous and non-Euclidian heads.
  X
  X  There are no new game mechanics needed for this, as 
  existing mechanics are easily reskinned into combining 
  low Chronal Stability and emotional instability. 
  X
  X 	Paradox is amplified. Not only does paradox in a Chronal 
  Horror game typically have Difficulties and Losses 1–3 
  points higher than normal, every Paradox test strengthens 
  the scenario’s unnatural monsters by increasing their 
  Tempus rating by 1 point per test. 
  In attempting to kill a cultist they’ve already run across in the 
  future, six Agents accidentally create paradox and trigger a Paradox 
  test. The Difficulty and Loss are both 5. Two Agents fail the test; in 
  addition to those Agents suffering 5 points of  Chronal Stability Loss, 
  all monsters in the scenario (but not cultists or natural creatures like 
  guard dogs) now have an additional 6 points added to their Tempus 
  rating and pool. Tempus can be used to power special abilities, making 
  the unnatural monsters more dangerous.
  A CHANGE OF TONE
  The Agents flattened themselves against the wall of  the dark alley. 
  This part of  Chicago in 1929 had no street lights, and they didn’t 
  particularly want to be seen. The faceless monstrosity down at the end 
  of  the alley was dragging its jagged rusty claws on the ground as it 
  hunted them through the hot summer night, each claw scraping like 
  nails on a chalkboard as it sniffed them out. They hadn’t named it 
  yet, but bullets sank into it, neural disruptors amused it, and it was 
  faster than they were — and it liked to eat children. They didn’t have 
  a chance unless they could ambush it.
  It gave a “chuff” of  recognition, and the sound of  scraping metal 
  sped up. It had scented them. Time to run.
  Standard TimeWatch’s Patrol frame uses a game style where 
  the Agents are firmly in control much of the time, even while 
  
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  they track down and outwit their antagonists. Chronal Horror 
  should feel very different. Agents in a game of Chronal Horror 
  are spending less time jumping through time and more time 
  jumping in fear or running for their lives. Chronal horrors 
  are not only abominations, they’re abominations that grow 
  stronger and more numerous the more time travel occurs. As 
  a result, Agents typically travel into an infected area and then 
  only clock out with trepidation once they’re confident that the 
  threat has been dealt with. 
  Agents and friendly supporting characters might die more 
  frequently in a Chronal Horror game than in a Patrol-style game. 
  There’s no assumption of narrative invulnerability, where 
  important characters are protected by the rules of what makes 
  a good story; anyone might fall prey to things that lurk in 
  the darkness, and the Agents will have to stop them or fall 
  themselves.
  CITADEL NOT QUITE AT THE END OF TIME
  Instead of the normal campaign’s Citadel that exists prior to the 
  Big Bang, in Chronal Horror games TimeWatch’s HQ is located 
  in a 24th-century skyscraper within a pollution-clogged, crime-
  ridden megalopolis. It’s an urban dystopia fitting the general 
  attitude of despair and hopelessness. Agents and briefing 
  officers use their Paradox Prevention abilities to notice when 
  history changes around them, and then work together to 
  determine when and where to dispatch the Agents. When 
  something truly terrible happens in the past and humanity 
  suddenly vanishes or becomes a slave race to undead masters, 
  it’s usually only the TimeWatch skyscraper that still stands long 
  enough to send out a rescue team. When vampires build their 
  blood-flocks or monstrosities are summoned across the ether, 
  undead-fighting TimeWatch agents are usually the first and 
  last line of defense.
  PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF
  Time travelers suspect that they have no one but themselves 
  to blame for the encroaching horror. Back before time travel 
  was discovered, humanity didn’t have much trouble with 
  monstrosities slipping through the barrier and becoming 
  real on our plane. That changed once the dimensions of 
  space and time were breached. Suddenly that barrier became 
  far more permeable, and not just in the eras where time 
  machines arrived. The minor occultists and earnest cultists 
  who had worshipped dark forces throughout millennia found 
  themselves successful, and history changed. TimeWatch is still 
  trying to identify the triggering event; in the meantime, each 
  new event is diagnosed and dealt with as quickly as possible.
  The world between the minutes is a sanity-breaking 
  nightmare of terror, and the monsters it spawns are fierce and 
  terrifying. The best that TimeWatch agents can do now is try 
  to contain the damage. 
  THOSE WHO STALK THE NIGHT
  The type of enemies are terrifyingly varied.
  X
  X 	A horror movie slasher stalks 2020 Los Angeles; by wearing 
  his victim’s skins, he can become them. Meanwhile, their 
  skinless animated meat does his obscene bidding to bring in 
  more victims.
  X
  X 	The apocryphal Jersey Devil is a true devil, a possessed 
  changeling who haunts the woods and who uses infernal 
  power to change the lives of those who worship it.
  X
  X 	The moors of the British Isles hide many things, and 
  werewolves are one of them. Brought over into our world 
  by overenthusiastic cultists, it’s no longer safe to stay off the 
  moors at night. “Keep to the road,” the locals at the pub 
  might say, but that’s just so it’s easier for the locals to chase 
  you down once they shift form.
  X
  X 	In the time of the Black Death, the embodiment of 
  pestilence has taken to spreading contamination as a 
  religion. Her words are disease, her blessing is death, and 
  she intends to draw the entire world into her worship.
  X
  X 	The AI of a moon colony’s main computer becomes 
  sentient, stalking and killing crew members for maximum 
  terror. 
  X
  X 	Razor-sharp tentacular monstrosities lurk in drain pipes, 
  waiting until children are in bathtubs or adults are on toilets 
  before they inexorably pull their prey into the plumbing.
  X
  X 	With long teeth and longer fingernails, and eyes the color of 
  blank television screens, imaginary monsters lurk beneath 
  the beds of children. They can’t be seen by adults, and their 
  vocal impersonations are almost perfect. 
  X
  X 	A famous cinematic mass murderer takes actual life from 
  fear, stalking people watching his movies and leaving them 
  tortured and screaming.
  X
  X 	Psychic parasites feed on slow terror and inevitable despair. 
  They latch onto a host and drain their credit rating, letting 
  them spiral into poverty before causing them to take their 
  own life.
  X
  X 	Small children are possessed by the ghosts of the dead, 
  and murder their parents before adorably stalking their 
  neighbors.
  X
  X 	Anyone can be a serial killer, can’t they? It just takes a 
  little push, and then your teenaged babysitter or friendly 
  supermarket cashier can harbor a truly horrible secret. An 
  outer darkness horror climbs inside them when they take 
  their first life. It eats them silently from inside, until soon 
  there’s nothing but a ropy flesh-secret hidden inside a meat-
  suit of skin and bone. It will only pick the sweetest and least 
  predictable victims, and it takes delight in the hunt.
  X
  X 	A creature of feral savagery scuttles down the suburban street, 
  wild nature at its beck and call, and it delights in the screams as 
  cats and dogs savagely turn on their “owners.” Where it goes, 
  pets are well fed and humans lie where they fall. 
  X
  X 	The seaweed-coated lake monsters hide in the dark water, 
  in murky ponds and deep quarries. They may even wait in 
  impossibly shallow puddles. They are the embodiment of the 
  
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  teeth that come for you from below, of the slimy hand that 
  grabs and drags when you thought you were alone, of the 
  lonely and thrashing death. They spike their victims’ feet to the 
  lake bottom and leave them there to float in the darkness, a 
  forest of corpses swaying in the lightless current.
  X
  X 	Politicians really can sell their soul for power, and in doing 
  so can change the world. The only thing worse than a 
  monstrous inhuman predator is one who has access to 
  nuclear weapons and international policy.
  The worst creatures change large-scale history instead of 
  just preying on small communities. Whether it’s giant nuclear 
  termites six meters long who destroy the American southwest, 
  or radioactive undead that arise from the ruins of WWII 
  Japan’s bombing sites, some changes are difficult to cover up. 
  You won’t want to use a different horror every time; doing 
  so leads to a “monster of the week” gimmick. You’ll find it 
  more effective to have the same monstrous spirit manifest 
  multiple times in different time periods. When the Agents 
  hunt the same master werewolf for the third time, they’ll now 
  know how it thinks — but it might remember them as well 
  from chronologically previous encounters, and you can bet it 
  carries a grudge.
  MAKING IT MODERN
  If you prefer your horror set in the future or with less 
  traditional monsters, adapt this campaign frame by focusing 
  on monstrous infestations in the spaceships, colonies, and 
  vast megacities of the future. You can (and should) adapt the 
  monsters as well, using existing game statistics for convenience 
  and completely reskinning them to appear and act as a 
  futuristic horror of your own creation. This moves you away 
  from magic and gothic horror, and moves you towards cinema 
  like Alien and Event Horizon.
  MORE THAN JUST THE MONSTER
  True horror is personal. GMs are encouraged to choose 
  themes or subplots that prey on your character’s fears and 
  insecurities. Overall themes in a Chronal Horror game mirror 
  those that you’d find in the best horror movies: fear of the 
  unknown, betrayal by the trustworthy, personal powerlessness 
  in the face of danger. Luckily, confronting these fears may 
  earn your character Stitches for good roleplaying. 
  INVESTIGATION IN THE DARK
  A typical investigation is triggered when TimeWatch 
  headquarters notices a change in history. This may be as 
  simple as realizing “why has every other person in the world 
  vanished?” to “of course we don’t go outside after dark. No 
  one wants to turn into food!” 
  After research indicating where the change took hold — 
  “the first vampires were noted in late 14th-century London” 
  might be the type of historical entry that clearly points the 
  Agents in the correct direction — the Agents are off, just 
  as they would be in a traditional mission. It’s important for 
  Agents to have a solid, specific time and location to start their 
  investigation. Even if the team needs to quickly time travel 
  farther backwards, giving an initial destination helps prevent 
  drama-crushing analysis paralysis.
  Investigation typically leads the Agents to suspicious activity 
  on the part of the monster or the monster’s lackeys. It doesn’t 
  pay for Agents to make assumptions; the stupidest-seeming 
  werewolf might turn out to be quite brilliant, and not all super-
  evolved psychic disembodied brains are actually geniuses. 
  Victory conditions are seldom straightforward. Agents 
  endeavor to stop monsters before they slay indiscriminately. 
  They’ll stop any allies or minions of the monster who are 
  helping its schemes, and should cover up any supernatural 
  aspects of the investigation so that future generations have 
  plausible disbelief of the supernatural. 
  Some particularly clever monsters, such as Dracula, the 
  king of all vampires, will make for much deadlier opposition 
  than an unthinking lagoon monster preying on small-town 
  swimmers. A Chronal Horror series or campaign might 
  revolve around a time traveling master villain drawing on the 
  outer darkness, a conspiracy organized by a schemer who 
  anticipates TimeWatch responses and uses them to further 
  weaken the veil. 
  ANTAGONISTS
  Reskin and tweak existing game statistics to quickly generate 
  effective, hard-to-identify antagonists and Adversaries. You 
  can also use the rules on p. 147 to create your own monsters, 
  or adapt creatures from other GUMSHOE games that focus 
  more on horror. Note that these creatures adapt well to the 
  time in which they find themselves; a vampire in ancient Rome 
  is very different than one in a 22nd-century megacity. Add 
  abilities accordingly to help them take advantage of their 
  environment. All supernatural Chronal Horror antagonists gain 
  the special ability Embrace Instability (see p. 153).
  A few examples are listed below:
  Demon-Possessed Stats
  These seemingly normal people are possessed by a denizen of 
  Hell… or quite possibly somewhere worse. They corrupt the 
  people and area around them, and delight in bringing suffering 
  to the kind and gentle.
  Use stats for walk-ins (see p. 190), adding Magic (cost 2 per 
  effect)
  Ghost Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4 (or higher due to Invisibility), 
  Health 12 
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +3 (soul rot)
  Abilities: Tempus 15
  Special Abilities: Immaterial, Invisibility (cost 3); Terrify 
  (cost 2 — the target must make a D6/L6 Paradox test. On 
  
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  a failure, the target suffers 6 points of Chronal Stability Loss 
  and permanently suffers from the appearance of premature 
  aging, such as grey hair. On a failure, instead of taking the 
  Loss, the target may instead choose to become paralyzed with 
  panicked terror. They remain terrified, either frozen in place or 
  fleeing for their life (player’s choice), until the scene ends or an 
  ally spends 1 point from an appropriate Interpersonal ability 
  to snap them out of it. This takes an action and is traditionally 
  accompanied by a sharp slap)
  Vampire Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4 or 5 (Distortion), Armor 3 (non-
  bane only), Health 18 
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +0; Damage Modifier 
  +2 (impossibly strong grip), +0 plus Destabilize and Mind 
  Control (blood drain)
  Abilities: Tempus 20; Charm 2
  Special Abilities: Destabilize (cost 2 — with blood drain), 
  Distortion (cost 2), Immaterial (cost 2 — turn to mist), Mental 
  Attack (Mind Control — cost 3, with blood drain), Regenerate 
  (cost 0 or 2 — all non-bane damage at end of round), Shape-
  Shift (cost 2 — bat)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1, Stealth Modifier +4
  Special: All vampires have a bane that they are particularly 
  vulnerable to; they can only be badly hurt by direct sunlight 
  (which immediately triggers Difficulty 6 Health tests each 
  round, with death on a failure) or that bane. 
  Many vampires typically use their charm to attract victims. 
  They’re suave, sure, but just so evil. 
  The listed special abilities may change drastically from 
  vampire to vampire, and these stats may be considered a 
  low-powered example of the creature. Many vampires suffer 
  from traditional weaknesses (sunlight, grave dirt in the coffin, 
  mirrors, garlic, strongly presented objects of faith)… but not 
  all. Good luck finding out. 
  Werewolf Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 5 vs. non-silver only, 
  Health 15 
  Offense: Scuffling +3; Damage Modifier +1 (razor-sharp 
  claws), +3 (slavering maw)
  Abilities: Tempus 18; Outdoor Survival 1
  Special Abilities: Extra Action (cost 2), Infection 
  (lycanthropy), Lightning Speed (cost 2), Regenerate (cost 0 — 
  all non-silver damage at end of round), Shape-Shift (cost 0 
  if uncontrolled, cost 2 if controlled — from human to wolf 
  and back)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2, Stealth Modifier +2
  Special: Lycanthropy (Anyone bitten by a werewolf who is 
  not then slain develops lycanthropy. During a full moon the 
  GM takes control of their character, and they gain these stats 
  instead of their own. Lycanthropy can be cured with 3 points 
  spent from either Medical Expertise, Occult, or Trivia over 
  three successive nights when the victim is in wolf form. 
  CINEMATIC ONE-SHOT  
  CAMPAIGN FRAME
  Picture a futuristic game where the fleshless and sentient ego 
  of the spiritual Yogi Soondi, leader of the postapocalyptic 
  vehicle cult the Car-Men, passes through the temporal veil 
  to wreak havoc in other eras. Can you find her? Join us for 
  another episode of “Where in time is Car-Man Soondi’s 
  ego?”… or not. Sorry about that.
  The Cinematic One-Shot style of play focuses on adapting 
  the TimeWatch rules to match the feel of another time travel–
  related movie, TV show, or book. There are lots out there, 
  and if you love them, you may be able to hack TimeWatch’s 
  rules into modeling it fairly well. “One-Shot” is something of 
  a misnomer here, as you may want to play extensively in that 
  world, but this approach works equally well for a one-time 
  game with no expectation of continuity or consequences. 
  TimeWatch models some cinematic games better than 
  others. You’ll want to think about what defines a particular 
  setting, then read the chapter on hacking and adjusting the 
  rules (see p. 217) to figure out what to change. Be bold. 
  Screw around with the default rules to match your vision. 
  Tweak things to get the player behavior you want, and dump 
  any rules that discourage such behavior.
  SAMPLE CINEMATIC SETTINGS
  Robotic Dawn
  For instance, imagine a campaign setting inspired by that 
  of the Terminator franchise, where cyborg assassins are sent 
  back in time to ensure (or prevent) a robotic ascension over 
  humanity. Things you’d possibly change:
  X
  X 	The TimeWatch organization does not exist.
  X
  X 	Player characters could be normal Earth civilians, human 
  warriors from the future, or allied and reprogrammed 
  cyborgs.
  X
  X 	Enemy cyborgs should be truly tough and nearly 
  unstoppable in battle, with huge Health pools or the ability 
  to automatically heal.
  X
  X 	Since the movies are so action packed and physical, you 
  might increase the default number of General ability build 
  points, or give 3-point pool refreshes between scenes in 
  addition to any refreshes granted by Stitches.
  X
  X 	Time travel is one-way and allows no foreign matter, 
  whether clothes or weapons. Any futuristic weapons or gear 
  are removed from the game unless constructed by visitors 
  from the future.
  X
  X 	Car chases are common. Perhaps characters start with 4 free 
  points in Vehicles.
  X
  X 	Normal time-appropriate weapons are the weapons of 
  choice, with a particular emphasis of using vehicles as a 
  weapon (perhaps adapting the Explosives and Explosion rules 
  on p. 99 to determine damage when hit by a vehicle). 
  
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  X
  X 	In lieu of a tether and the easy access to information it 
  provides, characters will have to use time-appropriate 
  methods to gather information.
  X
  X 	Chronal Stability should be removed from the game, and 
  possibly replaced with Stability (as adapted from another 
  GUMSHOE book such as Night’s Black Agents or Esoterrorists 
  2.0) to emulate sanity and stress. Reality Anchor would be 
  replaced by Psychoanalysis, a near-identical ability that 
  restores Stability.
  Clock City Blues
  In a game where highly trained law enforcement officers are 
  accidentally sent back in time to hunt deadly terrorists, such as 
  in the TV show Continuum, you’d change the rules accordingly:
  X
  X 	The TimeWatch organization does not exist.
  X
  X 	No time travel initially exists other than the initial plot-
  device entry. This is a game about highly trained future cops 
  and terrorists in an earlier time setting, not a game about 
  jumping around in time.
  X
  X 	Any future technology the officers brought with them exists, 
  as does anything they can Tinker into existence, but they 
  can’t rely on time travel and teleportation to acquire assets. 
  The Difficulty to Tinker future-tech is higher than normal, 
  and spending Science! points to acquire super-science might 
  be disallowed or twice as expensive as normal.
  X
  X 	Tethers are still useful for communication but lose their 
  ongoing access to massive historical databases.
  X
  X 	Chronal Stability would be replaced by Stability (as above), 
  and Reality Anchor would be replaced by Psychoanalysis.
  Troubleshooters, Inc.
  In a game where a highly trained team of charismatic 
  troubleshooters deal with super-science problems like alien 
  invaders and dimension-piercing oscillation overthrusters, 
  such as the Doc Savage series or the world presented in the 
  1984 cult movie The Adventures of  Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th 
  Dimension, you’d adjust the game as follows:
  X
  X 	The TimeWatch organization does not exist.
  X
  X 	All player characters are members of an elite and 
  internationally known organization.
  X
  X 	Spending Investigative points could draw on resources 
  from adjunct and junior members of that organization.
  X
  X 	One player would likely play the charismatic leader, and 
  the others would be members of his or her crack team of 
  multitalented investigators.
  X
  X 	Alien and conspiracy-based threats would be common.
  X
  X 	Casual use of time machines would be unlikely, unless that’s 
  the center of an adventure’s plot.
  X
  X 	Chronal Stability and Reality Anchor would be completely 
  removed.
  X
  X 	The History (Future) ability would be removed.
  Time Patrol
  To model Poul Anderson’s superb Time Patrol series of stories, 
  you’d start with the standard Patrol setting and change the 
  following:
  X
  X 	Autochrons become bulky, two-person chrono-scooters.
  X
  X 	Chronal Stability and Reality Anchor would be removed, to 
  be replaced by Stability and Psychoanalysis.
  X
  X 	There’s no appreciable penalty for using time machines to 
  double back and help yourself in an emergency, although 
  actually seeing yourself closely might cause a Stability test.
  Blundering Through History
  To create a light-hearted, goofy game inspired by movies like 
  Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, you might want to make the 
  following changes:
  X
  X 	Weapons and combat are de-emphasized.
  X
  X 	The Difficulties for Paradox tests are significantly lowered, 
  as is the penalty for failing such tests.
  X
  X 	Stitches are given out for being hilarious, and the hoarding 
  limit rises from 3 to 5 Stitches.
  X
  X 	It’s common (and encouraged!) for characters to meet 
  themselves, help themselves, and even play pranks on 
  themselves.
  You get the idea. And of course, after you model a fun 
  setting, consider posting it online for other GMs and players 
  to use as well (so long as it doesn’t violate anyone’s intellectual 
  property or copyright rights).
  CONSPIRACY CAMPAIGN FRAME
  ROTTEN TO THE CORE
  When you become a TimeWatch agent, they tell you that your 
  job is to discover disruptions to the time stream, restoring the 
  true history that always should have been. That, like so many 
  other things about TimeWatch, is a lie. TimeWatch agents are 
  actually the tools of a vast conspiracy dedicated to the creation 
  of a new history: not a roaring river of time, but a carefully 
  engineered cabal designed to control every nanosecond of 
  reality from beginning to inevitable end.
  Call them the Ascended Masters or the Illuminati if you 
  must name them. You’ve heard they’re not even human. 
  Regardless, they are the secret masters, and you work for 
  them. No one really knows what they really hope to achieve, 
  sending agents like you out to reshape history. But you don’t 
  need secrets to protect pleasant truths, agent. 
  So watch your back. They will brook no challenge to their 
  control. Trust nothing and no one. Not your boss. Not your 
  fellow agents. Not even your tether.
  
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  INTRODUCING CONSPIRACY
  A TimeWatch Conspiracy game keeps all the procedural elements 
  of a standard TimeWatch campaign, but layers on a pervasive 
  atmosphere of lies and mistrust, essentially turning the 
  assumptions underlying a standard TimeWatch game on their 
  heads. They say power corrupts, and that absolute power 
  corrupts absolutely… and there’s no greater power than the 
  ability to manipulate time. TimeWatch is, essentially, an ideal 
  incubator for Machiavellian plots, and an ideal target for those 
  who would seek to manipulate time for their own ends. 
  While your standard villains may outline their dastardly 
  intentions in a climactic monologue, Agents fighting a 
  conspiracy may never really know the true purpose of the 
  cabal they’ve stopped (though it’s probably a more satisfying 
  play experience if they can untangle things eventually). Instead 
  of just the intellectual challenge of ferreting out threats 
  to history, TimeWatch Agents in a Conspiracy game must 
  also deal with complex intrigues within TimeWatch itself: 
  they may find themselves battling a corrupt faction secretly 
  controlled by ezeru infiltrators, opposing a sentient computer 
  virus insidiously altering mission parameters to create a 
  timeline inhospitable to biological life, or standing against the 
  inscrutable reptoid masters of TimeWatch itself. 
  More X-Files or Fringe than Timecop, trust and truth are at 
  a premium in Conspiracy campaigns, recasting the generally 
  benevolent TimeWatch as an organization capable of deliberate, 
  sinister machinations within the time stream and within its own 
  ranks. TimeWatch Agents who begin to question their orders 
  — or the true purpose of their missions — may find helpful 
  superiors replaced by stricter taskmasters more concerned with 
  monitoring their behavior and blocking their attempts to find out 
  what’s really happening than helping them succeed in the field. 
  Worse yet, they might begin to suspect that their fellow Agents are 
  actually stooges placed on the team by whatever mysterious cabal 
  lies at the heart of your game, and that even innocent queries 
  to their tethers are met with roadblocks: “ERROR! Agent not 
  authorized for this data. Clearance level MAJESTIC required.” 
  Although you can introduce conspiracy to your TimeWatch 
  game right away, it’s often best to let your Agents’ paranoia 
  slowly build as you introduce clues indicating that all is not 
  what it seems in TimeWatch over the course of one or 
  two standard Patrol adventures, particularly if you want the 
  conspiracy to serve as the centerpiece of your campaign. 
  Your Agents’ first mission might be to wait in the audience 
  at Ford’s Theatre during the April 14, 1865, performance of 
  Our American Cousin to ensure that presidential assassin John 
  Wilkes Booth breaks his leg, guaranteeing his eventual capture. 
  However, they may start to wonder if something is awry when 
  their second mission has them sabotaging the number two 
  oxygen tank on Apollo 13’s service module or burning down 
  Nikola Tesla’s Fifth Avenue laboratory in 1895 New York. 
  They may become more certain — and start to fight back — 
  when their commanding officers continue to place them in 
  dangerous, highly concentrated paradoxes, as if they’re trying 
  In a Conspiracy game, today’s best friends could be tomorrow’s shapeshifted enemies.
  
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  to put the Agents in a situation where they will be subsumed 
  or erased by an uncaring universe. What happens when it turns 
  out that the shooter on the grassy knoll you’re trying to stop 
  is you? After all, the best way to keep a secret is to make sure 
  that everyone who knew it never actually existed. 
  HOW CONSPIRACIES WORK
  At its core, every conspiracy is about acquiring and exercising 
  power and control. Conspiracies acquire both using collusion, 
  coercion — and most of all secrecy — to subvert, bypass, or 
  eliminate opposition or obstacles. A TimeWatch conspiracy game 
  is about preventing the conspirators from doing just that… 
  or in rarer cases may be about your Agents becoming the 
  conspirators themselves. Although all conspiracies are different 
  (unless, of course, you subscribe to the theory that they are all 
  merely the outward faces of a single master-cabal), they must 
  have some key elements to be viable. The following sections 
  outline those required elements, and provide several suggestions 
  for how to bring all of them into your TimeWatch game. 
  Puppet Master(s)
  Though a conspiracy may have a single originator — a master 
  puppeteer pulling all the strings — it must by definition include 
  other conspirators who themselves may employ other witting or 
  unwitting subordinates in the service of the cabal’s goals. The 
  upper echelons of the conspiracy will be at least tacitly aware of 
  its true intentions; the lower echelons almost certainly will not. 
  The Real Truth will always be found at the center of the web.
  Secret Aims
  The conspiracy wants something, and it’s not something it can 
  get easily or openly. The goal may be as simple as the acquisition 
  of personal power, or as complex as the engineering of a 
  specific future event. The end for which a conspiracy strives 
  need not be strictly evil, or even entirely contrary to your 
  Agents’ goals. However, there’s always something that drives a 
  conspiracy into the shadows. After all, if the cabal’s intentions 
  and actions were truly noble and its actions acceptable, it could 
  operate in the open. 
  How much worse would the conflict with the sophosaurs 
  be if they knew that the extinction event in what we think of 
  as core time was actually orchestrated by TimeWatch agents to 
  ensure that there were enough readily available fossil fuels to 
  power the Industrial Revolution? How much worse yet if it is 
  discovered that the Industrial Revolution was merely a stepping 
  stone to installing a planetary corporate autocracy with the 
  conspirators (or their chosen representatives) at its head? 
  Power (But Not Too Much)
  Although your conspiracy must have at least a modicum of 
  power to be effective, it must lack the necessary leverage 
  to completely overcome those who would oppose its ends 
  (or the means it employs to achieve them). This is why 
  conspiracies often use threats, blackmail, or assassination to 
  secure cooperation from those who would oppose them (or 
  to replace their enemies with more pliable individuals) — they 
  may have enough power to nudge an individual, organization, 
  or even an entire military-industrial complex to follow its 
  desired path, but not enough to force the issue in an open 
  conflict. 
  Compartmentalization
  Even when dealing with willing coconspirators, successful 
  conspiracies strictly compartment knowledge of their activities 
  and intentions to ensure that they are not discovered until or 
  unless they have acquired enough power to ensure that secrecy 
  is no longer necessary. This compartmentalization prevents 
  unwitting slipups or opposition discoveries from endangering 
  the entire operation: you cannot spill a secret you do not know. 
  Plausible Deniability 
  Even when secrecy fails to protect the conspiracy from undue 
  scrutiny, deniability — the conspiracy’s ability to sow doubt as 
  to its intentions or even existence — can prevent any serious 
  backlash against the core cabal, even if specific members or 
  activities are discovered. The sheer size of TimeWatch may 
  prevent your Agents from ever being sure they’ve found every 
  cell working for the conspiracy, in part because the conspiracy 
  may be able to use the “normal” movement of personnel and 
  resources or standard organizational disciplinary measures 
  to hide its proxies from scrutiny. Agents who begin to make 
  progress combating the conspiracy’s machinations may find 
  key suspects suddenly assigned to long-term highly classified 
  missions beyond the Agents’ reach, or even find out that their 
  sources and informants met “unfortunate accidents” in the 
  line of duty and were killed or subsumed.
  Consequently, conspiracies are most likely to flourish 
  undiscovered 
  in 
  large 
  organizations 
  with 
  complex 
  bureaucracies, which give them ample opportunity to hide their 
  activities from unwanted attention, or at worst use internal 
  organizational boundaries to obfuscate the true purpose of 
  their actions from others who do not share their goals. 
  HOW CONSPIRACIES WORK  
  (IN TIMEWATCH)
  In a traditional game, TimeWatch has a “mild but detectable 
  bureaucracy.” In a conspiracy game, that bureaucracy is 
  huge and elaborate, with an army of agents, archaeologists, 
  anthropologists, historians, as well as technicians and 
  support personnel all working in separate or even competing 
  departments to identify threats to the time stream, and then 
  dispatch agents to repair them. In the best case scenario, those 
  departments are working in parallel; in the worst, two or more 
  are at odds, pushing competing agendas on the agents and 
  their missions. 
  Despite TimeWatch’s near omniscient position outside 
  time, these departments must still jockey for influence 
  
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  and resources, or even to ensure that history is “repaired” 
  in accordance with their views of what really happened. 
  As anyone familiar with modern historical scholarship (or 
  Wikipedia editing wars) can tell you, there is often no real 
  agreement on what really happened and why, even for well-
  documented historical events. 
  That combination of rivalry and ambiguity gives the 
  conspiracy the space it needs to operate in TimeWatch, 
  potentially manipulating both the Agents and history itself to 
  advance its aims. Because no one person can know everything 
  (and the Agents themselves all come to TimeWatch with 
  different levels of technological or historical expertise), it can 
  be immensely difficult to establish “ground truth” in history, 
  or even in the Citadel itself. 
  Agents may believe that they can always trust the records 
  that TimeWatch’s computers provide to their tethers, but even 
  they are only as reliable as their programmers, or the low-
  level workers who load and maintain the raw historical data. 
  If any of them are part of the conspiracy (or at the center 
  of it!) that basic lifeline is suddenly suspect. Even if caught, 
  such a cabal could deny intentional wrongdoing, blaming the 
  error on unintentionally corrupted records. Even in the worst 
  case, they could blame the error on a rogue technician, and 
  use TimeWatch’s own standard procedures for jettisoning 
  problematic personnel (a MEM-tag and a free trip back to 
  your native timeline) to ensure that the patsy can never finger 
  the true culprits for what they’ve done and continue to do. 
  Most of the guidelines here assume that your Agents are 
  working against an evil or at least misguided conspiracy, 
  but there’s no real reason that your Agents couldn’t be the 
  conspirators, infiltrating and subverting TimeWatch for their 
  own ends. Indeed, if you decide that TimeWatch’s aims are 
  appropriately diabolical, it’s only natural for your noble Agents 
  to try to use its resources (and weaknesses) against it, restoring 
  the true timeline or building a better one. 
  Of course, if you’ve got the chops, your Agents can be 
  proper villains all on their own: there’s something to be said 
  about a game that ends with your Agents as the unquestioned 
  Lords of Time, using manipulation and subtle plots to first 
  subvert TimeWatch and then establish the Citadel as their 
  personal pleasure palace. They can build a better tomorrow 
  (for them, at least) one grassy knoll and faked moon landing 
  at a time. 
  Nevertheless, since most conspiracy games will put the 
  conspiracy and your Agents in opposition to each other, 
  with the Agents on the side of the angels (albeit probably 
  ultra-terrestrial time-hopping angels in the service of an 
  unfathomable and otherworldly omniscience), we cast the rest 
  of our suggested conspirators in a decidedly negative light. 
  TANGLED WEBS
  Conspiracies can be huge, or limited to only a few actors. 
  Their goals might be as complex and grandiose as the creation 
  of an entirely new historical record, or as simple as personal 
  aggrandizement. Your conspiracy could go all the way to the top, 
  effectively corrupting the entire edifice of TimeWatch, or stem 
  from a small-but-difficult-to-identify group that TimeWatch’s 
  benevolent leaders send your Agents to root out. It may 
  have existed since the dawn of time, predating TimeWatch’s 
  inception, or represent the final counterstrike of a dying but 
  disruptive parallel timeline eliminated by TimeWatch actions. 
  It might have been introduced by outside enemies, dissatisfied 
  insiders, or both working together. It could represent a mirror 
  universe version of TimeWatch attempting to preserve its own 
  existence or conquer the “true” timeline. 
  In fact, your conspiracy might operate without access to 
  TimeWatch at all, opposing the Agents’ actions in the time 
  stream, but leaving TimeWatch itself inviolate. Regardless, it is 
  there, and it will not be easily stopped.
  A conspiracy that does include — or even spring from — 
  TimeWatch’s mysterious founders and leaders will leave the 
  Agents with few allies that they can really trust. It can be 
  assumed that most active and low-level TimeWatch agents 
  have bought into the cover story about TimeWatch’s noble 
  goals, but “innocent” agents will still be carefully monitored 
  by superiors, or even well-placed fellow agents “in the know” 
  about what’s really happening, to ensure that they can be dealt 
  with if they discover too much. 
  The potential that one of the Agents on your team is spying 
  on you can give players an excuse to dive deep into secret 
  alliances and intra-party conflict, or even well-planned betrayal 
  at a key dramatic moment. However, player vs. player conflict 
  is a powerful spice. It is best used sparingly, if at all. Regardless, 
  clues acquired about the nature and activities of the conspiracy 
  will inevitably lead the Agents deeper into TimeWatch itself, 
  effectively drawing them into the center of a complex web 
  where they will eventually confront the corruption at the heart 
  of the Citadel. 
  Your conspiracy might instead be the result of infiltration 
  by an outside force which seeks to bring TimeWatch — or 
  humanity, or the entirety of core history — down from the 
  inside. Perhaps agents are being replaced by evil clones, parallel 
  universe duplicates, or any one of a number of shape-shifting 
  aliens (the ezeru, for example). Maybe they’re being influenced 
  by powerful psychic dinosaurs like the sophosaurs, dominated 
  by alien mind-parasites like the Europans, or infected with a 
  contagious mind-altering nanovirus inadvertently brought back 
  from an otherwise successful mission during the catastrophic 
  33rd-century Robot Wars. In this kind of conspiracy game, the 
  Agents may have several “normal” missions before they start 
  to notice that things have gone awry in TimeWatch: former 
  allies or superiors may begin to act strangely or erratically 
  as the contagion (literal or otherwise) spreads through the 
  organization. Once they discover that all is not well, they will 
  find themselves attempting to stop the conspirators before 
  they can get to someone or something truly important, or 
  become so widespread that they are impossible to quarantine 
  and eliminate. 
  Then again, the conspiracy in your game might not reach 
  TimeWatch at all. Agents attempting to halt an unexpected 
  plague or a sudden thermonuclear conflict might not find 
  themselves up against time travelers — maybe the culprits 
  are a cell of diabolical Freemasons, a radical splinter of 
  the Council on Foreign Relations, or the enlightened secret 
  
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  masters of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood. Antagonists like 
  these may not have access to time travel, but if you believe 
  even half of the conspiracy theories that exist in the core 
  timeline, they have tremendous influence and authority, 
  wielded in secret to protect and advance the interests of a 
  global elite at the expense of the vast majority of life on 
  Earth. This kind of game depends on the introduction of 
  at least a little secret history, effectively casting doubt on the 
  “real” story the Agents’ tethers have to offer. The publicly 
  recorded events must remain the same — but the behind 
  the scenes machinations behind them may differ greatly 
  from the historical record. Maybe Truman did defeat Dewey. 
  Or maybe Majestic 12 rigged the results to ensure the man 
  who approved its deal with the greys at Roswell in 1947 got 
  another four alien-friendly years in office.
  MIXING AND MATCHING TONE
  Mix the secret history campaign frame with the contagion 
  idea suggested above, and your Agents could find themselves 
  embroiled in a secret war against the reptoids stretching from 
  ancient Sumer (where they pose as godlike Anunnaki in an 
  early attempt to enslave humanity) to 21st-century geopolitics 
  (where they attempt to install reptilian-human hybrid thralls in 
  positions of influence, content to rule humanity from behind 
  the scenes). Ever wonder why you never get to see the dinner 
  menu for meetings of the Bilderberg Group? Give this kind 
  of game a Pulp (p. 293) spin, and you can have your Agents 
  discover and oppose Shaverian deros with Lemurian mind-
  control rays from the Hollow Earth, or put them up against 
  an Antarctic post-WWII Nazi remnant armed with invisible 
  flying saucers. 
  Alternatively, your conspiracy game could be a hybrid 
  between TimeWatch and fellow GUMSHOE game Night’s 
  Black Agents, or possibly The Esoterrorists. A conspiracy game 
  in this frame would need to jettison most of TimeWatch’s more 
  futuristic science fiction elements, replacing autochrons and 
  tethers with grittier stolen experimental DARPA hardware, 
  forgotten Cold War time portal technology from either side of 
  the Iron Curtain, or even mystic incantations at the crossroads 
  of powerful occult ley lines. If you go this way, your players 
  may be part of an elite military unit, deniable black ops assets, 
  or burned spies using poorly understood and unreliable time 
  travel equipment and deadly “real world” weapons to combat 
  immortal monsters (vampires, of course, for Night’s Black 
  Agents) across multiple times. This kind of game emphasizes 
  survival and sanity over Chronal Stability, with your dedicated 
  Agents often severely outmatched by hyper-evolved or even 
  supernatural antagonists. 
  Of course, the conspiracy in your game may be somewhat 
  less than all-consuming. In the end, a secretive faction 
  consisting only of maintenance workers who program and 
  maintain the Agents’ autochrons could subvert TimeWatch 
  just as easily as a deep cover sophosaur terrorist cell 
  psychically controlling TimeWatch middle management or 
  even the Bavarian Illuminati. Indeed, in a game where you 
  don’t necessarily want to leave the Agents constantly guessing 
  about who they can trust, a one- or two-session adventure 
  focused on the hidden origins of the Citadel, the identities of 
  TimeWatch’s true masters, or the real reason for all the secrecy 
  surrounding Area 51 can serve as an interesting break — or 
  as a bridge — between more traditional historical mysteries.
  For longer term games, your Agents’ success at peeling back 
  the layers of the conspiracy may greatly alter the later acts of your 
  campaign. As they learn more about what’s really happening, you 
  may find your game shifting away from transhistorical intrigue 
  to open revolution, effectively making your Agents rebels  
  (p. 297) or possibly the leaders on one side of the Time War 
  (p. 314). Depending on how terrifying the truth turns out to be, 
  your Conspiracy game could become Mythos (p. 267) instead as 
  they confront the squamous spawn of Yog-Sothoth, who while 
  slumbering deep in the Citadel’s living core feast upon souls 
  loosed from disintegrating alternate timelines destroyed by the 
  “heroic” actions of your Agents. 
  CONFLICTING LOYALTIES
  Player vs. player conflict is incredibly difficult to pull off in a 
  roleplaying game without creating lasting resentment between 
  players. When Agents have conflicting (and possibly secret) 
  primary objectives, betrayal needs to be approached with care. 
  It can be handled with some effort in a one-shot game, and it’s 
  much harder to maintain in a campaign or a series.
  If all the player characters share the same primary objective 
  but have conflicting secondary objectives, however, secret 
  loyalties and goals are much less likely to derail things entirely 
  (or to cause out-of-character drama). 
  With many competing bureaucratic divisions within 
  TimeWatch, you can set up each player character with a 
  different departmental affiliation that they owe loyalty to. 
  Those departments assign tasks peripheral or separate to 
  the main mission on the department’s behalf. Characters are 
  thus primed with secret secondary objectives to advance their 
  departmental agenda (while saving the universe as per their 
  primary mission brief, of course). There are secrets kept from 
  other player characters, carrying the potential for PvP, but 
  since everyone’s primary objective is the same the PvP conflict 
  doesn’t need to result in the complete meltdown of the team 
  once secrets start to come to light.
  Vidhvansaka-5 is a secret cyborg posing as a human agent, and she 
  falls under the aegis of  TimeWatch’s Research and Development labs; 
  they repair or upgrade her when necessary and keep her nonhuman 
  identity secret, and in exchange they demand her loyalty. R & D 
  assigns her small, secret tasks to complete during normal missions. 
  During her current mission to reverse the assassination of  a young 
  Mahatma Gandhi, she is ordered to acquire and destroy the murder 
  weapon’s physical evidence at the scene of  the crime before anyone else 
  on her team sees it. She is not told why. Doing so means that she and 
  her team will need to solve the murder from other evidence instead.
  Kelfala is allied with TimeWatch’s elite logistics team. He is secretly 
  informed that Gandhi’s murder may be linked to corruption within 
  TimeWatch; not only must they reverse the murder and catch the 
  assassin, he should look for clues and physical evidence linking it back 
  to a conspiracy within the organization. 
  
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  CONSPIRACY ADVENTURE HOOKS
  Once you’ve decided to run a conspiracy game in TimeWatch, 
  you still need to decide what, exactly, your conspiracy is all 
  about. The following mission hooks may spur some ideas.
  Not How You Remember It
  The MEM-tag is an essential tool in every TimeWatch agent’s 
  arsenal. They are so common, in fact, that most agents 
  never give a second thought to the technicians who operate 
  the tachyon beams or the neuro-cognitive engineers who 
  painstakingly erase errant memories and replace them with 
  less disruptive recollections in the innocent bystanders — 
  and sometimes deadly enemies — caught up in TimeWatch’s 
  efforts to protect the core timeline.
  The trick, of course, is that those who give it a second 
  thought never give it a third. 
  Some — perhaps all — of the personnel in TimeWatch’s 
  MEM-tag operation are embedding multiple layers of 
  subconscious programming in their subjects as part of the 
  memory-reconstruction process. The precise purpose of this 
  programming is not clear, but the neural modifications made 
  in TimeWatch’s labs have a more drastic effect than any active 
  agent would suspect.
  The unwitting sleeper operatives may continue their normal 
  lives for weeks, months, or even years after the agents have 
  moved on with no noticeable side effects beyond the standard 
  sense of lost time and déjà vu before the programming 
  takes control. Programmed merchants and stockbrokers 
  unconsciously manipulate markets. Monarchs, generals, and 
  diplomats start unwinnable border disputes. In more extreme 
  cases, normal people become spies, cult leaders, or even 
  assassins, displaying motivations and skills that they could not 
  have had before being MEM-tagged.
  Once the Agents discover this chaos in their wake, they 
  must try to trace the plot back to its source. Even as they do, 
  they must wonder, “Have we been programmed?” or worse 
  yet, “Have we done this before?”
  Dealey Plaza
  The assassination of John F. Kennedy is simply too strange to 
  be coincidence: everyone knows there were too many moving 
  pieces for it all to come down to a lone gunman. Some say it 
  was the Russians. Others say it was the Cubans, the Mob, or 
  the CIA. They are right to believe in a conspiracy. They are 
  wrong to think it is something so mundane.
  A critical turning point in core time, November 22nd, 1963, 
  is a magnet for time travelers with a host of competing agendas. 
  Consequently, it is perhaps the single most manipulated (and 
  thus chronally unstable) single day in human history, a target 
  for everyone from well-meaning Cold War historians to any 
  number of time traveling aliens hoping to end the US space 
  program before it can truly begin. As a result, even the Agents’ 
  tethers are unable to provide a single set of established facts 
  about the day’s events.
  Nevertheless, when the Agents are ordered to recover illicit 
  22nd-century weapons last tracked to Dallas’ Dealey Plaza, 
  including self-motivating homing ammunition, they must 
  attempt to unravel a complex web of conspiracies involving 
  a time traveling journalist named Abraham Zapruder, the 
  American military-industrial complex, itinerant railroad 
  tramps who may or may not have been CIA agents, Clay 
  Shaw, Jack Ruby, and multiple men claiming to be former 
  US Marine and Soviet defector Lee Harvey Oswald, all to 
  prevent anachronistic technology from further destabilizing 
  the timeline at a key historical tipping point.
  Missing Time
  The Egyptian historian Manetho’s surviving writings detail 
  a chronology of Egyptian civilization that stretches at least 
  24,000 years before the accepted date of the founding of 
  Egypt’s first dynasty in about 3100 BCE, crediting gods, 
  demigods, and powerful “spirits of the dead” with dynasties 
  that lasted nearly 20,000 years before finally giving way to the 
  earliest (but still mythical) human kings.
  Although some take this as evidence of the existence of 
  an advanced global civilization that significantly predates the 
  accepted establishment of the earliest known complex human 
  cultures, Manetho’s claims are widely considered to be literary 
  flourish by archaeologists and modern historians, roughly akin 
  to Plato’s Atlantis. Legends. Fiction.
  Consequently, when a rogue TimeWatch agent’s missing 
  autochron is traced to a supposedly insignificant period of 
  Egyptian prehistory, the Agents are shocked to discover an 
  advanced society flourishing in the Nile Valley. The strange 
  culture, complete with crystal-topped energy pyramids and 
  an already ancient Sphinx at a time when the Agents’ tethers 
  insist that the region should be populated by primitive 
  fishermen and hunter-gatherers, welcomes the Agents as kin 
  to its powerful god-kings.
  The Agents soon discover that their rogue agent is but a 
  small part of a cabal of corrupt time travelers — many of 
  whom continue to wield influence in TimeWatch — who have 
  created an alternate prehistory where they can rule as they 
  please, unconcerned with the consequences their rule will have 
  for core time. Will the Agents preserve a flourishing human 
  culture built on corruption and dangerous anachronism, or 
  destroy it and allow established history to reassert itself?
  One Small Step for Man
  No one could have prepared for the parasitic Europan colony 
  waiting for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in the moon’s 
  Sea of Tranquility on July 20th, 1969; no contemporary sensor 
  could have even detected the Europan crystal-hive, let alone 
  the incursion from a parallel universe that put it there. The 
  two astronauts were ideal hosts for the rapidly multiplying 
  Europans, who were able to spread from NASA to the highest 
  levels of the US government, and then the world, to complete 
  their conquest of the planet only months after Apollo 11 
  returned to Earth.
  This course of events is unacceptable to TimeWatch.
  
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  Acting against an infected Armstrong and Aldrin directly 
  presents too great a risk to the established timeline, and creates 
  too large a chance for the Europans to infect and infiltrate 
  TimeWatch itself. Simply destroying the Europan colony 
  before the Eagle has landed will cause a noticeable disturbance 
  on the lunar surface, preventing the Apollo 11 mission from 
  going forward and creating a different — but still unacceptable 
  — disturbance in the core timeline.
  The only reliable way to end the threat is to prevent contact 
  from ever occurring: the Agents must fake the moon landing, 
  and then eliminate the Europan threat without noticeably 
  altering the established narrative. In short, no one in NASA — 
  including the astronauts — can know that they never actually 
  set foot on the lunar surface.
  For Whom the Bell Tolls
  Under the guise of a secret weapons program referred to only 
  as the Wunderwaffe, the Nazis built a time machine in 1944. 
  They called it Die Glocke — The Bell — because of its peculiar 
  shape. A team of sixty scientists designed and constructed 
  the device at a hidden base in Lower Silesia; the Nazis had 
  all sixty men shot to keep the project secret from Allied 
  spies. It was the culmination of years of occult and scientific 
  research, combining ancient alchemical wisdom with modern 
  engineering to create a red-mercury engine that could harness 
  energies that the mainstream scientific community would not 
  even discover until decades later.
  Mainstream historians know it’s also a hoax: nonsense 
  propagated by Polish conspiracy theorists in the 1990s.
  TimeWatch knows better. After all, at least three crashed 
  Bells were recovered in the 20th century alone: one in Tunguska 
  in 1908, one in Roswell in 1947, and one in Kecksburg in 1965.
  The Nazi Wunderwaffe has menaced the time stream since 
  The Bell’s first flights, creating dozens of unstable autocratic 
  alternate timelines from which they can continue to strike at 
  their enemies. Their operators are adept at recruiting fascist 
  versions of key historical figures (and TimeWatch agents) 
  from Nazi-friendly parallel universes, and then using those 
  doubles to replace the real versions in the core timeline.
  Unable to simply prevent The Bell’s creation without risking 
  disastrous paradox because at least some of the technology 
  it uses would later be critical to the invention of the 
  autochron, the Agents must root the Wunderwaffe out from 
  its parallel universe redoubts while simultaneously preventing 
  Wunderwaffe doubles from infiltrating TimeWatch… or the 
  Agents’ team itself. 
  CAMPAIGN AND SERIES PROFILES 
  If you plan to run a longer conspiracy campaign, deciding 
  who and what hides at the center of the web is all the more 
  important. If your game is about TimeWatch itself, even the 
  basic “facts” that every agent knows about TimeWatch may 
  be up for debate. Even if you leave the standard story behind 
  TimeWatch alone, there are a lot of questions out there 
  whose answers may be more sinister than the Agents would 
  hope. What is the Citadel? Why are there so many parallel 
  universes and alternate timelines? What mysterious crystals 
  power autochrons and tethers? Still, the most obvious is also 
  the largest: how was TimeWatch founded, and who’s really 
  running things at the top? 
  The reptoids, of course.
  Cold-Blooded Leadership
  The Agents discover the reptilian cabal at the heart of 
  TimeWatch, and must attempt to wrest control of the 
  organization from its cold-blooded masters or destroy 
  TimeWatch itself. 
  The reptoids really aren’t of this universe, or even this 
  multiverse; they are aliens in the truest sense of the word. 
  They reached the peak of their technological and cultural 
  evolution in the final millennia of a previous universe nearing 
  thermodynamic equilibrium — in some circles referred to 
  as maximum entropy; the heat death of their space-time 
  continuum. As this universe shrunk in on itself, the reptoids 
  carefully manipulated the death of their own galaxy to 
  engineer a fortress that could survive the coming apocalypse: 
  a Citadel forged in the collapse of a thousand crystalline stellar 
  remnants, so dense that it stood partially outside space-time. A 
  chosen few took refuge in the Citadel to witness their universe’s 
  final fall into a supermassive event horizon with emotionless 
  curiosity, and then watched as the condensed matter exploded 
  outward, birthing a new universe to take its place. 
  In the early eons, the few remaining reptoids were content 
  to manipulate planetary formation and seed protomicrobes 
  onto innumerable worlds, occasionally nudging the gene 
  pool to ensure that intelligent life would arise. The ruthless 
  saurians, too small in number to openly rule, would infiltrate 
  technological civilizations using well-placed agents or half-
  breed thralls, ensuring that each would function under utmost 
  order. Freedom of choice, or even thought, would give too 
  much ground to entropy. In their own twisted way, the reptoids 
  were engaged in an act of preservation. Protection. 
  As some isolated planetary systems proceeded in undirected 
  growth, they discovered something that the reptoids had never 
  expected: the artificial separation of the Citadel from this new 
  universe had subtly changed some of its physical and temporal 
  laws. The creation of the Citadel had made time travel — 
  a dangerous assault on an orderly universe — possible. 
  Although effectively immortal, the reptoids and their hybrid 
  progeny could only experience time linearly, a side effect of 
  their unimaginably ancient origin. So the reptoids simply stole 
  the first primitive time machines, and then orchestrated a 
  catastrophic civil war that sent the once-advanced civilization 
  that had invented them back to its stone age.
  It did not take the reptoids long to determine that sending 
  an unwitting agent back to prevent the discovery of time 
  travel in the first place would cause a dangerous backlash: the 
  mother of all paradoxes. Since then, the reptoids have used 
  carefully chosen proxies to build the organization we know as 
  TimeWatch to carefully manage the ongoing, orderly progress 
  of a single core timeline. Alternate and parallel timelines are 
  to be eliminated quickly and efficiently, and while events in 
  
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  the core timeline should be managed to give sentient beings 
  the illusion of choice and free will, maintaining control of all 
  peoples in all times is the secret, true mission of TimeWatch.
  The reptoids cannot risk revealing themselves publicly to all 
  but a few of the most trusted members of TimeWatch. The 
  discovery of their true identities — and true purpose — would 
  cause many of their idealistic (and thus easily manipulated) 
  agents to rebel. However, this high compartmentalization 
  sometimes inadvertently leads to conflicts between TimeWatch 
  and reptoid infiltrators and hybrids operating in core time at 
  points before TimeWatch’s inception. These conflicts are 
  typically short lived: the reptoid attempting to place its hybrid 
  progeny on the throne of England may be one of the same 
  who go on to found TimeWatch. As a result, TimeWatch’s 
  secretive leaders will automatically be aware of any of the 
  Agents’ actions. After all, for them, it’s just memory. 
  Agents who discover reptoids or their thralls attempting 
  to manipulate history will find their missions cut short or 
  redirected, or even find that their mission parameters have 
  changed in ways that would seem to forward their apparent 
  enemies’ aims. Queries to superior officers in TimeWatch 
  will be met with good-natured dismissal (“There’s always 
  a good reason for things like this!”) or even reassignment. 
  Agents who get too close to the truth are frequently sent out 
  on dangerous missions where the risk of being subsumed is 
  greatest, or secretly MEM-tagged and sent back to their home 
  times. Depending on the precise circumstance, these cases are 
  recorded as “voluntary retirements” or “long-term classified 
  missions” in accessible TimeWatch records. 
  In order to make progress combating the conspiracy, 
  heroic Agents may have to steal jury-rigged tethers and 
  autochrons, co-opt non-TimeWatch time travelers to bypass 
  bureaucratic interference, or even temporarily ally with some 
  of TimeWatch’s traditional enemies. As the game progresses, 
  the Agents might find themselves hunted by other TimeWatch 
  teams, or even still-idealistic previous versions of themselves 
  as they slowly discover that nothing in TimeWatch can be 
  trusted. It’s a game of cat and mouse as your Agents move 
  from time to time disrupting the secret reptoid dominance, 
  ultimately leading your Agents to attempt to destroy the 
  corrupt edifice of TimeWatch itself in a cataclysmic encounter 
  at the heart of the Citadel. 
  Sample search terms: “Reptoid”, “Reptilians”, “Reptilian 
  Agenda”, “Reptilian Anunnaki”, “David Icke”, “Serpent People”
  The Rainbow Connection
  A powerful global conspiracy has discovered TimeWatch, 
  and uses contemporary agents (and eventually, its own time 
  machines) to supplant TimeWatch as the undisputed master 
  of human destiny. 
  It’s hard to imagine a technology that could be more 
  disruptive to every facet of life on Earth than time travel. 
  The ability to step back in time and change something, 
  anything, is inherently dangerous… no matter how noble 
  your intent. It is inherently dangerous not just to you, but 
  to the very fabric of reality. Indeed, should such technology 
  exist it would have to be used with utmost care, with a careful 
  understanding of the rippling consequence of each and 
  every action and reaction in history.
  That’s why no one should have it. At least, not TimeWatch.
  Someone in core history known to have vast, secret 
  knowledge — maybe the Rosicrucians, maybe the NSA — 
  has discovered TimeWatch and its agents. It’s unclear if an 
  unstable agent gave away too much information before being 
  subsumed, or if a misplaced tether fell into the wrong hands, 
  but someone knows too much, and is working to counter 
  TimeWatch missions in order to ensure history remains on 
  its “true” path… or perhaps just a path more attractive to 
  the conspiracy. Agents may encounter opposition from the 
  conspiracy going back to the Cold War (the CIA), the Crusades 
  (Knights Templar), or to the global maritime civilization 
  that flourished in the days before the end of the last ice age 
  (Atlanteans), but find its core members difficult to identify and 
  root out. Though the conspiracy will be busy manipulating 
  historical events for their own ends soon after its inception, 
  it doesn’t become a direct threat to TimeWatch until the later 
  years of the 19th century, when they begin their assault on 
  time travel itself.
  The earliest known direct precursor to the time machine 
  was invented quite accidentally by famed inventor Nikola 
  Tesla in March 1895, when he was struck by a 3.5 million volt 
  vorticular electromagnetic current that forced him out of his 
  normal resonant space-time frequency. From his temporary 
  vantage point outside the timeline, Tesla was able to see the 
  immediate past, present, and future with perfect clarity before 
  an assistant knocked him clear of the field and back into 
  normal space-time. In your game’s “original” core timeline, 
  this event might have led Tesla directly to the creation of a 
  primitive but functional autochron, and a key founding role in 
  TimeWatch. The conspiracy, however, has other plans. 
  In the current core timeline, Tesla’s massive laboratory at 35 
  South Fifth Avenue in New York burned to the ground just 
  days after his discovery, taking with it dozens of prototypes 
  and designs, as well as notes and research that Tesla had 
  gathered since coming to New York, including the oscillating 
  generator that had jolted Tesla out of regular space-time, 
  hiding his discovery from the world. The fire was, of course, 
  ruled an accident. In fact, it was the first of the conspiracy’s 
  direct attacks against the scientific foundations of TimeWatch. 
  As only the first in a series of dramatic assaults on Tesla’s 
  work and reputation meant to sideline his work in favor of 
  more compliant patsies, like Thomas Edison, the Agents 
  find that even if they save Tesla’s laboratory, the attacks on 
  Tesla continue, eventually driving the inventor’s discoveries 
  out of vogue as even his closest friends and relatives begin to 
  question his sanity. 
  However, by 1943, notes confiscated by the US government 
  upon Tesla’s death had made their way into at least one military 
  project. The Philadelphia-based experiment — officially 
  referred to as Project Rainbow — set out to use Tesla’s rotating 
  electromagnetic currents to charge the hull of a naval vessel in 
  order to temporarily change its space-time resonant frequency 
  in such a way that the ship would be rendered invisible to 
  enemy mines, torpedoes, and even the naked eye.
  Things did not go entirely according to plan. When the hull 
  
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  was charged, the ship — the USS Eldridge — disappeared from 
  view, briefly materialized outside the shipyards in Norfolk, 
  Virginia, and then reappeared in the Philadelphia harbor 10 
  seconds before it left. Time travel had been reborn. 
  Although Project Rainbow’s existence helped inoculate 
  TimeWatch from the paradox caused by the suppression of 
  Tesla’s work, the conspiracy moved quickly to hide Project 
  Rainbow’s discoveries, burying the program under strictly 
  compartmentalized classified programs and pressuring the 
  naval establishment to deny the experiment’s existence. And 
  then it co-opted the program for its own ends. The conspiracy 
  immediately moved Project Rainbow’s surviving staff and 
  equipment to Brookhaven National Laboratories, where 
  they funded continued research with laundered money and 
  intelligence program black budgets. Ultimately, the project grew 
  too large to hide at Brookhaven, forcing the program to move 
  deeper underground. Literally. By the late 1960s, the project had 
  relocated to a massive underground facility beneath a soon-to-
  be-decommissioned Air Force base in Montauk, New York. 
  Agents’ attempts to halt the Philadelphia Experiment 
  risk additional paradoxes and cascading changes to the core 
  timeline as another key precursor to the development of 
  the autochron is removed. That said, if they do nothing, the 
  conspiracy begins using the military-industrial complex to send 
  primitive time travelers to effect their own changes. Worse yet, 
  the Agents are likely to find that even if their patrons survive 
  the changes to core time, a TimeWatch that traces its origins 
  back to Project Rainbow is a more sinister place than one 
  founded by the idealistic Nikola Tesla. 
  Agents attempting to stop the conspiracy find themselves 
  battling contemporary minions of the conspiracy, competing 
  time travelers, and eventually sinister TimeWatch agents 
  springing from the new, darker timeline (maybe even evil 
  versions of themselves). Their only allies are the unstable 
  conspiracy theorists who occupy the lunatic fringe. Late night 
  talk radio hosts, presumed UFO abductees, and militia leaders 
  may all have key clues to the conspiracy’s work, pointing out 
  hidden connections that the mainstream would never believe. 
  After all, the best ally to have when they’re out to get you is a 
  certifiable paranoid. 
  The final confrontation occurs as the Agents trace the 
  conspiracy back to its origin, preventing them from learning 
  that time travel is possible, or eliminating the founding cabal 
  entirely. 
  Unless, of course, the Agents find that they’ve been fighting 
  themselves all along. 
  Sample search terms: “Nikola Tesla”, “Tesla time travel”, 
  “War of the Currents”, “Philadelphia Experiment”, “Project 
  Rainbow”, “Montauk Conspiracy”, “Project Phoenix”, “Varo 
  Edition”, “Carlos Allende”, “Morris K. Jessup”, “Time Cube”, 
  “Coast to Coast AM”
  The Secret History of History
  TimeWatch is the conspiracy, and the Agents are willing cogs, 
  hiding the truly strange aspects of human history from an 
  unsuspecting public in order to ensure the proper advance to 
  a utopian future. 
  They say that there’s nothing new under the sun, and 
  nobody believes the old axiom more fully than a TimeWatch 
  agent. The contemporary Internet is full of theories about 
  secret high-tech weapons programs, shadow governments, 
  black helicopters, and the New World Order, but any time 
  traveler can tell you that they’ve been around a lot longer than 
  most people think. Especially the helicopters. 
  In fact, the entire history of the world as most people know 
  it is a lie. Deep down, people have always known it’s a lie. Sure, 
  they say that the Sphinx was carved by ancient Egyptians in 
  2500 BCE, making it a mere 4,500 years old, give or take. But 
  it was actually hewn out of solid rock around 12,000 BCE 
  using harmonic resonators and zero-point energy that modern 
  science has yet to replicate. It’s hard to tell exactly when, 
  because the Nefilim were still using the Martian calendar 
  when they built the thing as a monument to their lost home on 
  Cydonia. They dropped it into place with an incredibly ancient 
  helicopter, which is probably why the Egyptians carved one 
  into the walls in a temple dedicated to Seti I at Abydos around 
  1285 BCE.
  Most people will never know the secret history of 
  history, because — contrary to popular belief — the truth 
  is dangerous. For every well-meaning engineer who realizes 
  that the pyramids were designed to be part of a massive 
  crystal free-energy generator powered by the rotation of the 
  Milky Way, there’s an aggressive predynastic Egyptian king 
  who would use them to ignite an atomic explosion to destroy 
  Sodom and Gomorrah. (This also caused a massive pole shift 
  that buried the Lemurian cities of Antarctica under hundreds 
  of meters of ice and snow, but at least the Lemurians had 
  enough time to draw the precursor to the famous Piri Reis 
  map before they sailed to North America to plunder copper 
  in ancient mines along the shores of Lake Superior and then 
  died out, mysteriously, after building Serpent Mound. Also, the 
  Lemurians were giants.) 
  Since knowledge is power and power is inherently 
  dangerous, someone has to make sure too much knowledge 
  doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. They wore the armor of the 
  Knights Templar before donning ill-fitting suits and tightening 
  their thin ties to become the Men in Black; they are believed 
  to be at the secret heart of the great Masonic lodges, pulling 
  the strings of the global elite as they stand unseen in halls of 
  power. Some call them the Illuminati; others know them as 
  Rosicrucians. Still others know them as the Enlightened Ones. 
  They prefer to be referred to as TimeWatch.
  The Nine Unknown Men who form the ruling council of 
  TimeWatch have chosen the Agents to ensure that history, like 
  all things, is carefully managed. Humanity has proven time and 
  time again that it cannot be trusted entirely to its own affairs: 
  it must be shepherded cautiously on a path of linear progress, 
  shielded from the strangeness of its past. Agents are not to 
  change the major events of history, no matter how strange. 
  That way lies madness (and also paradox). Instead, they are to 
  ensure that history as recorded is carefully pruned to ensure that 
  it stays normal, keeping humanity on its prescribed path. 
  Agents may spend one mission ensuring that Joshua’s scribes 
  attribute the fall of the walls of Jericho to a long march and 
  a few trumpets rather than Joshua’s alliance with burrowing 
  
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  people from the Hollow Earth, and the next digging an alien 
  corpse out a Masonic cemetery in Aurora, Texas, to keep 
  anyone from looking for the airship TimeWatch crashed 
  outside town in 1897. The next might have them battling both 
  the KGB and CIA in Cold War Kazakhstan to ensure that red 
  mercury remains an intelligence community red herring, rather 
  than fuel for a CERN particle accelerator that accidentally 
  shut down the sun. They are, in essence, history repairmen 
  and -women, and their enemies are legion.
  Agents find themselves opposed to conspiracy theorists, 
  independent researchers, amateur archaeologists, and Internet 
  rumormongers, all dangerously (if correctly) certain that “the 
  Truth is out there.” Agents may be allowed to let a few well-
  chosen mysteries drift through the intellectual fringe, but will 
  be forced to ruin reputations (to say nothing of film canisters 
  or computer hard drives) as soon as the greater public starts to 
  believe that the incredible is anything but. 
  Successful, trustworthy agents are often promoted out of 
  the mystery-crushing business, instead directed by the Nine 
  Unknown to seed the necessary precursors for great leaps 
  in human technology and achievement with a chosen few at 
  deliberately chosen points in time. It may not be clear why, but 
  there’s a very important reason why the world could not be 
  trusted with sliced bread until 1928. 
  Given only a slight twist, this game could instead cast the 
  Agents as meddlesome archaeologists — or even disenchanted 
  TimeWatch Men in Black — with their own time machines, 
  now discovering (and uncovering) the weird foundations of 
  life as we know it. Framed this way, the unspeakably wise 
  Nine Unknown become greedily manipulative villains, subtly 
  erasing humanity’s collective memory to stunt evolutionary 
  leaps that might have happened hundreds — or thousands — 
  of years before. 
  Depending on which side your Agents are on, the climax 
  might be a final encounter revealing the dark truth behind 
  the identities of the Nine Unknown in the ageless Citadel 
  of Aghartha, or an elaborate infiltration to solve a few extra 
  equations on a chalkboard at MIT to ensure that TimeWatch 
  is founded on schedule. 
  Sample search terms: “True age of the Sphinx”, “Abydos 
  helicopter”, “Giza Death Star”, “Nefilim”, “Sodom nuclear 
  weapon”, “pole shift”, “Lemuria”, “Isle Royale”, “Aurora 
  airship”, “red mercury”, “Nine Unknown Men”, “Graham 
  Hancock”, “James Churchward”, “Zecharia Sitchin”
  HUMOR CAMPAIGN FRAME
  Are your Agents using time travel to play obnoxious pranks 
  on each other or to pick up hot dates? Are they accidental 
  time tourists, caught in a chronometric hot tub and forced to 
  revisit their formative years? Are they kidnapping a caveman 
  and trying to set him up with their divorced mom? Are they 
  refugees of a future failed utopia, desperately backstabbing 
  and betraying each other as they try to find their way home? 
  Most useful as a one-shot game, it’s quite possible to play 
  TimeWatch for goofy laughs instead of tense drama. Failed 
  Paradox tests manifest themselves as funny paradoxes, 
  coincidences work out in everyone’s favor, and as much time 
  is spent telling bad puns as is spent roleplaying. Mostly, if 
  you’re doing it right you’ll spend your time handwaving rules 
  and laughing until it hurts. No coincidence or paradox is too 
  ludicrous, and realism is given a polite nod at the door as it’s 
  ushered out of the game room.
  WHAT’S DIFFERENT?
  There are a number of tonal changes to consider when 
  running a humorous game, especially if you want it to be as 
  funny around the table as it is in your head.
  X
  X 	The essence of humor is timing. Don’t make funny 
  games as long or as complicated as you might make a 
  more serious game. We’ve found that 3–4 hours is about 
  the perfect amount of time to run light-hearted and funny 
  games. 
  X
  X 	Say “yes, and” instead of saying “no.” This is a good 
  rule for all of TimeWatch, but it’s particularly important in a 
  humorous game. 
  X
  X 	Reinforce the behavior you want to see. You want to 
  reward people being funny, so hand out Stitches for bad 
  puns and great ideas like they’re going out of style. Consider 
  raising the limit for Stitches. After all, deadly challenge isn’t 
  exactly the point of a humorous game; the point of Bill and 
  Ted’s Excellent Adventure isn’t whether they’ll die in a fight, it’s 
  whether or not they’ll pass their history final. 
  X
  X 	More what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules. 
  The best way to stomp humor flat is to enforce strict rules 
  instead of cleaving to what’s actually funny. When humor 
  trumps rules, go with humor! Our mantra is “Is it fun? 
  Is it fair? Is it funny?” If the answer to all three of these 
  is yes, allow it. This might mean introducing outrageous 
  (and possibly self-destructive) weapons with a Science! or 
  Tinkering spend, completely ignoring Chronal Stability 
  rules as unnecessary bookkeeping, and encouraging clever 
  time changes by handwaving anachronisms or realistic cause 
  and effect. See below for more details.
  X
  X 	Players bring the funny. This is important: it’s the players 
  that make the game funny, not the GM. Trying to run a 
  joke- and pun-filled goofy adventure for serious players 
  is not a recipe for success. Make sure your players make 
  Agents who are fun and whimsical to play, and make sure 
  they know the tone of the game you have planned. Set their 
  expectations ahead of time and you’ll be just fine.
  X
  X 	Players change history. The whole point of a humorous 
  time travel game is to change history — maybe magnificently, 
  maybe horrendously, but in a way that puts the players’ 
  unique stamp on human history. Encourage and reward 
  this by showing them what happens as a result of their 
  action. Feel no guilt about leaving history changed after the 
  adventure is over.
  X
  X 	Small stakes are important stakes. Characters aren’t 
  usually trying to save the world; they’re trying to ask that boy 
  out on a date without dumping a drink on him, or they’re 
  trying to return a library book before they start acquiring 
  
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  fines, or they’re trying to get selfies with famous people 
  from history. Look for petty and inconsequential reasons to 
  send people time traveling, or better yet have your players 
  provide their own motivation. 
  X
  X 	Complications, complications, complications. Maybe 
  what started them time traveling is inconsequential, but 
  their actions might quickly start time spinning out of 
  control, and the fun is in fixing their own mistakes. Do they 
  accidentally rip open a hole in time into their local Piggly 
  Wiggly? Does returning that library book on time inspire a 
  future dictator? Does “Selfie With Mona Lisa” cause a time 
  traveling Leonardo da Vinci to declare chronal war? Add 
  just enough complication to keep the game interesting, but 
  not so much that people need to take notes to keep track of 
  the plot.
  RULES CHANGES
  Demerits, Not Paradox
  “Screw this,” says Altani’s player. “I shoot him in the head for 
  being disrespectful.”
  “… with your PaciFist?”
  “No, with my plasma rifle!”
  “You do know that’s a young Albert Einstein, right?”
  “Wait, it is? I hate his theories. They’re boring. I shoot him 
  twice.”
  “Your tether beeps. ‘History has been fundamentally changed. Two 
  demerits.’”
  One alternative for relaxed, fun play is to remove Paradox 
  tests entirely for incidents where the TimeWatch Agents trigger 
  minor paradoxes — killing unimportant locals, introducing 
  anachronistic customs to the past, anything that would be 
  laughed away if your game was a cinematic comedy. Instead, 
  have TimeWatch assign demerits. There’s a rumor that several 
  particularly unreliable strike teams compete to see who gets 
  the most demerits; note that being caught doing so earns you 
  demerits. 
  There’s no particular penalty to these, other than mocking 
  shame back at TimeWatch meetings and reverse status symbol 
  bragging rights, but a cruel GM could apply them as mechanic 
  bonuses to enemy rolls. That may not be needed, though. If 
  you’re running the sort of game that is using demerits instead 
  of Paradox tests, you probably don’t want to fuss with keeping 
  track of such things.
  Stitches
  Humorous games care less about game balance than they 
  do about what’s funniest. The hoarding limit for Stitches is 
  relaxed in such games, rising from 3 to 5 unless you want to 
  maintain a semblance of risk and strategic play. 
  Lethality
  Shooting things is fun. Use Mooks for most inconsequential 
  antagonists, and bump up default damage on players’ Scuffling 
  and Shooting attacks to make foes drop faster. If you’re 
  playing for laughs, tense edge-of-your-seat combat probably 
  isn’t the point of the game.
  HUMOROUS SERIES AND CAMPAIGNS
  Most humorous TimeWatch games are 2–4 hour one-shots; it’s 
  hard for some people to bring the funny every single game, 
  and for hours at a time! If you want to make such a game into 
  a limited-episode series or even an ongoing campaign, take 
  your cues from your favorite funny TV shows. Use repeating 
  characters, long-running jokes that get funnier every time 
  someone calls back to them, and characters with larger-than-life 
  personalities. Don’t worry much about continuity. Set up multi-
  game punch lines, absurd situations that make perfect sense at 
  the time, and plenty of foil for the Agents to play off of.
  In fact, for series and campaigns, comedic TimeWatch may 
  work best with the Marx Brothers model: the player characters 
  and a few select supporting characters are the ones who bring 
  the funny, and the world around them is full of straight men 
  who aren’t in on the joke. This tension between the funny 
  Agents and a history bedeviled by them can make for amazing, 
  memorable games. 
  We recommend you never assume that making the world funny 
  is the solution to making the game funny. Having the Agents 
  clock in during a Roman senate pie fight might be a joke that 
  falls flat on its face. Encouraging the Agents to start a pie fight 
  amidst a group of serious and disapproving Roman senators is 
  often funnier, because the Agents are acting, not reacting. 
  Either way, you know your players and your group best. 
  Stick with a tone that both you and they love, and turn a one-
  shot into a series if you’re all having too much fun to stop.
  LEAP OF FAITH CAMPAIGN FRAME
  Want to play TimeWatch with only one or two players? 
  Consider a Leap of  Faith–style campaign. This campaign 
  frame is inspired by the TV show Quantum Leap, where a time 
  traveler possesses a person for a given time, solves a mystery 
  or resolves a problem, then moves on. Your Agent in this 
  campaign frame body-hops from one era to another, showing 
  up in each mission in a different host body. Your Investigative 
  abilities stay the same, but your General abilities may vary 
  wildly depending on whose body you end up inhabiting.
  OUT ON YOUR OWN
  Not everyone has access to — or wants — two or more players 
  in a game of TimeWatch. A Leap of  Faith campaign frame is the 
  right one to use if you have just one GM and one player. This 
  campaign frame makes it possible to run TimeWatch for a solo 
  player with little or no game balance issues. 
  
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  Normally, solo games run into a particular challenge. In 
  GUMSHOE, GMs typically require player characters to have 
  most Investigative abilities covered so that the investigation 
  never grinds to a screeching halt just because someone is 
  missing the right abilities. That’s a lot tougher when there’s 
  only a single player; your Agent would have to be good at 
  everything, but no one wants a super-character with no 
  weaknesses and little specialization. That’s boring. After all, 
  when you’re good at everything, it’s difficult to define yourself.
  The solution to this is inspired by the 1989–1993 television 
  show Quantum Leap. The show features a time traveling main 
  character who body-jumps from person to person with every 
  episode. He’s briefed on mission goals by his holographic 
  sidekick / best friend, and then has to set things to right 
  without endangering the current body he’s inhabiting. His only 
  other futuristic assistance is a holographic AI. 
  Sound familiar? Now think of the sidekick as your 
  holographic handler back at the TimeWatch Citadel, and 
  the AI as your tether. These two supporting characters gain 
  access to Investigative abilities that your character lacks, 
  making sure your Agent is never left entirely high and dry 
  while investigating clues. You may still be lousy at romance 
  if you haven’t placed any points in Charm, but at least you 
  can do a creditable version of Cyrano de Bergerac when 
  your holographic handler tells you what to say to the person 
  you’re trying to seduce. Even when you don’t have the skills 
  to spy on someone, your handler or tether can observe them 
  surreptitiously and get you the information you need to know.
  Note that Leap of  Faith is based on TimeWatch and 
  deliberately doesn’t attempt to duplicate the TV show it’s 
  inspired by. If the world of Quantum Leap is something you 
  love, see p. 217 to tweak these rules until they match your 
  preferred play style.
  EPISODIC PLAY
  A Leap of  Faith game has highly episodic play with a mystery or 
  conundrum of the week that needs to be solved. Each mission 
  has very specific goals — even when those goals aren’t entirely 
  disclosed to you or your character. You’ll need to save someone, 
  stop someone, prevent a tragedy, or trigger a particular event. On 
  rare occasions you may have to (or may choose to) kill someone 
  to accomplish your goals. Just remember that your host body has 
  to live with your actions, and getting your host incarcerated for a 
  crime they don’t remember committing is particularly bad form 
  that changes the future in ways you want to avoid. 
  The actions of past episodes might ripple into your current 
  mission if you find yourself in a time and place that’s connected. 
  Save a good and influential politician’s life, for instance, and you 
  may find yourself benefitting from her favorable laws in future 
  missions. Likewise, make an enemy who figures out you’re a 
  time traveler, and they might develop the means to track you 
  from one host body to another over the decades. Just don’t 
  create paradox by killing them unnecessarily; continuity errors 
  due to rash actions trigger Paradox tests that might loosen 
  your hold on your host body.
  STARTING BUILD POINTS
  Investigative Build Points: 23
  General Build Points Assigned Permanently by Player: 25
  General Build Points Assigned Each Game by GM: 25
  YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW
  Your character’s Investigative abilities remain fixed from game 
  to game, and your General abilities vary somewhat depending 
  on what host body you find yourself in. Your TimeWatch 
  handler and your holographic tether possess any Investigative 
  abilities that you lack, and you’re otherwise self-sufficient. 
  John decides to play Celeste, a African American woman who is a 
  former confidence artist. She’s a graduate student from the near future 
  who’s recruited into TimeWatch when one of  her cons gets exposed 
  and she’s almost killed. John decides to focus on abilities that would be 
  particularly useful for a con artist. He picks abilities for Celeste like 
  History (Contemporary), Research, Trivia, most of  the Interpersonal 
  abilities, Forgery, Hacking, Notice, and Spying — all abilities that 
  match his character’s persona as a fast-talking con artist. Even when 
  Celeste jumps to a new host body at the start of  each mission, these 
  abilities will remain constant. 
  Stephanie is GMing, so she creates a personality for Celeste’s 
  As a Leaper you’re on your own in someone else’s  
  body, with only holographic assistants to help. 
  
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  handler and for her tether. The handler has most or all of  the 
  Investigative abilities that John has chosen not to take. The AI for 
  Celeste’s tether rounds out the selection, buttressing already known 
  abilities (for instance, it has all three History abilities) while adding a 
  few more that reflect its personality.
  Because personality is partially derived by Interpersonal 
  abilities, both the handler and the tether’s personalities reflect 
  their Interpersonal abilities. A handler with Charm might 
  be somewhat flirtatious, while a handler with both High 
  Society and Taunt may come across as snooty. A tether with 
  Reassurance might be completely unflappable. There’s no 
  default or correct number of abilities for the handler and the 
  tether to possess; between the two of them, they’ll possess all 
  or most of the abilities that your Agent doesn’t.
  NEW HOST, NEW ABILITIES
  Even though your Investigative abilities stay the same 
  between missions, your General abilities change somewhat 
  with every new host. When character building for a normal 
  TimeWatch game, you typically have 50 points to distribute 
  between your General abilities. In Leap of  Faith play, you 
  distribute 25 points as permanent General abilities, and 
  the GM distributes up to 25 temporary points every time 
  your Agent inhabits a new host. These points vanish 
  after a mission is complete, to be replaced anew with 25 
  more points for the next mission. The GM can choose to  
  use fewer points, if, for example, your character is 
  inhabiting a child’s body, but that’s the exception instead 
  of the rule. For maximum fun, a GM may choose abilities  
  that challenge you or which require you to play your 
  character in a way that’s different than normal. Any General 
  ability ratings that reach 8 or higher qualify for Boosters 
  (see p. 45) if the ability would normally gain them. 
  During character creation John has 25 points to distribute between 
  his character Celeste’s General abilities, and he starts with 6 Health 
  and 6 Chronal Stability for free. He focuses on the abilities that help 
  make her a good criminal and con artist in any form: 5 Athletics, 8 
  Burglary, 3 Disguise, 1 Health, 3 Preparedness, 3 Unobtrusiveness, 
  2 Vehicles. Note that he doesn’t pick any combat abilities at all, 
  trusting that he’ll pick those up from his host when they’re needed. 
  That might be a dangerous decision. Taking no points in Reality 
  Anchor may also come back to bite her, but it’s important to John that 
  Celeste be a master burglar.
  His GM Stephanie also has 25 temporary points to distribute to 
  John’s character every mission, and she can change this distribution 
  every time Celeste changes hosts. For a mission where Celeste is in the 
  body of  a soldier, Stephanie may assign an additional 3 Athletics, 3 
  Health, 3 Medic, 3 Scuffling, 8 Shooting, and 5 Unobtrusiveness. 
  For a mission where Celeste is in the body of  a strong-willed 88-year-
  old former doctor, Stephanie might assign the abilities 2 Chronal 
  Stability, 3 Disguise, 8 Medic, 8 Preparedness, 1 Shooting, and 3 
  Unobtrusiveness. In each case Celeste remains a good burglar, but her 
  other abilities vary significantly between hosts. 
  GMs shouldn’t agonize over this decision or spend a lot of 
  time on it. If the GM expects combat, make sure the Agent has 
  some combat abilities; but it makes for creative problem-solving 
  if the Agent is hosted by a 10-year-old boy who effectively can’t 
  fight. Occasions when the Agent lacks a necessary ability likely 
  mean that the Agent needs to recruit someone from their host’s 
  life who does have that ability. The 10-year-old boy leading a 
  small army of kids armed with slingshots and rocks, up against 
  the adult they need to make sure gets arrested, is the kind of 
  creative solution that gets talked about for years.
  As noted on p. 34, players receive at least 1 build point to 
  improve their characters after each mission. This can be spent on 
  either Investigative or General abilities, and adds to the number 
  of locked-in abilities that the Leap of  Faith character possesses. No 
  matter how many build points a character earns from successful 
  play, the GM’s distribution of points remains at 25.
  TIME FRAME 
  The GM is welcome to limit the scope of the time travel to a 
  finite amount, such as the duration of the main character’s life 
  span (as in Quantum Leap) or just the 20th century. There’s no real 
  game-mechanics reason to do so, though. So long as the GM is 
  comfortable running a mission set in a different era, she can 
  pick whatever date range she likes for missions. It’s particularly 
  fun for a character with only History (Contemporary) to try and 
  cope with the future or the distant past.
  STARTING GEAR
  Unlike standard TimeWatch games, you start each mission 
  with only the gear your host has on them. Your soul is body-
  jumping, so there’s no way for you to take anything with you 
  from body to body. 
  Canny Agents might hide bank accounts, gear caches, or 
  safe houses in major cities or significant geographical locations 
  where they’re unlikely to be found over the years. These are 
  accessible with unusually difficult Preparedness tests (typically 
  Difficulty 8 or higher), but only with the GM’s permission. It’s 
  more common (and more in genre) for you to succeed while 
  using only your host’s resources, so don’t be surprised if that’s 
  what your GM prefers. 
  It’s also worth remembering that no starting gear means 
  no PaciFist. See below for options when an Agent (or a 
  supporting character) wants to knock someone unconscious 
  without killing them.
  LANGUAGE
  Your character has access to his or her native languages, as 
  well as whatever languages your body-possessed host speaks 
  and understands in each mission. This is true for reading and 
  writing as well. It’s not much fun to always be plunked down 
  in a new situation with no ability to communicate, so unless 
  this is a deliberate choice by the GM, chances are that you’ll be 
  able to make yourself understood.
  
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  RULES CHANGES FOR LEAP OF FAITH PLAY
  Death (or the Closest Thing to It)
  Your soul is in someone else’s body. So, what happens when 
  things go badly — so, so badly — and you reach Health of 
  −12? While it’s easy to say “your soul perishes, and the character 
  is permanently retired,” that’s not particularly interesting. It’s 
  more interesting to find an alternative. 
  When you’re sharing a host’s body and you reach Health 
  −12, your host dies. Fail-safes kick in and your soul is jumped 
  to a nearby replacement host. Since you’re using soul transfer 
  technology, however, there’s a “Rats Deserting a Sinking Ship” 
  effect and the soul of the dying host comes with you. 
  Your Chronal Stability is permanently lowered by 2, and 
  every time you leap to a new mission, Billy the air-conditioning 
  maintenance guy (or whoever was hosting you when you died) 
  will come along with you. Depending on the relationship 
  you develop with him, he might be a wisecracking voice in 
  the back of your head, a whiny nuisance complaining about 
  how you got him killed and everything you do is wrong, or a 
  calculating prisoner always looking for his chance to take over 
  the next host body and have some fun. He may even bring 
  some Investigative abilities with him that you can draw on for 
  clues. Just try not to die too often; you’ll run out of Chronal 
  Stability and have too many voices in your head to stay sane.
  You can spend post-mission build points (see p. 34) on 
  rebuilding your lost Chronal Stability. When (or if) you replace 
  both permanently lost points, you may permanently untangle 
  the ties binding your former host’s soul to your own and allow 
  them to find peace. Whether they’re willing to accept this 
  depends on their personality and your relationship with them.
  Dying sometimes alters your mission objectives. If your 
  host had seemed to be essential to the mission, and yet the 
  mission didn’t fail when you died, there must be some other 
  method or path to success. It will be up to you (and your new 
  companion) to investigate and find it.
  Investigative Spends
  By necessity, Investigative spends in a Leap of  Faith game don’t 
  allow some of the same crazy time-tactics that you would gain 
  in a standard TimeWatch game. For instance, you can’t decide to 
  have a supporting character befriend you by spending 1 point of 
  Reassurance and declaring that you’ll time travel back to become 
  their roommate and best friend during college. As always, the 
  GM has last say as to what’s appropriate and what isn’t, but 
  Leap of  Faith games focus on problem-solving in the current time 
  instead of in past times. When you think creatively, consider how 
  spending your Investigative points can cause an effect right now, 
  even though you haven’t set events into motion in the past. 
  Ability Changes
  Paradox Prevention: With Paradox tests measuring the host’s 
  ability to interfere in the Agent’s business, Paradox Prevention 
  spends take on a different role in a Leap of  Faith campaign. 
  Spending 1 point can create a delightfully improbable 
  coincidence in the Agent’s favor, or can suppress an interfering 
  host personality for one scene (see Chronal Stability, below). 
  John’s Agent Celeste is unarmed and is being chased by gangsters 
  through an abandoned building site. John spends 1 point of  Paradox 
  Prevention to find the gangster’s car, unlocked and with keys in the 
  ignition. Celeste makes a fast escape with the gangsters’ car.
  Later, Celeste’s Chronal Stability has dropped below 0 and the host’s 
  personality is interfering. John spends 1 point of  Paradox Prevention to 
  keep the host quiet long enough to concentrate for the scene.
  Science!: In a Leap of  Faith game, the lack of a time machine 
  that moves matter prevents the Science! ability from providing 
  previously attained super-science devices. Spending 1 point 
  can speed the work of an Agent trying to tinker such a device 
  into existence, however. It can give the Agent substantial non-
  clue information about scientific facts, or could allow the 
  Agent to jury-rig or sabotage time-appropriate technology 
  with ease. 
  Chronal Stability: Memories of Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin 
  in All of  Me: In a Leap of  Faith game, Chronal Stability measures 
  the degree to which the host interferes with your consciousness. 
  Above 0 Chronal Stability, the host doesn’t interfere at all and you 
  can draw on the host’s memories. From 0 to −5 Chronal Stability, 
  the host can exert some control, withholding memories, speaking 
  when you aren’t, and occasionally struggling against your actions; 
  you must roleplay and negotiate with the host to keep it quiet. 
  A successful Chronal Stability test at Difficulty 4 also quiets the 
  host for a scene, although only one attempt is allowed per scene. 
  Points may be spent on this as per usual. At Chronal Stability −6 
  to −11, the host has complete control of the body and the only 
  way you can accomplish your goals is to negotiate and roleplay to 
  find common grounds. At −12, your consciousness is completely 
  extinguished from the host, forever subsumed except during 
  nightmares and psychotic breaks.
  Disguise: Because you no longer have easy access to super-
  science, Disguise is now more likely used to make people 
  believe that you’re the same person as your host body. If you 
  want to fit in seamlessly with your host’s husband and her 
  best friends, you’ll use Disguise. This restriction isn’t universal 
  — you and your GM might decide that you’re psychic, 
  which would still allow you to describe ability use as psychic 
  manipulation — but the lack of easy access to super-science 
  will typically restrict your options.
  Medic: The normal limit on the Medic ability is that you 
  heal yourself 1 Health point for every Medic point spent. This 
  remains true even when you’re on a one-person team. The 
  normal requirement for healing at half efficiency when not 
  using a TimeWatch medic kit is removed, however, as you’re 
  going to have it hard enough as is. The Booster for Medic, 
  allowing you to heal yourself more efficiently when you have 
  8 or more points in the ability, also applies normally.
  Preparedness: Because you aren’t physically time traveling, 
  your normal access to time tricks and super-science equipment 
  is either nonexistent or severely curtailed. Preparedness 
  represents your ability to bring materials with you or scavenge 
  
  ALTERNATE CAMPAIGN FRAMES
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  them from your surroundings. As noted above, on a Difficulty 
  8 Preparedness test a GM may also give you access to hidden 
  caches of supplies set up by other past and prior versions of 
  yourself, although she’s under no requirement to do so. 
  Reality Anchor: Use this ability to bury your host’s 
  personality under the weight of your will power. For every 
  point spent, restore 1 point of your Chronal Stability. 
  Tinkering: If you have at least 1 point of Science! and 
  the Tinkering ability, you may be able to create super-science 
  devices, given a well-supplied place to work and access to 
  adequate supplies. Such devices typically only function for one 
  use, or last for one scene at most. 
  Unobtrusiveness: With no impersonator mesh, you’ll 
  have a more difficult time not being casually noticed. That 
  won’t necessarily be a problem, since you won’t have extreme 
  circumstances like your Neanderthal Agent trying to blend 
  in at the local dive bar, but you’ll still want to keep this in 
  mind when choosing abilities. Remember that you also use 
  Unobtrusiveness when trying to notice people and objects 
  that are hidden.
  Boosters
  Boosters need to be tweaked for solo play, as Piggybacking 
  becomes useless. Use the following changes:
  X
  X 	Grounded (the Booster for 8 points in Reality Anchor) 
  instead becomes Strength of Will: every point of Reality 
  Anchor you spend on yourself restores 2 points of Chronal 
  Stability, not 1.
  X
  X 	Nothing to See Here (the Booster for 8 points in 
  Unobtrusiveness) instead becomes Freeze in Place: if 
  you’re noticed when trying to be Unobtrusive, you may 
  immediately make a new Unobtrusiveness test at the same 
  Difficulty. If you succeed in the new test, you were not 
  detected.
  X
  X 	Keep Up (the Booster for 8 points in Vehicles) instead 
  becomes Road Rage: when piloting a vehicle, you may 
  both attack and steer in the same round. One of those two 
  tests (your choice) is at +1 greater Difficulty than normal.
  Advice When Assigning  
  General Abilities
  X
  X 	Pick abilities that reinforce your character’s theme. If you 
  think of your Agent as a scientist, reinforce that by assigning 
  at least 6 Tinkering points. If you consider yourself a 
  doctor, guarantee yourself some points of Medic. The 
  points that travel with you and never disappear are the ones 
  that consistently define your character’s abilities. 
  X
  X 	Trust your GM. They’ll know if a particular mission is 
  dangerous, and they’ll likely assign you Scuffling or Shooting 
  points accordingly. You’ll probably want a bare minimum (at 
  least 3 each) to protect yourself in a fight, but specializing in 
  a combat ability with your own points only makes sense if 
  you want to be a consistent, unquestioned combat badass.
  X
  X If there’s an ability you love, make sure you’re good at 
  it. Really like picking pockets, and your character concept 
  is based on thieving? Make sure you have 8 points of 
  Burglary to play with, along with at least 1 point of Spying.
  X
  X 	3 points in an ability guarantees one success. If you have a 
  rating of at least 3, you’re guaranteed to succeed… once. 
  After that it’s up to the GM’s allocation of points, and how 
  often you refresh your abilities using Stitches. 
  GM ADVICE
  One-Shots or Series?
  Think of your TimeWatch Leap of  Faith series as a television 
  show, one with both one-shot “monster of the week” 
  episodes and with ongoing continuity. It’s up to you to 
  mix the two, pacing the game so that not every episode 
  has long-term ramifications for the ongoing plot. Before 
  you plan out an entire series, however, try a single game. 
  If everyone has fun, there’s then plenty of time to expand 
  on the world. Leap of  Faith is an example of a game where 
  the game world and history is best built as a collaboration 
  between player and GM, where good ideas get incorporated 
  no matter who they come from. This gives more buy-in into 
  the game, ensures that player actions and suggestions help 
  change the world, and keeps both player and GM excited to 
  learn what happens next.
  Combat
  When running a Leap of  Faith game, always remember that 
  there’s only one player character and they’re in a borrowed 
  body. That means that physical threats escalate quickly, 
  the Agent intrinsically lacks backup (unless they’ve used 
  their host’s contacts and their own Interpersonal abilities to 
  organize a posse), and they lack many of the options a typical 
  TimeWatch Agent would possess.
  On the other hand, combat moves incredibly quickly in 
  a Leap of  Faith game. The first combatant goes, the second 
  goes twice, the first goes twice again, and so on. Combat 
  is often quick and decisive. An Agent may also be able to 
  spend an Investigative ability such as Military Tactics or 
  Intimidation to seize the initiative order from their foe at the 
  top of a round.
  A Leap of  Faith game lacks the technology for PaciFists or 
  other neural disruptors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t emulate 
  them with the rules. A player can declare before attacking that 
  they are trying to knock their enemy unconscious; if they 
  succeed in a Scuffling test, the target must make a Difficulty 
  4 Stun test (or Difficulty 5 if the attacker is using a weapon 
  that’s handy for blunt trauma, such as a sap or a paperweight). 
  Targets can spend Health points to boost their roll, as per 
  normal. Just as with standard PaciFists, even a successful Stun 
  test leaves a target Impaired until the end of their next turn, 
  with a 1-point increase to the Difficulty of all tests. 
  
  CHAPTER EIGHT
  266
  Fight for Control
  Never forget who the host is, how they live their life, and 
  what they believe in. When the Agent is possessing the host’s 
  body, the host’s personality is still in there with them but is 
  completely suppressed. That suppression falters as the Agent 
  loses Chronal Stability, possibly requiring them to bargain or 
  strike an agreement with the host to avoid disruption. Lose 
  enough Chronal Stability, and the host takes back over, forcing 
  the Agent into the backseat until they can gather enough 
  strength of will to finish your mission.
  You may set up a mission where the host has a stronger 
  will than most, or where the host is an evildoer whose crimes 
  the Agent is trying to set right, ensuring that the personalities 
  remain in conflict for the entire mission. That’s not a good 
  idea on a regular basis, but makes for a dramatic and nerve-
  wracking change of pace.
  You Sure Are Acting Odd…
  The host has friends and colleagues, and it’s up to the Agent 
  to impersonate the host well enough that their life isn’t overly 
  disrupted. The Agent may find they have to fend off unwanted 
  advances, negotiate hostile bosses or family members, and 
  walk a tightrope of ignorance and evasion while solving the 
  mystery. This is part of what makes Leap of  Faith fun, so don’t 
  hesitate to have the host’s friends and family confront the 
  Agent when Disguise tests fail. Trying to actually improve the 
  host’s life is a goal the best Agents may be able to pull off, even 
  while they’re tracking down a murderer or stopping a saboteur.
  Remember to Award Stitches
  With no other players to do so for you, it’s up to you to 
  give the player a Stitch when they perform an action you 
  want to encourage. Reward cleverness, courage, problem-
  solving, and good roleplaying. If you forget, the Agent will 
  be underpowered and unable to refresh his abilities; if that 
  occurs, consider letting the player refresh two pools at the end 
  of every scene.
  Small and Personal
  Set up mysteries that are small and personal in nature: it’s rare 
  that a Leap of  Faith Agent consistently prevents nuclear war 
  one session after another. It’s more likely that the Agent gets 
  a chance to save the life of the person who later introduced 
  the Agent’s parents. It’s more likely that they help prevent a 
  scientist from becoming distracted during the week when 
  they’re supposed to have a marvelous scientific epiphany. It’s 
  more likely that the Agent will track and thwart a body-stealing 
  chronal assassin, and the assassination target never even learns 
  their life was at risk. 
  As large as you might think in a game of Pulp TimeWatch 
  — time traveling Nazis! Dinosaur stampedes! — you can get 
  as personal in a game of Leap of  Faith. Just vary the stakes, 
  so that different missions have different goals, rewards, and 
  consequences.
  Continuing villains
  Continuity pays off, but the Leap of  Faith Agent is time traveling, 
  so you’ll get some advantage from creating a villainous or 
  sinister organization that reappears regularly. This can be a 
  multinational corporation, a shadowy government lab, an 
  intellectual think tank, quasi-religious cults, a private mercenary 
  firm, a crime family, alien shape-shifters, a tradition of corrupt 
  politicians, or something else. The only requirement is that it 
  spans decades (or even centuries), with different leaders and 
  operatives but a singular nefarious goal.
  Villains From Local Time
  For pacing purposes you may want a local villain who has no 
  obvious link to the future or the past. They may have been 
  nudged by another time traveler to commit a crime, or they 
  might just be cruel and abusive. Either way, they deserve to be 
  stopped — and even when the connection isn’t immediately 
  obvious, the Agents’ actions in stopping them will preserve 
  the future in some way. 
  In a Leap of  Faith game, time isn’t as good at correcting itself 
  as it is in a standard TimeWatch game. That means that the 
  pivot points which change history can be smaller and more 
  subtle. Be cruel to a single child who eventually drops out of 
  high school, and perhaps you just lost humanity’s best shot at 
  developing a faster-than-light engine fifty years hence. Prevent 
  a drunken car crash, and you stop the chain of causality that 
  causes nuclear war. This allows you to have local villains whose 
  fate depends on small, subtle changes. 
  Villains From the Future
  If the Agent can jump bodies, so can others. The same villain 
  may appear time and time again, stealing other people’s bodies 
  to act as host and not particularly caring what happens to 
  them. They have an elaborate plan to change the future by 
  manipulating the past in many steps; can the Agent uncover it 
  and stop it before it succeeds? And if the Agent identifies their 
  nemesis’ identity, can they change their past to stop them from 
  ever becoming a threat?
  Similarly, the Agent might find their own birth compromised 
  by their enemy after their enemy has discovered the Agent’s true 
  identity. Making sure you get born is the sort of high-stakes 
  mission that makes a good conclusion to a Leap of  Faith series.
  SAMPLE MISSION SEEDS
  Bully
  Thrown into the near future in the body of a child, your 
  host’s best friend will one day grow up to be an influential 
  humanitarian and Nobel-winning scientist. You think your 
  goal is to prevent her from being harassed by bullies, and 
  to teach her how to stand up for himself. In truth, you’re to 
  rescue her or prevent her kidnapping and murder when she’s 
  abducted by someone who wants money from her father. 
  
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  267
  Shrapnel
  On the beaches of Normandy during World War II, you find 
  that you have to keep a heroic soldier safe. Unfortunately, he’s 
  being stalked by Nazis who have been warned by another 
  time traveler of the soldier’s importance during the war. Can 
  you succeed in battle and ward off the assassination squad 
  gunning for your unwilling ward?
  First Contact
  The first astronaut to meet alien life forms handled the task 
  admirably, creating a secret but mutually beneficial relationship 
  that lasted humanity for centuries before the aliens made 
  themselves known publicly. Not in this case, though; for 
  whatever reason, first contact was bungled. You find yourself 
  on a space mission with instructions to fix the future.
  Saxophone Solo
  When Adolphe Sax was 2 years old in 1816, he tumbled 
  out of a second story window and suffered a skull fracture. 
  When he was 6, he accidentally drank boric acid. When he 
  was 9, he broke a leg when falling over a small cliff. He was 
  in a coma for 9 days at age 11 after contracting measles, 
  broke his arm at age 14 when it became stuck in a carriage 
  door, was hit on the head by a falling brick at age 19, and 
  almost died from tainted wine at age 23. Then, at age 29, he 
  invented the saxophone. 
  The question is, who’s trying so hard to kill Sax before he 
  invents his instrument — and what do you need to do to save 
  him?
  MYTHOS CAMPAIGN FRAME
  THE SOCIETY OF THE SILVER KEY
  The default setting for Mythos is 1930s Arkham, Massachusetts, 
  but any time and place can be a setting for the Society of the 
  Silver Key. It could just as easily be in 21st-century London, 
  19th-century Cairo, 22nd-century Hong Kong, or the 18th-
  century Louisiana bayou.
  In 1930s Arkham, or wherever the campaign is set, you and 
  the other Openers — psychically gifted members of the secret 
  Society of the Silver Key — answer the Call when the natural 
  flow of time is threatened. Mentally projecting yourself into 
  the body of someone living in the past or future, you combat 
  the Mythos, unravel mysteries, and protect or repair the fabric 
  of reality.
  Your gifts are no guarantee of safety or success; time 
  travel is treacherous business indeed. Human cults, entities 
  from other worlds, interdimensional creatures, and even 
  renegade Openers seek to influence the flow of time for 
  their own agendas, willing to do whatever it takes to further 
  their own goals. 
  TIME TRAVEL
  In Mythos you have only one method of time travel: mental 
  projection. By putting yourself in an altered mental state, you 
  send your mind backward or forward in time to inhabit the 
  body of another intelligent being. 
  While in the host body you have access to some of your 
  host’s memories and knowledge. But beware! As your Stability 
  drops, you can become confused as to which memories are 
  your own and which belong to the host. In extreme cases, 
  the host’s mind can overcome yours and incorporate you into 
  itself, leaving your own life but a dream or distant memory. 
  Mental projection also means that no physical objects can 
  travel with you on your journeys. Your equipment and tools 
  will be limited to what you can find or make in the new 
  location and time. 
  As in TimeWatch, the greater flow of time is difficult to 
  alter. Any drastic and lasting changes to history require a 
  significant disruption of the original events. Unfortunately 
  for the Openers, that isn’t necessarily difficult for Mythos 
  entities to achieve.
  The Hounds of Tindalos follow Openers back to their bodies, 
  some times before they even wake up.
  
  CHAPTER EIGHT
  268
  MISSION STRUCTURE
  You feel the Call when the flow of time has been altered: a 
  vision giving you some clue as to the nature and location of 
  the disruption. When the Call goes out you will convene at the 
  Silver Lodge, the home of the Society of the Silver Key, in 
  order to send out your consciousness from the relative safety 
  of the Projection Chamber. 
  Once you project through time, you find yourself inhabiting 
  the body of an intelligent creature in another era. Not all 
  sentient beings are possible vessels, as only those that are 
  somewhat sensitive to the greater truths of the universe make 
  suitable hosts. Openers seldom get to choose the identity 
  of their host, and may end up in a body of any age, gender, 
  occupation, or health.
  You must now find your allies, and investigate and correct 
  the disturbance which brought you here.
  Once the disruption has been averted or minimized (or if 
  your host body is slain), you leap back to your waiting body in 
  the Silver Lodge. With luck, nothing hostile follows you home.
  RULES CHANGES
  Character Creation
  The rules for character creation work just as they do in 
  TimeWatch, with some minor variations. 
  Step One: Occupation 
  A character’s occupation is her job, how she makes her living 
  or spends most of her days. Some popular Lovecraftian 
  occupations include Antiquarian, Artist, Author, Dilettante, 
  Doctor, Journalist, Police Detective, or Professor, but any 
  occupation is possible. Being a member of the Society of the 
  Silver Key doesn’t take up much (actual) time, so most of her 
  energy will be spent with family or pursuing her career. 
  To be an Opener, your character must be a “sensitive” 
  individual, someone who intuitively knows there is more 
  to the world than what is perceived by our five senses. Any 
  culture or country, any age or gender, rich or poor; anyone 
  who is sensitive to the tides of the universe and the flow of 
  time may hear and answer the Call.
  Provided below are some character competencies to get you 
  into the game faster; these aren’t exhaustive, but should give 
  you an example of how to model any particular occupation. 
  Points can be moved around at the player’s discretion. All 
  Mythos characters start with Health 6, Stability 6, Sanity 6, and 
  Cthulhu Mythos 1 for free. In the point totals below, Cthulhu 
  Mythos only counts points above this default starting level.
  Antiquarian 
  You are an enthusiast and collector of all things old. Perhaps 
  you own an antiques shop or used bookstore. You could work 
  at a museum or art gallery.
  Investigative Abilities (8 Points): Architecture 1, Forgery 1, 
  History 2, Notice 1, Research 2, Trivia 1
  General Abilities (4 Points): Unobtrusiveness 4
  Artist 
  Whether a painter, sculptor, or performer of some type, you 
  create and entertain. 
  Investigative Abilities (8 Points): Architecture 1, Charm 1, 
  Dreaming 1, Forgery 1, History 1, Notice 1, Reassurance 1, 
  Trivia 1
  General Abilities (0 Points): None
  Author
  Perhaps you’re a novelist or you sell short stories to the pulps. 
  Either way, you’re a writer. You express stories and ideas with 
  the written word. 
  Investigative Abilities (6 Points): Dreaming 1, Falsehood 
  Detection 1, History 1, Notice 1, Research 1, Trivia 1
  General Abilities (0 Points): None
  Dilettante 
  You’re rich with a lot of free time. Maybe you have a trust fund 
  or inheritance. Or you’re just filthy rich. Either way, money is 
  not a problem. 
  Investigative Abilities (3 Points): Charm 1, High Society 2
  General Abilities (0 Points): None
  Doctor
  A country doctor or a big city surgeon, you are a physician 
  capable of helping those in need. 
  Investigative Abilities (7 Points): Bureaucracy 1, Falsehood 
  Detection 1, Medical Expertise 2, Notice 1, Reassurance 1, 
  Science! 1
  General Abilities (12 Points): Medic 8, Psychoanalyst 4
  Journalist
  You work for a newspaper, magazine, or even radio station. 
  You report what’s going on in the world with the truth as your 
  guide.
  Investigative Abilities (9 Points): Falsehood Detection 2, 
  Notice 2, Research 1, Spying 1, Streetwise 1, Taunt 1, Trivia 1
  General Abilities (6 Points): Burglary 2, Unobtrusiveness 4
  Police Detective
  You used to work the beat, but now you’ve made it to detective. 
  You’re the guy who’s got to see the big picture and not get 
  caught up in the little stuff. 
  Investigative Abilities (11 Points): Authority 2, Bureaucracy 
  1, Falsehood Detection 2, Intimidation 1, Military Tactics 1, 
  Notice 1, Research 1, Spying 1, Streetwise 1
  General Abilities (7 Points): Athletics 2, Scuffling 2, 
  Shooting 2, Vehicles 1
  Professor
  You are an expert in your field. Be it literature, history, or 
  science, the world of academia is your stomping ground.
  Investigative Abilities (8 Points): Bureaucracy 1, Cthulhu 
  Mythos 2, Occult 1, Research 2, Science! 1, Trivia 2
  General Abilities (0 Points): None
  
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  Step Two: Investigative Build Points
  Investigative build points are distributed just as they are in 
  standard TimeWatch, although some abilities have changed. 
  Cthulhu Mythos (Academic): You have heard whispers 
  about the hideous truths of the universe, especially in regards 
  to creatures and places best left unknown and forgotten. 
  Cthulhu Mythos replaces the Timecraft ability. As such, all 
  Openers begin play with 1 free point of Cthulhu Mythos.
  Dreaming (Technical): You can find arcane knowledge 
  from the world of sleep and dreams. Dreaming replaces the 
  Hacking ability.
  History (Academic): History (Ancient) and History 
  (Contemporary) have been combined into one ability.
  Occult (Academic): You are familiar with magic, 
  superstition, and the history of occult organizations. 
  Science! (Technical): Science! spends to create anachronistic 
  technology are significantly de-powered when compared 
  to standard TimeWatch. At best, such spends will let you 
  know where to look for the raw materials of your advanced 
  technology device. Time, access, and Tinkering are still 
  required to construct it.
  Step Three: General Build Points
  Just as with the TimeWatch rules, you have 50 points to spend 
  on General abilities. 
  Although Openers time travel by possessing the body of a 
  stranger who acts as host, for simplicity’s sake you retain your 
  own General abilities when time traveling.
  You start off with 6 free points in Health, 6 free points 
  in Stability, and 6 free points in Sanity. There are several new 
  abilities:
  Psychoanalysis: You can help people recover from mental 
  trauma. Psychoanalysis replaces the Reality Anchor ability.
  Sanity: Your ability to escape the truth and live a comfortable 
  lie. Sanity replaces the Disguise ability.
  Stability: These points represent how well you resist mental 
  trauma. Stability replaces the Chronal Stability ability.
  Step Four: Personality, Appearance, Drive, 
  Background, Pillars of Sanity, and Sources of 
  Stability
  Follow the instructions in the TimeWatch rules for choosing 
  your personality, appearance, Drive, and background. 
  Pillars of Sanity
  For each 3 rating points of Sanity your character possesses 
  (rounding up), you must choose something that is important 
  to your character. This must be something that the character 
  has faith in and values higher than their own well-being. Some 
  examples include:
  X
  X 	Faith in God
  X
  X 	Love for Family
  X
  X 	The Soundness of Science
  X
  X 	Devotion to Country
  X
  X 	The Good in People
  X
  X 	The Importance of Community
  Harvey has 7 rating points of  Sanity, so he must choose three Pillars 
  of  Sanity. His player chooses The Power of Knowledge, the 
  Love He Shares With His Wife, and the Greatness of  
  the American Democracy. 
  Sources of Stability
  For each 3 rating points of Stability your character possesses 
  (rounding up), you must choose a person that your character 
  can trust. These people should be someone the character 
  would go to if they were in trouble or needed someone to talk 
  to. Give a name and a short phrase for each Source.
  Harvey has a Stability of  6. So he must choose two Sources 
  of  Stability. His player chooses Sarah — My clever, kind, 
  and loving wife and David — Drinking buddy and 
  boyhood friend. 
  New Investigative Ability Details
  The abilities detailed below are added for Mythos. 
  Cthulhu Mythos (Academic)
  You are beginning to understanding the true order of the 
  universe. You may know the names of alien species and 
  entities, and even their habits and abilities. The ancient 
  histories of places long forgotten or descriptions of distant 
  worlds may float in your mind, squirming and quivering like 
  worms in rotting fruit. Openers begin play with Cthulhu 
  Mythos 1 for free.
  You may use this ability to:
  X
  X 	understand the habits of an alien creature
  GM OPTION:  
  HOST GENERAL ABILITIES
  If you want the nature of a particular host 
  to have a mechanical impact, instead of 
  allowing Openers to retain all of their 
  General abilities while projecting, you 
  can adopt the rule from the Leap of Faith 
  campaign frame (see p. 261). Players spend 
  25 build points on General abilities; the other 
  25 are allocated to each host body and are 
  available for use by the Opener inhabiting it.
  Since an Opener has little choice over which 
  host body she ends up in, you might prepare 
  a number of hosts in advance on index cards 
  detailing name, occupation, and a brief 
  description, along with their 25 General 
  ability points, and deal one at random as 
  each Opener time travels into the location.
  
  CHAPTER EIGHT
  270
  X
  X 	know the origin of an otherworldly artifact
  X
  X 	gain insight into an ancient mural
  Using your knowledge of the Cthulhu Mythos ability (even 
  without a spend) always costs Stability and possibly Sanity. 
  Your Cthulhu Mythos ability also limits your maximum Sanity 
  to 10 minus your Cthulhu Mythos ability. 
  Susan has a Cthulhu Mythos rating at 3, which means her Sanity 
  rating cannot be any higher than 7 (10 − 3 = 7). 
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point of Cthulhu Mythos might let 
  you know the weakness of a creature, enabling you to ignore 
  3 points of armor due to an insane insight. Alternatively, it 
  might give you 3 points of Tinkering to sabotage an alien 
  device, even if that vision will haunt your dreams for months 
  to come. 
  Dreaming (Technical) 
  You can tap into the realm of dreams to gain some insight into 
  the waking world. By drifting off to sleep, you enter a world of 
  visions and ideas, perhaps even slipping into the Dreamlands 
  itself. This ability is a useful tool to help players make random 
  but meaningful connections. With this, you may:
  X
  X 	make a connection between people and places
  X
  X 	gain insight into someone’s true nature
  X
  X 	get a warning to potential danger
  Sample spend: Spending 1 point in Dreaming during an 
  evening’s rest might let you have a dream where the kindly old 
  woman that helped you earlier that day is swallowing kittens 
  whole. Whether she literally eats kittens or not will require 
  further investigation, but she likely is tied to your investigation. 
  Occult (Academic)
  You know the history of magic, superstition, and legends. You 
  know if an amulet is a Navajo spirit charm or Romanian ward 
  against the evil eye. You also know of mystic orders and their 
  secret practices. You can:
  X
  X 	know the purpose of a ritual by observing its aftermath
  X
  X 	calculate someone’s horoscope
  X
  X 	understand mystical significances of wards or runes
  X
  X 	know the histories and origins of books of magics and 
  grimoires
  X
  X 	locate other Openers in their host bodies
  X
  X 	when first arriving in a new era, determine roughly where 
  to start your investigation (usually by invoking simple 
  divination, such as studying tea leaves) 
  Sample spend: An Occult spend can give you 3 points of 
  Scuffling to fight a non-Mythos supernatural creature, such as 
  a vampire. Your understanding of the vampire makes it more 
  vulnerable to your attacks. 
  Your points in Occult dictate the number of spells your 
  character can know, from memory, on a one-to-one basis. 
  With an Occult ability rating of 3, you can know three spells. 
  New General Ability Details
  The abilities detailed below are added for Mythos. 
  Psychoanalysis
  As the Medic ability restores Health, Psychoanalysis restores 
  Stability. This is the ability to comfort and calm a shaken 
  person. It can manifest as sitting the subject down and talking 
  with them, helping them remember who they are and what 
  they’re doing. It can be as simple as looking someone in the 
  eye and asking, “Are you still with me?” or sitting down and 
  having an hour-long conversation. 
  To use Psychoanalysis, there is usually no need for a test. 
  Every point of Psychoanalysis spent returns 2 points of 
  Stability. If the victim is suffering from an attack of mental 
  illness, a standard Difficulty 4 Psychoanalysis test can 
  temporarily end the episode for one scene. This happens 
  quickly (and is usually accompanied by a slap across the face), 
  but otherwise restores no Stability.
  As a general rule, using Psychoanalysis to restore Stability takes 
  10 minutes per point you spend. This time requirement means 
  that the ability is not typically used in the middle of combat.
  Unlike the Reality Anchor ability in the standard TimeWatch 
  rules, Psychoanalysis cannot be used on yourself.
  Booster: Group Therapy. If your Psychoanalysis rating is 8 or 
  more, you can use it on more than one person at a time. To use 
  Psychoanalysis in this manner, you must sit in a quiet place with 
  everyone participating and talk as a group. The points are spent 
  in the same way, but must be divided up among the participants. 
  Dr. Ford is sitting down with three of  her fellow Openers to 
  help them all recover from a serious episode. She spends 5 points of  
  Psychoanalysis giving her 10 points to distribute to the group in any 
  way she sees fit. She decides to give Tom 3 points, Larry 2, and Beth 
  5, as Beth suffered the most Loss during the last scene.
  Sanity
  Sanity is the measure of how well you convince yourself that 
  everything is all right. You are a good person. You work hard 
  at your job. You’re part of a community that’s doing wonderful 
  things. You contribute to the greater good. God has a plan for 
  you. Everything has a purpose and a place. Life is beautiful. 
  Unfortunately, you live in a Lovecraftian world and none of 
  that is true. The universe doesn’t care about you. Your culture 
  and all of humanity are completely insignificant, and life has 
  no meaning. There may be gods in the universe, but they are 
  the kind that would use you or swallow you whole if they 
  actually noticed you. Thankfully, they usually don’t.
  Your Sanity represents how strongly your beliefs hold in the 
  face of the Mythos and the greater truths of the universe. It’s 
  different from other General abilities because you never use 
  it for a test or spend points from it. They are just taken away 
  from you, leaving you quivering and howling in their wake. 
  If your Sanity ever reaches 0, your character is finished and 
  becomes a supporting character. This doesn’t necessarily mean 
  they end up gibbering away in a mental institution. They could 
  seem totally normal, but deep down their soul has twisted and 
  
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  they worship the Great Old Ones. There are many types of 
  insanity, so feel free to be creative.
  The Sanity ability cannot have a rating higher than 10, less 
  your rating in Cthulhu Mythos. Since all Openers start out with 
  at least one point in Cthulhu Mythos, this means no Opener has 
  a Sanity rating higher than 9; by the very nature of membership 
  into the Society of the Silver Key, one can never be totally sane. 
  As with Health and Stability, your Sanity pool can never 
  be refreshed by spending Stitches. Details of Sanity Loss and 
  recovery can be found on p. 271.
  Booster: None.
  Stability
  You can resist the effects of fear, shock, or mental trauma, 
  be it Mythos or mundane. Stability represents the strength 
  of your mind. The less stable you become, the less you have 
  control of yourself. 
  Any test that would normally use Chronal Stability, such as 
  a Travel test, uses Stability instead.
  Booster: None.
  Stitches
  Stitches work just as they do in TimeWatch. You can spend 
  1 to refresh 2 points in a General ability (excepting Health, 
  Stability, and Sanity), or boost or reduce damage, or spend 2 
  to assist a fellow Opener. Stitches are handed out to players by 
  both players and the GM, as normal.
  Gaining Stitches in Mythos occurs through good roleplaying, 
  good ideas, and reinforcing the tone of the game. Tone is an 
  important aspect of Mythos, and a good rule of thumb is that 
  if a player enforces the mood the GM is trying to create, give 
  out a Stitch. 
  The Openers are in 12th-century China exploring a creepy cave. As 
  they walk down the dark and spooky cavern, one of  the Openers tells 
  a story of  how his sister was once trapped in a cave. She was playing 
  where she shouldn’t, and she caused a cave-in. She was trapped in the 
  cave for hours until she was rescued. Unfortunately, she was never the 
  same after that day. This creeps out the other players sufficiently that 
  the GM awards a Stitch. 
  This is only a guideline, as each group likes varying degrees 
  of darkness in their game. If a player tells an in-game joke that 
  makes everyone laugh, that’s not a bad reason in many games 
  to hand out a Stitch — especially if it only serves to briefly 
  lighten the mood before everything inevitably unravels into 
  chaotic panic.
  Stability, Sanity, and Madness
  To properly represent a Lovecraftian world and roleplaying 
  game, Mythos uses Sanity rules adapted from Kenneth Hite’s 
  Trail of  Cthulhu. Some rules from that game have been 
  simplified to better fit time travel. 
  The two abilities that are used to express madness and 
  insanity are Stability and Sanity. As explained before in the 
  General abilities section, Stability measures your composure 
  and Sanity measures how well you believe the happy lie. 
  Openers are a bit more resilient to the rigors of time 
  traveling and Mythos-busting, but even they will succumb to 
  insanity if fighting the good fight for too long. 
  Losing Stability
  Any number of events or encounters can cause the loss of 
  Stability. A shock, being attacked, seeing death, looking a 
  Mythos creature in the eyes; any of these can require you to 
  make a Stability test, so long as you haven’t already become 
  inured to the particular trauma that threatens potential Loss. 
  The Difficulty Number of a Stability test is typically 4. 
  As with the rules for Paradox tests and Chronal Stability in 
  standard TimeWatch, you may spend points of Stability to give 
  a bonus to your roll. Be careful not to spend more than you 
  would lose on a failure. Success means you lose no points 
  except those you spent for a bonus, and failure means you lose 
  Stability commensurate with the severity of the incident, along 
  with any you spent. 
  Generally, it’s not a good bet to spend Stability on a Stability 
  test. Odds are you will lose less if you just make your test without 
  a spend. However, if the potential Loss is great (5+), and you 
  already have low Stability, it might be best to spend the points to 
  make sure you don’t fail the test. As with Chronal Stability, you 
  can spend Stability into the negative when needed.
  Harvey has a Stability of  6, and he’s just time projected into the 
  body of  a 17th-century London poet. He needs to make a Difficulty 
  4 test with a potential Loss of  2 points (D4/L2). He could spend 
  a point of  Stability, but failure would mean a Loss of  3 points (1 
  for the point spent and 2 for the failed test). Spending 2 would not 
  Stability Loss Table
  Surprised by a fresh corpse or witness a 
  killing 
  D4/L1
  Attacked by a person; in a serious 
  accident or experience a minor 
  supernatural event; Opener time 
  jumping
  D4/L2
  Attacked by a person with intent to kill; 
  killing a person in a fight; experience a 
  major, but nonthreatening supernatural 
  event
  D4/L3
  Witness a large battle; see a supernatural 
  creature up close; learn a friend or Source 
  of Stability has died
  D4/L4
  Witness a supernatural killing; attacked 
  by a supernatural creature, friend, or 
  Source of Stability; kill someone in cold 
  blood or perform torture
  D4/L5
  See a friend or Source of Stability killed; 
  endure torture for more than an hour
  D4/L6
  Attacked by a horde of supernatural 
  creature; talk to someone you know is 
  dead
  D4/L7
  Kill a Source of Stability
  D6/L8
  
  CHAPTER EIGHT
  272
  completely guarantee success and could potentially lose him 4 points. 
  Harvey’s player opts for making an unmodified test. He fails and loses 
  2 points of  Stability, bringing him down to 4. 
  A single incident that combines more than one of these 
  events will only cause the highest level of Stability Loss. For 
  example, if a supernatural creature jumps out and kills your 
  friend, you could only lose up to 6 (seeing a friend killed), 
  ignoring the D4/L5 test (seeing a supernatural killing). 
  It’s also important to only make these tests if it makes sense 
  for the character. If the character is a pathologist, dead bodies 
  won’t shake his Stability. If the character is a soldier, he doesn’t 
  risk Stability Loss every time he gets in a fight. Or if you’ve 
  been fighting the mi-go all day, seeing them yet again doesn’t 
  shock you like it first did. On the other hand, a librarian 
  might be seriously unsettled by getting punched in the face. 
  If it seems like an incident would shake the character, make 
  the test; otherwise, skip it. It’s recommended that the players 
  be given a copy of the Stability Loss Table so that they may 
  suggest when, and if, they need to make Stability tests. 
  Like Health, Stability can go below 0. The chart below 
  shows the mechanical effects of negative Stability; when in a 
  host body, this also affects your concept of self.
  0 to −5: You feel off but can still function. Investigative 
  point spends work normally, but the Difficulty of General 
  ability tests are increased by 1. While in a host body, you start 
  to confuse your memories and your host’s memories. Large 
  chunks of your memories go missing. If a supernatural event 
  caused your Stability to enter this range, you also lose 1 Sanity 
  (see Mythos Shock, p. 272).
  −6 to −11: Your Stability rating is permanently reduced by 
  one. You gain a mental illness, which persists even after your 
  Stability is refreshed and you return to your own body. If you 
  are in a host body, your host personality takes over with only 
  a dim memory of your true mind. If in your own body, your 
  lizard brain takes over and limits your actions to fight-or-flight 
  responses. If a supernatural event caused your Stability to enter 
  this range, you also lose 2 Sanity (see Mythos Shock, p. 272).
  −12 or less: You go totally insane. Suicide or catatonia 
  are likely outcomes. If you are in a host body, you fade away 
  into nothing. You are lost in time, and your body in the Silver 
  Lodge quietly shuts down and dies. 
  As you can see, it’s very important for Openers to maintain 
  Stability. You have several options for roleplaying Stability Loss, 
  but losing yourself to the host is often the most fun to play.
  Roleplaying Stability Loss
  Here are a few roleplaying suggestions for portraying Stability 
  Loss:
  1–2 point Loss: A loud gasp or quiet shout; nothing too 
  showy.
  3–4 point Loss: A full-on scream or a bugged-out stare. 
  Perhaps some repetitive, reassuring action that makes you 
  feel better.
  5–6 point Loss: Screaming hysteria, or overly excited and 
  crazy happiness. Crying. 
  7–8 point Loss: Over the top. Just go for it — the nuttier the better.
  Refreshing Stability During an Adventure
  Stability can be replenished during a session by using 
  the Psychoanalysis ability. The person performing the 
  Psychoanalysis must have a quiet and relatively stress-free place 
  to speak with the subject. The process takes 10 minutes per 
  point of Psychoanalysis spent, and each point restores 2 points 
  of Stability. You cannot spend Psychoanalysis on yourself. 
  It is also possible to use an Investigative ability, most likely 
  Interpersonal (Authority, Reassurance, etc.) to directly restore 
  Stability if a plausible explanation is given. These return 3 
  points of Stability for each point spent. 
  With Stability Loss comes a loss of self while in another 
  person’s body. For Openers, refreshing Stability in game often 
  involves helping a fellow Opener remember who they are and 
  what they are doing. 
  Refreshing Stability Between Adventures
  Your Stability pool refreshes fully between adventures, but 
  only if you have some contact with one of your Sources of 
  Stability. You need to reconnect to your mundane life and 
  remember what it’s all about. 
  The type of connection depends on the intensity of the 
  game. If the GM wants to be restrictive about it, she’ll require 
  you to be in the same room as your Source of Stability. If 
  she wants a less lethal game, writing a letter or talking on the 
  phone might be enough for you to connect. 
  If you can’t connect with a Source of Stability, only half of 
  your Stability is regained between adventures. 
  Note that if your Stability rating has been lowered because 
  your Stability pool dropped to between −6 and −11, this  
  Loss is permanent unless you spend a post-mission build 
  point (see p. 34) to increase it again.
  Losing Sanity
  Sanity represents your hold on the happy lie. Losing it means 
  you’re starting to understand the truth about the universe. 
  There are only two ways to lose your Sanity points. 
  X
  X Mythos Shock: If a Mythos creature or supernatural event 
  causes your Stability to drop to 0 or less, you lose Sanity.
  X
  X 	Using the Cthulhu Mythos ability can cause you to lose Sanity.
  Mythos Shock
  When unable to resist the horror of a Mythos creature or 
  supernatural event, you can lose Sanity. There are two levels of 
  Sanity Loss:
  X
  X 	When your Stability is reduced to 0 through −5 by a Mythos 
  creature or event, you lose 1 Sanity. 
  X
  X 	When your Stability is reduced to −6 through −11 by a 
  Mythos Shock, you lose 2 Sanity. 
  Only one of these occurs for any given event. If a Hound 
  of Tindalos knocks your Stability from 3 to −4, then from −4 
  to −7, you only lose 2 Sanity. 
  Patrick looks upon a horrific creature, and it looks back at him. Patrick’s 
  current Sanity is −2. He fails his Stability test and loses 7 points of  Stability, 
  taking him down to −9 Stability. Patrick’s Sanity is reduced by 2. 
  
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  Cthulhu Mythos Ability Use
  When using your Cthulhu Mythos ability to gain a greater 
  insight into your investigation, you lose Stability and often 
  Sanity. This cannot be avoided. The amount of Sanity lost has 
  nothing to do with the points spent, but the “weight” of the 
  revelation. Here are a few examples:
  X
  X 	A Mythos creature is behind the mystery, but no details are 
  understood: 2 Stability Loss, 0 Sanity Loss.
  X
  X 	A Mythos threat is discovered that could hurt many innocent 
  people: 3 Stability Loss, 1 Sanity Loss
  X
  X 	A Mythos threat poses a threat to you and your loved ones: 
  4 Stability Loss, 1 Sanity Loss.
  X
  X 	A Mythos threat destroys one of your Pillars of Sanity: 6 
  Stability Loss, 2 Sanity Loss.
  X
  X 	The Mythos threat is going to destroy the world and all of 
  civilization: 8 Stability Loss, 3 Sanity Loss.
  Losing Pillars of Sanity
  As you lose Sanity, your Pillars of Sanity begin to fall apart. 
  Once enough Sanity is lost, one of your Pillars will crumble 
  away and you will lose faith in it. 
  1–3 points of Sanity represents one Pillar; 4–6 Points of Sanity 
  gives you two Pillars; 7+ points of Sanity allows you three Pillars. 
  You will have at least one Pillar until you have no Sanity left. 
  Losing a Pillar of Sanity is a great opportunity for roleplaying.
  Father Blake has “My Catholic Faith” as one of  his Pillars of  
  Sanity. After reading yet another tome, his Sanity slips even further. 
  This knocks his Sanity from 4 down to 3, and he loses a Pillar. He 
  chooses to lose his Catholic faith. His player could play this as Father 
  Blake just quietly sitting in a room, drinking a scotch, then removing 
  his priest’s collar; or it could be played as something more dramatic, 
  like destroying his beloved 18th-century Bible in a crying, screaming 
  fit. Whatever makes sense to the character and is fun to play is the 
  correct way to approach this. 
  Another way to lose a Pillar of Sanity is for it to actually 
  be literally destroyed. This only works if it exists physically 
  (a person, place, or thing) and it is killed or damaged beyond 
  repair. If a Mythos creature destroys or kills the Pillar, there is 
  the potential for some serious Stability and Sanity Loss. 
  Finally, you can always choose to lose faith in a Pillar. This is 
  a means to protect yourself from possible Stability and Sanity 
  Loss if you think this Pillar is in danger of being destroyed. 
  You should always have at least one Pillar, so if you lose faith 
  in one and you still have a positive Sanity score, that faith must 
  be put into something else. How long that process takes is up 
  to the player and GM.
  One of  Susan’s Pillars of  Sanity is “My Husband Bob.” As an 
  Opener, she knows that she’s attracting all types of  Mythos attention 
  and knows that Bob is a prime target. She opts to lose her faith in her 
  relationship with her husband; Susan files for divorce and moves out. 
  She switches her Pillar from “My Husband Bob” to “Duty to the 
  Society of  the Silver Key.”
  Dealing With Sanity Loss
  There are two ways you can mitigate Sanity Loss: denial and 
  fainting. 
  Denial: At the end of an investigation, when you return to 
  your own body, it is very easy for you to say “it was all a dream.” 
  You can choose to believe that the time travel experience was 
  just some kind of meditation, or the result of an overactive 
  imagination. If there is no physical evidence of any kind 
  (which there usually isn’t), you can deny that anything actually 
  happened. This allows you to recover 1 lost Sanity point. 
  This also works for incidents which occur in your own time 
  as well, as long as there is no physical evidence. It’s quite easy 
  to rewrite events in your memory to make things seem less 
  supernatural. 
  Fainting: If you see a Mythos creature or experience a 
  supernatural event, you can choose to faint. If you faint, you 
  lose no more than one point of Sanity. This takes you out of 
  the scene, however, and you are at the mercy of whatever it 
  is you saw. 
  Note that Stitches cannot in any way refresh your Sanity 
  pool. You can use build points gained after successful missions 
  to rebuild lost Sanity, up to a maximum of 10 minus your 
  Cthulhu Mythos rating.
  Mental Illness
  If your Stability pool drops to −6 through −11, you permanently 
  lose 1 point from your Stability rating and you gain a mental 
  illness. This condition stays with you even when you return to 
  your own body and is not discarded when your Stability pool 
  refreshes. The only way it can be cured is by returning your 
  Stability rating to its original level — usually accomplished by 
  spending build points received after completing a mission. In 
  game terms, this return to sanity is typically explained as the 
  result of therapy or a stay in a sanitarium. 
  An ally can spend 2 points of Psychoanalysis to snap you 
  out of your mental illness for one scene. The spend does not 
  GM ADVICE:  
  FAINTING CHARACTERS
  If the sight of a shoggoth causes an Opener 
  to faint, consider what sort of consequence 
  will provide the most enjoyment for everyone 
  at the table. Having the Opener eaten alive 
  is not a particularly fun result for the player; 
  if she is dragged off to the shoggoth’s lair 
  for later snacking (affording her compatriots 
  the opportunity to stage a daring rescue), or 
  left for dead and robbed by opportunistic 
  street urchins (who make off with the Amulet 
  of Tunkhan-Re and must be tracked down so 
  it can be recovered), everyone is more likely 
  to have a good time.
  
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  otherwise restore Stability; it just allows you to temporarily 
  function without needing to roleplay the symptoms of the 
  mental illness.
  Below are some of the more common forms of mental 
  illness that will affect an Opener, but feel free to come up 
  with others on your own. There is no chart to roll on, as this 
  decision should be made by the GM and the player to find the 
  best fit for a given experience. 
  A reminder: TimeWatch is a game, and mental illnesses 
  are real afflictions that may affect those you know and love. 
  Use good judgment in how you represent an affliction at 
  the gaming table. As much fun as roleplaying mind-blasted 
  insanity can be, being sensitive to your friends and their wishes 
  is even more fun — but hey, you already knew that. We’ll also 
  note that these are the pulp-horror literary and cinematic 
  versions of mental illnesses, not a true representation of how 
  they manifest in real life.
  Multiple Personality Disorder: This is the most common 
  form of mental illness that will affect your Opener. As 
  Stability slips away, it becomes difficult for you to distinguish 
  your memories from those of your host. This can manifest in 
  a number of ways, with one personality driving the body while 
  the other personality experiences gaps in time. This is most 
  disturbing when you travel back to your own body in your 
  native time, bringing the memories of your host with you. 
  Shell Shock: If the triggering event was violent and not 
  Mythos-related, this is the second most common form of 
  mental illness for an Opener. Shell Shock manifests as anxiety 
  around the event that caused the trauma, with the fear that it 
  may happen again. Nightmares or lack of sleep are common. 
  If something happens that triggers a memory of the event, the 
  sufferer freezes (paralyzed by fear) for a few minutes or becomes 
  confused. After the episode, all Difficulties for General ability 
  tests are increased by 1 for the next 24 hours or so. 
  Note that there’s very little that’s more boring during a game 
  than “my character freezes with fear.” It’s almost always more 
  fun to roleplay confusion and anxiety than it is to do nothing. 
  Proceed accordingly.
  Delusions: When a person believes that they are (for instance) 
  St. Jerome, 5th-century translator of the Bible into Latin, then 
  they are suffering from a delusion. Delusions don’t need to 
  be overly dramatic; the misguided belief can be something as 
  simple as “there is no such thing as tea” or “the government is 
  controlled by fascists.” Delusions can be counterintuitive, but 
  they should relate to the trauma in some way. 
  Paranoia: The victim believes that someone or something 
  is out to get them, sometimes even their close friends. This can 
  be played at various levels of paranoia, but it’s best if it only 
  really comes out at critical points in the story. 
  Phobia: Something irrationally frightens or causes anxiety 
  to the victim. Spiders, heights, the outdoors… the list of 
  phobias goes on and on. It’s important to remember that 
  these fears should be of something that can’t actually harm 
  the character. A fear of Deep Ones isn’t a phobia. It’s healthy. 
  Amnesia: This mental illness should only be used selectively. 
  A character losing all of his memories can significantly derail 
  a game. It’s best if the specific events around the trauma are 
  blocked out as if they never happened. 
  Spell Casting
  It is possible for Openers to learn and cast magic spells. 
  Almost all spells can be cast while inhabiting a host body.
  Casting a spell requires a Stability test with either special 
  spoken words, hand gestures, or some components or objects. 
  Stability must also be spent to power the spell. Details for 
  casting spells are located in spell’s individual entry. 
  Failed Stability in a spell casting test means the spell has no 
  effect, but half of the Stability (rounding down) is still lost.
  Spell List
  Magic is a costly affair in Mythos. That’s why Openers stay away 
  from learning and performing most magic. However, the power to 
  cast a spell is one of the few things that can travel with you when 
  mentally projecting through time. Below are a few spells that could 
  be useful during an Opener’s regular duties. Remember, the number 
  of spells a person can know is limited by their Occult rating. 
  Dread Name of Azathoth
  By using a portion of the True Name of the Outer God 
  Azathoth, you can demand the respect of some Mythos 
  creatures. This gives you the advantage of having 2 free 
  Interpersonal points to spend while dealing with such beings. 
  These points will last for the remainder of the scene. Use of 
  the Name is considered aggressive and may not always cow 
  those it was intended to impact. 
  If the full Name is spoken, this causes the target to lose 
  1 Stability (or Tempus if a creature), plus 1 for each point 
  of Stability you spent on your test. The 2 free Interpersonal 
  points are still available if the full Name is used.
  Mary, trying to convince a Yithian to not interfere in her mission, 
  speaks the whole Dread Name of  Azathoth. She spends 3 Stability 
  to cast the spell, then spends another 3 Stability to add to her test. She 
  rolls a 2, barely reaching the Difficulty of  5 for a success. The Yithian 
  loses 4 points of  Tempus, and Mary gains 2 free Interpersonal 
  points for the duration of  the scene. Mary chooses Authority and 
  Intimidation, and orders the now cowed and terrified Yithian out of  
  her way. 
  Stability Test Difficulty: 3 for partial, 5 for full name
  Stability Cost: 2 Stability for partial, 3 for full name
  Time: Instant
  Elder Sign
  The Elder Sign is a warding against Mythos creatures. To 
  be functional, the symbol must be carved or engraved into 
  a physical object or door. The Elder Sign makes it nearly 
  impossible for certain Mythos creatures to pass through or 
  even touch. An Elder Sign that is worn will have no special 
  effect. 
  Stability Test Difficulty: 4
  Stability Cost: 1 Stability rating point 
  Time: 5 minutes
  Powder of Ibn-Ghazi
  This magical powder makes the invisible visible. One portion 
  
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  of the powder works on one creature, regardless of size. The 
  powder must be thrown or blown onto the invisible creature 
  to have the desired effect. 
  Stability Test Difficulty: 3 to make, none to use (Difficulty 2 
  for an Opener with Occult or Science!)
  Stability Cost: 1 Stability to make
  Time: 12 hours (6 hours with an Occult or Science! spend) 
  Shrivelling
  A truly nasty attacking spell, Shrivelling causes flesh to blacken 
  and wither. You must see the target, say a short phrase, and 
  wave your hand. You must then make a Difficulty 4 Stability 
  test (Difficulty 3 if you have the target’s hair or blood). If you 
  succeed, the target loses 1 point of Health rating and 1 point 
  of Stability (Tempus if an antagonist), plus an additional 1 
  Health rating and 1 Stability point per point you spent on the 
  Stability test. The target’s current Health pool is also reduced 
  by the same amount as the Health rating.
  Martha is attempting to stop a Mongol warrior, but she’s in the 
  body of  an unarmed, 10-year-old boy. She decides to use the Shrivelling 
  spell. She’s doing well with her Stability at 9 and decides to spend 4 
  points on her Stability test. She succeeds on the test and the Mongol 
  warrior loses 5 Tempus points and 5 points of  permanent Health 
  rating! It’s quite costly to Rachel as well, because she lost 4 Stability 
  for casting the spell, plus the 4 she spent in the Stability test. She loses 
  8 Stability in total, leaving her with 1 point in her Stability pool. 
  Stability Test Difficulty: 4 (Difficulty 3 with target’s hair or 
  blood)
  Stability Cost: 4 Stability
  Time: 2 rounds
  OPENERS AND THE SOCIETY
  Joining the Society of the Silver Key
  One does not find the Society of the Silver Key, but is found 
  by it. 
  It starts in dreams. As a potential Opener, you find yourself 
  having dreams about other times and places. You are different 
  people of different ages and cultures. You experience the 
  lives of others, but only as dreams. The dreams have little in 
  common with each other except for one thing: a silver key. In 
  your dream you may be holding it, or see it on a table; it could 
  be incorporated into the landscape. Somehow, in every dream, 
  the silver key will be there. 
  Over the weeks or months, the dreams shift to visions of 
  a place, a large old house tucked away in the woods, away 
  from prying eyes. You find yourself walking to this house and 
  getting closer and closer each time you dream. Eventually, you 
  get close enough to see the front door of this house is inlaid 
  with the silver key.
  During your waking life, you find yourself with an intuitive 
  thought. A sense that you know the way to the house in your 
  dreams, the house with the silver key. It is up to you if you will 
  follow this call. 
  If you don’t, the dreams will soon pass and you will forget 
  ever dreaming of it. 
  But if you do, you will find yourself at a very real, physical 
  location: the house with the silver key. If you have the courage 
  to knock on the door, it is answered by a kindly, older woman. 
  She introduces herself as Mrs. Hazel Warren and invites you 
  in to talk over some tea. 
  Once you are sitting comfortably and sipping some lovely 
  English breakfast tea, she explains that you have been called 
  by the Silver Lodge to join the Society of the Silver Key. She 
  will go on to say that the society is duty bound to protect the 
  flow of time. Its members learn how to become time travelers 
  and stop those who would do harm to the progress of time. 
  She offers to show you how this is done. If you are willing, she 
  guides you to the lower level of the Silver Lodge, to a room 
  she calls the Projection Chamber. 
  The Projection Chamber is a large curved room with 
  walls bearing strange carvings and runes. There are no hard 
  angles in this room, and everything, including the furniture, 
  is smooth and organic. Mrs. Warren asks you to lie down on 
  one of the many reclining chairs. She teaches you a mantra of 
  ancient, unknown words. Once you begin to say the words, 
  you find yourself drifting into a trance. The trance frees your 
  mind from your body; you are able to explore all time and 
  space. You know that everything Mrs. Warren has told you is 
  true. Unfortunately, you also understand the horrible truth of 
  the universe and your place within it. 
  Some who go through this experience leave the Silver Lodge 
  and never return. But most heed the call and join the Society 
  of the Silver Key to become an Opener.
  Note: All player characters have already gone through this 
  process. If you wish to roleplay this experience, no Sanity or 
  Stability Loss should incur. The free point of the Cthulhu 
  Mythos ability reflects this process. 
  Being a Member of  
  the Society of the Silver Key
  As a member of the Society of the Silver Key, you may visit 
  the Silver Lodge at leisure. You are given a key to the lodge by 
  Mrs. Warren and are allowed entry any time, day or night, or 
  may reside at the lodge free of charge. There is no leader in the 
  society; all members are considered equals and make decisions 
  as a group. There are usually no more than five or six members 
  of the society at any time, but turnover is frequent. 
  Mrs. Warren is a mysterious figure. She does not participate 
  in travels, acting rather as an instructor to Openers and 
  caretaker of the Silver Lodge. She seems to know a lot, but 
  is very good at deflecting questions and saying little. She is 
  kind and polite at all times. Her secret patron is ’Umr at-Tawil, 
  who reigns as a shimmering silhouette over the timeless halls 
  beyond the Gate of the Silver Key, and Mrs. Warren wishes to 
  show him and his chosen ones no disrespect. 
  Mrs. Warren also seems to be quite wealthy, but any questions 
  about how she acquired her wealth are politely redirected. She 
  will, however, pay a stipend to any Opener that is in need of 
  money, no questions asked.
  
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  The Silver Lodge itself is a large house with over ten 
  bedrooms, a conservatory, a sitting room, a parlor, a game 
  room, a trophy room, servants’ quarters, a laundry room, an 
  office, a pool and pool house, a music room, a very, very large 
  library, and, of course, the Projection Chamber. Anything an 
  Opener may need or desire is likely to be found in the Silver 
  Lodge.
  The lodge possesses a certain resilience to changes in the 
  flow of time. If an event alters time, the Silver Lodge and 
  those inside remain relatively intact. The lodge will eventually 
  give way and change to fit the new timeline if the flow of time 
  is not corrected; the length of time before this occurs varies by 
  GM preference, but usually takes at least 24 hours. The Silver 
  Lodge is special in that it remains behind even if timelines 
  are changed. It will adapt to fit the timeline and still allow you 
  entry, but only if you can reach it. 
  The demands of an Opener are not very time consuming, 
  at least in real and current time. You are generally only called 
  once every few weeks. You can have a mostly normal life, 
  working a job or career and spending time with family. Only 
  when a disruption in time is sensed are the Openers called 
  to action, and even when your soul has traveled for weeks or 
  months, only a few hours will have passed in the real world 
  once you return.
  The Call
  When something happens that changes the proper flow 
  of time the Openers are Called. The Call comes as a wave 
  of nausea and dread, followed by an intense vision. This is 
  a vision of a time and place that gives you a target for your 
  journey. The vision is so powerful that it can sometimes cause 
  you to become incapacitated or even pass out for a moment 
  or two. 
  If the disturbance is in the future, there is no need for an 
  immediate departure. But the Call is powerful and will repeat 
  if unheeded, causing you discomfort and disorientation. 
  Twenty-four hours after the initial Call, the Difficulty of all 
  General ability tests increase by 1 for one week. At the end of 
  the week, the Call fades away.
  If the disruption is in the past, you have only a certain 
  amount of time before the ripple changes your reality. For 
  each hundred years between the event and the present time, 
  you have roughly 15 minutes before your reality is altered. 
  (This may vary as the GM prefers.) You gain a sense of 
  how long you have after the Call before an altered reality 
  catches up. 
  Daisy is driving her car one Sunday afternoon and feels the Call. 
  First she is hit by the wave of  nausea, giving her a few moments to pull 
  the car over. Then she has a vision of  a man running for his life in an 
  Italian city about 250 years in the past. She senses that this disruption 
  in time will affect her world in about 37 minutes. She must hurry to 
  a safe location to time project and get to the source of  the disturbance. 
  Time Projection
  To project your consciousness through time and space, you 
  must have a quiet place and enter a state of meditation. It 
  usually takes about 10 minutes for you to enter the meditative 
  state to project in time. 
  To an observer in the present time, your body will be in a 
  deep sleep for another 10 minutes or so. These 10 minutes of 
  deep sleep contains the entirety of your journey through time, 
  even if it seems to you that you have spent a few hours, or 
  days, or even weeks in another person’s body. 
  Upon your return to your own time, it takes another 10 or 
  so minutes to safely recover from the trance. If this process 
  is rushed, a Travel test must be made, and the Difficulty of all 
  General ability tests is increased by 1 for the next 12 hours. 
  The Silver Lodge’s Projection Chamber is the safest place 
  from which to time travel. Its engraved wardings and specially 
  designed angle-free structure make it impossible for anyone, 
  or anything, to follow you back to your body. No Stability test 
  is required to meditate in the Projection Chamber.
  If the Silver Lodge is too far away, you can project from 
  anywhere you can reasonably rest. This is a much more 
  dangerous option, as returning to your body has a 3 in 6 
  chance of attracting the notice of the Hounds of Tindalos.
  Once you enter the trance, you can project yourself through 
  time. You get glimpses of places and times as you do so. You 
  must “feel” their way to the location, using the initial Call as 
  a guide. 
  When you find yourself in a new form, you are flooded with 
  the thoughts and memories of the host body. You must make 
  a standard D4/L2 Travel test. Regardless of the result, after 
  a few moments, you will be able to take control of the host’s 
  body and access some of its memories. 
  KEEP YOUR BODY SAFE
  The Hounds of Tindalos are not the only reason 
  to seek the safety of the Projection Chamber.
  Openers prefer not to leave their comatose 
  bodies where a stranger or loved one might 
  find them. The body is alive but in a coma-like 
  state, with very shallow breathing and a weak 
  pulse; it’s easy for someone with no medical 
  training to mistake the body for dead. 
  Any extreme physical shock to your body 
  will pull you out of the trance and back 
  through time. This causes an immediate  
  D4/L4 Stability test. If your body dies 
  while you are projecting, your mind is also 
  lost (giving the host control of their own 
  body once more). Some rumors exist of 
  lost Openers flitting through time, jumping 
  randomly from host to host.
  
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  The most important of these memories is the ability to 
  automatically speak and write any language the host knows. This 
  prevents a lot of problems that could arise from going back to 
  a time or place where nobody speaks any of the languages you 
  understand. Languages change fast and drastically over time, 
  and it would be impossible for a time traveler to know them all.
  to a different time period within the same host. The same 
  meditation ritual must be performed, and all costs and 
  Difficulties apply. Each additional jump beyond the first 
  creates a 1 in 6 chance of attracting the Hounds of Tindalos 
  to the new host body. (This is one of the only times a host may 
  be in danger of attracting the Hounds.) 
  You can even, in theory, leap into your own body, but this is 
  not recommended. Being in your own past creates a constant 
  feeling of déjà vu that can be very distracting. The Difficulty 
  of all General ability tests is 1 higher while possessing your 
  body in the past. If you travel into a future version of yourself 
  you begin getting memories from a life you have yet to lead. 
  This will cause problems when you return to your own body 
  and time, giving you the same distracting sense of déjà vu. 
  General ability test Difficulties increase by 1 again, but this 
  penalty goes away after a day as you begin unconsciously 
  changing your present with the knowledge of your future.
  Note: Openers can project through time even if no Call has 
  been received. They are free to travel wherever and whenever they 
  like, to any time they please, but doing so may potentially cause 
  problems for the flow of time. Some Opener scholars travel in 
  time to collect research. When they return from their journeys, 
  they make historical records that are kept in the Silver Lodge.
  Altered Reality
  If, after receiving the Call, you are unable to time project before 
  a disruption in the past overtakes your present time, you are 
  caught in an altered world. This causes an immediate Stability 
  test of Difficulty 4, with a Loss that varies by the extremity of 
  the change. Since this change can be very drastic (to the point 
  where you may never have been born), you might suddenly 
  Severity
  Description
  Initial Test
  Degradation
  Minor changes
  People and places are 
  basically the same, with 
  perhaps a few differences in 
  historical specifics.
  D4/L1
  1 point / 24 hours
  Major changes
  People and places are 
  very different. You live in a 
  different house, perhaps 
  married to a different person. 
  There are major historical 
  differences, but with still the 
  same basic results.
  D4/L2
  1 point / 12 hours
  Drastic changes
  You are no longer you. You 
  have a different name and 
  body. You may even be a 
  different gender. History is 
  wildly different, and whole 
  nations may now be gone or 
  never have existed.
  D4/L3
  1 point / hour
  Total change
  You are no longer human, 
  and perhaps not even on 
  Earth. All of humanity is 
  gone, and something else is 
  in its place.
  D4/L4
  1 point / 15 minutes
  DRAWING ON THE HOST
  The default rule in Mythos is that you retain all 
  your own Investigative and General abilities, 
  regardless of the host you are occupying. 
  However, you are also able to access some of 
  the memories and abilities of the host body. 
  By spending 1 point of Stability, you can 
  gain 2 points of a General ability or 1 point 
  of an Investigative ability which it would be 
  appropriate for the host to know.
  To depart the host body and return to your own, you need 
  only take a few seconds and breathe deeply. This takes one 
  action in combat. No test is needed, and no Stability is lost. 
  If the host body should die before you have the opportunity 
  to leave, you are forcibly flung back to your body. This is a 
  traumatic experience costing 5 points of Stability. (For this 
  reason, it’s often wise to voluntarily leave a badly wounded 
  host before death occurs.)
  It is possible to time jump from one host to another. This 
  can be a jump to a completely different time and place, or 
  
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  find yourself inhabiting the body of a totally different person 
  — or possibly, something not even human. 
  Regardless of success or failure on the initial Stability test, 
  if you remain in the altered timeline you will continue to lose 
  1 point of Stability at regular intervals until the disruption is 
  corrected or you are Subsumed.
  You must work quickly to travel back to the disruption or 
  be lost to the changes and cease to exist. If you are unable to 
  project yourself back in time, your Stability will slip away. This 
  is akin to being in a host body, with low-Stability confusion 
  entwining your true memories with false memories from 
  the new timeline. If your Stability drops to −12 or less, your 
  original memories and personality are forever lost. 
  Creating Gear
  In Mythos the time travelers have no high-tech or magical gear. 
  You will be unable to take any advanced technology into the 
  past or bring any from the future. However, if you have the 
  right materials, are clever enough, and have enough time, you 
  can create advanced items. 
  This can be harder than it sounds. The task is dependent 
  on the technology available and what is being created. If you 
  are in the early 1800s and want to create a better rifle with 
  more aim and accuracy, this is very possible given you have 
  the tools and materials at hand. However, if you are looking 
  to create gunpowder in 10,000 BCE in ancient America, this 
  is very unlikely. Finding the sulfur and potassium nitrate alone 
  could take weeks or months, depending on where in America 
  you are looking and if you have the proper mining equipment. 
  If you want to create technology that is not available at 
  the time or location you are currently projected into, use of 
  the Science! ability will let you know if it is possible with the 
  given material. A 1-point spend may be able to tell you how 
  necessary materials can be acquired. A 2-point spend will help 
  you create what is needed to acquire the materials. Once you 
  have the materials, a Tinkering ability test is made with the 
  Difficulty depending on the complexity, quality of materials 
  available, and time allotted. No chart is given for this as the 
  variables are plenty, so it’s just up to the GM’s discretion. 
  Science! may also be used to gain extra Tinkering points. 
  Each point of Science! spent gives the player 3 Tinkering points. 
  Sally is in 1850s London and wants to build a radio receiver to 
  intercept messages from a group of  renegade time travelers working in 
  that period. She has access to a blacksmith and a watchmaker’s shop, 
  plus she’s in one of  the largest cities in the world. With use of  the 
  Science! ability, she knows she can get the supplies together and that it 
  is possible to make the radio receiver at Difficulty 7. With a 1-point 
  Science! spend the GM says that she could conceivably build a radio 
  tracking device to find the time travelers’ secret lair. The GM thinks 
  this should be harder and sets the Difficulty at 9. 
  Sally decides that the receiver (Difficulty 7) is all she needs. She 
  spends 1 Science! to gain 3 Tinkering Points for the roll and spends 2 
  points from her Tinkering ability, giving her a total of  5 points before 
  the roll. She rolls a 3 for a total of  8 points, 1 more than she needs to 
  construct a functioning radio receiver.
  If you’re not sure when something was invented, Wikipedia 
  is your friend. It should also let you quickly estimate the 
  feasibility of creating a given piece of equipment.
  MYTHOS GM ADVICE
  Running a Mission
  Mythos is quite a bit different to run than a standard TimeWatch 
  game. TimeWatch encourages lots of jumping about to different 
  times, whereas Mythos adventurers generally stay in one place. 
  The structure of a mission runs much more like a session of  Call 
  of  Cthulhu, except that the Openers arrive before the incident 
  and solve the mystery before the triggering event occurs. 
  Another important difference is that the characters are 
  possessing someone from another time and place. Each player 
  will be playing two characters, the Opener and the host. While 
  the Openers are created by the players, the GM selects and 
  creates appearance, personality, and social station of the hosts. 
  It’s good to have a few extra hosts selected beforehand, in case 
  anything might happen to the initial host’s body. Of course, 
  players often surprise GMs, so you might have to come up 
  with a host on the fly. Hosts can be deliberately assigned or 
  handed out randomly.
  It’s advantageous to provide hosts who have a lot of 
  control over their own lives and who don’t answer to many 
  people. Merchants, police, aristocracy, or artists are good fits, 
  but remember, they must have a special, sensitive spark to 
  distinguish them. All potential hosts are insightful, thoughtful, 
  or have some inkling into the greater supernatural world. Feel 
  free to think outside of the stereotypes; just because someone 
  is a bouncer at a nightclub doesn’t mean he’s necessarily a 
  thuggish brute.
  It’s best to give the player only the most basic of information 
  when they first inhabit a body. Don’t overwhelm them with 
  too much information at first; give them the host’s appearance 
  and profession, and proceed from there. 
  Opener Linda Blake has just time-projected into the body of  a 
  man in medieval France. The GM tells her that his name is Luc, 
  he’s a town guard, he’s unshaven and has filthy fingernails, and he’s 
  currently on duty at the front gate of  the castle. 
  Openers typically arrive in time to experience firsthand 
  the event they witnessed in their visions during the Call. This 
  event doesn’t have to be supernatural in nature, just something 
  strange and out of the ordinary for the host or the Opener 
  that starts her on her investigation. It’s important to get to 
  this event quickly and not spend too much time explaining the 
  host to the player. 
  Opener Linda, in the body of  Luc the town guard, sees a stumbling 
  beggar walking down an alleyway. She notices that the beggar has a 
  scaly skin condition. A beggar stumbling around is something that 
  wouldn’t normally attract the attention of  the city guard, but since Luc 
  is sensitive, or perhaps because Linda is now in his body, this seems 
  very unusual and is the first clue in the mystery. 
  
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  If an Opener misses the clue, drawing on the Occult ability 
  for simple divination (such as throwing twigs or stones, or 
  studying tea leaves) can point her to a starting location. This 
  prescience is a gift from the secret Master of the Society of 
  the Silver Key, and only functions reliably at the very beginning 
  of a mission. It’s useful for Openers who might accidentally 
  wander away from the mystery in confusion.
  It’s good, but not mandatory, to give all the Openers a few 
  different initial clues — a small piece of the puzzle to get them 
  moving into mystery mode. Having a new body and life can 
  easily distract play, so it’s important to put something tangible 
  out there for the players to follow. If you do give each player 
  a separate incident, be sure to first herald it during the Call.
  Since all these hosts have lives of their own, the first thing 
  an Opener might want to know is her host’s duties and 
  responsibilities. If he sneaks off now, will he be missed? Is 
  there someone to take over his job? 
  The GM tells Linda’s player that Luc is on duty until sundown, 
  at which time he’s expected back at home to his wife and five children. 
  But checking out a suspicious beggar is well within his duties as a city 
  guard.
  Once the Opener is acclimated to her new body and 
  surroundings, she will want to try and find the other Openers. 
  Openers from the same lodge can sense each other’s presence 
  when projecting, an irritating itch in the corner of one’s brain 
  that is impossible to scratch that indicates another person’s 
  direction. This link between souls will guide Openers to one 
  another fairly efficiently. Should an Opener ever wish to hide 
  her location from her fellow lodge members, she can do so by 
  spending 1 point of Occult. 
  Once the group is together, the mystery investigation can 
  truly begin. 
  Building a Campaign
  The TimeWatch rules already contain most of what you need 
  for campaign and adventure building. But for a Mythos game 
  there are additional elements that you’ll want to incorporate 
  into your game. 
  Cosmic horror is what Lovecraftian storytelling is all about. 
  The idea that “we are living in an uncaring universe and have 
  no real control” should underline the arc of your Mythos game. 
  The Openers are an unusual element in a Lovecraftian story, as 
  they are quite powerful and seem to have a lot of control over 
  their destinies and, perhaps, all of humanity. That perception, 
  however, is only an illusion. The Openers are merely pawns in 
  an inconceivable game. 
  They don’t need to know that.
  The second most important aspect of Mythos is mystery. 
  Sure, all GUMSHOE games are about mystery-solving, but a 
  good Lovecraftian story leaves lots of unanswered questions 
  even at the end. You may discover the murders were caused by 
  a mi-go cult from the future. You may then defeat every last 
  one and set time back on its proper course, but you may never 
  know or understand why they were killing those people in the 
  first place. In fact, you might be better off not knowing. Truth 
  is a scary thing in a Lovecraftian story. 
  Finally, a crucial element of Mythos is to have fun. Bad 
  things are inevitably going to happen to your characters. They 
  will die, go insane, or be lost in the waves of time. It’s a fact. 
  But knowing that fact makes the ride downhill a lot of fun. 
  If they’re going to succumb to madness, then it should be 
  dramatic and amazing. If they are going to die, then they’ll 
  die spectacularly. That’s the fun of a Lovecraftian roleplaying 
  game. 
  That being said, the Mythos rules are much more forgiving 
  than the Trail of  Cthulhu RPG. Mentally projecting time 
  travelers would be hopelessly insane pretty quickly in a true 
  Lovecraftian setting. Mythos is about exploring Lovecraftian 
  themes and settings while doing some fun time traveling. The 
  game wouldn’t be much fun if half the group lost their minds 
  the very first time they projected. The Opener’s descent is 
  much slower, but it still eventually reaches the bottom.
  Campaign Ideas
  Being members of the Society of the Silver Key gives players a 
  chance to fight Mythos creatures through time and space, but 
  there are a lot of other opportunities that can provide horror, 
  mystery, and intrigue. 
  The origin of the society itself is a mystery. All of the 
  Openers have similar experiences, and all of them involve 
  joining the society, and no one knows where it came from or 
  who established it. Mrs. Warren might have some, or all, of 
  the answers, but she’s not talking. Who is Mrs. Warren? How 
  did she become the caretaker of the Silver Lodge? Is she a 
  time traveler herself, or a secret agent of Yog-Sothoth? Is she 
  human? Exploring this mystery could be a campaign in itself. 
  Another good question to ask is “why now?” In all of time 
  and space, why does the Society of the Silver Lodge exist in 
  the early 20th-century (assuming that’s where you set it)? Is 
  there something special about this time and place? If so, what 
  is it? 
  One possible campaign path could have the Openers 
  fighting the Mythos in their own era, using their time traveling 
  abilities to take the upper hand. But would this disrupt the 
  flow of time? Would they themselves be the cause of time 
  disruptions? And if so, would there be other Openers to stop 
  them?
  
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  MYTHOS ANTAGONISTS
  There are a number of potential oppositions for the Openers. 
  Below are a few of the primary threats they may find, but if 
  you want more, there are many creatures presented in Trail 
  of Cthulhu RPG that can be easily converted over for Mythos. 
  Or feel free to create your own. Though mental projection is 
  the preferred method of time travel in Lovecraft’s work, don’t 
  feel restricted. Keeping things unpredictable for your players 
  creates deeper mysteries.
  New Special Abilities: 
  Magic
  (Cost 2 per effect): The antagonist can trigger a predetermined 
  magical effect that the GM chooses, such as paralysis or flight. 
  Magical spells are typically linked to occult rituals or dark 
  magic. Magic spells are comparable to what a player character 
  could achieve with an Investigative spend, such as a super-
  science effect like telekinesis, psychic invisibility, +1 or +2 
  damage for the scene, and the like.
  Mental Projection 
  (Cost 2): The antagonist can project their mind through 
  time, inhabiting another body. Each time a body-jump is 
  made an antagonist must spend 2 Tempus. The antagonist 
  may or may not have a way to avoid detection by the Hounds 
  of Tindalos. 
  Sample Stats for Mythos Antagonists
  Ghouls
  “These figures were seldom completely human, but often approached 
  humanity in varying degree. Most of  the bodies, while roughly bipedal, 
  had a forward slumping, and a vaguely canine cast. The texture of  the 
  majority was a kind of  unpleasant rubberiness.” 
  — H. P. Lovecraft, “Pickman’s Model”
  Ghouls are humanoid, subterranean creatures that feed on 
  the flesh of the dead. They have claws, cloven feet, and faces 
  that somewhat resemble that of a dog. Though they speak 
  in gibbers, some still speak the human languages they knew 
  in a previous life. Many, if not all, ghouls were once human. 
  Humans that spend time with ghouls and eat human flesh will 
  become ghouls themselves. 
  Ghouls generally spend their time in their underground 
  lairs, expanding their homes or studying the occult. They 
  sometimes attack humans, but generally keep to themselves. 
  Ghouls are often found under cemeteries or in sewer systems, 
  any place away from the prying eyes of humankind.
  Ghouls live together and are very social with one another, 
  sometimes sharing information with other ghouls across great 
  distances. Though ghouls are social creatures, little is known 
  about their motivations and desires. 
  Ghouls tend to use magic instead of technology. If you’re 
  looking for an antagonist with a more supernatural flavor, the 
  ghouls can offer a host of problems for time traveling do-gooders. 
  Ghouls Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4 (5 if underground), Armor 2, 
  Health 7
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +1 (gore-encrusted 
  claws), +0 plus Worrying (reeking bite) 
  Abilities: Tempus 15
  Special Abilities: Extra Action (cost 2 — ghouls can attack 
  with up to two claw attacks and a bite attack against a single 
  target each round); Magic (cost 2); Worrying (cost 0 — if two 
  bites in a row (even from separate ghouls) succeed against the 
  same target, the ghoul’s teeth clamp down, and the second attack 
  does double damage. The ghoul need not roll to hit that target 
  thereafter, but will continue to worry the foe, doing normal 
  damage to him each round until killed or driven off. The ghoul’s 
  Hit Threshold is only 3 against an enemy clamped in her jaws)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2 (+0 in daylight); Additional 
  Stability Loss +0
  The Great Race of Yith
  “The Great Race itself  waxed well-nigh omniscient, and turned to 
  the task of  setting up exchanges with the minds of  other planets, and 
  of  exploring their pasts and futures. It sought likewise to fathom the 
  past years and origin of  that black, aeon-dead orb in far space whence 
  its own mental heritage had come — for the mind of  the Great Race 
  was older than its bodily form. The beings of  a dying elder world, wise 
  with the ultimate secrets, had looked ahead for a new world and species 
  wherein they might have long life; and had sent their minds en masse 
  into that future race best adapted to house them — the cone-shaped 
  things that peopled our earth a billion years ago.”
  — H. P. Lovecraft, “The Shadow out of Time”
  The Great Race of Yith, or Yithians, are highly advanced 
  alien life forms that lived on Earth billions of years ago. They 
  had large cone-shaped bodies about three meters in height, 
  with four odd appendages, two ending with pincers, another 
  terminating with a trumpetlike funnel, with the last appendage 
  ending in a globe with three eyes.
  The Great Race are time travelers. They, too, mentally 
  project themselves in time; however, they do not merge or 
  suppress the host mind, but swap bodies with the target. 
  While the Yithian is in the host body, the host’s mind lives 
  in the Yithian’s form. They do this through advanced alien 
  technology and must create such technology while in the host 
  body to be able to return to their original form. 
  The Yithians have been doing this for all of time, collecting 
  information about different cultures and civilizations across 
  the universe. Because of this, it’s important to The Great Race 
  to avoid interference with time; they travel purely as scholars. 
  But the Great Race is far from homogeneous. With their 
  great knowledge and understanding of the universe, a few 
  Yithians have set out to alter time to suit their own needs. 
  The stats below are for the Yithians in the Cretaceous era 
  (around 66 million years in the past). If they are encountered in 
  a different time, they will be inhabiting host bodies of that era.
  
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  The Great Race Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, Health 20
  Offense: Scuffling +3, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +3 
  (clacking pincers), +2 or Stun 5 (lightning gun)
  Abilities: Tempus 12
  Special Abilities: Mastermind, Resist Stun, Technology 
  (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1; Additional Stability Loss +0 
  The Hounds of Tindalos 
  “They are lean and athirst!” he shrieked… “All the evil in the 
  universe was concentrated in their lean, hungry bodies. Or had they 
  bodies? I saw them only for a moment, I cannot be certain.”
  — Frank Belknap Long, “The Hounds of Tindalos”
  The Hounds of Tindalos are creatures that exist outside of 
  normal time and space. They are said to inhabit the angles of 
  time, though no one is really sure what that is supposed to 
  mean. This may come from the fact that they only manifest in 
  our reality through angles of 120° or less. From these corners, 
  smoke begins to pour out, filling a space for the creature to 
  emerge. This smoke obscures their actual appearance, though 
  they are assumed to resemble something like large dogs. 
  The Hounds are attracted to time travelers. The reason for 
  this is unknown, but if they detect someone moving through 
  time, they will track the time traveler and attack using their 
  long, hollow tongues to drain the body of all of its fluids. 
  The Hounds are a constant threat to the Society of the 
  Silver Key. Many precautions are taken by the society to shield 
  the Openers from detection. An unprotected time traveler has 
  a 3 in 6 chance of being detected by a Hound whenever they 
  project through time. 
  If the traveler is noticed, the Hound will move through time 
  at a rate of 100 years of time traveled per hour, following the 
  mind back to its original body. The Opener will see a glimpse 
  of the Hound or hear a distant howl on their return journey to 
  know the Hound is on their trail. 
  If more than one Opener is detected, only one Hound will 
  pursue all of the detected Openers. Which one it targets first 
  is up to the GM.
  Albert, Fin, Barbara, and Tracy all must make unprotected 
  time projections. Albert, Barbara, and Tracy all fail the roll and are 
  detected by a Hound. On the return journey to their original bodies, 
  Albert sees a glimpse of  the Hound pursuing him through time, while 
  Barbara and Tracy hear a distant howl. The GM chooses Tracy to be 
  the Hound’s first victim. 
  The Hound is still limited to entry into our world through 
  angles. It is possible for an Opener to get to an angle-less 
  location and wait out the Hound. This is very difficult as the size 
  of the angle can be tiny. But if such a location is found and the 
  Opener stays there, the Hound will give up in a matter of days. 
  Mike projects back to the year 1331 from his unprotected home. 
  The GM checks to see if  a Hound detected his journey (rolls a die, 
  1–3 detected, 4–6 hidden) and rolls a 2. The Hound is on his 
  trail. The Hound will not pursue Mike until he returns to his own 
  body. Once he does, Mike has six hours until the Hound finds him. 
  Hopefully, Mike has the good sense to stay away from angles. 
  Hound of Tindalos Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 5, Armor 2, Health 13
  Offense: Scuffling +3; Damage Modifier +1 (claws), special 
  (glossa)
  Abilities: Tempus 15
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Distortion (cost 2); Glossa 
  (cost 0 — the Hound will first try and Restrain the target; once 
  successfully grappled, the next attack will be with its hollow 
  tongue. This causes a loss of 3 Stability and 1 Health on the first 
  turn, then 3 Health per turn of draining the body of fluid. A 
  Difficulty 4 Athletics test will enable the target to escape)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2; Additional Stability Loss +2
  Mi-Go
  “They were pinkish things about five feet long; with crustaceous 
  bodies bearing vast pairs of  dorsal fins or membraneous wings and 
  several sets of  articulated limbs, and with a sort of  convoluted 
  ellipsoid, covered with multitudes of  very short antennae, where a head 
  would ordinarily be.”
  — H. P. Lovecraft, “The Whisperer in Darkness”
  Mi-go are an advanced, fungi-based alien species which 
  have a colony on the dwarf planet Pluto (Yuggoth). They have 
  been known to come to Earth to seek rare ore, though they are 
  suspected to have even more devious intentions.
  The mi-go have also been known to extract whole, living 
  brains from humans and place them into special cylinders. 
  These cylinders sustain the brain indefinitely and can even be 
  attached to equipment to allow the brain inside to see, hear, 
  and speak. Some humans have been known to volunteer for 
  this process with the promise of immortality among the stars. 
  It is not known what the mi-go get out of the bargain. 
  The mi-go communicate with one another by changing 
  the color of their heads, but can speak to humans in buzzing, 
  insectoid-like voices. Mi-go are also made of strange matter 
  and do not show up properly on film or video.
  The mi-go have highly advanced technology and a keen 
  understanding of all forms of biology. It is possible that a 
  highly inventive mi-go could create some form of time travel 
  (mental projection or otherwise) and use it to alter the flow of 
  time for its own schemes. 
  Mi-Go Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, Health 10
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +0 
  (pincers), +4 (mist gun — special)
  Abilities: Tempus 12
  Special Abilities: Disguise (cost 1), Extra action (cost 2 — 
  pincer only), Flight, Impersonation (cost 2), Spider Climb, 
  Technology (cost 2); Air Drop (cost 0 — if two pincer attacks 
  are made, the mi-go can lift the target into the air and drop 
  them. Alternatively, they can take the target into space and 
  
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  expose them to the cold, harsh vacuum. See p. 99), Mist Gun 
  (cost 0 — creates a 16-meter area of terribly cold space; if 
  the target is aware of its effect they may make a Difficulty 4 
  Athletics test to avoid damage)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1 to +3 (alien surveillance tech), 
  Stealth Modifier +1 (flying); Additional Stability Loss +1
  MYTHOS ADVENTURE SEEDS
  Below are some ideas for adventures. Feel free to swap out 
  villains or locations to better fit your campaign. 
  Cult of Shub-Niggurath
  Year: 313 CE, Rome
  Christianity is on the rise in the Roman Empire. At the Battle 
  of Milvian Bridge, Constantine commanded his troops to adorn 
  their shields with the Christian symbol in accordance to a vision 
  he had the night before. By winning the battle he took the title 
  of emperor of the West and made Christianity legal. 
  Linchpin: Constantine choosing another symbol to adorn 
  the shields, or his troops losing the Battle of Milvian Bridge
  Ways to Alter History: A member of a cult that worships Shub-
  Niggurath travels back in time and shows Constantine true magical 
  power and convinces him to use the gifts of Shub-Niggurath to 
  win the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Or perhaps the time traveling 
  cultist gives a magical advantage to Constantine’s enemies. 
  Possible Effects: A) Christianity never gains a foothold, 
  making way for a new religion, Shub-Niggurath worship.  
  B) The Roman Empire crumbles sooner from the corruption 
  of the cult of Shub-Niggurath.
  Wars of the Roses
  Year: 1484 CE, Northern England
  Richard of York and the House of York lost the Wars of 
  the Roses to the House of Lancaster, giving rise to the Tudors. 
  Linchpin: Richard of York surviving and winning at the 
  Battle of Wakefield
  Ways to Alter History: Richard, or his supporters, make a 
  deal with some time traveling mi-go that wish access to rare 
  ores that will one day have cities built upon them. By helping 
  him win the battle and eventually the war, he defeats Henry 
  VI, forcing him and his family back to Norway. 
  Possible Effects: A) The mi-go have a solid hold of some 
  regions of England and the ore they require. B) The House of 
  York in power leads to war with France that is lost, effectively 
  destroying England as a world power.
  A Subtle Invasion
  Year: 2032 CE, Los Angeles, CA
  A group of renegade Yithians develop technology to make 
  humans immortal and much more resilient. They use this 
  technology to create an advanced species of humanity that 
  dominates the planet.
  Linchpin: The development of genetic modification 
  biotech
  Ways to Alter History: 2032 Earth is not substantially 
  different than that of 2016, except all of those cool 
  technologies which were “only 10 years away” are actually in 
  use. The Yithians (inhabiting human bodies) create a great leap 
  in human biotech, sharing their knowledge with influential 
  humans. These humans become the super elite and slowly 
  begin the process of culling the human population. This is 
  not supposed to happen. 
  Possible Effects: The Openers can stop this future from 
  transpiring by killing or interfering with the renegade Yithians’ 
  plans. Perhaps enlisting the aid of the actual Great Race can 
  yield favorable results. 
  PARALLEL REALITIES  
  CAMPAIGN FRAME
  In the beginning was the Big Bang. But it wasn’t the only one.
  Parallel universes split between the space of every moment, 
  every decision creating a new reality for every path taken and 
  not taken. Every variation was possible.
  In most universes, this idea was only a dream by a few 
  scientists and thinkers, merely the subject of thought 
  experiments and unprovable interpretations.
  In most universes. But not all. 
  On one exceptional Earth lived a people who developed in 
  abundance, much faster than nearly any other Earth among the 
  myriad universes. As their natural resources began to run out, 
  they devised a way to travel between parallel universities, setting 
  up an interdimensional “scaffolding” that allowed them to bring 
  resources from other places back to sustain their lifestyle.
  From that scaffolding came the Labyrinth, the hidden 
  transit system between worlds. Development of the Labyrinth 
  was under control of the Company, tasked with finding new 
  worlds to sustain themselves, and systemizing the process of 
  inter-world travel. They set up secret networks across multiple 
  worlds, infiltrating powerful corporations and organized 
  crime, offering powerful technologies in exchange for cover 
  operations. 
  The Company’s biggest discovery came in tapping into 
  Universe Zero, a limitless supply of power from an ever-
  expanding Big Bang. The Labyrinth could extend near 
  indefinitely, from the Type I worlds housing the closest to 
  humanity as we know it, out to the more esoteric Type V 
  realities of divergences far gone.
  However, that expansion created more instabilities in every 
  world the Labyrinth expanded into. “Weak spots” between 
  worlds began to manifest. Native scientists of those worlds 
  found fundamental universal constants changing. Basement 
  inventors found their own ways to open bridges in those soft 
  spots, and stepped out into other possible realities, leveraging 
  the Labyrinth’s scaffolding without even realizing it. These 
  independent adventurers found they could slide between 
  worlds, though returning home would often not be as easy as 
  leaving in the first place.
  
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  This concerned the Company, since exploiting those weak 
  spots could have catastrophic effects on the Labyrinth, and also 
  the stability of the universes that were connected. The Company 
  expanded its security services to not just include internal 
  company operations but investigations of anyone who might be 
  a threat to the Labyrinth. Additionally, the Company leadership 
  finally began to allow teams of handpicked investigators 
  from other worlds for their security teams. Diverse teams of 
  specialists with Company equipment now work to preserve the 
  integrity of the Labyrinth and protect the Company from harm.
  Meanwhile, there are those who oppose the Company’s 
  authority and their exploitation of worlds. Free agents that travel 
  between worlds find themselves on the run from the Company 
  simply because they dared to explore other worlds without 
  Company permission. Disgruntled ex-Company officials, refugees 
  from worlds the Company has disconnected from the Labyrinth, 
  and independent travelers have started to band together. Some 
  believe in freedom, some believe in exploration, some believe in 
  profit, and some have much more sinister motives.
  Which side will you be on?
  CAMPAIGN STYLES
  A Parallel Realities game is a bit different than your standard 
  TimeWatch game, though it leverages many of the same rules. 
  (Important rules differences are discussed on p. 285.)
  In a Parallel Realities game, the heroes aren’t concerned with 
  altering the timeline or trying to set time back to actual history: the 
  places they visit are how they’re supposed to be, no matter how 
  strange or cruel they seem to outsiders. Instead, the exploration 
  is more important: what are the crucial differences between this 
  world and the ones we know? Likewise, the adventures always 
  take place within those contexts, so the problems the heroes are 
  trying to solve are unrelated to “fixing” the world.
  Likewise, the heroes have less to fear about accidentally 
  messing up a time they’re trying to save even further. While 
  parallel Earths may be further behind or ahead in technology 
  and development than the world we know, the same amount 
  of time since the Big Bang has elapsed, keeping most Earths 
  in a similar timescale. Independent travelers may not care at all 
  about making their presence known (though there are plenty 
  of reasons to try and stay under the radar in a world that 
  doesn’t know other worlds exist!). 
  There are two main styles supported in this campaign frame.
  Company Agents
  This is the closest to the TimeWatch Patrol frame. Player 
  characters are recruited from different worlds by a high-tech 
  organization to investigate and pursue threats to the Labyrinth 
  and the Company and solve them as largely independent 
  squads. In this style of campaign, while the Company Agents 
  may be somewhat distrustful of the Company in general, they 
  see the value in hunting down threats to multiple realities and 
  putting a stop to them. 
  Some examples of missions Company Agents might pursue:
  X
  X 	Stop a plot to destroy Labyrinth stations by The Unravelers.
  X
  X 	Uncover corruption from a Company manager on a world 
  where the USSR conquered America.
  X
  X 	Repel an invasion of cross-dimensional creatures bent on 
  subjugating humanity across as many worlds as possible 
  (such as the sophosaurs or the Holy Roman Empire).
  X
  X 	Find evidence that an important Company manager has 
  been replaced by a duplicate from another world.
  X
  X 	Chase a band of rogue travelers across multiple realities to 
  stop them from exploiting too many dimensional soft spots 
  and endangering the multiverse.
  Independent Travelers
  On the flipside are those who are unsanctioned by the 
  Company to make cross-dimensional journeys. If they don’t 
  actively hate the Company for pursuing them, they at least 
  know to avoid them if they don’t want to end up in a prison-
  dimension with all their inventions destroyed.
  Independent travelers are those who have independently 
  discovered their own way to travel between parallel Earths 
  by exploiting various “weak spots” between realities. Using 
  a variation on a device that the Company calls an “Everett 
  Bridge,” independent travelers temporarily punch a hole 
  between two parallel Earths, allowing a group to “slide” 
  There’s another universe a hair’s-breadth away; all you need 
  to do is open a bridge and walk into it.
  
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  through the Labyrinth for a quick trip. Refinement of these 
  devices is tricky and calibration is difficult, meaning that many 
  travelers wind up without a convenient way home, and that 
  often requires continuing their journey on to new worlds.
  Some examples of independent traveler adventures are:
  X
  X 	Recover your Everett Bridge from Nazi scientists who 
  would exploit it (and keep you from traveling).
  X
  X 	Start a revolution against the French nobility to gain access 
  to the weak spot you need to continue on before it moves 
  out of sync forever.
  X
  X 	Survive on a world overrun by ezeru who have enslaved 
  humanity — while making sure that no one in your group 
  has been replaced with a shape-shifting cockroach.
  X
  X 	Grapple with the implications of saving a world overrun 
  with plague by importing medicine from another world.
  X
  X 	Escape a team of unrelenting Company agents across 
  multiple realities so they can’t throw you in prison forever.
  Hybrid/Others
  You may choose to use these mechanics but remove the 
  Company entirely, excising the Labyrinth entirely and allowing 
  some other device to let player characters walk between worlds.
  Alternatively, the animosity between the Company and 
  independent agents might not be as strong, or they might join 
  up off the books in order to take on the bigger threats to all 
  realities as we know it.
  Another campaign style might have you take on the role 
  of one of those dangers to the multiverse, being a part of a 
  group like The Unravelers who feels that the Labyrinth and the 
  Company are the greatest threats to existence ever conceived. 
  Your group’s goal might be to utterly dismantle the Labyrinth 
  once and for all, in order to put a stop to interdimensional 
  travel. Or it might be to find a path to Universe Zero and cause 
  a ripple effect there, an event that according to your scientists 
  has an 89.7% chance of destroying the Labyrinth at its source 
  and only a 2.9% chance of destroying creation as we know it.
  STYLE DIFFERENCES
  A parallel reality game can have a lot in common with a regular 
  TimeWatch game. The Agents travel to new and exotic places, 
  which have striking differences from the Earth we are used 
  to. Since it’s a GUMSHOE game, there is a mystery to solve, 
  which involves tracing all the steps around the world you’re in. 
  With that said, there are a few key differences when 
  thinking about parallel universe games versus standard 
  TimeWatch Patrol games.
  Go Ahead and Step on  
  Some Butterflies
  This is one of the biggest differences: you don’t have to 
  worry about disrupting any timeline. The world you’re in is 
  different than yours because it’s supposed to be. If you’re 
  a Company Agent, there are specific rules about disrupting 
  local governments and about revealing the presence of 
  interdimensional travel to worlds who are ignorant about it. 
  There are even cleanup teams sent by the Company to cover 
  up large enough breaches.
  Other than that? The ripple effects are more likely to be local 
  than anything universal. Whatever influence the characters 
  have on the world is going to stick. 
  Meeting Yourself Is Mandatory
  There’s all kinds of paradox involved in meeting your past or 
  future self when time travel is involved. In an alternate universe, 
  however, meeting yourself can be an important way to gain 
  information or even an ally in the other world. Instead of 
  risking your temporal stability, you’re only risking an alternate 
  self’s sanity. Many parallel universe stories springboard off the 
  existence of alternate versions of characters.
  Of course, it’s just as likely that the alternate versions 
  the characters meet won’t be allies at all. Different choices 
  made lead to vastly different personalities (or different looks, 
  including choice of facial hair), even if the DNA is identical. 
  The Company has screening procedures to try and detect 
  anyone posing as one of their agents who is not the same 
  version, but find a duplicate on a close-enough world and give 
  them the proper training, and it’s possible to infiltrate even the 
  Company HQ.
  You Can Go Back
  Once TimeWatch Agents have repaired a change in the 
  timeline, everything (usually) goes back to normal. In a parallel 
  universe game, once the Company Agents have solved the 
  mystery, events continue on that parallel world. The characters 
  may have accomplished their goal, but in the process, set off 
  a major chain reaction that will forever change it. The Agents 
  may revisit that world and see what changes have happened, 
  which may lead to further adventures. Truly ambitious GMs 
  may see the entire multiverse as a massive sandbox, with 
  hotspots flaring up all over that must be carefully managed.
  The Mysteries Are Different
  Where the world diverged with our world may provide useful 
  information, but it’s not the mystery in itself as it often is in 
  standard TimeWatch games. The mystery to be solved is within 
  the world itself, like where the off-world invaders are, how 
  to infiltrate a way station, or what is required to solve a great 
  injustice that only your alternate universe knowledge can 
  solve. It’s not about fixing why the world is different, it’s about 
  working within those differences to solve a bigger mystery.
  Discovery and Adventures
  While there’s a lot of sinister goings-on that the player 
  characters will become embroiled with, it’s important to 
  remember that discovering new worlds is also supposed to 
  
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  be a fantastic experience. Playing up the positive sides of 
  differences, from being able to meet a dinosaur, to seeing 
  a mountain range that couldn’t exist in your own world, to 
  simple things like hearing new songs by musicians that died 
  too young on other worlds. All of it contributes to the sense 
  of discovery of coming to a new world, not just what exact 
  historical point diverged.
  RULES DIFFERENCES
  Because the alternate-world style differs in some functional 
  ways than everything you can do with time travel, the 
  following are some minor adjustments to the core TimeWatch 
  rules to make them fit. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but should 
  be enough to get you started.
  Investigative Abilities
  Replace Timecraft With Labyrinthcraft
  You know the official policies and procedures of traveling 
  through the Labyrinth, and working theories of how it all 
  functions. This includes knowledge of using a Daedalus Key 
  within the Labyrinth, and operating an Everett Bridge. If 
  you have two or more points in Labyrinthcraft, you are likely 
  well respected in the field of how traveling between alternate 
  worlds work.
  In a Company Agents game, everyone starts with 1 free 
  point in Labyrinthcraft. In other types of games, it’s up to the 
  GM if anyone gets the ability for free.
  Replace History (Future) With History (Alternate)
  Those with this ability have read up about alternate realities 
  that have been explored previously and exist in the Company’s 
  database. As long as it’s a world that you would have some 
  way to know about it (or quickly learn), you have rough details 
  about that Earth’s history.
  Other History Abilities
  Both History (Past) and History (Contemporary) are relative 
  to the world where you come from. You may also have a better 
  grasp on how to determine differences in past and present 
  histories from your own and from other prime worlds (like 
  Company HQ).
  Replace Paradox Prevention  
  With Divergence Detection
  An experienced traveler knows it helps to be able to pick out 
  what doesn’t belong. Divergence Detection is the skill of 
  identifying outside influences and visitors that don’t come 
  from the reality you’re currently in. Additionally, Divergence 
  Detection can help when identifying if your own actions will 
  have a major effect on the Earth you’re on, allowing you to try 
  and prevent it.
  General Abilities
  Replace Chronal Stability With Dimensional Stability
  Just like traveling through time, whenever you jump 
  dimensions, make a Dimensional Stability test with the same 
  standard Difficulties as listed on p. 94. A particularly rocky 
  trip, like one with a damaged Everett Bridge, might have a 
  higher Difficulty and risk more Dimensional Stability Loss.
  Running out of Dimensional Stability means that you 
  become untethered to any reality on a quantum level, and 
  begin to cease to exist altogether. Go far enough negative, and 
  it’ll be like you never existed on any world.
  Reality Anchor Now Helps  
  With Dimensional Stability
  Through various applications of advanced mathematics, 
  strange technology, and esoteric applied sciences, you are able 
  to ensure that your colleagues stay tethered to reality, even 
  when jumping between multiple worlds.
  Change to Preparedness 
  Without time travel to play with, Preparedness is more based 
  on being actually prepared for the situation, though Company 
  emergency drops and other multi-world transport methods 
  are also a possibility even when credibility would otherwise 
  be strained.
  Stitches
  Stitches are largely unchanged from how they work in a 
  standard TimeWatch game. Instead of being a traveler’s 
  mastery of time, they represent the canniness that comes 
  from experiencing multiple worlds, and the fact the 
  characters are just a bit out of sync with their surroundings 
  all the time. Spending a Stitch allows you to skip a Travel test 
  with an Everett Bridge, just as it would with an autochron, 
  unless the GM rules that the travel between dimensions is 
  particularly grueling. 
  Equipment
  The future tech used by TimeWatch agents is similar in style 
  to what the Company outfits their agents with. The following 
  items, if the GM chooses, are ready to be issued to Company 
  field agents:
  X
  X 	Impersonator Mesh (especially for anyone who does not 
  come from a Type I or II world)
  X
  X 	Medkit
  X
  X 	MEM-tags (instead of a TimeWatch crew coming in, a 
  Company cleanup crew will detect it the next time it arrives 
  in the world for memory reprogramming)
  X
  X 	PaciFist Neural Disruptor
  X
  X 	Tether (containing the Company database)
  X
  X 	TimeWatch Uniform becomes Company Uniform
  X
  X 	Translator
  
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  An independent traveler is unlikely to have all these, though 
  may have one or two equivalents among the group. The fact is, 
  working for the Company has its perks.
  In place of the autochron, player characters will have one 
  of two methods of crossing between worlds. Both require a 
  Travel test to use.
  Company-Issued Daedalus Key
  A Daedalus Key is not in and of itself a world-traveling 
  device. Instead, it is a way into and around the Labyrinth. The 
  technology-imbued key carries official authorization from the 
  Company to use the Labyrinth, as well as coordinates for the 
  destination. It allows access into a way station, and then lets 
  switching station operators know with a simple scan where to 
  go next. 
  Generally, each Agent will be assigned their own Daedalus 
  Key. It is possible to enter the Labyrinth without one, but 
  it expedites the process considerably instead of sending 
  communications down the line to verify a traveler’s identity 
  and clearance.
  Everett Bridge
  Everett Bridges come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, though 
  the majority are handheld devices. They come from a variety 
  of independent inventors on various worlds who stumbled 
  upon the secret of traveling between different parallel realities. 
  They have different features depending on how refined the 
  inventor was able to make it through trial and error. Some allow 
  the user to travel to specific worlds through a programmable 
  setting, while others are at the mercy of the travel through the 
  Labyrinth. Some require a specific window of time between 
  uses, while others can be used more frequently.
  The main point in common is that Everett Bridge devices 
  tear open a hole between realities at a weak spot. An Everett 
  Bridge will only function if it can detect a weak spot with 
  which to open a doorway into another world. Sometimes, it’s 
  a freestanding one, and other times, it has a Company way 
  station already placed there. In any case, these weak spots can 
  show up anywhere in the world.
  THE COMPANY
  The Company’s world started like many others. Abundant 
  natural resources present in their Earth caused their growth 
  to accelerate exponentially, fueling all manner of technological 
  advances on a much faster timescale than most other worlds. 
  Hundreds of years ago, the Company’s world was making great 
  strides in every field from physics to genetics to transportation.
  Even abundant natural resources run out given enough 
  stress. Many individual corporations researched ways to 
  prolong the planet’s lifespan, from geological transformation 
  to interstellar travel. It was one transportation company that 
  stumbled upon the answer: there are infinite other worlds, 
  which means infinite other places to take minerals, flora, 
  and fauna from. After a few demonstrations of inter-world 
  travel, the transportation company began to become the most 
  important company on that Earth. As its work became the 
  most important, so too did its influence, buying up other 
  companies that were working on similar projects or other 
  projects that could help colonize the rest of the multiverse. 
  Governments became powerless to stand in its way. Soon, 
  there was only the Company.
  The first connections were made to nearby worlds, where 
  it became clear that from those worlds it was easier to access 
  other worlds, and so on. While attempting to establish new 
  footholds on populated worlds, it became clear that some 
  discretion in the colonization would be important. Protocols 
  for exploration were put into place to prevent reprisals. 
  Instead, exploratory teams would be formed to first determine 
  the viability of worlds for exporting. Then once established, 
  Company liaisons would enter the world and insinuate 
  themselves into positions of power using their advanced 
  technology. In exchange for new breakthroughs or other 
  assistance, governments, corporations, and organized crime 
  all provided ways for the Company to create new permanent 
  stations with which they could export goods back home. 
  The process was slow at first. Figuring out the best ways in 
  order to set up complex shipping operations on worlds with 
  varying histories met with setbacks. In at least one case, an 
  exploratory team was wiped out by natives fearing an invasion 
  from another world, who then started their own experiments, 
  leading to that world being inaccessible.
  Building the Labyrinth
  As more worlds were connected, the more difficult it became 
  to maintain operations. Company researchers proposed a 
  master access system by which every world could be connected 
  to every other world through varying quantum shortcuts. This 
  project would come to be known as the Labyrinth. Initial 
  experiments with the Labyrinth, attempting to travel from one 
  world to another far away in relation to the Company HQ, 
  led to the Company’s most important development purely by 
  accident: the discovery of Universe Zero.
  Universe Zero was a reality so different it required a rethink 
  of the Labyrinth project altogether, and whose existence was 
  almost immediately covered up from all but the top Company 
  executives. Universe Zero was in a perpetual state of post–Big 
  GM OPTION:  
  NO COMPANY NEEDED
  You may want alternate realities without the 
  Company and the Labyrinth involved. If so, 
  simply use the rules of this campaign frame 
  without the bureaucratic, organizational, 
  and technological framework that comes 
  with the Company. You can create your 
  own fiction, hand the characters a renamed 
  Everett Bridge, and send them off into other 
  worlds to explore, flee from, or conquer.
  
  ALTERNATE CAMPAIGN FRAMES
  287
  Bang expansion. Completely uninhabited with no planetary 
  bodies, and a source of limitless energy. 
  It took a century, but the Labyrinth was connected across 
  infinite worlds, powering itself from Universe Zero. Any 
  world could be directly connected through any other world, 
  allowing the Company to streamline its shipping operations 
  and continue to push outwards into the unknown. Important 
  “switching stations” were staffed by residents with direct 
  access to the world in order to assist traffic flow.
  New exploratory teams were formed to keep searching for 
  new valuable worlds. As the process of getting to the new 
  worlds became easier, but the surveying portion was still time 
  consuming, a new operating agreement was struck whereby 
  exploratory teams that found a new useful world as determined 
  by Company management were allowed to effectively “own” 
  that world. In exchange for maintaining operations on that 
  world, the exploratory team could do whatever they wanted 
  with it.
  A New Era
  Though reports of struggles on individual worlds made its way 
  back to Company management, they were all self-contained 
  for many years. Then it was discovered that since the Labyrinth 
  had been established, some worlds were discovering their own 
  methods of world-hopping.
  The building of the Labyrinth had unforeseen side effects, 
  creating more “weak points” between worlds. By using those 
  weak points, independent inventors and engineers devised 
  their own devices for jumping between worlds directly, most 
  of who had no idea that the Labyrinth or the Company even 
  existed. In some ways, the creation of the Labyrinth had 
  altered physics itself wherever it was connected, allowing that 
  kind of travel to be possible. The devices used to punch holes 
  through weak points came to be classified officially as “Everett 
  Bridges,” based on the inventor of the first known device the 
  Company came across.
  The Company engineers who maintained the Labyrinth 
  viewed this as a dire danger. Enough stress on these weak 
  points, and the barriers between dimensions would begin 
  to break down. No single device should be able to do it, 
  but enough utilization of the weak points could have dire 
  consequences for Labyrinth integrity (disrupting the shipping 
  lanes) and possibly the entirety of the multiverse itself. 
  Company Agents
  In addition to unauthorized world travel threatening 
  everything the Company had built, the security division 
  became aware of even bigger threats. The first world that 
  had rebelled against the Company, long since lost, began to 
  make its presence known again. Insisting that the Company 
  had purged the world entirely, refugees from that world with 
  their own “backdoor Labyrinth” began organizing resistance 
  to the Company wherever they could, conducting operations 
  to disrupt stations on various world and incite rebellion. 
  Infinite worlds became infinite problems, much more than 
  what the Company could handle by its own staff with people 
  from their own world. A new division was created that would 
  recruit and train agents from all across Company-connected 
  worlds in order to police these issues. While these agents may 
  not completely believe in the same corporate philosophy of 
  the Labyrinth, these teams work throughout the multiverse to 
  try and keep the Labyrinth together.
  Life as an Independent Traveler
  When the Labyrinth was built, it changed the fundamental 
  structure underlying every accessible possible reality. It was 
  not just a way to travel, but the quantum fabric of all worlds 
  was altered, forming “weak points.” Theoretical physicists 
  and cutting-edge engineers had thought parallel realities were 
  an unprovable supposition until the Labyrinth was built, and 
  suddenly, their work began to pay higher dividends.
  In some cases, the Company had already established a 
  foothold in the worlds “discovering” alternate reality travel. 
  In those cases, a Company security team would intervene and 
  make sure the work was discredited, disappeared, and in some 
  cases destroyed entirely. The Company goes to great lengths 
  to ensure that the Labyrinth is the only way to travel between 
  parallel worlds, both for the safety of all the worlds connected, 
  and to maintain power and control.
  However, they can’t be everywhere. 
  In some cases, basement inventors (often branded as 
  crackpots by their own scientific communities and lacking any 
  kind of official support) create their own way to punch through 
  a weak spot and into another reality. Such inventions are more 
  brute force than the elegant structure of the Labyrinth, cutting 
  through dimensions in ways that are often not immediately 
  apparent to Company engineers who monitor disturbances. 
  While that method works, it often creates more unpredictable 
  journeys for new travelers. Without the systems in place to 
  screen out habitable worlds, independent travelers may end 
  up nearly anywhere. The journey is not as simple as opening a 
  two-way gate either: since dimensional travel relies upon weak 
  spots, there’s not always an easy return trip. Many travelers, 
  either alone or together in a group, have found themselves 
  lost with no way back to their own world and instead must 
  continue to press on. Driven either by a sense of exploration 
  and wonder which they can never share with the people 
  back home, or simply a drive to return to where they began, 
  independent travelers venture into new worlds with only their 
  wits and whatever they’ve brought with them to figure out 
  what the differences in worlds are.
  Compounding the dangers to these travelers are a few factors. 
  First, the Company will always be after them. While their agents 
  may promise a safe return home, there’s no reason to believe 
  they’d keep their word and not just eliminate the traveler to be 
  sure they won’t return with knowledge of other worlds. 
  Second, there are much more dangerous factions out 
  roaming across worlds, many of whom are eager to recruit, 
  take technology from, and/or kill a successful independent 
  traveler who draws their attention.
  Third, the devices they use are all variations on what the 
  Company calls an Everett Bridge, but each one has its own quirks 
  
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  that determine how they bridge realities. Nearly all require access 
  to a weak point, which could be anywhere on the planet. Some 
  require specific timing restrictions, like a specific alignment within 
  worlds that only happens every few days, or a recharge in their 
  power cells. Each Everett Bridge is as diverse as their owners, and 
  it’s the only way through or out of a dimension.
  Navigating all these dangers is all part of the life of those 
  who dares steps beyond the confines of their own version of 
  their Earth. 
  TRAVELING THE LABYRINTH (OFFICIALLY)
  When using the official method developed by the Company to 
  travel between worlds, the agents enter a “way station” built upon 
  a weak spot between worlds that allows access to the Labyrinth. 
  The way stations create a kind of quantum bubble on a specially 
  designed platform that shunts the travelers into the Labyrinth 
  and moves them along it from way station to way station. These 
  platforms come in all sizes, from smaller ones designed to carry 
  only a few Type I human-sized people, to the larger, warehouse-
  sized platforms that move cargo between realities.
  Traveling into the Labyrinth almost looks like getting 
  smashed in the face with a massive tidal wave in the ocean, 
  but with a higher variety of swirling bright colors and without 
  any kinetic force involved at all. Once transitioned into the 
  Labyrinth, the near-translucent quantum bubble carries the 
  travelers along in near pitch-blackness. Occasionally within 
  the Labyrinth the bubble will arrive in a switching station, 
  accompanied by a switch operator. These platforms exist 
  partly within the Labyrinth and partly in a world. The switch 
  operator is a Company employee who shunts the bubble 
  along in a new direction in order to continue its journey after 
  receiving the destination code from the travelers. The switch 
  operators are frequently staffed by inhabitants of Type III and 
  Type IV worlds, which can be a big shock to newcomers to the 
  Labyrinth who might not expect to be questioned by a blue 
  creature with four arms. Each switching station is equipped 
  with translator circuits and extensive Company databases so 
  as to best communicate and help those traveling through the 
  station.
  Traveling to worlds that are adjacent to each other — which 
  tend to be (but are not always) worlds with fewer divergences 
  from each other — can take as little as an hour. Further worlds 
  can take even longer, and traveling from Company HQ to 
  very remote or recently mapped worlds can take days. In those 
  cases, multiple stops are planned along the way, dropping out 
  at various way stations for meals and rest. Switch operators 
  will take care of route planning along the way with these in 
  mind, and also ensure that multiple quantum bubbles do not 
  travel along the Labyrinth too close to each other. While space 
  itself is infinite, the pathways utilized by the Labyrinth are not. 
  In rare cases, Company management or high-ranking security 
  agents can use switching stations to catch up to other quantum 
  bubbles in order to intercept them, but such an operation can 
  be dangerous and have side effects on the inhabitants.
  Quantum bubble platforms always have a solid bottom, 
  and may have basic amenities like chairs for longer trips. 
  Traveling within a quantum bubble along the Labyrinth always 
  at first feels like traveling forward, like being in a car, but then 
  switching stations may change the direction, and so it feels as 
  if being lifted into the air constantly. In either case, gravity 
  works the same within the bubble.
  Stepping outside the bubble, surprisingly, yields no ill 
  effects, other than leaving the occupant in a black void 
  where they cannot make any progress traveling until another 
  quantum bubble comes along that line of the Labyrinth. 
  Switch operators monitor for these unauthorized exits and 
  note number of occupants at each station.
  TRAVELING THE LABYRINTH 
  (UNOFFICIALLY)
  Traveling between the worlds on Company business is reliable, 
  safe, and consistent. Traveling through a bootstrapped Everett 
  Bridge built from spare parts in your basement is one step 
  away from getting your component atoms taken apart electron 
  by electron and scattered across everything that could ever be.
  The exact experience of travel depends on the device, and 
  generally, how much experimenting on trial and error the 
  inventor has been able to give the device. In most cases the 
  device forms a wormhole-like opening in the world being left, 
  and makes a temporary, fast-moving quantum bubble that 
  speeds across the Labyrinth (or at least, the same superstructure 
  that the Labyrinth is contained in) until it breaks through at 
  another weak point, forming an exit wormhole on that other 
  world. The feeling is akin to being thrown out of a sideways 
  airplane, though the velocity stays constant throughout the 
  trip. If the trip is short, the travelers may only experience 
  the same “wave” feeling that those entering the Labyrinth 
  officially do before falling out the other side. On a longer trip, 
  travelers may see the same Labyrinth space and even see other 
  quantum bubble travelers or switching station operators. 
  Most Everett Bridges simply push through to an adjacent 
  world, essentially at random for what world they’ll travel 
  to. Others that are more refined may actually develop 
  programmable settings for what worlds to travel to that 
  they’ve already been to. The latter often comes with a longer 
  travel time, and increases the chances of being discovered by 
  Company agents.
  TYPES OF WORLDS
  A system was devised to classify new worlds during the initial 
  exploration of other realities by the Company. This helped 
  determine which worlds were appropriate for development, 
  and what measures needed to be taken when going to that 
  world. All types are relative to the Company HQ world, which 
  does not classify itself.
  Type 0
  Universe lacks even the fundamental properties for any kind of 
  exploration. The only known example of this is Universe Zero, 
  which is in an ever-expanding state of post–Big Bang expansion. 
  
  ALTERNATE CAMPAIGN FRAMES
  289
  Discovery of a Type 0 world is cause for an immediate report to 
  be sent to the Company’s board of directors.
  Type I
  These worlds are the closest to the Company’s home world 
  (and the most familiar to the kind of Earths we know). There 
  may be historical differences and technological levels, but the 
  inhabitants of a Type I world work exactly as we expect people 
  to, and the type of flora and fauna that developed on them 
  falls mainly within the range of expected life.
  Type II
  Type II worlds have the same type of inhabitants and climate 
  as a Type I world, but have major historical differences. Worlds 
  with almost no technology whatsoever, or even technology in 
  advance of the Company could be Type II worlds, as could 
  worlds that have had contact with extraterrestrial species.
  Type III
  Type III worlds feature most of the same kinds of inhabitants 
  as a Type I world but with noticeable biological differences. A 
  world where humanity evolved to have the ability to breathe 
  water, or a world where the human inhabitants developed a 
  variety of mutations that gave them special unique abilities 
  would all be Type III worlds.
  Type IV
  Type IV worlds feature major divergences from Type I 
  worlds on every level, from climate to completely different 
  evolutionary branches. A world where the dinosaurs were 
  never wiped out and instead evolved into the sophosaurs is an 
  example of a Type IV world, or a world inhabited by nothing 
  but extremely biodiverse plant life.
  Type V
  Type V worlds are those where that Earth is completely 
  uninhabitable, whether through natural disaster or human 
  made catastrophe, or where there’s no evidence it even 
  existed in that space-time. Any kind of development is not 
  possible on a Type V world, though it is possible that other life 
  forms eventually develop, or live in a way entirely unique and 
  unknown to Company explorers.
  THREATS AND DANGERS
  The primary danger when visiting a new world are those who 
  are native to that Earth. On many worlds, the knowledge that 
  a team is there from a parallel Earth with advanced technology 
  would be enough to spark a manhunt by major governments, 
  trying to capture the travelers and keep them there. Even when 
  not exposed as other-worldly, there are still plenty of dangers 
  to watch out for on every world. The unfortunate number of 
  parallel Earths where the Axis powers won WWII makes any 
  number of worlds automatically hostile to some explorers. 
  Other background and cultural differences may immediately 
  make travelers stand out in a new world, though the Company 
  does try to cover that as much as possible (see Impersonator 
  Mesh on p. 111).
  No world is completely safe. Even the ones that are close to 
  what travelers are used to or are seemingly utopias can easily 
  get disrupted by new arrivals. No matter where a traveler goes, 
  it’s best to stay on guard.
  There are a number of other threats that stand out because 
  they reach among multiple worlds. These threats can serve as 
  antagonists or occasional allies, depending on the situation.
  The Company 
  The ethics of the Company and how it operates are 
  questionable, at best, especially to anyone not from the 
  Company’s homeworld. If you’re an independent traveler, 
  the Company is likely to be the most significant source of 
  opposition in your exploration.
  That said, the Company is doing something as high stakes 
  as it gets: keeping all of every reality intact. (Some would argue 
  that they’re the ones that endangered it in the first place, but 
  the evidence isn’t confirmed on that one way or the other.) 
  When the Company tries to stop an independent traveler, 
  it’s not just because they’re trying to keep power (though 
  that’s certainly part of it), but because untested, untrained, 
  and unreliable devices punching holes between worlds can 
  GM ADVICE: WHY EARTH?
  In-game, the Labyrinth connects different 
  Earths because it was set up to anchor 
  specific spacial points relative to the Big 
  Bang, which is viewed as a fixed point across 
  every timeline. While some worlds may 
  have interplanetary travel or extraterrestrial 
  visitors, only Earths are a Company focus.
  Out-of-game, of course, it’s likely most fun 
  to adventure on variations of the Earth we 
  already know and love. There’s usually 
  enough going on with variant Earths’ infinite 
  possibilities that you may not need to introduce 
  what could have happened elsewhere in the 
  galaxy as well. If that sounds fun, and you 
  want to focus on it for your game, go for it. 
  It’s even possible that alien species have their 
  own interdimensional network connecting 
  variants of their home planet; what might 
  happen when this intersects the Labyrinth?
  
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  have some serious consequences. Likewise, they are the best 
  equipped and most well armed to repel invading forces that 
  would do serious harm wherever they go.
  No matter where the allegiances of the player characters in 
  your game fall, the Company, its operations, and even its true 
  motives should both have pros and cons. What the characters 
  do about it is up to them.
  The Corrupt
  Even among a society as so self-proclaimed enlightened 
  as Company management, the temptation for greed is ever 
  present. Members of the Company, especially those with off-
  world posts, may become nothing more than local warlords 
  who take more for themselves and do everything to disguise 
  their true operations from their bosses.
  Some may have other motives, and could be working 
  for anybody: secret allies to The Unravelers, providing new 
  targets. Infiltrators from the Remnants, sympathetic to their 
  cause. Disguised ezeru using advanced technology to hide 
  themselves from invasive scanners. 
  Or, they might just want to get ahead in the Company. Their 
  ambition might lead them to ally with any of the other groups 
  in case it shakes up the corporate structure enough to allow 
  them to seize more power. Nobody has higher stakes office 
  politics than the Company.
  The Ezeru
  Their TimeWatch cousins detailed on p. 173, the ezeru are even 
  stranger in an alternate reality game. Company researchers 
  have theorized that they come from a world where a massive 
  nuclear war wiped out humanity, paving the way for a species 
  of massive, intelligent, shape-shifting cockroaches to evolve. 
  Unfortunately, those same Company researchers have no 
  evidence that there has been enough time since the Big Bang 
  for all of that to take place, leading to some even more esoteric 
  theories involving time travel, aliens, or worlds that operate on 
  different timescales.
  None of this can be proven, as the prime world where the 
  ezeru come from has not been discovered yet, although they 
  clearly have some way to travel between worlds themselves. 
  One specimen was even captured in Company HQ, finding 
  work as Jones in Accounting for two decades before an 
  upgraded bio-scanner finally discovered him. No manner of 
  interrogation has been able to crack them: if pushed too far 
  they just roll over, curl up, and die without a word.
  What the Company does know is that they can show up 
  nearly anywhere, en masse, and look like anyone. They seem 
  to want to push other worlds into higher levels of radiation, be 
  it through nuclear war or other means. It’s possible that they 
  want to give rise to similar to their kind across multiple Earths, 
  or find safe breeding grounds to create billions of young, but 
  even that story doesn’t seem to check out. Regardless, they are 
  inscrutable, dangerous, and repulsive.
  The Neanderthals
  On most Type I worlds, Homo neanderthalensis lost the 
  evolutionary battle to Homo sapiens. On at least one 
  world (#22623-II), something tipped the balance in the 
  Neanderthal’s favor. This wouldn’t be much of an issue, 
  except they continued to develop into a supremely aggressive 
  species. Then a group of independent travelers with their own 
  Everett Bridge arrived in their world and gave them a device 
  to travel between worlds. The Neanderthals began to maraud 
  from world to world, and while often more primitive than the 
  world they invaded, their sheer numbers and savagery allowed 
  them to successfully conquer and pillage. Soon they not only 
  had means to travel between worlds, but got their hands on 
  more advanced weaponry as well. 
  The Company considers them more a nuisance than 
  anything, but agents are often placed in the field in order to 
  make sure any Neanderthals are contained during travel to an 
  important world. The survival rate of those agents is lower 
  than the Company would prefer.
  The Remnants
  Under a secret file that only the board of directors has access 
  to, the story of world #874346-I is described. Similar to the 
  Company’s, this Type I world had abundant resources and an 
  ingenious population. They even were working on their own 
  version of inter-world travel. 
  A Company delegation met with this world’s leaders 
  and tried to arrange an accord. Many important scientists 
  and politicians were even given jobs within the Company, 
  something that the normally xenophobic Company board had 
  never done before.
  While they tried to reach an agreement, the Company 
  discovered that world was still developing its technologies 
  in secret. Their method may have even been superior to the 
  Labyrinth, having more in common with Everett Bridge 
  devices but more reliable and programmable. 
  This development infuriated the Company, who argued that 
  such developments endangered all of reality, not just their 
  Labyrinth, and was supremely irresponsible. All-out war was 
  discussed to take the technologies. In the end, the board of 
  directors decided the only way they could be sure that the 
  world’s inhabitants wouldn’t use their devices en masse to 
  escape would be to sever the world from the Labyrinth entirely, 
  also cutting it off from other forms of inter-world travel.
  There are some who escaped, who claim that severing that 
  Earth from the Labyrinth meant destroying it entirely. There 
  are those who were off-world at the time and who discovered 
  they couldn’t travel home. And then there were those who had 
  been part of the Company, with Company training and access.
  The remnants of the world had nothing in common, other 
  than their home… and that they wanted revenge. Whether 
  that means their goal is taking down the Company, destroying 
  the Labyrinth, or trying to restore their world depends on who 
  you ask. Out in the wind among the multitude of worlds, the 
  Remnants debate and devise plans and work with whoever 
  they can to eventually figure out what they can do.
  
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  The Remnants are the most likely group to ally with 
  independent travelers, offering to help shield them against the 
  Company’s detection. That aid certainly comes with a price.
  The Romans
  A textbook example of Company corruption, a Company 
  manager was assigned to oversee world #3567-II, one 
  where the Holy Roman Empire had managed to survive 
  for centuries longer than in most other worlds. Seizing the 
  opportunity, the manager declared himself to be divinely 
  sent and used his advanced technology to convince the 
  inhabitants that he should be their new Caesar. Declaring 
  himself Charlemagne VII, he gave the Romans advanced 
  technology and used it to take the way station for himself. 
  For a time, he worked to disguise what was going on from 
  the Company, providing more and more upgrades to his 
  “Holy Roman Legion.”
  Taking one world wasn’t enough for Charlemagne and his 
  high-tech legion. Soon, the way station was upgraded enough 
  to allow entire contingents through into other worlds.
  It wasn’t long before the Company discovered it, and was 
  able to at least cut him off from more troops from world 
  #3567-II. He’s still out there, using his considerable knowledge 
  of Company technology and procedures to command his holy 
  army as they attempt new conquests.
  The Sophosaurs
  Described primarily on p. 184, the sophosaurs are indeed from 
  an alternate timeline where dinosaurs were never destroyed. 
  Instead of being the result of a temporal mistake, however, 
  their world (#7761-IV) always played out that way. When the 
  filthy mammals of the Company exploratory team arrived, the 
  worldview of the sophosaurs was shattered. They used their 
  psychic abilities to dissect Company agents and discovered 
  just how many worlds were out there where the dinosaurs 
  did not develop. Psi-raptors created crystalline duplicates of 
  the exploratory team’s Daedalus Keys, and the saurians used 
  their psychic abilities to pass switching stations and other 
  checkpoints.
  Once security breaches were discovered, the Company put 
  new protocols in place to try and prevent telepathic attacks. 
  New barriers in place aren’t going to keep these clever dinos 
  in place for long. While not all sophosaurs are interested in 
  purging worlds of mammalian stink, enough are out there 
  among the worlds to make them a serious threat wherever 
  they appear.
  The Unravelers
  Worlds were never meant to cross. That is the core tenet of 
  The Unravelers. 
  To them, the Labyrinth is a structure that is unnatural and 
  which endangers the very fabric of reality. The Unravelers are 
  a loose band from a number of prominently anti-Company 
  worlds who object based on a variety of grounds: the 
  technology is dangerous, it’s against their religion, it’s morally 
  wrong to exploit other worlds, and so on.
  Of course, they’re not actually wrong. But aside from being 
  directly contrary to the Company’s interests, they’ll go to any 
  extreme to close connections between worlds. In most cases, 
  this just means trying to blow up a way station (outside the 
  Labyrinth) or a switching station (inside the Labyrinth). 
  Their ultimate goals are more than just wanton destruction. 
  Some members of Company security theorize that there is a 
  pattern behind the attacks. The exact points attacked by The 
  Unravelers may be a greater effort to eliminate linchpins and 
  disconnect the Labyrinth once and for all. The math behind 
  planning it would be staggering — far beyond anything 
  achievable by any type I world. Worse, such a breakdown might 
  just lead to Universe Zero coming through the Labyrinth and 
  consuming all the rest of creation.
  Still, there’s just no reasoning with some people, you know?
  SAMPLE WORLDS
  Company HQ (World #1)
  Imagine the biggest office building you’ve ever been in. Then 
  extend it to an entire planet.
  That’s not to say that there aren’t designated green areas or 
  an outside to Company HQ, but the planet is more skyscraper 
  than not. A technological wonderland, Company HQ is where 
  all the important divisions of the Company meet, plan, and 
  execute their goals for an explored multiverse. It is also the core 
  of the most complex import/export business ever devised: 
  the entirety of resources the Company needs to sustain itself 
  comes from the Labyrinth.
  Company HQ is also one of the most heavily screened 
  worlds, featuring extensive DNA checks, psychological 
  telepathic influence tests, and weapons restrictions. Despite 
  all their efforts to bring worlds together, many natives of 
  Company HQ are deeply xenophobic and upper-management 
  positions are only considered for natives. Visitors from 
  elsewhere, no matter how official their business is, are likely to 
  be viewed with a certain amount of distrust and might find the 
  natives more uncooperative than expected.
  A Piece of the Action (World #328-I)
  In a world where Prohibition lasted a few extra decades and Al 
  Capone had a good accountant, organized crime got its hooks 
  deeply into the government, and gangs rule supreme. Crime lords 
  there are more powerful than the president, and law enforcement 
  only enforces what won’t get it into serious trouble.
  This was a world ripe for the Company to ingratiate itself 
  with, offering the kind of scientific advancements that every 
  don would kill to get their hands on. In exchange, this world 
  offers efficient, no-questions-asked shipping opportunities for 
  the Company and serves as a major off-world hub. Not all the 
  gangs are treated equally, however, and violence is always ready 
  to erupt if rival crime families ever figure out a way to break 
  up that particular racket. 
  
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  The King Is Dead (World #5631-II)
  The colonies of the New World were never able to break 
  away. War always seemed ready to heat up, but no leader ever 
  took up the risky mantle of revolutionary. The British Empire 
  tried to capitalize on the wealth of the New World but never 
  properly exploited it; as the British Empire looked west, other 
  acquisitions of the Crown used the distraction to throw off 
  imperial rule. Europe began to splinter ever further from its 
  monarchical roots, starting with France. India cemented itself 
  as a world power when it seized the assets of the East India 
  Company. With mounting pressure from India and freshly 
  independent Ireland and Scotland, the English were forced to 
  double down on its colonies in the New World, as scattered 
  as they were.
  The entire geopolitical structure of the modern world is 
  vastly different as a result. What would be the United States 
  elsewhere is an ever-changing frontier. In many parts of the 
  world the technology level is less advanced than one might 
  expect. Black powder weapons still dominate most modern 
  warfare, and seafaring technology hasn’t updated much in 
  hundreds of years. Isolationist countries like India are the only 
  ones to have developed railroads in significant numbers.
  The Company’s field office and way station exists in 
  a British castle in the northeast of what would be called 
  Maine elsewhere, but the region is considered to be volatile, 
  and visitors are warned to be careful of exposing anyone to 
  Company technology. 
  Matriarchy (World #5309-III)
  In the 1970s a mysterious plague wiped out 99.9% of all men. 
  While there were efforts to find the remaining men who were 
  immune, the scientific community stepped up and was able 
  to delve into genetic engineering and cloning technologies 
  in order to keep humanity going. After a tumultuous decade, 
  humanity adapted and thrived in a variety of ways, breaking 
  down a variety of taboos and prejudices in the wake of 
  possible extinction.
  The new generations since have become more adaptable, both 
  in a different world than their parents knew and in their engineered 
  genetics. While men are beginning to return, engineered to be 
  immune to the plague (which is believed to have become inert 
  anyway), there is a growing sentiment that they (and any notion 
  of gender binary at all) is more and more irrelevant.
  The Company has sent representatives (all women, after the 
  first observation team reported back) but so far no permanent 
  agreement has been made. Even the current classification of 
  this being a Type III world is controversial among Company 
  management, versus classifying it as a Type I or II that just 
  happens to have almost no men on it.
  Valhalla (World #26444-III)
  Company researchers have not yet come up with a working 
  theory as to why an alternate Earth would be populated with 
  advanced humanoids with a variety of strange abilities who 
  believe themselves to be ancient Norse figures in the afterlife. 
  The current working theory is that the extended Ice Age (of 
  which the planet is still within) caused extra mutations to 
  thrive in the environment, including increasing biodiversity of 
  dangerous creatures. 
  In any case, Company representatives have established 
  peaceful relations with the inhabitants, and have a well-guarded 
  mountain outpost which contains the way station. The idea of 
  other worlds has done nothing to dissuade the funny ideas of 
  the inhabitants, claiming that the “rainbow bridge” technology 
  is nothing new.
  The Spider Dimension  
  (World #14333-IV)
  This alternate Earth is as icky for arachnophobes as it sounds, 
  and is definitely not a tourist destination. While rich in a variety 
  of natural resources, especially plant life useful for advanced 
  medication, there are a plenitude of spiders. Lots, and lots, of 
  spiders. Extraction teams wear full body suits when harvesting 
  materials, and plenty of containment procedures are used 
  upon exiting to ensure not a single spider escapes within.
  Company researchers have officially dismissed any notion 
  that the spiders are all part of an advanced, hyper-intelligent 
  hivemind and are just biding their time, despite dozens of 
  reports filed by those who have visited there.
  Nova (World #94462-V)
  In this reality the sun has gone nova, wiping out most of 
  the solar system. At great cost, the Company established a 
  small, floating observatory here in order to be able to study 
  stellar phenomena close up in case it opens up other areas of 
  research. However, travel into and out of Nova is known to 
  cause lingering issues and oddities, so it is recommended that 
  visitors leave plenty of time to decontaminate afterward.
  GO THEN.  
  THERE ARE OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE
  There are always more worlds to be discovered. As a GM, 
  you have a limitless number of places to steal ideas for 
  new worlds in, and as mentioned earlier, it’s practically an 
  imperative for your characters to make waves in them and 
  make them your own.
  For that reason, you should feel free to steal liberally from 
  the many, many sources out there of alternate world fiction 
  and drop them in as another stop on the Labyrinth. Here are a 
  few favorites to start with.
  Books
  X
  X 	The G.O.D. Inc. series by Jack L. Chalker is the most obvious 
  influence here. In addition to some more information to 
  help sketch out your own Company and Labyrinth, there’s 
  also a number of worlds the two protagonists drop into 
  (especially in the first book, The Labyrinth of  Dreams).
  
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  X
  X 	Likewise, many authors like Harry Turtledove have made 
  their career out of alternate history settings. Wikipedia has a 
  whole list to check out, depending on what historical events 
  most interest you and which side you’re most interested in 
  (war, politics, cultures, etc.). Search for “alternate history 
  novels.” 
  X
  X 	Short story collections are particularly useful for getting the 
  barest of ideas and running with it. Check out books like 
  Alternate Presidents and Alternate Tyrants.
  X
  X 	For a more fantastic view of connected alternate worlds, 
  Stephen King’s Dark Tower series stretches to multiple 
  realities and into metafiction itself.
  X
  X 	For more superhero-influenced tales, it’s hard to go wrong 
  with Warren Ellis’ Planetary series. DC Comics has a whole 
  comics line called Elseworlds exploring different histories 
  involving their iconic characters. For something a little closer 
  to home, Atomic Robo takes place on a Type I world where 
  Nikola Tesla has a much greater impact on everything.
  Television & Film
  X
  X 	The biggest influence here (and for many others who 
  watched TV in the ’90s) is Sliders. Even just reading the 
  episode listing on Wikipedia should give you plenty of ideas.
  X
  X 	The faux-documentary C.S.A.: The Confederate States of  
  America looks at one alternate world in-depth, not just the 
  historical end, but with lots of subtle touches on how music 
  and culture would be impacted.
  All of this is only the tip of the iceberg (that the Titanic 
  never crashed on). Any of the methods used to create a 
  standard TimeWatch game are applicable here as well. So go 
  forth and explore the multiverse; just make sure you know 
  how to get home once you do.
  PULP CAMPAIGN FRAME
  Want a game of nonstop two-fisted white-knuckle fun? You 
  want a pulp campaign, and TimeWatch is the perfect system 
  for running over-the-top pulp adventure stories. Like a Patrol 
  campaign that tosses realism in favor of high adventure, a 
  Pulp-style campaign frame might have liquid metal cyborg 
  assassins imitating Lincoln, or Hannibal riding trained woolly 
  mammoths, and possibly both at the same time. Paradoxes 
  are less of a worry, errors result in a slap on the wrist from 
  TimeWatch instead of accidentally erasing reality, and the 
  results of historical changes may be a bit less credible. If your 
  players aren’t hard core history buffs and just want a fun game, 
  Pulp might be the right campaign frame for you.
  WHAT IS “PULP”?
  When people talk about “pulp” storytelling they are hearkening 
  back to lowbrow serialized tales published in the early part of 
  the 20th century. Writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs and Lester 
  Dent created bold heroes who defeated sinister evils through 
  their straightforward superiority. Tarzan and Doc Savage and 
  John Carter fought straight up, and nobody ever doubted their 
  righteousness or the evil of their enemies.
  These types of stories are still very popular, and with good 
  reason: they’re awesome. Done right, pulp tales are thrilling and 
  exhilarating narrative roller coasters. Any great adventure movie, 
  from Star Wars to Seven Samurai to The Avengers — they’re all 
  classic pulp tales. Your campaign can be just as thrilling. It’s easy 
  to do; a pulp adventure story has a few key ingredients.
  These stories were not structurally sophisticated. They 
  might feature the occasional surprise twist when a trusted 
  friend turned out to be a traitor, but usually such switcheroos 
  were telegraphed well in advance, and never caused the hero 
  to doubt their own judgment. Even hard-boiled mysteries, 
  which might have very complicated solutions, developed in 
  very straightforward ways with the hero progressing from one 
  clue to the next.
  They were packed full of weird, exciting stuff. Tarzan’s 
  jungle seems a little too crowded with ferocious predators and 
  horrible savages to form what you might call a convincing 
  sort of ecosystem, but it sure made for exciting reading. 
  These stories produced surprise not through plot twists but 
  by throwing new and novel threats at their enemies. John 
  Carter’s Mars is just crawling with weird monsters, each of 
  which Carter mostly fights exactly once. And then Burroughs 
  has to make up a new monster (or entire species of monsters) 
  for the next book.
  When there isn’t a zeppelin handy, you can’t go wrong  
  with a fight atop a speeding train.
  
  CHAPTER EIGHT
  294
  Evildoers weren’t just evil, they were evil in ways that could be 
  effectively opposed through heroic action. As long as John Carter 
  killed enough of the right people, the problem was solved. Indeed, 
  every real problem John Carter faced was a problem that could 
  really only be solved by killing a reasonable number of people.
  “Genre fiction,” which nowadays is what we call the array 
  of storytelling forms that descended from the humble 
  pulps, has taken on a great deal more sophistication over 
  the years. We have antiheroes and social breakdowns and 
  deconstructed narratives and all that stuff. But when we 
  talk about pulp stories, we mean unsophisticated, novelty-
  filled narratives employed to tell stories of evil undone 
  through heroic action.
  That’s it in a nutshell. Once more: unsophisticated, novelty-
  filled narratives employed to tell stories of evil undone through 
  heroic action.
  We also recall Quentin Tarantino’s definition at the opening 
  of his film Pulp Fiction:
  Pulp: A soft, moist, shapeless mass of matter.
  Of course, Pulp Fiction is not exactly a pulp story. Never mind.
  LAUNCH A PULP TIMEWATCH CAMPAIGN
  So this sounds like fun, right? But if pulp is not your usual 
  style, how do you get started? What makes a TimeWatch 
  campaign pulpy?
  Let us recall the notes we just made on pulp storytelling:
  Unsophisticated
  Your heroes are heroes. They work for TimeWatch because 
  they want to preserve history, and history is constantly under 
  threat by evil forces. Your players don’t need to craft extensive 
  back stories for their heroes, or worry about their inner 
  motivations. Watch out for players who want to play conflicted 
  loners, or heroes with tangled sympathies. Encourage a simpler 
  sort of thinking. Remind your players of what made Star Wars 
  so much fun, or Raiders of  the Lost Ark, or any other film of 
  that type. Encourage them to play heroes.
  Even Han Solo and Indiana Jones play nice with their friends.
  Likewise, when you’re coming up with adventures, don’t try 
  to get too clever. Make sure your evil folks are threatening, that 
  the need to stop them is urgent. Don’t worry about making 
  sure every detail is covered off, just make sure stuff is going to 
  happen and keep your heroes running too fast to worry about 
  how it all fits together.
  Remember that pulp is meant to be “shapeless.” An 
  unsophisticated story doesn’t have to tie up every loose end; it 
  just needs to keep the heroes fighting evildoers.
  Novelty-Filled
  You are going to be coming up with lots of crazy stuff to 
  throw at them. You will probably want to provide multiple time 
  travel mechanisms, so that you can have antagonists pulling 
  stuff out of lots of different periods. A pulpy campaign is 
  one where Napoleon invades Saxon England with a bunch of 
  zeppelins, seeking Excalibur.
  This is TimeWatch, so you have all of history to draw 
  upon… along with any alternate histories or futures you 
  might make up, so let your imagination go and twist together 
  the most unlikely combinations. Allow myth and legend 
  to enter into your view of history. It’s always possible that 
  Excalibur was some sort of impossibly futuristic artifact that 
  really does have a tremendous connection with the island of 
  Britain, and can perform genetic analysis to see if it’s being 
  wielded by the right person. In a pulp campaign, that sort of 
  thing happens all the time.
  Raymond Chandler famously said of pulp storytelling, 
  “When in doubt, have a man come through the door with 
  a gun in his hand.” In pulp TimeWatch, the man might be an 
  army of sophosaurs, the gun a specialized isotropic freeze 
  ray, and the door a whirling portal to an alternate history, but 
  the principle holds true. When you’re running a pulp game, 
  never be afraid to throw a new element into the mix. Well, 
  almost never.
  Pulp stories are forever introducing new external threats. 
  Have fun with it!
  Evil Undone
  Your adventures will work best in a pulp campaign when they 
  are about stopping evil. Like we said above, your antagonists 
  should produce real threats, threats that directly impact your 
  heroes. Maybe not at first, but as soon as the heroes get 
  involved your baddies should have ways of targeting them.
  Think of Star Wars — when the story opens Luke 
  Skywalker has no connection to the Rebellion, so Tarkin’s plot 
  to use Princess Leia to discover the location of the Rebel base 
  doesn’t impact him at all. It’s only once he gets involved and 
  travels to the Death Star that Tarkin and Vader start taking 
  action that affects his life.
  Your evildoers can work the same way: whatever it is that 
  they’re trying to do, once the heroes get involved, your evil 
  folks should come gunning for them.
  But no matter what, their evil plots get foiled. Pulp heroes 
  don’t fail. They may get pushed to the limits, but make sure 
  they prevail. Evil plots always get undone.
  Heroic Action
  Your heroes should do amazing things. Doc Savage wasn’t 
  just good at stuff, he was the best in the world. At everything. 
  Let your heroes be spectacular. Make sure there are audiences 
  around to thrill to their incredibleness.
  Pulp heroes fall out of airplanes, punch giant robots, rescue 
  princes and princesses, face down wild beasts, and win chariot 
  races. If one of your heroes wants to do something, you 
  should always let them try. Tell them what the target will be 
  for whatever zany thing they come up with, and let them roll. 
  When a player rolls a big success, that should lead to enormous 
  amounts of coolness. A pulp hero is capable of things that 
  ordinary people can’t do, or would never ever try.
  
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  Of course you should also gleefully make their lives miserable 
  when that’s what the dice say. But especially celebrate the successes.
  A lot of this is good advice in any sort of campaign, but 
  pulp heroes especially need to shine with glory. You’ve asked 
  your players to create heroic characters, right? So now let them 
  feel like heroes.
  Heroic action doesn’t just mean winning the day. It means 
  looking like big damn heroes.
  So with those four basic concepts of pulp stories in hand, 
  you can easily set up a campaign. Make sure your players 
  understand what sort of stories you want to tell; give them some 
  movies that have the right feel. Help them come up with heroic 
  characters. And then you have to come up with a solid enemy, 
  and remember to think about ways you can easily bring in new 
  threats — more folks with guns coming through more doors.
  You’re ready to go!
  THE THREE DANGERS 
  OF PULP STORYTELLING
  Telling pulp stories can seem super simple, but it’s possible to 
  go astray. Too much “shapeless mass,” and your campaign will 
  collapse on itself and your players will lose interest.
  Be watchful for these common pitfalls in this kind of story.
  Too Many Guns, Too Many Doors
  Remember when we leavened our enthusiasm for a constant 
  barrage of new threats and so on? When we said you should 
  “almost never” be afraid to do so? Okay, here’s the flip side of 
  that hilarious coin.
  When the influx of new stuff is so great that it overwhelms 
  your players’ ability to create connections between things, when 
  they see stuff show up and just get dropped unceremoniously, 
  never to reappear, they will not be able to maintain their 
  enthusiasm. Sure, when you don’t quite know what to do, just 
  have an Amazon army on raygun-equipped triceratopses show 
  up and figure out the details later. Anyone can do that. But 
  novelty becomes a source of tedium in its own right, and you 
  need to watch out for that.
  When all is said and done, TimeWatch is a GUMSHOE game, 
  and that means investigation; the characters are supposed 
  to be great at figuring things out. So sure, throw twists and 
  surprises at them when you need to, but also sit back and give 
  them time to put real clues together and solve real mysteries. 
  That’s a big part of the game.
  Watch how they approach your adventures. If they start 
  defaulting to “doing suicidal stuff and who cares about clues,” 
  you might have a problem. Your players might have decided 
  that since any storyline is going to get interrupted by whatever 
  hilarious idea you’ve come up with this time, there’s no point 
  in them looking for stuff. Which lands pretty close to “they’re 
  not really having much fun.”
  If you think this might be happening, rein yourself in. Make 
  sure you have other tricks up your sleeve besides “surprise!” 
  Run a straight-up mystery for once and see how your players 
  react. Allow foolish characters to reap the consequences of 
  their foolhardiness. Vary the pace, and keep the players on 
  their toes.
  This is just good GMing advice, really. Watch your players 
  and learn what they like, and figure out how to fit that with 
  what you like. Whether you’re running pulpy games or not, it 
  makes for a good game.
  Why Is Evil So Dumb?
  So we said that a big part of pulp adventures is the idea of evil 
  undone. Evil never ever triumphs in these kinds of stories. 
  This is not horror, or conspiracy, where the heroes are often 
  terribly outmatched by the forces lined up against them. In 
  pulp stories the heroes are always equal to the task and evil 
  is always vanquished, even if it takes brutal heroism to do so.
  Which can lead to the question: what makes evil scary? If 
  evil always loses, how can you maintain a sense of threat in 
  your stories?
  The truth is it’s hard to maintain a campaign of full-on pulp 
  action for a long time. Continually finding threats that will 
  actually worry your heroes gets harder and harder.
  Evil Seeds
  Planting Evil Seeds is one tactic that works beautifully. In the 
  early days of your campaign, make it clear that your evildoer 
  is in fact the underling of another, even more powerful and 
  more evil entity. Give your heroes glimpses and clues, or have 
  them discover mentions of these more powerful evils, even if 
  you yourself don’t really have a clear idea what they might be.
  These are Evil Seeds. You plant them, and they grow into evil.
  Don’t overdo it; a single chronal instability–induced vision 
  can go a long ways with imaginative players. Let them build up 
  the threat in their mind. That way, when you at last reveal that 
  they’ve come face to face with this terrible enemy, you won’t 
  have to do much work. Their imaginations will have done 
  much of it already.
  But do include more than one. If they are always getting 
  info about the same Evil Seed, then they will realize that 
  this is inevitably where the campaign is leading, and they’ll 
  know that ultimately they will succeed against it. If there 
  are multiple Evil Seeds, the uncertainty will get them 
  wondering if maybe they’ve just made a terrible choice and 
  will be totally outmatched.
  Consequences
  If your players are assuming that your mysteries aren’t 
  mysterious enough, and that your challenges are too 
  straightforward, think more about consequences. This is 
  always useful in a time travel game. If the Agents take out 
  an enemy, who fills that power vacuum, and what are her 
  goals? If they eliminate a parallel history, how do the fading 
  inhabitants of that history feel about it? If they are sloppy 
  about their incredibly high-tech weaponry, what happens if 
  locals get their hands on that weaponry after it’s left behind?
  By working consequences into multiple games, and by 
  letting the results of one game be referenced in later games, 
  you’re going to have players with a far greater buy-in to your 
  
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  world. Callbacks to earlier adventures, repeating villains, and 
  allies whose fortunes wax and wane based on the actions of 
  the heroes helps reinforce the idea that what your players do 
  actually matters in history.
  Subvert Expectations
  Think about what your players expect at the adventure’s end, 
  and twist it. Is the true villain the sneering industrialist or his 
  mutated, super-genius ten-year-old son? Has history changed 
  to accomplish something obvious, or is there a secret purpose 
  that no one has seen coming? And of course, is there a way to 
  get an albino hyper-intelligent gorilla into the story?
  By occasionally subverting the expectations of your gaming 
  group, you’re going to keep them delightedly guessing. That’s 
  going to make them happy.
  The Beat Down
  A final tactic is to violate the rules and beat the snot out of 
  your players, just once. No, wait; out of the characters, not the 
  players. Have them get in over their heads and pay the price. 
  They won’t like it at the time, we guarantee. But from then on 
  they’ll be worrying, “Heck, maybe we’ve done it again…”
  Where Is This Time Machine Going?
  Related to the “awesome fatigue” we talked about above, your 
  campaign can also suffer from a fundamental lack of direction 
  if you’re pulling in too many disparate elements and not 
  making them fit into some kind of structure.
  You know this is happening when you start to dread game 
  night. When the thought of trying to pull one more story 
  out of this incredible mess you’ve created just fills you with a 
  dull sort of twitching horror. When you can’t even keep track 
  of who’s who or what’s what anymore, and you just sort of 
  rush from one kooky revelation to another, never letting your 
  heroes settle in and feel comfortable in a part of the world.
  “Too Many Guns” is a problem for your players — they 
  feel unable or un-inclined to engage with your game. “Where 
  Is This Time Machine Going” is a problem for you — you can 
  no longer figure out how to develop a coherent storyline out 
  of all the elements you’ve dumped on the table.
  The solution is painful but can be over quickly if you act 
  decisively. Kill all your babies. Whatever stuff in the game you 
  love the most, kill it. Kill that supporting character you think is 
  so cool. Kill that sweet subplot with the agency director. You 
  don’t have to actually kill things in the game; just drop them. 
  Make a resolution with yourself to just slide those things out 
  of the way. Simplify.
  Your players probably won’t even notice, if you’ve been 
  steadily inundating them with new stuff every session.
  Pick a few things that your players are already clearly 
  interested in and keep those. Develop them and use them as 
  the basis for the rest of the campaign, and just forget about 
  everything else. And if your players do ask about something 
  you jettisoned, you can just bring it on back. And they will 
  never know. Promise yourself you’ll use all that other cool stuff 
  in future campaigns. Or maybe for when you write that novel. 
  Yeah, that novel…
  PULP CAMPAIGN HOOKS
  Must Love Cats
  A sample pulp adventure in this book, Queen of  the Nile (see 
  p. 366), introduces an alternate timeline in which Cleopatra’s 
  Alexandrian Empire ends up ruling the Western world. In the 
  adventure as written the heroes will restore the glory of Rome 
  and keep the world as is, but what if the Alexandrians don’t 
  go down so easily?
  Founded on Egyptian wealth and opulence and tolerance 
  rather than Roman rigor and stoicism and racism, the 
  Alexandrian world grows into a glittering, kaleidoscopic crazy 
  quilt of cultures and peoples all mixed together. Unburdened 
  by a Dark Ages or the repression of the Church, science and 
  technology develop far faster in the Alexandrian timeline. 
  Future Alexandrians seem like sorcerers, wielding technology 
  that is dressed up in gold and gorgeous gemstones — 
  Cleopatra’s love of ostentation makes a permanent mark on 
  Western culture in this timeline.
  And cats.
  The Alexandrians love cats, and by, say, the 23rd-century or 
  so, they have superintelligent house cats equipped with magical 
  technology. These are the true enemies to our time stream: 
  an army of vicious, deadly, extremely cute serial killer time 
  travelers that cannot be distinguished from perfectly ordinary 
  house cats. They spy on our world, gathering intel about how 
  our time warriors try to defend our existence, and perform 
  carefully disguised assassinations whenever necessary.
  If you use the Queen of  the Nile adventure to kick off your 
  campaign, that can nicely kick off the possibility of house cats 
  as agents. Perhaps the Agents’ next mystery proves impossible 
  to solve… until the investigators realize that the cat must have 
  done it! Once they realize that there are time traveling cats in 
  play, no household pet will go un-interrogated. And of course, 
  as the Alexandrians get more desperate to defend their timeline, 
  the deadliness of their furry operatives will only increase.
  Alternate histories are the pulp GM’s best friends. You can 
  pull anything out of an alternate history. You can even start 
  using the same alternate histories over and over again, leaving 
  the Agents to wonder why that particular timeline won’t 
  fade out. It makes total sense for heroes in a pulp campaign 
  to jump from one timeline to another. If they learn that the 
  Alexandrian Empire develops a whole teleportation system 
  using giant Egyptian obelisks, maybe that will help them 
  engineer a way to save their history from those ezeru bent on 
  blockading the British Museum long enough to butcher the 
  Royal Family!
  The Highly Advanced  
  Technological Artifact in the Stone
  King Arthur and the legend of Excalibur, the sword that could 
  not be broken, could cut through anything, and would only 
  release itself into the hands of a king.
  Legend? A primitive description of the first steel sword? Or 
  an intelligent energy weapon?
  
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  Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Just an over-embellished story about 
  an angry carpenter? Or was it a swarm of supersonic nano-machines?
  A far-future faction wishes to redirect history, to make their 
  faction triumphant. Perhaps they want to ensure humanity 
  reaches the stars. Or they want to eliminate their key rival. 
  They know that time travel, while possible, is carefully policed. 
  So instead of running around causing trouble and getting 
  themselves caught, they find the origins of ancient myths and 
  provide those heroes with highly advanced technology.
  They plant intelligent items in history, and leave them to 
  wait. To observe, gather data, report, and when the time is 
  right, to activate. To destroy TimeWatch once and for all.
  Excalibur. Mjolnir. Smoking Mirror. Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. 
  Jingu Bang. Dozens of them, waiting all around the world.
  This campaign can begin quietly, or with a big bang.  The 
  quiet version has the Agents sent to investigate a small matter 
  — a change observed in some of the earliest versions of the 
  Arthur myth. In these versions, such as Geoffrey of Monmouth’s 
  A History of  the Kings of  Britain, Arthur is killed by his own sword, 
  rather than falling to wounds suffered in battle with his son, 
  Mordred. Researching this leads to the discovery that Arthur’s 
  receipt of Excalibur involved a renegade time traveler, and thence 
  onwards to learn that such “infiltrations” lie behind many legends 
  of supernatural weapons. The campaign thus becomes a race to 
  uncover why these mysterious time travelers are doing this, realize 
  that history is full of these items, and interfere somehow before 
  the activation of the weapons destroys TimeWatch itself.
  The big bang opening has TimeWatch agents in the 
  early 21st century suddenly assaulted and killed by heroes 
  erupting out of legend, wielding weapons of unearthly power. 
  Your Agents are among the few that escape the immediate 
  onslaught, and fight against modern versions of ancient myths 
  in order to preserve TimeWatch.
  Either way, you’ll have plenty of pulpy action to fill your 
  players with joy.
  I Hate Those Guys
  The default troublemakers for TimeWatch, like the nasty 
  sophosaurs or the hideous ezeru, make for classic pulp 
  enemies.
  The key is to bring them into the light. A Conspiracy game 
  can revolve around the search to prove what’s really going on, 
  a Chronal Horror game about the scuttling dread that maybe 
  giant cockroaches are involved, but a Pulp game is going to get 
  past that stuff and to the mighty mighty ass-whooping quickly. 
  This is where alternate time streams can really shine.
  In a “Those Guys” campaign, alternate histories turn into 
  whole other worlds where the majority of your adventuring 
  can take place. Certain points in history are places (“vortices”) 
  where the alternate time streams “line up” and unwary (or 
  extra-savvy) time travelers can switch from one history to 
  another. It’s most fun if these vortices are one-way. That way, 
  your Agents get yanked through to the alternate time stream 
  and then have to struggle to find a way back.
  You can have this happen early on in the campaign. Open with 
  an adventure that pits the Agents against a group of sophosaurs, 
  leading them to discover a vortex and get inadvertently pulled 
  through it. Now they’re trapped in the world of intelligent 
  dinosaurs, on the run and unable to get back to the primary 
  time stream unless they can find another vortex.
  There will of course be a cabal of locals who are interested 
  in helping your heroes, and they will inevitably get drawn into 
  local conflicts as they struggle to find a way home.
  Of course, once they do find a way back to the human-
  dominated time stream we’re all so fond of, they’ll only be a 
  few steps behind a philosoraptor army intent on wiping out 
  the authors of their species’ destruction.
  This campaign plays out much like a more traditional fantasy 
  adventure game, but the Agents can time travel; it’s just that 
  for most of the game they are time traveling within the alien 
  time stream, looking for a vortex that will get them back to 
  their own history.
  You get less playing around with actual history in this sort of 
  campaign, although the quest for vortices can suggest all sorts 
  of possibilities. Vortices don’t have to be permanent, which 
  could explain something like the Bermuda Triangle. Was there 
  a vortex there in the ’40s and ’50s, but it subsequently faded, 
  explaining why there have been fewer disappearances there 
  than previously? Any sort of strange episode in history could 
  be explained by a vortex.
  You could also play around with alien versions of our own 
  history; a sophosauric Tang dynasty, for example, complete 
  with a dinosaur An Lushan, would be a blast.
  Weird technology, inhuman armies, and a desperate search 
  for a way home: all elements of a great pulp tale!
  REBELLION CAMPAIGN FRAME
  If you could change time, why wouldn’t you? If you could 
  right wrongs, save lives, and ensure justice is done in the 
  past, don’t you have a responsibility to do it? With the right 
  technology your dream of a better future can become a reality.
  These are beliefs that are commonly held by the so-called 
  rebellion. Their motivations vary, but they all refuse to accept 
  the status quo and resent TimeWatch telling them how things 
  should be. To them, there is no fate but what we make.
  Running a campaign focusing on characters who want 
  to change history instead of restore it can be extremely 
  challenging and tremendously fun. Time travel allows 
  characters to not only explore history but to shape it. The 
  sense of accomplishment they feel once they achieve their 
  goals can be great. This campaign frame explores what such 
  a campaign entails and how to overcome any obstacles you 
  might face.
  MOTIVATIONS
  Why does someone become a rebel?
  The short answer is to make a difference, but that can mean 
  different things to different people. A rebel has to want that 
  change to happen so much that they risk their lives and reality 
  itself to achieve it.
  
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  So the question, then, is why do they want to make that change?
  It could be for personal reasons. This is usually when 
  there is some tragedy in the rebel’s past or something that 
  they regret. Their motivation is to change this event and 
  improve their present, maybe even saving loved ones in 
  the bargain. These rebels rarely have large schemes and 
  may cease time traveling once they’ve achieved their goal. 
  Reaching that point may be more complicated than they 
  initially thought. 
  Other rebels can feel that the world could be improved with 
  alterations made to history. This can be an ongoing project, as 
  there are always ways in which things can be improved. Not all 
  rebels will agree on what constitutes an improvement.
  Some rebels want to change history simply because 
  TimeWatch says that they can’t. They could want to destabilize 
  time to see what happens, or to wipe out TimeWatch 
  altogether. In this case their goal is to change key moments, 
  without any knowledge of how things will turn out.
  Not all rebels originate from the prime timeline. Some 
  time travelers come from divergent timelines and are shocked 
  to find that their history isn’t real. Some can even become 
  stranded if TimeWatch eliminates the alteration that gave rise 
  to their future history, driving them to try and recreate their 
  divergent future just so they can go home. Such rebels are 
  therefore motivated to ensure that the prime timeline becomes 
  more like their divergence. If the rebel has a record of their 
  divergent timeline, they will have a way to identify what events 
  must be altered to achieve their goal.
  A character’s motivation is the fuel of a campaign. As long 
  as they still feel that desire they will keep going. Over the 
  course of a series they will have opportunities to re-examine 
  that motivation and even change it. Conflicting motivations 
  are ripe for powerful emotional scenes.
  CHANGES
  This is the key element of a Rebellion game. What is it that a 
  rebel wants to change? 
  It could be linked to their motivation or something from 
  their past. It could be something they’ve been assigned by a 
  superior, or something that an ally (or more powerful enemy) 
  wants changed.
  The bigger the change, the more likely that TimeWatch 
  and other time travelers will notice. In this context the size of 
  the change depends on how it will affect the rest of history. 
  Assassinating historical figures or introducing anachronistic 
  Betray TimeWatch and become a rebel, but never relax; loyal agents will be chasing you down.
  
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  technology will get far more notice than saving someone from 
  dying in a fire in a small town.
  Rebels could be satisfied using time travel to score minor 
  victories. They change just enough to make things better 
  without being noticed. Such rebels might never encounter 
  a TimeWatch agent, but the overall path of history will stay 
  largely the same.
  Such changes need not be restricted to single individuals. 
  The fortune of a whole community can be affected without 
  the rest of the world being altered. If the community is isolated 
  or far in the past before instantaneous communication, few 
  will notice anything has shifted.
  Rebels generally need to think bigger if they wish to make 
  a change of real consequence, with lasting effects. These 
  usually center on major historical events and figures. Even 
  changing the footnotes of history can catch the attention of 
  TimeWatch. Judging what will and will not draw attention is a 
  matter of judgment and experience. Either a rebel doesn’t care 
  or they push their luck, deciding on just which side of caution 
  they will err.
  The nature of the rebel and their moral character can also 
  dictate how they carry out those changes. Violence might be 
  an easy answer, but not every time traveler is willing to hurt 
  or kill others to get what they want. Is it still murder if your 
  change saves more future people than you’ve hurt? Is it worth 
  bringing about a preferable potential timeline if it means 
  murdering innocents? The ethical quandaries get murky fairly 
  quickly, and philosophical lines in the sand can even divide 
  rebels who are ostensibly working together.
  Self-imposed restrictions encourage creative thinking. 
  Can they make a change using just persuasion, diplomacy, 
  or trickery? While this is more of a challenge, it can be a 
  rewarding way to complete a scenario, especially in a campaign 
  with a lighter tone.
  OPPOSITION
  If rebels are attempting a change that is likely to get them 
  noticed, they can expect to encounter TimeWatch agents from 
  a future in which they have succeeded. These confrontations 
  will be frequent and increasingly difficult to overcome.
  To a rebel, TimeWatch can appear to be all knowing 
  and omnipresent. What they might not know is that any 
  TimeWatch agent they encounter may have spent a significant 
  period of time investigating the problem before they ever find 
  the rebels and show up to stop them.
  You might imagine how such an adventure would play out 
  for the TimeWatch agents. It can be useful for the GM to 
  think about how the actions of the rebels would leave clues 
  that can be investigated by TimeWatch. This can be when the 
  rebels fail at a roll; they could make a mistake or leave a clue 
  that allows a TimeWatch agent to either arrive at that moment 
  or that puts TimeWatch on the rebels’ trail.
  For example, a failed Burglary test could mean that while 
  the rebels were able to unlock the door, they damaged the lock 
  in the process. TimeWatch later examined the door, noticed 
  the damage, and traveled back to set an ambush for the rebels 
  inside. Effectively, this means that the GM might ambush the 
  characters any time the players fail a significant test or leave 
  noticeable clues… a state of affairs that doubtlessly might 
  make the rebels appropriately paranoid.
  If the rebels aren’t taking any steps to cover their tracks, or 
  they draw attention to themselves, then TimeWatch can find 
  them by talking to witnesses, searching surveillance footage 
  (possibly from hidden cameras that TimeWatch travels back 
  to plant), or examining records.
  This doesn’t always mean there will be a direct attack any 
  time the rebels slip up. If the clue doesn’t positively identify 
  them, then TimeWatch might just send one or two agents back 
  to check for themselves. They won’t want to prevent the action 
  that created the clue, so will have to keep their distance as 
  they verify the rebels’ identity for themselves. This gives the 
  rebels a chance to hide, disguise themselves, or otherwise go 
  unnoticed.
  It is also possible that by this stage in the investigation 
  the TimeWatch agents have already suffered some chronal 
  instability and run out of pool points to use. Time travel is 
  risky and they can’t do it for every clue, so even if the rebels 
  make a mistake it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are about to 
  be ambushed. Not that the players will know that.
  If TimeWatch are able to find the rebels because of a mistake 
  they’ve made, the rebels might be tempted to try and undo that 
  mistake. If they were successfully able to defeat the TimeWatch 
  agents or escape, there is little reason to do this other than to 
  conceal their trail. If they notice a mistake before TimeWatch 
  has, traveling back to fix it might save them from discovery. 
  Removing a clue does slow TimeWatch’s investigation, but 
  without the confrontation with the rebels they will have 
  expended fewer resources. This can mean that they are stronger 
  when they encounter the rebels at a later (or earlier) point.
  Of course, changing known facts triggers paradox. Once 
  rebels know that their enemies have picked up their trail, 
  anything they do to then preemptively remove that trail will 
  trigger Paradox tests. If successful, TimeWatch might lose the 
  scent; if not, the paradox doesn’t stop the clue from rippling 
  forwards through time.
  There could be an occasion where one single clue was 
  critical to TimeWatch picking up the rebel’s trail. If that is 
  removed then they would never find them. Should the rebels 
  discover this then removing that clue could be crucial to 
  escaping capture.
  Victory must at least be a possibility in a Rebellion game, so 
  while agents in a standard TimeWatch game can try to fix time 
  several times, here they can only do so once. If the rebel is able 
  to change time, then TimeWatch has failed and can now only 
  try to minimize the damage.
  This can allow rebels to concentrate on their goal. Each 
  step closer to achieving their goal is a sign of progress, and 
  TimeWatch can only directly work to rob them of that before 
  the change is made. 
  Rebellion games shouldn’t always be the rebels stalked by 
  TimeWatch; if TimeWatch agents try to reverse rebel gains 
  with their own unique plan, the rebels should have the 
  opportunity to take the offensive and try and head off the 
  surreptitious attack altogether. 
  
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  COMPETITION
  TimeWatch represents the primary force pushing against historical 
  change, but there are other time traveling factions who want to 
  make changes of their own. Some of these can be directly against 
  the rebels’ own interests, such as the Europans’ desire to wipe 
  out humanity, but other time travelers could just want to make a 
  change that will unfortunately conflict with the rebels’ goals.
  If the rebel has identified a particular point as being crucial 
  to changing history, then other time travelers could have 
  come to the same conclusion. This can cause several parties 
  to converge on a particular event, each trying to change it to 
  benefit themselves.
  This event is usually described as a “Berlin scenario,” where 
  so many people try to assassinate Hitler in 1940s Berlin 
  that TimeWatch has a permanent safe house and mission 
  assignment bureau stationed there.
  A Berlin scenario can lead to conflict, negotiation, or an 
  alliance. The more parties present, the more complicated 
  negotiation becomes. In addition, the presence of so many 
  time travelers is bound to get the attention of TimeWatch.
  If this happens during a mission the rebels will need to 
  identify who the other party or parties are and what they are 
  trying to achieve. While this can complicate matters, other time 
  travelers can provide a smokescreen for the rebels’ actions.
  Should TimeWatch focus on the other time travelers, then 
  the rebels will be able to make the change they want right 
  under their very noses. Rather than leave this to chance, the 
  rebels can frame the other time travelers or leave incriminating 
  clues to alert TimeWatch to their actions.
  The rebels could only learn about the actions of the other 
  time travelers after the fact. This is when a change is made 
  to history but not restored to how it originally was. If the 
  rebels don’t like this alteration (which could undo their own 
  work) they’ll be in a similar position to TimeWatch, forced to 
  investigate how this change occurred and make sure things are 
  restored to how they want it.
  This works both ways, so the rebels could be in the process 
  of making a change to history when another party becomes 
  aware of their presence. These rival time travelers could attack 
  them directly or act behind the scenes, making the rebels’ lives 
  more difficult.
  SUCCESS
  The adventure is not over when the rebels do successfully 
  make a change. TimeWatch is lucky that they have a record of 
  the original timeline, allowing them to navigate. Once rebels 
  have made a change to history they have no such roadmap. 
  The change they’ve made might result in the outcome 
  they were hoping for, but equally it might go wrong or 
  create an even worse situation. Rebels have to deal with the 
  repercussions they’ve caused. This doesn’t necessarily mean 
  undoing their hard work, but it’s usually wise for them to get 
  events under control.
  There is also a larger consequence for an ongoing series 
  or campaign. The more changes that are made, the less 
  recognizable the timeline will be as our history. While this can 
  be fun for the rebels to explore, it also means there are fewer 
  and fewer identifiable reference points for the GM to focus on 
  and for players to use.
  A way to mitigate this is by having the changes relate to 
  specific parts of history, while leaving the rest of time 
  untouched. So while rebels might reshape and rename Italy 
  or manage to prevent dinosaurs becoming extinct, the rest of 
  history plays out as before. The amount of other changes are 
  usually directly related with how much fun you have thinking 
  about alternate history when you GM.
  This is even easier to do if you focus on changing events in 
  the 21st century, ahead of our own real world. Give the rebels 
  terrible events in our future to prevent, avert, or change. They 
  can be responsible for making a brighter tomorrow, without 
  ever confusing the actual past.
  History can also be reshaped so that it is closer to the original 
  timeline, without undoing the changes the rebels have made. 
  This could be done by TimeWatch, other time travelers, or 
  by the rebels themselves as they attempt to fix any problems 
  they’ve caused.
  This will create an internal history of time itself within 
  your campaign. The rebels will recall the periods of the game 
  where the 20th century was ravaged with numerous world 
  wars until they got things under control, or how they created a 
  new history where the Roman Empire now survived into the 
  19th century for several adventures until the ezeru managed to 
  eliminate Julius Caesar from the timeline. 
  ADVENTURE FRAMEWORK
  In most TimeWatch games the players initially take the role 
  of reactive characters. They are presented with a threat or 
  opportunity, and the adventure is built around how they 
  respond. This allows you some control over who they meet, 
  what they’ll do, and where they must go.
  A Rebellion campaign puts the characters in a more proactive 
  role. They will be trying to change something in history, 
  requiring you to react to them. You must devise the challenges 
  they must pass in order to achieve their aim, add opponents, 
  and (if they are successful) establish what the resulting effects 
  of their actions will be to the flow of history.
  This can put a lot of pressure on you, especially if you’re 
  not used to on-the-fly improvisation. Luckily there are ways 
  to frame this proactive role in a more traditional adventure 
  structure. 
  If the players have a definite plan of what part of history 
  they wish to alter, they can advise you ahead of time so that 
  you can research the period and work out any factors involved. 
  This works particularly well if the changes they want to make 
  won’t have a big impact on history. Small, personal objectives 
  are more easily achievable, there is less opposition to worry 
  about, and you don’t have to worry about completely rewriting 
  the timeline each adventure.
  Individual or small groups of time travelers that want to 
  make big changes are easy prey for TimeWatch. The moment 
  they start making noticeable changes, agents will be dispatched 
  
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  to deal with them. With the resources and manpower available 
  to TimeWatch, those on their own will soon be caught.
  Far better for them to join one of the numerous erebellion 
  organizations. The player characters might have to learn the 
  hard way, allowing one of the rebellions to come to their 
  rescue. They can then be recruited to the rebellion’s cause.
  Once a member of the rebellion, they can then be 
  assigned missions to improve their standing. The rebels are 
  still changing history, but you can prepare exactly what their 
  targets are. If the player characters share the same motivations 
  as their chosen organization, they’ll want to complete the 
  mission assigned to them.
  The adventure itself, whether set by the rebels or assigned 
  by an organization, is very similar to that of writing a normal 
  TimeWatch scenario. You establish key points that will cause a 
  change, but you allow the player characters to be the ones to 
  actually make that alteration.
  Sometimes there is a single event or person that the rebels 
  need to influence. This is ideal if you want the adventure 
  to center on a particular time and place. In other instances 
  there are multiple factors that need to be changed before they 
  have achieved their goal. This approach is more suited for 
  adventures that will take rebels up and down the timeline. 
  The challenge can be increased by the actions of other time 
  travelers, while the opposition presented by TimeWatch can 
  be scaled in response to the rebels’ actions. In this way, the 
  players themselves will influence how easy or difficult they 
  find it to achieve their goal.
  REBELLION ORGANIZATIONS
  There are several time travel organizations, but their numbers 
  fluctuate as they are erased or created due to changes in time. 
  TimeWatch can rid themselves of one group, only for another 
  to pop into existence and remain even after the divergent 
  timeline is removed.
  Below you will find a selection of notable organizations 
  with a variety of goals. Each is provided with an overview of 
  the organization, how it is structured (including notable bases 
  of operation), and some sample missions.
  Player characters can join these groups or find themselves 
  in opposition to them. If you are playing a standard TimeWatch 
  Patrol campaign than every one of them can be a potential 
  enemy. 
  Clockwork Chronal Entertainment
  Overview
  When they acquired time travel technology, the major 
  media provider that would become Clockwork Chronal 
  Entertainment already knew they had the key to creating films 
  and television shows like no other.
  Agents were sent to recruit the best writers, directors, and 
  actors that history had ever known. Who wouldn’t want to 
  see an action film written by William Shakespeare, directed 
  by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Humphrey Bogart and 
  Charlton Heston? Orson Welles could finally bring Don 
  Quixote to the screen.
  Clockwork Chronal Entertainment could send news crews 
  to cover the crucifixion of Christ or the Great Fire of London 
  live! Chat shows could feature major historical figures, where 
  members of the public could phone to put questions to the 
  likes of Abraham Lincoln and Elvis Presley.
  Film history could be tweaked to see what form classic 
  movies would take if different actors were cast, or if an 
  alternative decision had been made in editing.
  Employees of Clockwork Chronal Entertainment get to 
  rub shoulders with celebrities, as long as the celebrities are 
  kept happy. This can be worth the risk of heading back into 
  primitive time zones or covering dangerous historical events.
  Ratings are more important to Clockwork Chronal 
  Entertainment than preserving history.
  Structure
  In Clockwork Chronal Entertainment, you’re only as good 
  as your last project. Members constantly fight to become 
  attached to films and television shows that are successful, just 
  so that the members can secure promotions and work their 
  way up the chain of command. End up on too many projects 
  which make a loss, and you’ll never work again.
  This mentality ensures that employees of the company 
  are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. It also means 
  that they aren’t willing to take risks, so some projects must be 
  privately funded to prove that they can command an audience.
  There are many different departments within Clockwork 
  Chronal Entertainment, but they all report to the accountants. 
  Time travel is limited to those that need to film on location in 
  different eras or for missions to “recruit” stars from the past.
  Behind the scenes at the Clockwork Chronal Entertainment, 
  the studio is a melting pot of history. Employees from multiple 
  projects and many different time periods cross paths or gather 
  at catering. Extinct animals are moved in cages by extremely 
  nervous handlers while technicians struggle to get futuristic 
  technology working in time for shooting.
  The studio has extremely effective legal teams who ensure 
  their ironclad nondisclosure contracts aren’t breached. They 
  take steps to protect their time travel technology and keep the 
  government or outside agencies from interfering in their affairs.
  Sample Missions
  The Moon in Manhattan
  The player characters are working on the film One Small Step, 
  about the first men on the moon. It isn’t practical to film on 
  the moon so a studio set is created in New York, and Stanley 
  Kubrick will direct. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong have 
  been acquired from 1970 and conditioned to believe that they 
  really are on the moon.
  A breach in security allows members of the public to 
  take photos of the project. When these are released, the 
  public believe that the Apollo 11 mission was faked, and the 
  American public stops supporting the space race. To ensure 
  that their film still has an audience, the Agents must improve 
  security and stop those photos from seeing the light of day.
  
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  Movie History
  Sometimes when a film crew goes back to record a historical 
  event, it just isn’t that interesting. Having already spent a lot 
  of money on the project, something has to be done to punch 
  it up and make it more exciting. Such is the case when the 
  Agents accompany a film crew to film Columbus discovering 
  North America.
  At the director’s request, the Agents are asked to find a way 
  to redirect Columbus’ ships to a more interesting portion of 
  North America. There they should meet some of the local 
  tribes, and maybe find themselves in conflict before working 
  together against hostile local wildlife.
  Can the Agents keep up with increasingly strange demands 
  of the director without history coming apart at the seams?
  As It Happens
  It should have been a quiet film shoot in the picturesque 1920s 
  Spanish countryside, with just a few actors from the 1980s 
  and 2030s. So why is a documentary team from the future of 
  Clockwork Chronal Entertainment interviewing the Agents 
  about their role in a forthcoming tragedy that will make movie 
  history?
  If there’s an incoming disaster, the Agents’ careers are on 
  the line. The Agents have to be on their guard and work out 
  what is about to occur, since the documentary team refuses to 
  tell them anything that could alter events, all so that they can 
  capture authentic reactions.
  Crosstime
  Overview
  Not all TimeWatch agents maintain the surety that their 
  choices to preserve history are the correct ones. Some come 
  to believe that they would be better off improving history, 
  making the world a better place and ensuring greater peace, 
  prosperity, and happiness for humankind. They defect from 
  TimeWatch with as much technology as they can carry, and 
  they join Crosstime. 
  Structure
  Crosstime keeps its secrets hidden in the places where 
  TimeWatch can’t easily track them down — the lost years 
  between calendar changes, the 19th-century confusion of over 
  100 US railroad time zones, and the near-endless monotony 
  of pre-dinosaur Earth. The group consists almost entirely 
  of former TimeWatch agents and great thinkers from across 
  history who have chosen to throw in their resources and 
  intellect with Crosstime. TimeWatch is thought of as well 
  meaning but dangerously naïve thugs, agents smart enough to 
  fix history but without the vision to see the paradise that could 
  truly exist if only they would allow it. 
  There are a surprising number of undercover Crosstime 
  recruiters within TimeWatch’s ranks as well. There they 
  cautiously gather resources, identify recruitment prospects, and 
  spy on ongoing missions to alert Crosstime of opportunities. 
  Most Crosstime revolutionaries are experienced and seasoned 
  field agents, thinkers, and philosophers who know how to kill 
  for their cause. This makes them exceptionally dangerous.
  While Crosstime steadfastly resists the ezeru, it’s allied with 
  several of the less isolationist clans of sophosaurs. Whether 
  this is wise is still up for debate, but the raptors’ psychic 
  technology is allowing Crosstime to succeed where it would 
  otherwise have failed, and that’s making history a better place.
  Sample Missions
  Traitor in Our Midst
  It’s suspected that a new Crosstime recruit is secretly a 
  TimeWatch undercover spy. The player character Agents are 
  assigned to take him on a mission to adjust history, and decide 
  once and for all whether he can be trusted.
  Supply Run
  Crosstime needs technology, and there’s no tech like 
  TimeWatch tech. The Agents are assigned to break into a 
  secret TimeWatch supply depot and clean it out. That’s easier 
  said than done, and how can they do so without turning it into 
  a massive trap?
  History Improvement
  The Agents are ordered to inoculate native North and South 
  American tribes to European diseases, thus changing the 
  course of history. This easily noticed change is a distraction 
  from a real Crosstime mission going on simultaneously. Can 
  the Agents pull it off, and what are the real changes at stake?
  Judgment Day
  Overview
  There are those who escape justice, at least according to 
  history. Judgment Day is determined to set the record 
  straight. Recruiting from detectives, bounty hunters, and 
  members of law enforcement, they use time travel to crack 
  unsolved crimes.
  They travel to different eras, sometimes going undercover 
  within various police forces so that they have access to local 
  resources and personnel. With their knowledge of the future 
  and advanced technology they try to identify the guilty party. 
  Once they have their target, they’ll either ensure that there is 
  enough evidence to insure their conviction or dispatch the 
  suspect themselves.
  TimeWatch opposes the vigilante organization, as they can 
  unintentionally stop murderers from killing further victims. 
  Leaving such people alive introduces additional random 
  factors to history which can cause a divergence.
  Structure
  First and foremost, members of Judgment Day are officers of 
  the law. In almost every case their time travel technology was 
  confiscated from time travelers that crossed their path. Only 
  a few members actually have their own time machine, instead 
  relying on so-called dispatch officers to take them where they 
  need to go.
  Members are under no illusion that what they are doing 
  is legal. Secrecy is paramount, right alongside loyalty to the 
  badge. The day-to-day administration is done in back rooms, 
  basements, and secluded public places.
  
  ALTERNATE CAMPAIGN FRAMES
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  Their organizational structure is similarly loose, with 
  different groups acting in various locations and time periods 
  connected only by friends and acquaintances. Information is 
  shared and favors are done when it will help close a case.
  New members are considered rookies, no matter how 
  much experience they’ve had enforcing the law. Assigned an 
  experienced partner they are guided through the process of 
  using time travel to solve crimes and apprehend criminals.
  Like any law enforcement agency, corruption is a problem. 
  Even time traveling cops have been known to take a bribe 
  or abuse their powers. To combat this they have their own 
  version of internal affairs, officers who have the added 
  advantage that they can go back and witness a cop’s actions to 
  see for themselves if they are corrupt.
  Sentencing of the guilty (which is almost always execution) 
  is an unpleasant affair and often reveals the uglier side of 
  the organization. They can be dispatched cleanly or after a 
  vigorous beating, depending entirely on their crimes and how 
  high emotions are running amongst the executioners.
  This is when members need to remind themselves that they 
  aren’t just gratifying their bloodlust or need for closure, but 
  ensuring that they’ve altered history for the better. Judgment 
  Day makes sure that bad people get what they deserve. If only 
  traditional law enforcement could do the same.
  Sample Missions
  In the Walls
  Building contractor Emil Frost was suspected of murdering 
  his wife, but because the police couldn’t find her body there 
  wasn’t enough evidence to convict him. Ten years after his 
  death the remains of Mrs. Frost are found in a building 
  he helped build, with DNA evidence that proves he was 
  responsible for her death. 
  The player characters are sent to make sure that the 
  prosecuting lawyers have the evidence they need to send Frost 
  to jail. Failing that, they are to apprehend him for execution. 
  This is more difficult than it seems because Emil’s son Victor 
  moved the body into the building after his father died. To 
  secure a conviction, the player characters will need to find 
  where the body is buried.
  Too Close
  Assigned to investigate the unsolved murder of Donna Sable, 
  the player characters find that her father, Liam, another 
  member of Judgment Day, is also investigating the case. This 
  is a breach of the group’s code of conduct, so they must get 
  him to back off as sensitively as they can.
  Donna died in a car accident, and it appears that someone 
  had cut her brakes. The player characters’ investigation reveals 
  that the car was improperly repaired by Liam, and that she lost 
  control when trying to escape her time traveling father who 
  was tailing her vehicle.
  If Liam finds out, he’ll try to punish his past self for his 
  failings.
  Old West Justice
  Sent back to 1869 to the small town of Red Stone, the player 
  characters are assigned to capture the notorious Mad Dog 
  Killer gang. They are due to slaughter 30 people in a bank 
  robbery gone wrong, including legendary law man Billy Bob 
  Craston. In the original history, the gang escaped and was 
  never captured. 
  Not only are the player characters to stop the criminals but 
  they must try to recruit Billy Bob Craston to their cause. When 
  they approach him is crucial, as Billy Bob was actually working 
  with the gang (his death was a result of friendly fire), and he 
  will betray Judgment Day to get their time travel technology.
  Knights Temporal
  Overview
  For better or for worse, there’s little that unites and divides 
  humankind more than religious faith. In the name of faith, 
  people perform acts of ineffable kindness and grace; they 
  will donate every cent they own, risk their own life, and open 
  their heart to strangers in order to live up to being the kind of 
  person they aspire to be. The other side of the coin is religious 
  fear and violence; people go to war, kill or shun unbelievers, 
  and turn on neighbors who happen to hold different beliefs. 
  Religion and faith are forces that control countries, politics, 
  wars, and marriages. 
  Really, it should be no surprise that the Church laid claim to 
  time travel as soon as they could do so.
  Structure
  The Knights Temporal was originally founded by the Vatican, 
  but has since expanded its membership to invite members 
  of other Christian churches. Its time traveling members have 
  sworn to promote Christianity by any and all means possible. 
  As such, they search through history for religious linchpins 
  and act coherently and in force to change history in such a way 
  that their God and Church are glorified. This is not to say that 
  this makes them warmongers or evil; far from it, and many 
  Knights Temporal are kind, gentle, and forward thinking. 
  They are single-minded, however, and they are united by the 
  belief that the world is a better place when their teachings 
  are spread as far and wide as possible. When this must be 
  accomplished by violence instead of diplomacy or clever 
  historical manipulation, they hope to make such historical 
  strikes as surgical as possible.
  You’ll find the Knights Temporal defending historical 
  changes by others that promote Christianity; arranging 
  that setbacks to Christianity are minimized or removed; 
  providing the special effects needed for miracles in order to 
  ensure sainthood to the most holy of historical figures; and 
  cleaning house, removing corrupt or ungodly religious figures 
  throughout history in order to make the Church and the world 
  a better place. They wage holy wars against other religions 
  (and other time travelers), creating messes that TimeWatch 
  often helps resolve.
  Sample Missions
  Saints Alive
  Three charismatic and well-organized Knights Temporal from 
  the near future decide that the world will be a better place 
  with better Church PR. They travel to every pope to teach him 
  how to sway as many hearts and minds as possible, and they 
  
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  literally create saints from wise and charismatic worshippers 
  by supplying convincing special effects. Drunk on power from 
  becoming the Vatican’s dirty little secret for hundreds of years, 
  and suffering from chronal instability, the trinity of advisers 
  decides to marshal the Church into its own holy army instead 
  of leaving well enough alone as trusted counselors. The player 
  characters are sent to stop them, and rescue them, before 
  TimeWatch can get involved.
  Schism
  In the year 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne, King 
  of the Franks, as Holy Roman emperor. This led to the Great 
  Schism of 1054 that split medieval Christianity into two 
  branches that still haven’t fully healed today. How many more 
  people might have been saved if this had never occurred? It’s 
  the players’ job to find out — understanding that this will 
  change the world, and someone will ultimately want to change 
  it back.
  Reinforcements From Yesterday
  Vatican City is attacked, overrun, and destroyed by terrorists 
  in the early 22nd century. It’s up to the Knights Temporal to 
  go back in time and train up a loyal, unswerving army of well-
  armed troops — and then lead them into a surprise defense of 
  the Vatican at the best possible moment. Can time travel and 
  military leadership save the day, in a world where the heart of 
  the Church is destined to be overrun?
  To do this, Restoration looks for historical incidents in which 
  TimeWatch seems to have engineered the events rather than just 
  preserving them. This is highly dangerous, as this brings it to the 
  attention of the very organization it is rebelling against.
  Divergent timelines can be a valuable source of information. 
  Supposedly created by changes to the prime timeline, research 
  has shown that several different divergent timelines share a 
  common past prior to the divergence that’s not reflected in the 
  current prime timeline. Restoration hopes that these common 
  factors give a hint to what originally happened.
  Restoring the original timeline is but one part of their 
  mission. It also investigates TimeWatch itself. Who is really in 
  charge, and what is their ultimate goal? Whose interests does it 
  serve to preserve history in its current form? 
  Restoration knows at some point it will need to eliminate 
  TimeWatch. It is even hoped that erasing the organization will 
  undo the changes TimeWatch has made. This is a last resort, as 
  TimeWatch’s existence keeps enemies of humanity at bay, and 
  removing it might in turn remove Restoration.
  TimeWatch maintains that Restoration is simply a gathering 
  of unstable rogue agents whose sanity has been compromised. 
  It states that it has only ever acted in the best interest of the 
  prime timeline, and it’s delusional to think that there was 
  anything existing before that.
  But then again, that is what you’d expect it to say.
  Structure
  By necessity, Restoration has to be paranoid. It is all too aware 
  of what TimeWatch is capable of. To protect the organization 
  it keeps to a cell structure, so that no single cell or agent knows 
  everyone within the organization.
  Code names are preferred and disguises frequently used 
  when meetings must take place. Encryption, dead drops, and 
  cut-outs are typical of how members communicate with each 
  other. They try to leave as little trace behind as possible.
  Members of Restoration live in a world of shadows and 
  ghosts, never knowing what is real. Mental illness is a common 
  problem, along with chronic chronal instability. Their fellow 
  cell members can find it hard to anchor them, as the process is 
  complicated without trust.
  Agents who stick with it can find parallels in their work to 
  art restoration. It can be slow, painstaking work, but gradually 
  you see more of the big picture and reality itself becomes 
  more real. Finally seeing the truth can be reward enough, no 
  matter what the truth turns out to be. They hope.
  Sample Missions
  A Plague of Snakes
  TimeWatch is detected in the city of Saint-Pierre on the island 
  of Martinique in 1902. Mt. Pelée is due to erupt, heralded by 
  a plague of snakes that will pass through the city to escape. 
  Restoration is suspicious about why the agents are there.
  Investigation reveals that the agents are placing equipment 
  that will actually cause the volcano to erupt, killing 30,000 
  people. The TimeWatch agents claim that someone has 
  altered history to prevent it erupting naturally, but if the player 
  characters can stop them they’ll have saved an entire city which 
  will have major consequences to history.
  GM ADVICE: RELIGION AND 
  THE REAL WORLD
  Be sure that you understand your players’ 
  deeply held religious beliefs before using 
  the Knights Temporal in a purely heroic or 
  villainous role. Likewise, we advise against 
  depicting any religion or people as purely 
  good or purely evil. The real world is full 
  of shades of grey, with complex and well-
  meaning leaders who do their best but remain 
  fallible, and we suspect your game will be 
  the most fun if you avoid easy stereotypes.
  Restoration
  Overview
  Work for TimeWatch long enough, and sooner or later 
  you’ll come to the conclusion that TimeWatch isn’t so much 
  interested in protecting time as shaping it to its own designs. 
  Consisting of former TimeWatch agents, Restoration is 
  determined to uncover the original timeline and restore it. 
  It differs from Crosstime in this regard; while both rebel 
  groups consist of former TimeWatch agents, Crosstime 
  is trying to build a future utopia. Restoration is trying 
  to return history to what it should have been before 
  TimeWatch interfered.
  
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  The Will of TimeWatch
  In the 22nd century a restored painting of Pope Urban II 
  reveals a previously unseen adviser, one who resembles a 
  known TimeWatch agent. The painting is dated to 1095, when 
  Pope Urban II called for the First Crusade.
  Restoration believes that TimeWatch influenced the pope, as 
  the knowledge gained during the wars strengthened Western 
  civilization. The player characters are sent to remove the influence 
  of the TimeWatch agent, but he claims he is only there to prevent 
  the pope from being assassinated before the Crusades begin.
  Do the player characters take him at his word, or change a 
  major part of Western history?
  Memories
  It is routine for TimeWatch to remove agents’ memories, 
  whether it be because they have been exposed to classified 
  information or they’ve learned something about their future. 
  Restoration wants to know what has been taken from them.
  Restoration has made contact with a neurologist in 
  Germany in the 23rd century who says he can restore what has 
  been taken. When the characters meet them he demonstrates 
  his technology, unlocking hidden memories which indicate a 
  member of the group is a traitor. Can this be believed, or is 
  this another TimeWatch trick?
  Zero Hour
  Overview
  In the wake of several terrorist attacks across the 21st century, 
  the US government established Zero Hour to allow a response 
  team to be dispatched into the past to prevent similar attacks 
  and other crises before they happen, or at the very least be able 
  to respond almost instantly.
  When such an event occurs a team of experts is quickly 
  assembled, provided with all the information about the current 
  crisis that has been gathered, and sent back to change history. 
  Zero Hour takes the view that it is saving lives and that the future 
  is not set. TimeWatch disagrees and is increasingly frustrated that 
  tragic, but necessary, events are being wiped from 21st century 
  history. eeeIt also dreads the time when the Zero Hour machine is 
  able to project travelers past its point of activation — technology 
  that Zero Hour is currently striving to perfect.
  Structure
  Falling under the United States Department of Homeland 
  Security, the Zero Hour budget is constantly being scrutinized. 
  Zero Hour is expected to get results, which is difficult to prove 
  as every time it’s successful eit eliminate all traces of the crisis 
  it averted. Zero Hour leadership has resorted to cautious 
  compound interest accumulation, and careful stock market 
  foreknowledge, in order to remain fully funded.
  Working at Zero Hour consists of long periods of 
  boredom, during which the time machine is maintained and 
  data is sifted, and brief periods of absolute intense panic. 
  Chosen time travelers are usually scrambled during the latter 
  state, with rushed mission briefings and frantic attempts to 
  coax undependable machinery to send the travelers into the 
  past.
  Within the time machine’s geodesic dome the occupants are 
  bombarded with chrono-particles by a metal arm that spins 
  around the interior. The faster it spins, the further they are 
  sent back, with a margin of error of 24 hours and several 
  kilometers radius.
  Each time the machine is powered up it creates a unique 
  energy signature. When that charge is released those infused 
  with the chrono-particles are flung backwards in time. As 
  a result, they can only travel to when the machine was last 
  activated, requiring Zero Hour to keep the machine constantly 
  charged up and waiting for the next crisis. 
  Upon arrival they make contact with Zero Hour, which 
  briefs them on the situation. The organization provides the 
  dispatched team with as much support as it can, knowing that 
  they only get one chance at altering time before they begin to 
  suffer the effects of chronal instability.
  The younger incarnations of the Zero Hour team are 
  monitored or removed from the area if it is likely they will 
  come into contact with the time travelers. Once the time 
  travelers catch up to their point of departure they evaporate 
  (along with anything they brought back with them), their 
  minds merging with those of their counterparts. The time 
  travelers’ memories overwrite those of the version that didn’t 
  travel back in time. Occasionally the second set of memories 
  manifests as dreams.
  Currently the main office is situated in Washington, DC, 
  with access to an airfield used to quickly transport time 
  travelers where they need to go. If funding is increased, other 
  Zero Hour sites will be constructed in other states.
  Sample Missions
  Eagle One
  An unexplained technical failure causes Air Force One to 
  crash into a major city. Not only are many civilians dead, but 
  so is the president. Provided with the raw data collected from 
  the crash site, the Zero Hour Agents are sent back to avert 
  the disaster.
  They arrive just hours before the crash while the plane 
  is still in flight. The time travelers must find out what went 
  wrong and prevent it. This is complicated when the data from 
  the crash site reveals someone on the plane is a traitor.
  GM ADVICE: MIX AND MATCH
  Even if they aren’t going head to head with 
  TimeWatch, organizations like Zero Hour 
  make excellent settings for the Wild Times! 
  campaign frame detailed on p. 324. Similarly, 
  any of these groups makes for a good 
  antagonist in a Patrol game of TimeWatch. 
  When you see a setting or group that inspires 
  you, feel free to use it in whichever way looks 
  like the most fun.
  
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  Wind of Change
  A brutal hurricane batters New York, causing flooding, several 
  buildings to collapse, and many innocent people to die. The 
  Zero Hour Agents can’t change the weather, but they have 
  several tragedies they can prevent. With limited time and 
  resources, what do they choose?
  Time to Kill
  The Zero Hour team is sent back three weeks to stop the 
  “Destiny Killer.” Each of his victims found themselves in 
  isolated locations due to a twist of fate, yet their killer seemed 
  to be expecting them. With a list of his next five victims, the 
  team should have the advantage.
  It soon transpires that the killer is a time traveler as well. 
  With their data useless, how can the Zero Hour team catch 
  someone who can move through time at will?
  STRANDED CAMPAIGN FRAME
  A Stranded campaign takes characters from one consistent time 
  and strands them in an era that’s markedly different. TV shows 
  such as Continuum are one example of this, as are movies such 
  as Time After Time (which features Jack the Ripper and H. G. 
  Wells in modern-day Los Angeles). Even A Connecticut Yankee 
  in King Arthur’s Court would count as a Stranded campaign, as 
  would Julian May’s Saga of  Pleiocene Exile.
  “Right this way!” the portly man exclaimed. “Tired of  this overly 
  regulated society of  safety and boredom? Looking for a little adventure 
  in your life? Come to the Pliocene! You’ll hunt and fish like the heroes 
  of  yore, socialize with the other men and women who’ve already 
  ventured back 5.3 million years into a time that truly accepts them, 
  and you’ll build a life you want to live on your own terms. The cost is 
  a mere 90% of  your net worth, but really, we’re the only people in the 
  world who have time travel. If  you want this like we think you do, you 
  already know the price is ludicrously cheap.” He smiled like a shark. 
  “One way only. No refunds.”
  A Stranded campaign has little or no actual time travel after 
  the initial jump, and usually focuses on using future technology 
  to defeat enemies in past-tech locations. Use this campaign 
  setting when your players want to explore high-tech heroes in 
  a low-tech past (or vice versa) or as a time machine–free mini-
  arc in a longer ongoing campaign.
  Stranded campaigns happen when easily acquired time travel 
  is one-way only. The heroes are usually from the future and 
  have been transported back into the past, or (less commonly) 
  from the past and transported into a degenerate and complex 
  future. These two approaches have very different themes and 
  feels, but the concept of being marooned in a time that is not 
  your own remains the same.
  Stranded campaigns can also occur using parallel realities 
  instead of time travel. Characters may accidentally slip from 
  one world to a similar-but-horribly different one, and must 
  find their way home or find a way to adjust.
  The best Stranded campaigns are relatively gritty, focusing 
  on surviving, acclimating, and then thriving in a possibly 
  hostile and unknown world. Ideally the player characters have 
  a known enemy who opposes them in their new time. Not 
  all player characters have to be time travelers; it’s certainly 
  possible to have some time travelers, and some locals who 
  decide to assist them in their mission as allies.
  A LONG WAY FROM HOME
  Stranded games have relatively few rules changes from standard 
  games, although their theme focuses on adjusting to a new 
  time period instead of on using time travel as a tool.
  Kick Back, Stay a While 
  Whether you can’t or won’t leave, a Stranded game assumes that 
  you don’t have easy access to a time machine. Settle in — you 
  may be staying for a bit. 
  That means that setting up a base of local operations is 
  a priority. You’ll want a safe house to operate out of where 
  your use of anachronistic technology won’t be easily noticed. 
  Unless you’re deliberately setting yourself up to impersonate 
  a witch or angel, or some other powerful entity that will scare 
  away the superstitious, you’re at risk to be burned at the 
  stake or murdered in the night by people who want to steal 
  or punish you for your power. Having a sanctuary lets you 
  perform Tinkering repairs and set up a future-tech medical 
  bay without drawing attention to yourself. You can still be at 
  risk, especially if you carve a high profile, but a base might give 
  you enough breathing room to learn about the locals.
  If you don’t intend to stay for long, dispense with the 
  sanctuary but focus on the locals. Inserting yourself into the 
  local power structure and picking the right side in an awkward 
  political struggle may prevent an army from marching on 
  you at an inconvenient time. It’s traditional for time travelers 
  to offer good advice and carefully controlled power to local 
  rulers in order to assure their victory over more powerful 
  enemies. Having friends in high places may be an advantage 
  in your new era.
  Get a Clue
  Investigation may still be important in a Stranded game — 
  how did you arrive here? Who or what is stopping you from 
  returning home? If you’re chasing someone, how do you find 
  and stop them? — but it’s not always the main focus. Your 
  GM should build adventures accordingly.
  The type of investigation is typically quite different than in 
  a standard TimeWatch game. Whether someone has murdered 
  the local lord’s son, you’re tracking down faint signs of another 
  time traveler in the area, or you’re investigating a conspiracy to 
  have you framed for theft and burned to death, you’ll be using 
  high-tech tools to solve traditional crimes. What you then 
  do with the criminals you catch then depends on how much 
  political clout you’ve acquired. No one wants to capture an 
  imperial assassin, kill him in the alleys of ancient Rome, and 
  then stand trial for murder yourself because you can’t produce 
  a confession from the living criminal.
  
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  Time Travel Won’t Solve Problems 
  The nature of being stranded in another time means that you’ll 
  likely lack easy access to future-tech that you didn’t bring with 
  you. Using time travel to explain Preparedness or Investigative 
  spends isn’t allowed, making Investigative spends generally 
  less powerful and requiring a more traditional approach 
  to problem-solving. If you can explain your desired spend 
  without involving immediate time travel, the GM is likely to 
  allow it.
  That also means no quick escapes during a riot, and 
  you’ll be chasing enemies on foot or in vehicles instead of 
  in time machines. 
  Trapped in a burning building, someone with access to time travel 
  might spend 1 point of  Architecture and declare that next week they’ll 
  travel back in time and add a fire door into the building’s original 
  blueprints. In a Stranded game without easy access to time travel, the 
  same character might spend 1 point of  Architecture to know which 
  route gets them out of  the burning building safely and without delay.
  A Fish out of Water
  You may not speak the local language fluently, and without 
  1 or more rating points in Anthropology you’re unlikely to 
  know all local customs. You’ll lack local identification, local 
  allies, and any kind of a power base. You’ll lack resources; you 
  have only what’s on you and what you can gather or build in 
  the new era. Expect GMs to make this a theme, particularly in 
  early games before you establish yourself in the new time. The 
  decisions and allies you make in early games will help inform 
  how quickly you adapt to the new era. 
  For instance, perhaps you’re from the 1970s and find 
  yourself in a corporate megacity of 2250. Your lack of identity 
  records will make moving around the city almost impossible 
  unless you take to the electrical and sewer conduits to avoid 
  the ubiquitous surveillance. Finding a local ally may buy you 
  some time — and some food.
  Changing the Future
  Your presence in a new time is likely to change history from 
  that point forwards. Whether you hope to change history as 
  much as possible in order to draw attention to yourself, or 
  you try to keep a low profile and minimize possible paradox, 
  expect that your actions will create ripples that carry forward.
  Those changes may create paradox that changes your 
  present, but it won’t rewrite the past you remember having.
  Elsa is carrying a Colt revolver from 2181 when she is stranded 
  in the 1830s. She accidentally shoots and kills Samuel Colt in a 
  drunken bar fight. This creates paradox, so she makes a D4/L4 
  Paradox test. If  she succeeds, every Colt revolver vanishes from history 
  except for the one she’s holding. If  she fails, her revolver now vanishes 
  as well. Samuel Colt is still dead, though, and Elsa remembers her 
  Colt pistol that killed him.
  External Enemies 
  Stranded games often work best when the GM sets one or 
  (preferably) more hostile organizations against you. These 
  may be groups and individuals from other times, from local 
  law enforcement, or from local criminal or paramilitary 
  organizations. Trying to accomplish your goals and return 
  home, all while being hunted by federal men in black and by 
  a local criminal kingpin who wants your future knowledge for 
  her own use, makes for an exciting adventure. 
  Multiple sets of enemies help keep a series from devolving 
  into the “that enemy again?” mindset, where you kill yet 
  another minion from the same enemy you’ve faced for 
  games. This pacing also helps keep tension tight, and allows 
  the GM to have different enemies attack just when you’re 
  focused on an unrelated problem. Sometimes, time travel can 
  be inconvenient.
  It’s also possible to be plagued with enemies that you 
  haven’t made yet. In a world with time travel, you may anger a 
  powerful foe years in the future. That foe then decides to use 
  time travel to send enemies to kill you now, possibly catching 
  you completely off guard. Expect a variety of interesting foes 
  as a result.
  No Backup 
  One thing about being stranded: if you fail, there’s no large 
  organization that can pull your fat out of the fryer. Expect 
  to be self-reliant. That might mean gathering or acquiring 
  resources of your own in order to accomplish your goals, and 
  it definitely means taking just enough caution that you don’t 
  get trapped in no-escape situations. 
  Good time travelers make their own backup, using future 
  knowledge to gather wealth and then buying military or 
  political backup to help them out in a pinch. Even blackmail is 
  possible to help you out of a tough and dangerous situation, 
  assuming you spend a History point to remember a damning 
  fact to use as leverage.
  Gilligan’s Island Syndrome
  When your entire series is based around the concept that 
  the characters are trying to reach home, there’s the risk that 
  nothing matters and no plan to return home can ever succeed. 
  After all, if it does, doesn’t that end the series? 
  Character actions that advance themselves towards this goal 
  should be encouraged, and it’s a triumph when the characters 
  do succeed in returning to their time of origin. Of course, 
  that’s when they find out how their actions in the past have 
  changed the time they came from…
  In addition, a Stranded series shouldn’t rely on returning 
  home as the sole goal. Other complications — finding 
  other time travelers, recovering stolen technology, building 
  personal power, achieving a specific historical change — 
  should demand equal time for the players’ attention. A one-
  note campaign never sounds as good as one with shifting 
  and unexpected turns.
  
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  Unwanted Visitors
  It’s possible that the player characters may never time travel 
  at all, or at least not initially. In this type of scenario, all the 
  characters originate in the same era, and that era is attacked or 
  threatened by creatures from the past or future. 
  New York City is overrun by rampaging dinosaurs out of  a time 
  rift, and it’s up to a group of  six strangers on your subway car to save 
  the day! You’re the only ones who can get close enough to the rift to find 
  out what’s happening. Are you brave enough to act on the information 
  you receive?
  A killer cyborg from the future comes back in time to kill the one 
  who is destined to oppose its kind, before the child has matured. Player 
  characters include the child, mother, and a less advanced cyborg from 
  the future that is programmed to protect the destined one. It’s up to 
  them to stop the invader before all the future is changed. 
  This type of scenario seldom gives the main characters 
  immediate access to time travel technology, because part of 
  the fun is interacting in your home time with creatures from 
  the past or future. Access to a time machine may end up 
  being essential to defeating the enemy, but that’s traditionally 
  a perk that the characters have to earn, steal, or invent in 
  order to succeed.
  GAME HOOKS
  X
  X 	You are wanted criminals fleeing to the past, attempting 
  to escape a future that is prepared to execute you. Future 
  law enforcement has followed you to the past in an attempt 
  to apprehend you. Alternatively, you are law enforcement 
  chasing criminals into the past or future.
  X
  X 	You are civilians who stumble into a future world where 
  everyone is tracked, tagged, and categorized. Your lack of 
  identification marks you as a criminal, and you’re forced to 
  flee into the city’s underbelly until you can find your way 
  home. 
  X
  X 	The first time traveler has made a change that turns Earth 
  into a radioactive wasteland. With changes rippling around 
  the earth, the people near a top-secret time lab (including 
  the janitor and receptionist) are hustled through a time 
  portal to try and restore history.
  X
  X 	Your trip through a static time gate into the age of dinosaurs 
  reveals that Earth was actually colonized by aliens… aliens 
  who want you for your knowledge and your DNA.
  X
  X You’ve gotten to the future the hard way — skipping 
  over intervening time in some sort of stasis. Like Rip Van 
  Winkle, Khan Noonien Singh, or Philip J. Fry, you’ve slept 
  away the intervening years and now need to make your way 
  through a world you barely know. If you like your fast space 
  travel accompanied by time dilation, you might even be an 
  astronaut who’s returned to Earth long after you departed 
  it.
  TIME-CRIME CAMPAIGN FRAME
  CRIMINALS, CAPERS, AND HEISTS
  The crew sat in their favorite booth at 21. Anne sipped her Sazerac 
  with one arm slung over the back of  the bench. Henry flipped through 
  the Journal and chuckled darkly at the date. October 24, 1929. The 
  last few years were a good time to be a grifter. The next few definitely 
  wouldn’t be. 
  A shadow fell over the table. Henry looked up to see a tall man in 
  a black suit and dark glasses looming. 
  “How’s business?” The man’s voice had a strange metallic quality 
  to it.
  Henry gestured at the paper. “Don’t ask me for stock tips.” The 
  man showed no reaction to the code phrase, but he pulled up a chair 
  and sat.
  “Here is the job and the offer.” He pulled a folder from inside his 
  jacket. It was emblazoned with the symbol of  the United States Air 
  Force and stamped at the bottom in blue. “Is it acceptable?”
  Henry flipped open the folder, saw the score, and whistled long and 
  low. He nodded, still staring at the folder. The man stood, smoothed 
  his jacket, and left.
  “What’s the job?” Anne asked, mirroring Henry’s interest.
  Henry turned the folder toward her. “7 July, ’47. We’re going to 
  steal the Roswell crash.”
  While TimeWatch agents tangle with existential threats and 
  would-be conquerors, there are many time travelers who fall 
  beneath their notice. Grifters, thieves, and swindlers use their 
  knowledge of the future to steal the treasures of the past.
  How do you play time-criminals? And what does a Time-
  Crime campaign look like? Let’s take a look at the tech, abilities, 
  and methods you need to walk away with the score.
  TIME TRAVEL TECH
  The autochron used by TimeWatch agents is among the most 
  sophisticated time travel devices ever invented. Time-criminals 
  rarely have access to such equipment. A TimeWatch agent 
  that went rogue with a working autochron would laugh at the 
  things time-criminals have to do in pursuit of the score.
  The early 27th century is the golden age of illicit time travel 
  technology. The most common “time machine” in use by 
  time-criminals hails from this era: the black box. Appropriately 
  named, the device is a smooth, matte black case one meter by 
  30 centimeters by 30 centimeters.
  There are no obvious features on the device itself. Instead, 
  it connects wirelessly to a nearby computer and offers a simple 
  interface. The transport field has a radius of only a few meters, 
  so a group must stand close together, preferably with everyone 
  touching the device.
  The black box has a few limitations when compared to the 
  autochron. First, the box moves through time but not through 
  space. Passengers arrive in the same physical location they left 
  
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  from, just in another time. Time-criminals should take care 
  that the destination time is secure.
  Second, the black box will not function if it is observed by a 
  non–time traveler who is not in contact with the device. It has 
  something to do with quantum mechanics, but the gist is that 
  natives of the current time short the whole thing out, unless 
  they are within the field of effect.
  Finally, it takes time for the black box to warm up. Specifically, 
  it takes between two and five minutes for the device to lock 
  onto a set of temporal coordinates and establish the transport 
  field. If it’s possible to calculate the exact warm-up period, no 
  time-criminal has ever bothered; most likely, doing the math 
  would take longer than just crossing your fingers and poking 
  the button multiple times in the hopes it triggers the device 
  more quickly.
  Some time-crews install the black box in a vehicle. This 
  has the benefit of providing transportation in space on either 
  side of the time-jump. With proper engineering a metal-
  framed vehicle can also extend the temporal field, allowing for 
  a greater amount of material to be transported. For a truly 
  large score, however, the black box may be attached to a metal 
  frame or cage. Anything within the cage will be transported, 
  as will the cage itself.
  In an emergency, the black box can be set to a random 
  destination. This eliminates the “observer effect” and produces 
  a transport field immediately, but the time-criminals have no 
  control over where or when they end up. The random setting 
  even displaces the travelers in space. This “feature” is only 
  used to evade pursuers in a time chase. (Time-criminals use the 
  normal time chase rules.) The black box has an unfortunate 
  tendency to burn out after several such uncontrolled jaunts.
  ABILITIES & CRIME
  Time-criminal characters have the same abilities in the same 
  proportions as their TimeWatch Agent counterparts. Some 
  abilities are more useful to time-criminals than others, and 
  players may want to focus on them.
  Retroactive Legwork
  Where a traditional criminal may spend months working out 
  the logistics of a major job, a time-criminal has the benefit of 
  going back after a job and giving their past self a hand. This 
  is called retroactive legwork or “backlegging.” During a job, a 
  player can spend Investigative ability points to gain benefits 
  that represent their character’s future self altering the past or 
  providing clandestine help in the present. If the criminal isn’t 
  careful, backlegging can trigger paradox and chronal instability 
  just like any time travel.
  Investigative Abilities
  Architecture: For when you need to know entrances, exits, 
  and other features of a building. You can even backleg design 
  features into the building by traveling to its construction and 
  altering the plans. 
  Authority: Criminals understand better than most how 
  people respond to authority figures. In most cases, you don’t 
  have to prove you are in command as long as you look and 
  sound the part. This can work in a time-criminal’s favor.
  Charm: While this ability is most useful to confidence 
  artists, any criminal wants to have a few friends in the right 
  places. With a Charm spend, you can backleg in a romantic 
  weekend with the security guard you just met.
  Forgery: “How can the Mona Lisa have been a fake all 
  along?” This ability is critical to avoiding paradoxes. You can 
  steal a famous object that historically was never stolen as long 
  as you leave an identical copy in its place. This ability can also 
  help determine if a historical artifact is genuine.
  Hacking: Obviously, this ability can be crucial if the score 
  is computer data. In any time period after the introduction of 
  computers, backlegging can justify the most outrageous tricks 
  of action movie hacking by programming exploits into the 
  earliest versions of the target’s operating system.
  High Society: Since the wealthy and sophisticated often 
  own the most desirable scores, knowing how to move among 
  them and influence them is important. If you can provide 
  convincing evidence that you are the long-lost heir of the 
  score’s previous owner, even better.
  History: Time-criminals use History to gather background 
  information on important marks and their scores. In the 
  They never did find out who stole da Vinci’s “Medusa Shield.”
  
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  absence of reliable testing, a 1-point spend of the appropriate 
  History ability will give you a reasonable guess as to the 
  legitimacy of an artifact.
  Reassurance: Along with Charm, this is the primary ability 
  of con artists. Sometimes you just have to convince the mark 
  that it’s okay to do what they want to do deep down anyway.
  Science!: Anyone with Science! can perform quantum dating 
  to determine if a historical artifact is genuine (something that 
  can be done a bit more traditionally with the Forgery ability). 
  Science! spends can stabilize volatile materials for a rushed 
  transport, rig up holographic images to confuse guards, or help 
  work around high-tech alarm systems.
  Streetwise: It takes a criminal to really know one. With a 
  Streetwise spend, you can call on an entire organized gang for 
  help. Who knows? Maybe you were one of its founders.
  Spying: If you can get eyes (or cameras) onto the target 
  location, you can map out patterns in patrols, locate blind spots 
  in security coverage, and determine the best routes in and out. 
  Spying spends can tap into the mark’s private communications 
  or jam them completely.
  Timecraft: Like Science! or Forgery, Timecraft can be 
  used to verify the authenticity of an artifact that has been 
  transported through time. In a pinch, a Timecraft spend can 
  overcome some of the limitations of the black box device.
  General Abilities
  Athletics: Whether dangling from wires or pirouetting 
  through laser grids in a slinky catsuit, sophisticated crime 
  takes a fair amount of athletic prowess. And of course, never 
  underestimate the ability to outrun pursuers.
  Burglary: It’s in the name. Time-criminals are always lifting 
  security badges, cracking safes blindfolded, and pocketing the 
  score.
  Disguise: Criminals rely on disguises for two reasons. First, 
  you can get into more places if you look like you belong there. 
  Second, it’s harder to catch you if the witnesses are giving 
  someone else’s description.
  Preparedness: For more on how time-criminals use this 
  ability, see Caches on p. 312.
  Scuffling and Shooting: If you are falling back on violence, 
  the job has probably already failed, but you’ll still want to be 
  able to fight your way back to the black box.
  Unobtrusiveness: Going unnoticed is essential on the job, 
  as is being able to spot guards or hidden security features. 
  Time-criminals do not have the benefit of impersonator 
  mesh, so having a decent rating in this ability may be a higher 
  priority for them than for a TimeWatch Agent.
  Vehicles: The getaway driver is a classic component 
  of many crews. For inspiration, watch the beginning of 
  The Transporter. In a Time-Crime crew, of course, you will be 
  responsible for flipping the black box to random and dodging 
  TimeWatch agents in the inevitable time chase.
  5 GREAT CRIMINALS (WHO YOU MIGHT BE)
  1.  Gaumata, magus who ruled the Achaemenid Empire by 
  impersonating Prince Bardiya (killed by his nobles, Nisa, 
  Persia, 522 BCE)
  2.  The False Dmitriy, tsar of Russia while impersonating the 
  son of Ivan the Terrible (killed in coup, Moscow, Russia, 
  1606)
  3.  Henry Every, most profitable pirate in history (disappeared, 
  possibly in Ireland, 1696)
  4.  The Comte de Saint-Germain, alleged immortal, alchemist, 
  and courtier (died, Altona, Schleswig, 1784)
  5.  Dan “D. B.” Cooper, plane hijacker (disappeared, 
  northwest United States, 1971)
  RUNNING A TIME-CRIME GAME
  There are two fundamental types of crime — the con and the 
  heist. Every crime will contain at least two, if not all three, of 
  the following key factors.
  X
  X 	The score is the thing the criminals want: an artifact, the 
  deed to a building, or the formula for a new drug. 
  X
  X 	The mark has the score, and getting it from him won’t be 
  easy. 
  X
  X 	That may be because it’s secured in the box, which is a bank 
  vault, an encrypted server, or an island mansion surrounded 
  by gunboats.
  In a con, the criminals trick the mark into giving them the 
  score. The box is often irrelevant, as the mark has easy access. 
  In a heist, the criminals break into the box and escape with the 
  score, possibly without the mark appearing at all.
  When designing a Time-Crime scenario, give some thought to 
  an interesting score, but it’s the mark or the box that make up 
  the body of the adventure.
  10 THINGS TO STEAL
  1.  Final panels of the Bayeux Tapestry (likely embroidered 
  in England around 1077, first recorded in inventory of 
  Bayeux Cathedral, France, 1476)
  2.  Leonardo da Vinci’s lost manuscripts, sold or stolen upon 
  the death of his pupil Francesco Melzi (Vaprio d’Adda, 
  Italy, 1570)
  3.  The contents of the Oak Island Money Pit (Nova Scotia, 
  Canada, before 1795)
  4.  The letters of George and Martha Washington, destroyed 
  by Martha following his death (Virginia, United States, 
  December 1799)
  5. Lost volumes and pages of the diaries of Lewis Carroll, 
  removed by his family after his death (Oxford, England, 
  January 1898+)
  6. Irish Crown Jewels, stolen from Dublin Castle (Dublin, 
  Ireland, June 1907)
  
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  7. The seven lost Imperial Fabergé eggs, vanished from the 
  Kremlin armory vault (Moscow, Russia, 1922+)
  8. The Just Judges, painting by either Jan or Hubert van Eyck, 
  stolen (Ghent, Belgium, April 1934)
  9. The wealth of Dutch Schultz, buried by Schultz before his 
  death (Upstate New York, United States, October 1935)
  10. The Amber Room, destroyed in Allied bombing 
  (Königsberg, Germany, August 1944)
  CONS
  The focus of a con should be on the mark. An interesting 
  mark has something they need so strongly that they will 
  overlook the holes in the crew’s con, or they fear something 
  that time-criminals can leverage against them. The mark’s 
  needs or fears, combined with their background and social 
  status, determines which Interpersonal abilities work best 
  against them.
  The Hook: At the start of a con, the crew first has to hook 
  the mark. They must uncover what the mark needs or fears 
  through future research — using the appropriate History 
  or another ability such as Military Tactics or Science! if the 
  mark is a known historical figure in a particular field — or 
  Interpersonal abilities. 
  The Approach: Once they know what buttons to press, 
  they must approach the mark. Unless the mark is already 
  under incredible pressure, it is best to make them think that 
  the plot of the con is their own idea. The crew may present 
  themselves as experts in the kind of problem the mark is 
  facing. Preferably, they should seem unwilling to get involved. 
  This forces the mark to convince the crew, committing them 
  more deeply to the con.
  The Stall: Once the mark is hooked, the crew must stall. The 
  stall is designed to ratchet up the pressure on the mark, blinding 
  them to the con and driving them toward its conclusion. The 
  crew presents new information and fake threats that focus the 
  mark’s attention on the con. Investigative abilities like Forgery, 
  Hacking, and Intimidation along with General abilities like 
  Burglary, Disguise, and Tinkering let the crew set up situations 
  that drive the mark to the breaking point. Then it’s time for 
  the sting.
  The Sting: In the sting, the crew forces the mark to take 
  rash action. Whereas the hook may have taken weeks, and the 
  stall days, the sting should conclude in hours — even minutes. 
  The action should appear to solve the mark’s problems by 
  leaving the score exposed or even giving it to the crew, at least 
  temporarily. Of course, once they have the score, the crew 
  blows, leaving the mark empty handed and probably in a lot 
  more trouble than at the start.
  HEISTS
  The focus of a heist is the box. The box is the security around the 
  score, including locks, guards, and alarms. The heist progresses in 
  stages, each step bringing the crew closer to the score.
  First, they must learn how to physically get to the box. 
  This means breaking the house, the location around the 
  box. Unless the house’s sole purpose is to contain the box, it 
  will have a weakness related to its everyday function. Banks 
  have normal business hours in which customers come and 
  go. Labs have to allow researchers and staff to enter without 
  interminable checkpoints and delays. Remote outposts have 
  to get supplies shipped in on a regular basis. The crew may 
  use any number of Investigative abilities to uncover the 
  house’s weaknesses, including Architecture, Military Tactics, 
  Hacking, Spying, and Interpersonal abilities like Authority 
  and Bureaucracy.
  Once the crew knows how to break the house, they 
  must reach the box and open it. In any house worth the 
  name, access to the box will be restricted. One may need 
  a special access card, key, or biometric signature to enter, 
  or the box may only be accessible at certain times. Getting 
  to the box may require creating fake IDs with Forgery, 
  cracking a vault door with a Burglary test, or kidnapping 
  someone with authorization and forcing them to open the 
  box for you with Intimidation.
  Even if the crew can get into the box, the job can be ruined 
  if someone sees them do it. The crew should learn as much as 
  they can about the house’s surveillance. Guards, cameras, and 
  other forms of detection can all trigger alarms and dramatically 
  increased security. Streetwise or Spying gives a time-criminal a 
  good sense of these things, while Military Tactics, Hacking, 
  or Authority may all reveal ways around them. Of course, the 
  best solution is not to be seen or recognized, so Disguise and 
  Unobtrusiveness are key.
  You’ve avoided attention and opened the box. The last step 
  is to remove the score and get out. Most boxes won’t make 
  this step easy. An artifact is stored behind bulletproof glass, 
  the data is definitely encrypted, and any box may be rigged 
  to contain or kill intruders. This is the phase where a time-
  criminal faces the most action and earns their reputation.
  GETTING OUT
  After a successful crime, the crew must make its escape. You 
  would think this would be easy, since it has a time machine. 
  Not so much; the nature of the black box means the crew 
  must still make its way back to its safe house or to an isolated 
  place of safety, often with the mark or the authorities hot on 
  the trail.
  This may involve an actual chase, with a contest of Vehicles 
  as the crew makes a mad getaway in a stolen car. More likely, 
  the crew will try to trick its pursuers by laying a false trail. In 
  many ways, this will resemble a standard TimeWatch adventure 
  in reverse. The time-criminals use their Investigative abilities 
  to create clues leading away from the crime. Forgery or 
  Hacking generates misleading communications, Notice hides 
  tantalizing evidence almost but not quite out of view, and 
  Science! whips up chemical traces that lead canny investigators 
  to an abandoned factory on the other side of town. All of this 
  misdirection gives the crew enough time to disappear not just 
  to another city, but to another time.
  The challenge ramps up when the crew runs across a pursuer 
  with their own time-machine. A TimeWatch agent makes a 
  
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  formidable antagonist. They are conversant in many of the 
  techniques of time-criminals, they can spot the results of 
  anachronistic research, and they can follow a crew anywhere 
  they go in the time stream. Shaking such an investigator will 
  require creativity, Preparedness, and perhaps some frantic 
  backlegging to throw up obstacles in the crew’s wake. And if 
  everything else goes wrong, switch the black box to random 
  and lead your pursuer on a merry time chase, smashing your 
  way through history.
  WHAT IS A CORE CLUE IN TIME-CRIME?
  As in a normal TimeWatch game, a core clue lets the character 
  progress through the adventure by pointing them at another 
  scene. A Time-Crime adventure leads inevitably toward the 
  score, so the core clues should tell the time-criminals how to 
  get to it. This may be information about the security features 
  of the box or weaknesses in the mark that leave him open 
  to a con.
  Most core clues in a Time-Crime scenario should point the 
  crew toward the next thing they need to do, rather than the 
  next place they can go for more information. In a con, this 
  is based on the mark’s reaction to the hook or the stall. In a 
  heist, each clue breaks down another layer of security until 
  they reach the box.
  KEEPING SCORE
  Every crime has a score, but for time-criminals, the job is not 
  about material gain. There are many easier and more legitimate 
  ways to get rich with a time machine. Score is prestige and 
  reputation. At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have, 
  but what you took and how.
  In a Time-Crime campaign, the crew has a collective trait 
  known as Rep that represents its successful jobs and the 
  reputation that accompanies it. Your crew starts with 0 Rep. 
  You gain Rep by completing jobs and delivering the goods. 
  You spend it in two ways: 
  X
  X  in addition to or in place of personal Preparedness 
  (particularly to trigger caches, see below)
  or
  X
  X  in place of Interpersonal abilities when dealing with other 
  time-criminals
  Rep does not refresh between jobs. The only way to replace 
  spent Rep is to earn it back with another job.
  The GM may keep track of the total Rep the crew has earned. 
  This should color its reputation with other time-criminals. The 
  members of a crew with a low lifetime Rep are nobodies. Ones 
  with high Rep are big names on the time-crime scene.
  CACHES
  Because of the limitations of the black box, time-criminals 
  cannot just pop out to another time and buy a useful gadget 
  like a TimeWatch agent. This limits the use of the Preparedness 
  ability as it is presented in the main rules. Time-criminals are 
  clever, though. They plan ahead for just about everything, 
  even stashing equipment throughout the time stream in case 
  they need it.
  To access such a cache, make a Preparedness test against 
  Difficulty 6. You can spend Rep on this test as well. If you 
  succeed, you locate the cache and it is still intact. The cache 
  may not be particularly close, and it may be guarded, watched, 
  or have an inconvenient building on top of it, if the GM 
  thinks you need a little excitement getting to the gear.
  Every player can spend 1 Preparedness point (or 1 Rep 
  point) to define and claim a piece of gear that is in the cache. 
  A cache can include one vehicle. The equipment may not be 
  in the best condition; at the GM’s discretion, a roll of 1 on 
  the die when using any of the equipment from a cache may 
  indicate a malfunction due to age. A day spent repairing gear 
  with the right abilities will eliminate this chance.
  We’d be remiss if we didn’t draw attention to the timelock 
  capsule (see p. 140). GMs may wish to incorporate this into a 
  mark’s vault, a safe house, or a black box.
  RIVALS AND ENEMIES
  Time-criminals go up against more than just the mark. There 
  is law enforcement (including TimeWatch), local and chronal 
  organized crime, local and time traveling rival criminals, and 
  past marks who seek revenge. Here’s one example.
  The Ursarch, Time-Bear Crime Boss
  Altani leveled her PaciFist at the man under the scarred wooden 
  table. His expression remained calm. “I don’t know which version of  
  history you remember, Princess,” the man said, “but I don’t work for 
  TimeWatch anymore.”
  “That’s the problem,” Altani said. “I hope you plan to resist 
  arrest.”
  The calm face split into a grin. “You have no idea.”
  Goods
  Rep Increase
  An item valuable to the client but with no 
  real historical significance (the Bible that 
  saved her ancestor’s life at Antietam); a 
  minor con
  2
  A minor historical item (Abraham 
  Lincoln’s hat from Ford’s Theatre); a 
  major con
  3
  An artifact that had a major impact on 
  history (Special Order 191); a con that 
  rewrites history
  4
  Collected the score without paradox 
  (i.e., the goods are not known to have 
  been stolen, but you covered up the 
  theft with a replica)
  +1
  Beat another crew to the score
  +1
  
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  313
  A shadow spread across the table, and a hot breath blew down Altani’s 
  neck. She heard the clack of  heavy claws on the floor, and she had the 
  sinking feeling that she was about to meet her quarry’s new employer.
  The time-bear known as Ursarch is unique, even among his 
  own incredible species. Other time-bears are usually content to 
  lair in one epoch, feasting on whatever time travelers they stumble 
  across. Ursarch is more ambitious. He dreams of an empire, 
  carved out of time itself, where he rules from the shadows.
  The Ursarch considers himself an apex predator. His prey, 
  however, are not animals or even human beings. No, he stalks 
  history itself, in the form of its greatest and most noteworthy 
  treasures. He controls a criminal syndicate, the Five Claws, 
  that spans millennia. His underlings serve out of fear, because 
  those who don’t have their very pasts consumed.
  Appearance
  Ursarch appears to be a normal, albeit large, North American 
  brown bear. He does not demean himself with human fashion. 
  There is a cold intelligence in his eyes. Anyone meeting his 
  gaze knows he is assessing them as a jeweler looking at a gem 
  — or a gourmand at a fine caviar.
  Time-bears are defined by their natural ability to travel 
  through time. They require no technology to do so. A time-
  bear simply stands still for a moment; the process takes the 
  bear’s entire turn, but it cannot be interrupted.
  Ursarch’s Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 18
  Offense: Scuffling 15 (3-3-3); Damage Modifier +2 (carefully 
  sharpened claws)
  Abilities: Tempus 19
  Special Abilities: Branching Point (cost 4), Clock Out (cost 
  2), Destabilize (cost 4 — special), Extra Action (cost 2), 
  Flashback (cost 5), Lightning Speed (cost 2), Mastermind
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2, Stealth Modifier −1
  Special: Ursarch can activate a destabilizing aura that causes 
  chronal instability in anyone within a yard or two. This 
  particularly affects anyone the bear attacks or who attacks the 
  bear with a melee weapon up to the size of a sword. The aura 
  triggers a D4/L4 Paradox test.
  The time-bear’s aura has an additional effect of rejuvenating 
  the bear. For every 4 Chronal Stability lost to the aura’s effect 
  (including points spent on the die roll), the time-bear refreshes 
  1 point of either Health or Tempus.
  Ursarch has unusual control over the effect of chronal instability 
  on his victims. If a being is Subsumed due to this Loss of Chronal 
  Stability, Ursarch can decide the nature of the historical revision. 
  Whatever other changes he makes, Ursarch always instills an 
  unwavering loyalty to himself in his victims. This conditioning 
  remains even when the victim’s Chronal Stability is restored.
  The Five Claws
  Cells of the Ursarch’s organization have existed since at least 
  the time of Augustus Caesar, and they will continue to exist 
  long after humankind has expanded to the stars, but there are 
  a few major loci of Five Claws activity: 19th-Century London, 
  21st-Century Hong Kong, and the Ursarch’s lair in 24th-
  Century Mumbai.
  When not engaged in the Ursarch’s business, Five Claws 
  cells blend into the local criminal underworld, doubling as 
  member of local gangs or syndicates such as the Chicago 
  Outfit or the Triads. If they need to communicate with their 
  distant master, a cell member places a coded message in a 
  newspaper or other public record. The Ursarch responds by 
  dead drop or by sending one of the Twelve to direct the cell’s 
  activities.
  The goal of earlier groups of Five Claws is usually not to 
  steal the score, but to watch it and occasionally to exert pressure 
  on the score’s owners to move or sell it. Over the course of 
  centuries, the Ursarch carefully orchestrates the history of an 
  item and positions the score so that one of the Twelve can 
  eventually retrieve it, once it has gained enough historical value.
  Some of the Ursarch’s most prized scores are not objects 
  but people. Many of history’s unexplained disappearances are 
  actually kidnappings by the Five Claws. These individuals are 
  taken to Mumbai and put on display in suspended animation 
  in the Ursarch’s private gallery. 
  The Twelve
  The Twelve are highly competent time travelers, many of them 
  former TimeWatch agents, that ran afoul of the Five Claws 
  and drew the attention of the Ursarch himself. The time-bear 
  tracked each member of the Twelve through time and caught 
  them, feasted on their histories, and spat them back out as his 
  unswerving lieutenants.
  One of the Twelve is sent in to retrieve a score after the 
  Five Claws have completed a successful campaign to enrich 
  its history. They are equipped with autofire blasters, but they 
  usually rely on their hologram armor to disguise themselves as 
  a local. The Ursarch does not trust the Twelve with autochron-
  level time travel on most missions, instead giving them a 
  version of the black box. For critical jobs, however, add Clock 
  Out to the operative’s stats.
  Twelve Operative Stats
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 12
  Offense: Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +2 (autofire blaster)
  Abilities: Tempus 10
  GM ADVICE:  
  URSINE INTERVENTION
  If you prefer your Time-Crime villains a little 
  less fantastical, just use the same Adversary 
  powers for Ursarch but change his species 
  to human. His unique abilities can easily be 
  technological in nature or due to a past as a 
  chronally unstable chimera.
  
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  314
  Special Abilities: Disguise (cost 1), Universal Attack (cost 1 
  per target)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2, Stealth Modifier +1
  In Your Campaign
  The Ursarch doesn’t need independent operators. His local 
  cells keep their eyes on his scores, and the Twelve are more 
  than capable of retrieving them. The Ursarch will not hire a 
  crew of time-criminals. In most cases, the crew’s jobs will not 
  intersect with the Five Claws, but when they do, the crew may 
  feel the full weight of the Ursarch’s organization.
  The Five Claws serve as a rival group that can pop up and 
  act against the crew in any time period. Their surveillance of 
  the score makes the crew’s job harder, as the local cell may tip 
  off the mark or the authorities to keep them from stealing it 
  ahead of their schedule.
  If the crew makes off with a score that was marked for the 
  Ursarch, one of the Twelve is sent to investigate. As a fellow 
  time-criminal, the Twelve Operative may put feelers out into 
  the community and eventually clue into the crew’s reputation. 
  This is where their accumulated Rep can work against them.
  A campaign featuring the Five Claws begins with a few 
  unrelated jobs to get the players into a rhythm. Then they 
  move on a marked score. The job is plagued by unexplained 
  complications — the mark is tipped off to the con, the police 
  anticipate the crew’s next move, or the house is paradoxically 
  restructured to thwart their heist. Being super-competent 
  time-criminals, the crew prevails despite these obstacles.
  On a later job, they encounter one of the Twelve. He has 
  tracked them down through a criminal contact or by following 
  clues from the previous job. If this score was also marked, 
  he may try to steal it first. Or he may just be there to send a 
  message that the Ursarch is displeased.
  Eventually, they steal one marked score too many, and 
  the Ursarch puts his paw down. The Twelve attack the crew 
  physically as well as temporally — time-criminals keep their 
  identities closely guarded because their past is their greatest 
  weakness. If the crew sticks together, it can weather the attacks.
  Ultimately, they have a showdown with the Ursarch himself. 
  The time-bear would prefer this to be a physical confrontation, 
  but the crew may get dirty and go after his past as well. The risk 
  of chronal instability should be high, the action furious — a 
  winner-take-all battle for the greatest treasures in history!
  TIME WAR CAMPAIGN FRAME
  When aliens or time travelers force interdimensional war into 
  our world, history inextricably changes forever and humanity’s 
  only job is to survive. No stealth mission or secrecy here; massive 
  quantities of alien or interdimensional enemies set up a beachhead 
  in a particular time and place (perhaps 1938 New Jersey, 1940s 
  Germany, or a much earlier time) and what remains of TimeWatch 
  must send the Agents on a desperate series of missions to raise an 
  army and slowly make the aliens vulnerable to chronal warfare. The 
  history of the world is at stake, TimeWatch has been crippled, and 
  only the Agents and their allies can save history. No pressure.
  RULES CHANGES 
  Only a few rules changes apply during a time war.
  X
  X 	The Difficulty of any Preparedness test that would require time 
  travel rises by +2, usually from 4 to 6, since Agents must avoid 
  their enemy when acquiring resources. The GM may choose to 
  further raise or lower Difficulties, depending on the rarity and 
  inaccessibility of the item being acquired.
  X
  X 	TimeWatch’s Citadel likely becomes unavailable, either 
  destroyed or blocked in time. If so, MEM-tags cease 
  working and Agents are unable to retreat to the Citadel for 
  supplies, advice, or assistance. TimeWatch’s safe houses still 
  exist.
  SECRECY IS BEHIND US
  The Time War campaign frame tosses aside the concept that 
  you’re going to be able to easily set history back to normal. 
  In a time war, the fundamental assault that shifts history has 
  so many root causes that it’s impossible to stop with a single 
  mission. A whole series might be spent trying to thwart the 
  invasion and set history back on the correct track.
  A hitherto unknown alien species from a parallel time stream allies 
  with Napoleon’s army to invade and conquer our timeline. They slowly 
  infiltrate our world in the tens or hundreds of  thousands over the course 
  Not every potential future is a happy one.
  
  ALTERNATE CAMPAIGN FRAMES
  315
  of  decades, using time travel carefully to ensure their own power and 
  security, then they choose an armed conflict to openly reveal themselves 
  and launch their war. No subtlety here; when they reveal themselves 
  they appear in force, and they rely on public terror instead of  secrecy to 
  accomplish their goals. Suddenly the aliens are everywhere, Napoleon 
  rules humanity as a puppet king, people all across the globe have 
  fallen under alien rule, futuristic technology transforms the world, and 
  TimeWatch’s Citadel is suddenly impossible for Agents to reach. True 
  history will never be the same again.
  In a time war, the invaders are winning (or have won) both 
  the battle and the war. Into this breach comes TimeWatch. 
  Desperate and harried Agents are forced to investigate how 
  the invaders learned of our world, how they planned their 
  attack strategy and their victories, and how they infiltrated and 
  coerced society. One by one, the Agents secretly and carefully 
  pull the underpinnings and supports out from beneath the 
  aliens’ pillars of success. The Agents become chronal guerillas, 
  staying on the move and working tirelessly to return the world 
  to what it once was — or, if that’s not possible, to buy back its 
  revenge. Secrecy becomes paramount, because when Agents 
  are identified by the invaders their ancestors are quickly killed 
  by chronal assassins, triggering a Paradox test that could 
  erase any Agent from reality. This technique of eliminating 
  rebellious leaders fractures the river of time up into small 
  rivulets of alternate reality, making the war even more difficult 
  for TimeWatch to win.
  DESPERATE UNDERDOGS
  A Time War series allows characters most of the same 
  technology as a typical TimeWatch game, but the game’s theme 
  is different. Rather than acting as a nearly omniscient police 
  force and a stabilizing influence on the time stream, during 
  a time war TimeWatch struggles desperately to recover after 
  being crippled early on during a first strike. The Citadel is 
  unreachable for unknown reasons, there’s no reliable central 
  leadership, remaining agents are underfunded and short on 
  both allies and resources, and any purported member of the 
  organization may have already been secretly subverted by the 
  enemy. TimeWatch needs tacticians and leaders, and they’ll 
  look to the player characters to provide them. 
  Once the time war launches and their organization crumples 
  from underneath them, the already autonomous TimeWatch 
  Agents are forced into the role of either leaders or a daring 
  suicide squad. Their allies are erased from history one by one, 
  and old completed missions are undone and then negated 
  entirely as the river of time writhes and twists to find its new 
  path. This requires the highly trained and qualified Agents to 
  make some difficult decisions. Do the remaining Agents act 
  as the center of a resistance, attracting other rogue agents 
  to them and organizing support within traditional enemies 
  of humanity? Do they become spymasters, gathering and 
  correlating intelligence about their foe? Do they make multiple 
  secret missions to dismantle the enemy step by step? Different 
  strategies produce different results, but it’s up to the players how 
  to proceed.
  Success in any of these roles isn’t guaranteed. In order to truly 
  overthrow their enemies, the Agents will need a combination of 
  army raising, intelligence gathering, and desperate sabotage. The 
  old veil of secrecy is forgotten, and instead of trying to protect 
  humanity from the knowledge of time travel, they’re just trying 
  to stop humanity from being erased.
  ORCHESTRATING THE INVASION
  There’s two simple ways of beginning a Time War series: in 
  medias res, with the invasion already in place and the Agents 
  clearly overmatched and clinging to survival; or prior to the 
  invasion, using bait-and-switch tactics to run a game or two 
  of standard Patrol-frame TimeWatch before the series veers 
  precipitously off into a time war. We generally recommend 
  the latter, but either can be fun.
  In Medias Res
  This is the Star Wars Episode IV method: in that classic movie 
  it’s quickly evident that the Empire has already taken over, that 
  Princess Leia is part of a secret rebellion, and that for as far 
  as the Empire is concerned it’s all over but for the cleanup. 
  A Time War series can proceed similarly, where the first game 
  is structured to show the Agents that their side has already 
  lost. It’s a challenging scene to present because a game is 
  not a movie; any starting encounter that shows the enemy’s 
  strength might be one that you expect the Agents to lose, and 
  that’s discouraging to new players. When you start in medias 
  res you want a game that reflects the relative hopelessness of 
  TimeWatch’s fractured remnants, that shows the strength of 
  their enemy without necessarily crushing the player characters, 
  and that the players can use to find both affection for their 
  employers and utter, bitter hatred for their foes. 
  One method for achieving this is to start by showing the 
  destruction of people and locations that are important to the 
  player characters, and perhaps even to the players themselves. 
  Like Star Wars’ teenaged moisture farmer gazing upon the 
  disintegrated bodies of his uncle and aunt, it’s possible to 
  show uncaring cruelty and strength without ever putting a 
  player character directly in harm’s way… yet.
  If you’re running this style of game, be prepared to have 
  a fragmentary TimeWatch organization established and ready 
  to introduce to the players. Kind and friendly allies, resources, 
  interesting backup assistance when the Agents need it most, 
  and a place of refuge can go a long way to helping engender 
  loyalty. If the Agents can be briefed with a minimum of 
  exposition, they can head back out into the field for a seemingly 
  simple mission and you won’t need to grind the first game to 
  a halt with an overabundance of explanation. Better to let the 
  players see your world firsthand, even when it’s falling apart 
  around them.
  Bait and Switch
  In a bait-and-switch opening, Patrol-style play proceeds 
  normally for a game session or two. Players learn the routine 
  
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  316
  and flow of a traditional TimeWatch mission: they’ll note 
  chronal inconsistencies, investigate problems, work their 
  way back to the root cause, and solve the mystery before the 
  antagonists ever have a chance to put their plan into effect. 
  If you’re leading up to the time war in this way, you can 
  foreshadow the invasion. Unknown enemy spies, random 
  bits of strange tech, and compromised humans acting oddly 
  all give the players subtle clues without alerting them to the 
  invasion before it launches.
  They’ll likely be mid-mission on their second or third 
  mission when the time war begins, when all of TimeWatch 
  is caught unawares by a sudden successful invasion. Their 
  current mission is rendered inconsequential or irrelevant as 
  all of history changes out from underneath them. Traveling 
  to find out why, they encounter the overwhelming military, 
  political, and tactical force that launched the war. It’s now up to 
  the Agents to survive, gather survivors, learn what happened, 
  then slowly put together a strategy for learning more and 
  defeating it piece by piece.
  It may be wise to discuss this campaign frame with players 
  ahead of time, especially if they were expecting “Bill and 
  Ted”-style lighthearted chronal hijinks. Time wars turn a 
  traditionally one-mission-per-session game into a continuing 
  war drama. Stakes are high and rewards are slim; acquiring 
  vital information may be difficult and costly. 
  Each game session in the series is typically devoted to 
  achieving a single and a secondary goal. The goals may be 
  defensive (stop an exemplary TimeWatch analyst from being 
  erased from reality, so that she survives to help provide 
  leadership and collate new intelligence on the war effort), 
  offensive (sabotage the source of the enemy’s best weaponry, 
  helping ensure that fewer people die during the initial invasion 
  and swelling refugee ranks), military (use Anthropology 
  and Military tactics to recruit, train, and arm a new army 
  of fanatical followers), or informational (kidnap someone 
  who knows secrets about the enemy’s planning and invasion 
  strategy, giving the TimeWatch refugees intelligence needed 
  to launch a devastating counterattack that will kill an enemy 
  general before the initial attack ever occurs). Any given mission 
  is one small battle in the course of the war. 
  SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH
  After a successful invasion, the enemy typically takes steps to 
  make sure that the invasion stays successful and that all significant 
  resistance is crushed. That isn’t difficult for non–time traveling 
  resistance, such as local and normal freedom fighters; the ability 
  of the enemy to acquire almost unlimited resources from across 
  time means that it usually isn’t difficult to overwhelm traditional 
  troops with pure force of arms, especially when time travel lets 
  them make surgical strikes to efficiently remove resistance. 
  Not all invaders have an advantage against time traveling 
  resistance. There is typically a chain of command in the enemy 
  army, and individual Mook soldiers don’t necessarily have the 
  technology or authority to follow their enemies across time. 
  Instead, they will typically note the time and location, and 
  inform their superiors, and an elite group of specialists might 
  be sent back to follow the trail and track down the resistance. 
  Those specialists show up immediately (or whenever you want 
  them to), however, because they aren’t limited by time. The 
  only rule is that they can’t make you replay combat rounds of 
  a fight that has already concluded; see below for details why. 
  In order to survive in the aftermath of an invasion, Agents 
  must keep a low profile until they understand the new rules 
  of the war. Blunt, unplanned attacks are usually dismantled by 
  the invaders’ specialists before they ever occur. Weakening and 
  planning for this retribution will help the TimeWatch Agents 
  survive and thrive, and perhaps even gain vital intelligence. It 
  may mean accruing paradox later, but that’s a small price to pay 
  for not lethally exposing themselves to the enemy’s full forces 
  early in the war. No resistance soldier will gain the invaders’ 
  attention like one who can time travel.
  FIELD INTELLIGENCE
  Information is power, and learning true information is often 
  the best possible tactic in a war. Any idiot can attack a supply 
  line or one of many seeming antecedents to the war; a clever 
  Agent understands how their enemy fits together, who runs it 
  and why, what their goals are, and where weaknesses lie. They 
  can then use this information, combined with knowledge of 
  the weaknesses of the commander’s command style, to start 
  dismantling their successes. 
  For instance, perhaps the enemy commander fancies herself 
  a master planner, and she wishes to remove her main enemies 
  from the battlefield before the war even begins. She spends 
  a decade or more having her quietest, most careful spies 
  gathering the names and personal history and true identity 
  of every TimeWatch agent she can identify. Then, 30 seconds 
  before the planned invasion, she has her spies kill each of 
  those agents in their infancy.
  The result? Because someone did their research, some of 
  the most capable foes vanish from reality seconds before the 
  invasion launches. 
  Knowledge matters. That’s true for TimeWatch Agents as 
  well. They may be able to systematically pick off their most 
  dangerous enemies at a younger age, assuming they can 
  identify their history. Cleverness and creativity matter during a 
  time war, and the victor may well prove to be the person best 
  able to think outside of the box. Agents should investigate, 
  learn and collate facts, then use those to their best advantage. 
  As the GM, don’t consistently try to thwart great player tactics 
  when they solve problems imaginatively; their good planning 
  deserves success, even if it’s success they’ll have to fight for.
  GM TACTICS
  That said, your job is to remind the players that their Agents 
  are up against a foe at least as canny as they are, and with far 
  more resources. The enemy may be limited in some way — 
  pride and overconfidence, a specific and limited form of time 
  travel, poor internal communication, a noticeable quirk that 
  once identified is obvious — but they outnumber the Agents 
  and have many advantages. 
  
  ALTERNATE CAMPAIGN FRAMES
  317
  Before the enemy’s invasion date, there will be few if any 
  enemy who aren’t secret spies. After the enemy’s invasion date 
  and stretching into the future, the enemy will be everywhere 
  and everywhen and humanity may be in chains. This may 
  affect the era and location that the player characters set up 
  their temporary headquarters.
  The enemy needs to exercise caution once they have 
  successfully invaded. From their perspective they’ve won, so 
  any time traveling they do to a date prior to that invasion has 
  the small potential to undo that victory. They thus tend to 
  deal with any enemies hiding in the past through specially 
  trained strike teams or through targeted tactics, instead of 
  (for instance) throwing ten thousand troops back in time to 
  surround a chronal linchpin that the TimeWatch Agents want 
  to adjust.
  Manageable Time Combat
  Having an enemy with nearly unlimited time traveling 
  resources means that you’re going to be tempted to interfere 
  with ongoing battles any time the enemy begins to lose. Don’t, 
  or do so only with extreme caution. The reason that you as the 
  GM never replay a fight that the player characters just won is 
  severalfold:
  X
  X 	It’s not fair to either the players or their characters.
  X
  X 	It’s nearly impossible to run.
  X
  X 	It’s infuriating and trains the players that they can never win, 
  so they shouldn’t try.
  X
  X 	You really don’t want the players doing this to you, either.
  X
  X 	Paradox affects the enemy just as it does the TimeWatch 
  Agents; once the enemy learns that an event has taken 
  place, they’ll generally get one chance at most to change that 
  event’s outcome before paradox becomes excessive. That 
  stops the enemy from repeatedly replaying the same battle 
  until they win (or until your annoyed players walk out on 
  you). That sort of thing may be fun in a different campaign 
  frame (as the movies Groundhog Day and Edge of  Tomorrow 
  show), but not necessarily in time war.
  As a result, remember that Agents and their enemies can use 
  time travel to affect a fight only starting at the point where you 
  or the player decides that the change kicks in. Anything else 
  would create excessive paradox (see p. 93) and isn’t allowed.
  Not allowed: “Those Mooks just shot down Mace? I’m using 
  my Preparedness and Flashback Booster to set a land mine that 
  kills them before they ever enter this room. And I’m going to duplicate 
  myself  to be outside the room in case the land mine fails. Can we 
  replay these last three rounds?” 
  Allowed: “Those Mooks just shot down Mace? That’s just what 
  it looks like, sure, but we faked it. I have Flashback, so I’m spending 
  a Streetwise point to create an ally. It turns out that both those guys 
  secretly work for us after I bribed them, and Mace is fine; he’s just 
  wearing a fake vest with special effects blood squibs! Next round, can 
  all three of  them turn on the enemy leader with a bonus because the 
  guy doesn’t expect any betrayal?”
  Note the difference in that example. You can’t use time travel 
  to blatantly rewrite known facts in a fight, or retroactively add 
  people into past combat rounds where there were none before; 
  you can and should use time travel to completely reframe what 
  is currently happening. The latter is fair, rewards creativity, and 
  doesn’t require you to replay past combats or combat rounds.
  ENEMY RESOURCES
  As GM, you have access to time traveling enemies — and a 
  lot of them! Consider when, and in what form, you want to 
  bring those enemies into play. Nonhuman enemies may not 
  act exactly as the enemies described here do, so adjust plans 
  and expectations accordingly. 
  If non–time traveling troops realize the Agents are present 
  in a location, they will probably report this fact to their 
  superior, who may or may not tell them to attack. If the player 
  characters have become infamous, more likely the commander 
  will follow orders, order his subordinates out of the area, and 
  send a message up the chain of command for an elite team. 
  It may take weeks or months before the request gets granted 
  (based on the amount of damage the TimeWatch Agents 
  intend to do during their raid), but if it is, the elite team will 
  time travel back to research the situation, set traps, and deal 
  with the assault before it even starts. You know — what 
  TimeWatch Agents usually do to their enemies. 
  In game terms, this means that you can launch an elite counter-
  TimeWatch team against your Agents whenever the heck you 
  want, and especially at any time just before you think they are 
  likely to be detected. You can launch such a team before they 
  are detected, making it the Agents’ responsibility to deliberately 
  get detected so as to avoid paradox. You should time an enemy 
  attack, and that enemy’s clever and stealthy traps if any, for 
  whenever and wherever makes the best dramatic sense. This is 
  wholly up to you, and you should reward player cleverness with 
  a less lethal combat; if the Agents have taken extreme measures 
  for stealth and are bound to strike a decisive and noticeable 
  blow against the enemy, you might have such a team arrive but 
  be far less organized and prepared than normal, since they don’t 
  know exactly when and how the Agents succeeded.
  It’s up to you whether to sic Mooks, elite Opponents, or 
  named Adversaries against the Agents. Mooks and supporting 
  characters are deadly in numbers but drop quickly; Opponents 
  can be resilient, especially when accompanied by Mook 
  shock troops. Pick numbers of enemies based on the level 
  of challenge you wish to portray, using enemies in waves so 
  that you can better gauge the correct amount of foes to give a 
  challenge without ensuring a total party kill.
  Players will probably respond to an ambush with unforeseen 
  creativity. Embrace their tactics by saying “yes, and…” instead 
  of rejecting them by saying “no.” In a world with time travel, 
  Agents may very well choose to encounter their enemy, fade 
  back, time travel a day or two in either direction, and then 
  strike against their target when the enemy is unawares. Allow 
  players the space and opportunity to improvise, and have the 
  enemies react as appropriate. 
  That doesn’t mean that clever antagonists take the Agents’ 
  
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  assault lying down. Far from it. Once the chronal and physical 
  location of the Agents is known or guessed at, there are several 
  ways in which the enemy may respond. Named commanders 
  may respond in different ways, with more cautious 
  commanders taking less risky approaches than commanders 
  who believe in winning at all costs. Luckily, this latter style of 
  commander can sometimes be goaded into a carefully placed 
  trap by the judicious spending of a point of Taunt.
  Enemies may engage with TimeWatch Agents in several ways:
  Woeful Underestimation
  If the TimeWatch Agents are underestimated or are an 
  unknown quantity, the enemy’s response will usually be light 
  or inappropriately easy against the Agents’ level of skill.
  Capture, Don’t Kill
  If the enemy has an accurate understanding of the Agents’ 
  capabilities, response will be significant. Remember that 
  enemy troops may be sent in with the command to stun and 
  capture the Agents, instead of killing them.
  Treading on the Side of Caution
  If the encounter happens during a time critical to the invasion’s 
  success, the enemy will use the best and most appropriate 
  troops that it can spare, always remaining cognizant that 
  they don’t wish to disrupt their own success through some 
  misadventure.
  Surgical Strike
  If the Agents are somewhere that remains a historical linchpin, 
  or in a place where the enemy is cautious of causing ripples 
  in the river of time, a response will be far more precise and 
  surgical. Named Opponents will be sent in, along with a small 
  handful of Mooks to act as porters and messengers. 
  Massive Assault
  If there is little risk of disturbing the success of the invasion 
  (e.g., if the field of engagement is somewhere like the Miocene 
  epoch when little can be done that affects humanity, or if the 
  engagement takes place in the future after the invasion and the 
  location has no foreseeable involvement with the invasion’s 
  success), the enemy might hit the Agents hard, with multiple 
  squads of Mooks, tactical maneuvering, anti–time travel 
  countermeasures and specialist teams of counterterrorists 
  troops who are trained to take out TimeWatch. In this sort 
  of engagement, Military Tactics will typically warn Agents 
  that they are overmatched, and their priority quickly becomes 
  fleeing to fight again another day — or immediately in a 
  different time. 
  PLAYER TACTICS
  Hey, players: unorthodox and unexpected tactics are what wins 
  wars. This requires thinking a step beyond normal plans; if 
  you’re facing an enemy as cunning at time travel as you are, you 
  need to anticipate their response to your actions. That means 
  deciding on a tactic, considering that you may be successful, 
  calculating how the enemy will respond when you are 
  successful, and being immediately prepared for that response. 
  You’ll use paradox as an ally instead of as an enemy: once you 
  establish something good and useful that’s happened, your 
  enemy can’t change that without acquiring paradox of their 
  own, and you won’t accrue any chronal instability for changing 
  it back to what it should be.
  Your team determines that assassinating a particularly treasonous 
  human bureaucrat will hinder the alien invasion when it arrives 
  three months hence. Before you decide to put your plan into action, 
  you consider how, if  you had to stop yourselves, you would go about 
  preventing this assassination. Your group concludes that you’d put a 
  counter-sniper on a different rooftop, overlooking the rooftop that you 
  plan to use to snipe the bureaucrat. That second rooftop is the one 
  you then trap. The instant you start to put your plan into action the 
  nebulous future where you succeed snaps into reality, and as expected 
  your enemy sends a strike team back to stop you. If  you’ve anticipated 
  their tactics correctly, you’ll destroy the enemy’s assassination squad 
  before they even begin to stop you… and then you’ll take out the 
  bureaucrat yourself, and hopefully change the future. Make sure he’s 
  dead; it’d be a pity if  the enemy put him in a bulletproof  vest and you 
  didn’t think to check.
  Think of it as chess, anticipating your enemy’s actions and 
  then taking steps to make sure those actions fail. You lure 
  your enemy out of hiding by laying traps, lying in wait, and 
  weakening their forces one step at a time.
  Learning from an informant that the enemy has assigned a chronal 
  assassin to eliminate your team’s leader as a newborn baby, you realize 
  that they haven’t yet succeeded — after all, the team leader is still 
  alive and not chronally unstable! The assassin must be missing vital 
  information. You decide that they probably don’t know your team 
  leader’s true identity or history, which has always been kept secret. Your 
  group picks a random person’s identity (easily established by spending 
  a History point), and you leak the rumor that this other person grows 
  up to be your team leader; perhaps you spend 1 point of  Falsehood 
  Detection to make the lie particularly believable. 
  First, however, you make sure that you’ve staked out the hospital 
  where this other person is born, arranging unspecified troops and defenses 
  as backup (via Preparedness and Flashback) for when the assassin 
  makes his move. Once he does he’s exposed himself, and it’s up to you 
  to capture and interrogate him, thus removing a key lieutenant in your 
  enemy’s hierarchy and gaining information intelligence in the process. You 
  just hope the baby survives, and that the assassin didn’t have backup. 
  Hopefully, saving the future is worth the risk.
  Remember that excessive planning can be boring, wasted 
  time unless you already know how your enemy plans to proceed. 
  
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  319
  Since TimeWatch allows you to create tactical advantages with 
  Preparedness and Investigative spends, you may have the most 
  fun by intelligently springing a trap without overplanning.
  Weakening the Enemy
  There are many ways to slowly dismantle your enemy, some 
  more effective than others. Here are a handful.
  Gain Key Information: Learning names, identities, 
  motivations, locations, and battle plans lets you counterattack 
  and gain the upper hand in a conflict.
  Weaken the Invasion: Identify and remove key individuals, 
  logistics, communication systems, and weaponry. Doing so 
  will gradually make the enemy less capable and competent.
  Weaken the Enemy’s Morale: Striking fear into an enemy’s 
  forces can demoralize them, allowing your Intimidation spends 
  to penalize combat abilities for groups of enemy combatants 
  instead of just for one or two individuals.
  Eliminate Key Leaders and Individuals: When 
  recognizable individuals make a notable contribution to the 
  invasion, stopping them before the invasion ever occurs will 
  remove their contribution from the fight. Their replacement 
  may be worse or may even be more effective, but eliminating 
  your enemies one by one is a sure (if slow) way to destabilize 
  and weaken your enemy. Just be aware that the enemy will 
  be ready for this tactic, and so may have defenses in place to 
  prevent it.
  Eliminate Troops: If a key battle is won by troops, using 
  time travel to reroute, delay, or destroy them prior to that 
  battle can tip the odds of success. 
  Weaken 
  Enemy 
  Infrastructure 
  (food, 
  supplies, 
  communication, information networks, etc.): It’s said that 
  an army travels on its stomach. For aliens, they may travel 
  on multiple stomachs. Using sabotage and stealth to disrupt 
  enemy infrastructure can kill or weaken troops before key 
  battles. Similarly, discovering where enemy weapons are 
  manufactured and eliminating that munitions plant just prior 
  to a battle may give TimeWatch Agents a tactical advantage.
  Strengthen Allies: It’s completely feasible for TimeWatch 
  Agents to gather and train their own armies from troops 
  plucked out of time. Making such soldiers stronger through 
  training and weaponry (possibly through one or more Military 
  Tactics spends) and then inserting them into key battles can 
  change the enemy’s strategy and success rate.
  Build Hope and Morale: Using Authority and Reassurance 
  spends to fire up troops with high morale can give combat 
  bonuses to potentially thousands of soldiers — and a simple 
  +1 to Shooting and Scuffling tests can make a huge difference 
  in a massive battle.
  POSSIBLE ENEMIES
  When fighting a time war, who makes the best villains? Ideally 
  you want clever strategy, time travel, brutal tactics (giving 
  players an enemy they love to hate), and some unknown or 
  unexpected alien or technological powers. Options include:
  Humans: A military, ideological, or religious organization 
  from the future has decided to come back and remake the 
  world in its own image. Its spies are indistinguishable from 
  humanity because they are human.
  Alternate Reality TimeWatch: Who’s to say that every 
  parallel reality’s TimeWatch has humanity’s best interests in 
  mind? Perhaps the chronal time cops from a different reality 
  decide to colonize our own. See p. 240 for examples.
  A Dystopian Megacorporation: Similar to the Company 
  on p. 282, a vast and controlling corporate entity may decide 
  to plunder our world for resources.
  Metallic Overlords: An incomprehensibly intelligent 
  AI may control robot and cyborg soldiers set on destroying 
  meaty, fleshy inhabitants of Earth. 
  Ezeru: The shape-shifting beetle swarms from the far and 
  radioactive future might decide to take their fate into their 
  own hands, and bring about Armageddon nice and early by 
  irradiating the entire Earth at once. 
  Sophosaurs: While the sophosaur mentality isn’t necessarily 
  well suited for a vast and coordinated time war, a charismatic 
  and powerful alpha leader could unite the tribes and bring 
  such an assault about. Any time war led by sophosaurs 
  likely features rips in the fabric of space and time that allow 
  dinosaurs to rampage unchecked across modern Earth.
  Aliens of Your Own Creation: Want an enemy not 
  detailed in this rulebook? Create your own, or adapt one from 
  a popular book series or TV show. 
  WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CITADEL?
  In order to emphasize the theme of guerilla soldiers behind 
  enemy lines, it’s useful to eliminate all contact with TimeWatch’s 
  headquarters the Citadel. The Citadel is located just before 
  the beginning of time, in the quantum anomaly that precedes 
  the Big Bang. You have several choices for temporarily or 
  permanently eliminating headquarters.
  X
  X 	The enemy managed to raise paradox levels inside the 
  Citadel sufficiently, and the Big Bang occurred. TimeWatch 
  headquarters is forevermore destroyed, along with everyone 
  inside the Citadel when it went, and only the backup bases 
  and safe houses remain available.
  X
  X 	The enemy has shifted the Citadel into its own pocket 
  dimension of time, and they don’t realize that time has 
  vastly slowed down for them. A crucial mission during the 
  time war might be investigating and freeing the Citadel from 
  its time bubble.
  X
  X 	The enemy has put up some sort of interdiction field near 
  the beginning of the universe that prevents time travel. 
  This keeps the Citadel completely isolated from the rest of 
  history, even though everyone in the facility is safe.
  
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  X
  X 	The enemy has inserted spies and saboteurs into the Citadel, 
  and a civil war is taking place that has caused the facility to 
  isolate itself temporarily.
  VICTORY
  Total victory is by no means certain. The Agents may win 
  small victories across multiple game series, may defeat the 
  enemy in the present but leave the knowledge and results 
  of the invasion in place, or with exhaustive work may 
  actually manage to erase the invasion entirely from historical 
  knowledge. If the former, they’ll be acclaimed as heroes; if the 
  latter, no one may know the truth except for themselves and 
  the bitter enemies who somehow survived. 
  Either way, that’s a good time to bring the series or even 
  the campaign to a close on a triumphant and memorable 
  note. Pacing is important, and a time war should be terrifying, 
  dramatic, and exciting while it lasts. If it starts to slip into 
  a grind, make sure that Agents have the opportunity for 
  dramatic sacrifice and significant but risky contributions to 
  hurry the war along. There are worse things in the world than 
  becoming a martyr for your cause, especially when doing so 
  helps save the world you remember and love.
  EXPANDING BEYOND THE INVASION
  This chapter is written with the assumption that an enemy 
  makes a physical assault on our world, using time travel to 
  cheat normal restrictions and succeed. That doesn’t need 
  to necessarily be the case. Perhaps TimeWatch is assaulting 
  another parallel reality and puts the Agents in charge; perhaps 
  the assault is all social and cultural (suggesting the sophosaurs) 
  and human culture gets vastly changed in a way that turns 
  humanity into willing slaves. It’s possible that the invasion has 
  nothing to do with time travel and is purely alien in origin, 
  with space ships raining down fire onto human cities while 
  TimeWatch tries to prevent it from ever occurring. 
  Find a scenario that seems incredibly fun to you, make sure 
  you have enough rat-bastardly ideas to maintain it for a few 
  game sessions, and run with that. Passion and excitement 
  matter; if a game plot excites you and you can sell it to your 
  players as something new to try, you’re making the right choice.
  TOURIST CAMPAIGN FRAME
  “We could see remarkable things, Emma.” She nodded at her new 
  friend, standing across from her in the old corroded metal sphere. “I 
  can take you to the birth of  the universe, or to its death, or anywhere 
  in between. The galaxy is full of  life, and wonder, and joy! And death 
  and horror, of  course. That’s what I try to fix.”
  “And if  I don’t come?” her friend asked, chewing on her lower lip.
  The woman shrugged. “Normality. You’ll go back to your life 
  and your job, you’ll have a family, and in a few years you’ll almost 
  have convinced yourself  that this never happened. Almost. But you’ll 
  dream.” She threw a lever and the sphere began to shimmer. “What’s 
  it going to be, then? Is it worth the risk?”
  They locked eyes, time seemed to slow, and her friend grinned. 
  “What do you think?”
  “All right, then,” said the woman, suddenly smiling. “We’re off.”
  Standard TimeWatch focuses on Earth’s history, both past 
  and future. Want a bigger playground to play in? A Tourist-
  style game focuses on characters traveling in time and space, 
  visiting the past and the future of other planets as they travel 
  throughout the universe. If you love the idea of science 
  fiction and time travel but historical coincidences and alternate 
  history aren’t your style, this is a great option. You’ll find more 
  exploration and less detective work here. When you add 
  murderous and mysterious aliens, inhuman threats, and the 
  wonders of alien planets into the mix, you get farther away 
  from historical research and more into the realm of traditional 
  science fiction. Expect fewer facts, more sci-fi, and no one 
  correcting your history when you tell them the bipedal sree of 
  the planet Zubenelgenubi-D never developed death beams — 
  at least, not in true history! 
  Tourist campaigns often start with normal people on Earth 
  gaining access to a time machine, and TimeWatch may be an 
  Adversary to the player characters if it appears at all. Use this 
  campaign setting when your players care less about solving 
  alternate history dilemmas than they do about exploring 
  mysteries across time and space.
  RULES CHANGES IN TOURIST-STYLE PLAY
  X
  X Characters are either pilots (with prior knowledge of time travel, 
  and possible control of the group’s time machine) or passengers. 
  Passengers do not start with 1 default point of Timecraft, but 
  gain an extra Investigative build point that they can assign to any 
  other Investigative ability. Passengers can add to their Timecraft 
  rating with build points after the first adventure.
  X
  X 	The GM may choose to limit the availability of super-
  science devices (typically gained with Preparedness or a 
  Science! spend) for characters who have not yet had access 
  to a planet or historical era where such a device might exist.
  X
  X 	All characters must have at least one secret (see below).
  X
  X 	Paradox is more dangerous; the potential Loss from any 
  Paradox test (other than Travel tests) is +2 higher than 
  normal, or more if the GM so chooses. A standard D4/
  L4 Paradox test for changing known events, for instance, 
  becomes a minimum of D4/L6 instead.
  X
  X 	The default equipment list is only a translator and a shared 
  time machine; weapons, armor, and other devices are not 
  standard unless the GM says otherwise. All other equipment 
  (other than signature equipment acquired with build points; 
  see p. 108) must be found or acquired with Preparedness.
  X
  X 	It’s not mandatory, but after the first game session characters 
  are encouraged to have a signature item that defines them: a 
  particular high-tech device, a robotic pet, a unique weapon, and 
  the like. Purchasing their first such item with build points costs 
  each character only 1 build point instead of 2. 
  
  ALTERNATE CAMPAIGN FRAMES
  321
  ALL ABOARD THE TIME BUS
  Individual time travel devices such as autochrons don’t exist in 
  a Tourist game, or at least never make their way into the hands 
  of the characters. Tourist campaigns feature one time machine 
  that everyone shares. This is an important feature: the time 
  machine will be where they make their home, socialize, rest, and 
  recuperate. The time machine may be unique or intelligent with 
  a personality of its own, although that’s not required. Either 
  way, like Serenity on Firefly or the TARDIS on the BBC’s Doctor 
  Who, the communal time machine should be plot-relevant 
  enough in games that over time it becomes an extra supporting 
  character in its own right. The time machine represents both 
  safety and adventure, and is usually the only means of escape 
  from a given time and place. The communal time machine is a 
  refuge, a sanctuary, an emergency exit, a plot hook, and a home.
  As such, a communal time machine should be large enough 
  that a group of people can live comfortably in it, small enough 
  that they need to share each other’s space and interact, and 
  subtle enough in appearance that it doesn’t immediately raise 
  alarm klaxons when it lands on an alien planet. Typically, time 
  travel isn’t instantaneous; the time machine travels through 
  space and time at the speed of plot, taking minutes to days 
  to reach a new destination, giving characters enough time to 
  dramatically talk and plan before they arrive. 
  The time machine may be occasionally and temporarily 
  removed from play through a plot device, and time machines 
  in most Tourist games aren’t often used for multiple quick 
  hops (possibly due to recharging fuel cells or increasing 
  paradox levels). You’re encouraged to decide on completely 
  arbitrary limits on the frequency of time travel with such a 
  device. Just be consistent; requiring an hour-long recharge 
  period on one trip usually means that the machine will 
  always need an hour-long recharge period, barring desperate 
  expenditure of Timecraft and Science! points to try and get 
  it started earlier. Your goal here is to create a time machine 
  that matches the thematic feel of the type of game play you 
  want to encourage. 
  Non-autochron time machines are listed on p. 115, although 
  this list is far from exhaustive. A few additional options for 
  time machine concepts include:
  X
  X 	The time machine is the size of a tour bus, and was in fact 
  stolen from a chronal tour company during a tour… and 
  they want it back.
  X
  X 	The time machine is multi-dimensional, with the interior 
  stable and non-moving while only the doorway rips through 
  time and space to appear on a new world.
  X
  X 	Roughly the size of a jetliner, the time machine acts as a 
  spaceship, appearing in orbit around a planet and requiring 
  inhabitants to take a shuttle or a teleportation beam down 
  to the planet’s surface.
  X
  X 	Better strap in! Roughly the size of a bus and cushioned 
  from impact, the time machine appears a hundred meters 
  Before there was TimeWatch, time tourism was a HUGE industry.
  
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  above a surface and plummets downwards. It’s far from 
  subtle, and not recommended for entering space stations. 
  When it departs, it simply vanishes, reappearing over the 
  surface of its next destination.
  X
  X 	The time machine is a near-infinite interconnected series 
  of rooms (or caves) and corridors, each room existing 
  on a different planet in a different time. In order to reach a 
  destination, you just need the map that shows you where to go.
  X
  X 	Impersonator mesh is built into a bulky time machine’s 
  exterior, making it difficult for casual observers to notice it.
  There are lots of other options, including many from 
  popular culture. Pick one you like, either by yourself or in 
  conjunction with the players, and run with it.
  One bit of advice: whether through futuristic security or 
  GM machination, the time machine should seldom if ever 
  be put at risk. You want the tourists heading out to sightsee 
  and explore, not clustering around the time machine to keep it 
  safe, so a pact with the players (and not their characters) that 
  they’ll rarely need to worry about its safety will help reassure 
  any player tempted to stay back and boringly act as guard.
  BRAINS OVER BRAWN
  A traditional cornerstone of Tourist campaigns is that threats 
  and alien menaces aren’t necessarily best defeated by violence. 
  Trickery, intimidation, understanding, problem-solving, sabotage, 
  and cleverly outwitting the enemy may be a far better solution than 
  picking up a weapon and shooting someone in the tentacle-hole. 
  TimeWatch’s Preparedness rules and Investigative spends 
  help reinforce this tactic. With the Flashback ability, a player can 
  maneuver a villain into a trap without the GM understanding 
  the danger until the last second. It may not be a guaranteed 
  success, but if it is, it’ll be a victory that your players talk about 
  for weeks to come. 
  As a result, Tourist GMs are encouraged to design complex 
  villains with concrete motivations and backgrounds, even 
  villains that aren’t combatants themselves. It may be that they 
  can be defeated or neutralized with violence, but that shouldn’t 
  be the only solution. Talking an antagonist into submission 
  by finding out their needs and solving their problems, or by 
  tricking them into making a terrible mistake, is a sure-fire way 
  to defeat a foe — and hey, when that doesn’t work, you can 
  always have physical force as a backup.
  One additional benefit of foes not willing to fight to the 
  death is that they can reappear in later games, thus becoming 
  the sort of reoccurring enemy that players love to hate.
  Elly is playing a Tourist character known only as The Auditor, 
  a female time traveler assigned to investigate and correct history when 
  chronal balances seem out of  whack. She and her associates from 
  Earth visit a 33rd-century human spaceship that’s infested with a 
  parasitic alien sentience. There’s no way to physically defeat the alien 
  intelligence without killing everyone on board, something true history 
  already says didn’t happen, so she and her companions are forced 
  to investigate, learn what the parasites seek, and solve the problem 
  creatively — all before the infected spaceship lands at its destination.
  The Auditor and her companions learn that one parasite is the 
  alpha and is empowering all the lesser spawn; if  that alpha is destroyed 
  or separated from the group, the beta parasites die with no harm to 
  their hosts. Using roleplaying to figure out which human astronaut 
  hosts the alpha parasite, they lure it onto an escape pod. The pod 
  jettisons, the rest of  the crew reverts to normal, and they can decide as 
  a group what to do with the isolated alpha parasite.
  PILOTS AND PASSENGERS
  In a Tourist game, it’s rare for everyone to be an experienced time 
  traveler. More commonly just one or two characters are time 
  travelers or possess a time machine, and the other characters are 
  normal people plucked out of their normal lives in exchange 
  for adventure. They may be tourists on a chronal tour, a regular 
  person who runs into the time traveler at a supermarket and gets 
  accidentally involved, government agents and scientists, lucky 
  historians, exiled prisoners, or talented and wealthy individuals 
  who paid for the unique experience of time traveling. The 
  passengers can come from all kinds of times or planets; they 
  may not be pilots, but each passenger should have their own 
  unique background, and aren’t limited to being human. Use the 
  customization rules on p. 147 to tweak characters as desired.
  That doesn’t mean that the passengers are less powerful 
  or capable than the pilots, however; it just means that their 
  capabilities are different. Instead of a default point of 
  Timecraft when creating their character, passengers gain a 
  bonus Investigative point but are not permitted to initially put 
  any points into Timecraft. This differentiates them from the 
  pilots, who know about time travel and how it works.
  Note that “passenger” doesn’t denote a position in the game 
  of any less importance than the pilots. They may be called 
  passengers in these rules, but in truth they’re full partners in 
  the adventure.
  PARADOX 
  Casual paradox is seen less often in a Tourist game than in a 
  Patrol-style game. To mechanically encourage this, Losses from 
  failed Paradox tests are increased by +2 from normal. Raising 
  the stakes encourages players to avoid paradox and to spend 
  more points of Chronal Stability when making Paradox tests; 
  characters doubling back in time to aid themselves in a fight 
  will happen more rarely. 
  The Auditor and her companions decide to change reported history 
  by saving the life of  someone known to have died. Contradicting 
  known facts creates a paradox. She and her companion make a 
  paradox test of  Difficulty 4 / Loss 6. Failing that sort of  test more 
  than once or twice in an adventure could have grave consequences, so 
  they resolve to be more careful.
  Luckily, paradox is less common in Tourist adventures because 
  fewer adventures are based on time travel or historical change. A 
  tourist may conceivably go through an entire adventure and save 
  the day without once needing to make a Paradox test.
  
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  Travel tests when traveling or teleporting with the time 
  machine remain at D4/L2, and as with Patrol-style TimeWatch, 
  can be avoided by paying a Stitch.
  A COMMON THREAD OF SECRETS
  While most passengers of a Tourist group have something 
  in common, even if it’s that they were saved by the pilots, 
  everyone also has at least one secret that other passengers 
  and pilots don’t know. Secrets won’t always surface during 
  adventures, but when they do, they provide exciting B-plots 
  to balance the A-plot of the adventure’s main mystery. These 
  secrets should inspire conflict, adventure, and interesting 
  play, and should be designed to be gradually revealed over 
  the course of one or more adventures. You should privately 
  approve each player’s secret, and should encourage players to 
  expand and develop their secret if you feel it wouldn’t make a 
  good subplot in an adventure.
  A secret that needs further development: “I stole something as a 
  child,” or “I had another job before I was a tour guide.”
  A good secret: “I constantly fight the urge to steal. I know it’s 
  wrong, but sometimes I open up my bag and find something there that 
  isn’t mine, and I never remember taking it,” or “I’m not actually a 
  tour guide. I am a government-trained assassin. I’m with this group 
  to kill another member, but we departed before my superiors could tell 
  me who that was. I don’t know if  I’ll obey the order or not when it 
  comes through.” 
  Players should make their secret about their own character, 
  and not about another player’s character, unless you give 
  permission to do otherwise. Being inconvenienced by their 
  secret during play, or letting hints of it out to other characters, 
  often earns them one or more Stitches from you as a thank 
  you for making the game more fun for everyone.
  ALIEN PLANETS EVERYWHERE
  Jettison the temptation to pick an obscure historical occurrence 
  in Earth’s history, and instead pick a brand new planet with 
  its own unique problem. Alien planets mean alien threats: 
  changing climate, political power struggles, internecine warfare, 
  unstoppable armies, nefarious businesses, and difficult-to-
  understand customs. The new setting provides an opportunity 
  for incredible landscapes, unnatural threats, and devious foes, 
  without needing to worry about the ripple effect’s on Earth’s 
  own history. Alien planets allow more self-contained threats; 
  unless you decide that the threat or the antagonist somehow 
  reaches Earth, a one-shot Tourist adventure has few continuity 
  consequences when the tourists get back home. 
  Changing history generally only occurs when other time 
  travelers are involved. Without that, alien threats typically are 
  linked to a single planet or location. When they do spread, they 
  spread in space and influence (such as an alien warlord taking 
  over more planets, or a pernicious cult overtaking a society), 
  instead of spreading across time using time travel.
  One thing is certain: the universe is a stunning and awe-
  inspiring place. Tourist-style play may focus on that sense 
  of wonder and awe, showing the players a panoply of 
  incredible locations that no one else from Earth has ever 
  seen. Occasionally showcase exactly how amazingly wondrous 
  the universe can be by bringing characters to spots that have 
  no danger and no immediate mystery, but which bring the 
  characters nothing but joy. That makes subsequent danger 
  and mystery that much more vivid, because it will occur in a 
  location that the characters care about.
  EARTH GETS THREATENED — A LOT
  For all that the universe is unimaginably vast, with over 40 
  billion Earth-sized planets in the Milky Way galaxy alone (and 
  over a hundred billion galaxies in the observable universe), 
  alien and time travel threats sure do seem to pick on Earth 
  quite a bit. Why? 
  That’s a question you’re going to want to answer for 
  yourself, but the most likely reason is that Earth leads the 
  way in the development of time travel. This has raised its 
  prominence across the galaxy. Rumor gets about; if you want 
  to muck around with time, someone from Earth may show 
  up to interfere, so deal with them first. Alternatively, Earth 
  may be under the protection of alien time travelers, and that 
  makes them important for reasons that other cultures have yet 
  to discover — but people want what is being denied to them, 
  and that means Earth.
  On TV shows, Earth gets threatened a lot because it’s much 
  less expensive to film on Earth. In games, Earth gets threatened 
  a lot because it’s lots of fun to play an RPG centered in a place 
  you know and love. That means that you’ll want to look for 
  excuses to set adventures on Earth: subtle alien invasions, old 
  enemies chasing down the pilots, and complex conspiracies. 
  Focus on small-scale threats that are horrible in an area small 
  and controlled enough that the tourists can correct them 
  without the rest of the world ever learning the truth. Find an 
  adventure hook that excites you and forge forward, varying 
  Earth-based plot arcs with alien- and time-based adventures.
  THE ROLE OF TIME TRAVEL
  Adventures can occur in space (past, contemporary, or future), 
  Earth (past, contemporary, or future), or any alien planet you 
  can imagine (past, contemporary, or future). Paradox is stricter 
  in this setting, so showing up, realizing there’s a problem, and 
  traveling back 20 years to head the problem off will typically 
  trigger a Paradox test (since the tourists will be invalidating 
  events they already know to be true). That encourages players 
  to try and fix events in the same era that they arrive in. 
  Luckily, the nature of time machines in the Tourist frame is 
  that they’re less accurate than an autochron. The time machine 
  usually arrives at or near the time when the tourists are most 
  needed, so you can drop them wherever you wish in the 
  conundrum. If you want them to time travel to fix things, let 
  them enter late; if you prefer they experience and deal with 
  the mystery directly, have them enter a bit early. Just remember 
  
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  that there are mechanical encouragements to reducing the 
  amount of time travel in this setting. If you prefer your time 
  travel unhindered and freewheeling, as in the Patrol frame, 
  ignore the rule above about stricter Paradox tests.
  EMPATHY IN THE FACE OF THE UNKNOWN
  Tourist-style play isn’t usually about stranded adventurers 
  shooting down hordes of alien monstrosities. It’s about 
  understanding why those monstrosities are upset, finding the 
  person who made them that way through their despicable 
  actions, and forcing them to change — thus allowing the alien 
  monstrosities to go back to their normal, peaceful life and 
  leave innocents unharmed.
  That means that empathy becomes just as important a skill 
  as a steady hand and a big gun. Sleuthing may require that 
  the tourists put themselves in the position of their foes, just 
  so they can understand what their foes may want to achieve. 
  As a GM, use this technique when building adventures and 
  mysteries. Actions have ripples as they affect others; you can 
  build mysteries where someone takes an action, it affects 
  others, those others act, and the tourists enter at a point when 
  it seems like the others’ actions are unreasonable or erratic. It’s 
  only after talking to people and unraveling the mystery that the 
  truth comes out.
  On a highly fertile farm planet, a bio-farm supervisor makes the 
  controversial decision to use a powerful chemical weed killer to increase 
  their crop yield even higher than it already is. What he doesn’t realize 
  is that the plants share a sentience, and they view this as tantamount 
  to poison and murder. The plants begin to attack by colonizing the 
  farmers, and the alien insects that fertilize the plants start to assault 
  the farm. It’s at this point that the tourists arrive. They find a farm 
  under attack, with deadly insects swarming and humans gradually 
  infested by plant monsters that grow out of  their nose, mouth, and 
  eyes. It takes empathy and investigation to track the problem back to 
  its root cause, the pesticides and weed killers, and make peace with the 
  local plant life. 
  That said, Tourist-style antagonists often take the form of 
  implacable, numerous hordes led by a particularly evil and 
  charismatic leader. The many soldiers are often treated as 
  Mooks, and so are dangerous but relatively easy to destroy. The 
  tourists may defeat the leader’s plot without ever encountering 
  anyone more important than a sublieutenant. This brings the 
  group to the despicable leader’s attention, however, and that’s 
  seldom a good thing when you’re facing villains with endless 
  resources and implacable hatred.
  SAMPLE TOURIST GROUPS
  There are multiple ways to form a tourist group. Here is a 
  handful.
  X
  X 	Looking to work off his karmic debt, a con man steals a 
  time machine, breaks his friends out of a nigh-unbeatable 
  prison, and goes on the run across time and the universe. 
  The prison sends specialist bounty hunters after them.
  X
  X 	
  A beneficent alien is fascinated by Earth, and regularly 
  recruits a rotating crew of humans onto her time machine for 
  company as she explores the past, the future, and the galaxy.
  X
  X 	1950s humankind discovers time travel. Two scientists and 
  a handful of government specialists set out to explore, only 
  to find that they have trouble returning.
  X
  X 	A 25th-century starship pilot hooks alien technology up to 
  his ship, only to discover it’s a time machine. He and his 
  passengers begin to tour the galaxy, never realizing that 
  every time jump wakes up the progenitors who invented the 
  technology in the first place.
  X
  X 	A paid time tour specializes in bringing tourists to famous 
  places and times in Earth’s history. When the tour guide 
  accidentally perishes, the tourists decide to seize the 
  opportunity to see the universe themselves.
  X
  X 	Astronauts encounter an alien species that abducts them 
  through time and space. Their escape gains them a time 
  machine, and the universe opens up for their exploration.
  WILD TIMES! CAMPAIGN FRAME
  What happens at the dawn of time travel, before TimeWatch 
  is founded or in a universe where TimeWatch doesn’t exist?
  Captain Darren “Flash” Edwards checked the coolant fittings on 
  his pressure suit for the thousandth time. He settled again into the 
  acceleration couch and looked left and right at his team: Lieutenant 
  Derby Mason, the cool hepcat comms officer; Doctor Jean “Harlow” 
  Harlass, plucked from a postdoc at MIT to serve as Flash’s science 
  officer; and Anna May Wong, Hollywood actress with an eidetic 
  memory and vast knowledge of  history serving as the team’s special 
  consultant. The craziest team he’d ever seen, assembled for the craziest 
  plan he’d ever heard of, facing the craziest damn thing he’d ever had in 
  front of  his own eyes.
  It twisted and flared and shimmered, turning his mind inside out. 
  Now blinding, now cloaked in a suffocating darkness, The Anomaly 
  laughed at everything American science had learned.
  “Systems nominal. Engaging first power increment in ten… 
  Nine…”
  Flash snorted. “First power increment” meant “first atomic bomb 
  going off  right overhead.”
  First. Atomic Bomb. Overhead.
  He glanced involuntarily at the bunker roof. Dr. Harlass had 
  assured them all that this far below the Nevada desert there was no 
  danger, but hell, atomic bombs? Multiple atomic bombs?
  
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  325
  “Four… Three…”
  The first bomb went off. All the bombs went off. And as crazy as 
  things had been up to then, Flash hadn’t seen anything yet.
  A DIFFERENT VERSION OF HISTORY
  If your characters are not TimeWatch Agents, be sure to 
  consider what they might or might not know about time 
  travel and what sort of gear they might or might not have 
  access to. TimeWatch does its best to make sure its agents are 
  well prepared for the fight to maintain history, but characters 
  without access to TimeWatch’s resources will have to charge 
  forward into ignorance. 
  There are broadly four ways to vary a TimeWatch game from 
  the default concept.
  How Recently Was  
  Time Travel Invented?
  Default TimeWatch establishes that time travel is well 
  understood. All Agents start with 1 point of Timecraft, and 
  much of the mystery and awe has eroded from clocking in and 
  out of history. Time travel is a known and established fact, and 
  Agents are reaping the benefits of all the pioneers who have 
  come before.
  But what if they are the pioneers? If time travel is brand 
  new and no one (or almost no one) has experimented with 
  it before, the characters become daring explorers without a 
  safety net. There’s no one to pull their fat out of the fire when 
  things get tough, and instead of fixing other travelers’ mistakes 
  they’re forging out into the infinite unknown to see what’s out 
  there. If errant history has to be repaired, it’s probably the 
  characters themselves who accidentally broke it. 
  How Time Travel Works
  Next, there is the nature of time travel itself. Default TimeWatch 
  assumes that there are straightforward machines that allow 
  the operator to go back and forth in time. Time machines 
  are effectively plot devices that help the characters get from 
  one place to another as they track down the mystery. A simple 
  variation changes these machines in one way or another, either 
  in form and function or in importance. A magical ring that 
  jumps the wearer back and forth is functionally the same, but 
  you could have implements less powerful than an autochron. 
  You could manage time travel via General abilities of some 
  kind, and call it magic. You could have time portals that open 
  up and then vanish, or physical locations that zap people 
  from one time to another. The time machine could have its 
  own personality, wants, and desires, effectively becoming a 
  supporting character in the game. And of course, in default 
  TimeWatch the time travel is reasonably reliable, so that Agents 
  can be largely sure they’ll end up where and when they 
  intend, and don’t have to worry too much about keeping their 
  autochrons properly maintained. If these things aren’t all true, 
  if Agents always have to scramble to figure out where they are 
  and if travel requires specific, hard-to-find fuel, time travel is a 
  very different proposition.
  How the Heroes Travel
  Third, you can consider the nature of how your characters relate 
  to the power of time travel. In default TimeWatch, the Agents 
  own and manage the ability to travel through time. But here they 
  might have to deal with another entity that actually provides the 
  power, and who could pull it away from the characters at any time. 
  The characters could have acquired the power illicitly, and be in 
  danger of having it taken away. They could just be victims of 
  time-shifting powers. They could stumble into time travel without 
  understanding it, discovering a bizarre or mysterious locale or 
  phenomenon that sends them off through the time stream. They 
  could use advanced mathematics and vastly obscure equations, 
  such as Dr. Eugene Ray’s Time Cube theories advanced in 
  1997. They could even have invented it themselves, in which 
  case the time machine is likely immovable, bulky, and regularly 
  malfunctioning.
  Time travel technology in a game where you expect the 
  characters to mostly stay put should be massively bulky, 
  technologically mystifying, utterly mysterious, caused by 
  natural forces that could change at any time, existing in another 
  era entirely, or prone to self-destruction. A good standby that 
  avoids technology entirely is a temporary rift in time and space, 
  The first time machines were no autochrons,  
  that’s for certain.
  
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  one that slides people into a new time without ever allowing 
  them to understand exactly how and why. Primitive time travel 
  is typically dangerous, mysterious, and notoriously inaccurate.
  If you want characters to easily move between eras, the 
  technology might become slightly more stable, reliable, or 
  understandable — but usually not too advanced. In the 
  same way that telephone booth–shaped time machines aren’t 
  particularly portable once they arrive in a new era, a little 
  inconvenience goes hand in hand with traditional time travel 
  stories. Time machines should be able to be hidden, stolen, 
  and then stolen back over the course of an adventure. 
  The Big Problem
  Finally, consider what problems your characters will be asked to 
  solve in the game. Default TimeWatch is about keeping history 
  in accord with a canonical source of “proper” history. But 
  your campaign could revolve around the struggle to control 
  the power to travel through time itself. Characters could be 
  trapped in some sort of time-based confusion and need to 
  escape somehow. They may travel to right some wrong or to 
  fix mistakes that others or they themselves have made, or they 
  may just be trying to get home.
  WILD TIMES! RULES
  These sorts of campaigns will require some changes to the typical 
  TimeWatch rules, especially with regards to character creation.
  Character Options
  Your GM determines what time periods are possible for your 
  characters.
  Your characters do not have any default knowledge of 
  Timecraft. You can use your build points to buy the ability as 
  normal later.
  Unless the GM agrees, your characters cannot start with 
  History (Future).
  Consider building your characters with 5 build points kept 
  in reserve that can be used as needed during the adventures.
  Languages
  In some cases, your GM may wish to incorporate a Languages 
  ability:
  Languages (Academic)
  For each rating point in Languages, you are verbally fluent and 
  literate in a number of languages other than your native tongue:
  Languages Rating
  Additional Languages
  1
  +2 (3 total)
  2
  +3 (6 total)
  3+
  +4 (10 total)
  So for instance, Languages 2 gives you five languages besides 
  your native one (+2 for Languages 1, and then +3 more for 
  Languages 2); at Languages 4, you can speak and read thirteen 
  other languages! Languages known can be specified as you need 
  them, not at the start of the game; sure, your grasp of Akkadian 
  from ancient Babylonian may not be perfect, but you can make 
  yourself understood if you’ve left at least one Languages slot 
  free when you find yourself in ancient Babylonia.
  Equipment
  Remember that without the facilities of TimeWatch, you’ll 
  have less fancy equipment than standard agents. You’ll be 
  limited in most cases to traditional weapons and armor for 
  your time period, you won’t have a universal translator, nor will 
  you have a useful tether to tell you what’s supposed to be true. 
  You’ll be on your own!
  Also, note that while regular TimeWatch allows for quite a bit of 
  creative time travel use for Investigative or Preparedness spends, 
  without access to unlimited time travel such uses may have their 
  Difficulty Numbers raised or be disallowed by your GM. 
  Time Travel Effects
  Chronal Stability Losses may be higher than the default, and 
  may even be mandatory and automatic when time traveling 
  (as older, less carefully built time machines are less stable and 
  safe). The GM should consider upping these costs, with Travel 
  tests automatically inflicting 2 points of Chronal Stability Loss 
  or rising to Difficulty 4 / Loss 4.
  Paradox and accidental history changes are a core part of most 
  time travel stories, so when the TimeWatch agency is not involved, 
  Chronal Stability Loss in these situations is higher. Alternatively, 
  the GM could use Paradox tests to determine whether or not the 
  future changes significantly. This can be a way to manage chaos if 
  things don’t quite go the way your group expects.
  ALTERNATE TIMEWATCH CAMPAIGNS
  Let’s break down some combinations of all these possibilities 
  with a few sample TimeWatch alternate campaigns. This is far 
  from exhaustive.
  Circles of Stone
  Magic exists. Your fellow antiquarian book dealers didn’t 
  believe you at first, but the ancient tome that you unexpectedly 
  found in your shop’s back shelves has taught you methods to 
  manipulate reality — to conjure technology and objects from 
  the future or past (albeit with some strain to your sanity), to 
  manipulate those around you, and to understand historical 
  secrets you couldn’t possibly know in any other way. You’re 
  even convinced that with enough other knowledgeable and 
  learned assistants, you can use Stonehenge to travel through 
  time itself. 
  Let’s just hope you don’t go insane in the process.
  In this variant, time travel can only occur in one location. 
  
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  327
  Magic and dark sorcery substitute for technology, so that 
  the sort of things you’d achieve in a normal TimeWatch game 
  through technology or Investigative ability spends are instead 
  described as being the result of ritualistic spells. Of course, it’s 
  just a question of what exactly is whispering these secrets into 
  the antiquarian booksellers’ ears, and what price they may have 
  to pay for power…
  Mission Hook: That magical book belongs to a powerful 
  sorcerer who both wants it back and has no hesitation about 
  killing any who also uncover its secrets. The characters find 
  that their past is disappearing around them as the sorcerer 
  destroys their personal history. They must head back in time 
  to save themselves, or fade out of existence entirely.
  Corporate Scouts
  The “work week” takes on a whole new meaning when your 
  Monday morning involves traveling back to the Devonian 
  period to start massive forest fires and thus increase the 
  company’s petroleum deposits, and you have lunch hanging 
  around outside Ford’s Theatre just to make sure no one 
  interferes with Mr. Booth on his way in. The afternoon is 
  billed to MegaDimension Pictures, who are looking for the 
  perfect location for their Roman epic — say Northern Italy 
  in 120 BCE!
  Your heroes aren’t crusaders or saviors of humanity; they’re 
  temporal mercenaries making a buck in a high-risk trade. 
  TimeWatch isn’t a noble organization devoted to preserving 
  history, but rather a for-profit operation looking to exploit 
  history. You have most of the same resources as a standard 
  TimeWatch game, but instead of saving the world, you’re 
  getting paid.
  Mission Hook: You’re escorting another “Pleistocene 
  Safari,” guiding high rollers to hunt woolly mammoths and 
  saber-toothed tigers, when what at first appears an accidental 
  shooting kills one of your clients. It turns out that a rival 
  “temporal services” corporation is trying to discredit you, and 
  the only way to restore your reputation is to either find the 
  culprits, or use your time machine to rearrange things more 
  positively. Remember, investigative action is non-billable time!
  The First TimeWatch
  “Before” the TimeWatch Citadel was created, TimeWatch had 
  far fewer resources and was composed mostly of like-minded 
  adventurers who banded together to try and preserve their 
  version of history. This is where alternate futures can get more 
  powerful, where rival agencies can really bring the big clout. 
  One player character may be the inventor of time travel, or all 
  the player characters may have arrived at this ability by working 
  together. Whatever, they are in charge of the technology, and 
  have all signed up to rearrange history.
  One way to kick off a story like this is at the dawn of time 
  travel, a crisis moment in history. 
  Mission Hook: Alternate universes are competing to 
  dominate the time stream, causing strange phenomena: 
  unseasonal weather, massive extinctions, tectonic activity, 
  bizarre behavior… Your heroes are scientists and engineers 
  building a time machine when a strange creature suddenly 
  materializes in your lab. It speaks of a “Citadel” outside of 
  time, but before it can explain any further, it dies and a small 
  army of time traveling hostiles attack. Sophosaurs and ezeru 
  and other, more bizarre enemies begin an all-out assault on 
  “our” history, and only control of this Citadel can possibly 
  save humanity!
  The Right Stuff Again
  In the early 1960s, NASA experiments with relativity uncovered 
  bizarre, terrifying possibilities. A secret organization known 
  only by its code name, Second Chamber, was created inside the 
  Department of Defense. At their facility in Nevada, Second 
  Chamber uses nuclear blasts to create temporal anomalies, 
  and experiments with ways of maintaining and directing these. 
  Of course these tests must be conducted in secrecy beyond 
  even what was enforced on the nuclear weapons development 
  programs themselves. Should the Russians get wind of what 
  Second Chamber is developing, all history could be revised!
  Heroic Americans (who are definitely not Russian spies) 
  are carefully recruited from various services, universities, and 
  industries and brought into Second Chamber to test out the 
  very first human-suitable time travel devices. The device is 
  immense, built into caverns beneath the Nevada desert, and 
  only massive nuclear explosions will provide the necessary 
  energy. Packed into bulky space suits, the crew sits at the 
  controls and sets off.
  This game uses a less-effective time machine, called the 
  Chronomatic Station, that resembles a sort of big sectional 
  sofa with enough seating for your heroes. It’s covered with 
  controls and readouts, like the bridge of a cool spaceship 
  without the spaceship. At the rear of the station a number 
  of thick tubes and cables emerge, only to warp around some 
  invisible corner back to Mission Control in 1962 Nevada. 
  Making time jumps requires communication with Mission 
  Control, and necessitates wearing pressure suits to survive 
  the hellish conditions of time travel. They help protect 
  chrononauts from the atomic bombs going off in Nevada, 
  too. Of course, should those communication cables be cut, 
  your heroes will have to scrounge their own staggering energy 
  releases in order to operate the Chronomatic Station and get 
  home…
  A Right Stuff  Again campaign varies from default TimeWatch 
  in three ways: time travel is more difficult, it’s poorly 
  understood, and your Agents’ mission is to make sure this 
  technology does not fall into enemy hands. Of course, if the 
  dastardly Reds are working on their own Vremya Transport, 
  they may be lying in wait!
  Mission Hook: In 1961 the Russians detonate “Tsar 
  Bomba,” the largest explosive device in human history. The 
  American strategic advantage of the postwar years is lost, 
  possibly forever. In 1962, the first Chronomatic Station mission 
  sends the heroes back to London in 1941 to prevent the leak 
  of the MAUD Committee documents to the Soviet Union. 
  These documents were prepared by British scientists and first 
  described a feasible design for an atomic bomb. The top-secret 
  
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  document was intercepted and described to Moscow within a 
  day of its completion, which helped convince Lavrenti Beria, 
  head of the NKVD, that an atomic bomb program was not 
  just a trick to distract the Soviets from the catastrophic Nazi 
  invasion they were currently reeling from.
  Your heroes will have to navigate 1941 London, find Anatoli 
  Gorski, and prevent him from sending the confirmation of 
  the MAUD document, thus buying the US many years’ head 
  start in their nuclear program.
  Find Gorski, and somehow prevent him from either learning 
  about the MAUD committee, or from communicating his 
  knowledge back to his NKVD masters! And look out for time 
  traveling Reds!
  Variant: The Righter Stuff
  In the early 2000s, a young billionaire couple who made 
  their fortune with startling new power technology begins 
  recruiting for a top-secret project from among the roughest 
  neighborhoods in the most dangerous third-world countries. 
  They have discovered the secret to time travel and plan to use 
  it to wipe out threats to their emerging businesses, to seize 
  natural resources before they’re found, and other unfair sorts 
  of things. 
  Their employees, however, are smarter than first imagined. 
  Your heroes are these adventurous characters from around the 
  globe, brought together for the promise of money and risk, 
  but who will swiftly come to realize that they are considered 
  expendable!
  This sort of campaign works similar to the previous idea, 
  with control of the machine belonging to another, but directed 
  by you. However, in something like this the problem for your 
  characters is to wrest control of the time machine away from 
  the cruel and selfish billionaires and perhaps establish an all-
  new global agency for time travel protection.
  Mission Hook: In 1869, the brand-new Dominion of 
  Canada — at that point a mere fraction the size it is today 
  — acquired the enormous tract of land then owned by the 
  Hudson’s Bay Company at the cut-rate price of £300,000, in 
  a document called the Deed of Surrender. This happened as 
  a result of desperate negotiations by British, Canadian, and 
  HBC officials, all worrying about how best to counteract US 
  expansion in North America.
  The Red River Rebellion in 1867 nearly overturned these 
  negotiations, and there have long been rumors that an 
  American offer of $10,000,000 was rejected due to threats 
  from the British government. With the hindsight of time 
  travel, buying one-third of North America for $10,000,000 
  seems like a steal. Can your team give your employers the 
  chance to win the biggest real estate deal in history? Or will 
  you side with Louis Riel and his Métis crusaders, and kick over 
  the whole negotiating table?
  The Stars Are Right
  The sample adventure Queen of  the Nile (see p. 366) includes 
  a supporting character who travels through time via some 
  unspecified “magical” means and who compels others to his 
  cause. This can be the basis for another sort of TimeWatch 
  campaign: where your heroes aren’t recruited to time travel but 
  instead are brought in against their will. This can go in all sorts 
  of ways, but they all depend on a nefarious villain or agency 
  who has selected your characters from throughout history for 
  some purpose.
  A god-queen of ancient Babylon, or a shaman in Machu 
  Picchu, or just a poor woodsman who was too close to the 
  Tunguska event in 1908 and discovered secrets that were never 
  meant to be known; any of these possibilities could work for 
  non-technological time travel. Look for extraordinary events in 
  history, or just controversial ones, and imagine how that might 
  have been the consequence of a time travel event. Aliens are 
  great for this: perhaps when they kidnap humans and leave 
  them with “missing time” they’ve actually sent them on a wild 
  time traveling mission and then wiped their memories.
  Whatever lies behind the plot, this sort of setup allows for 
  a broader range of characters. Since your scheming villain has 
  access to time travel, they may have nabbed victims from any 
  point in history, so you have pretty much the whole gamut to 
  select from. Your heroes don’t know why they were selected, 
  but at first at any rate they find themselves required to follow 
  orders. The first few missions they may simply go along with 
  things, but sooner or later they’ll want to get ahold of the time 
  travel controls.
  Exactly how time travel works in these sorts of stories can 
  vary greatly, of course, from magic to science to space aliens. 
  Part of the mission of the heroes in this story is to uncover 
  the purpose behind their sudden time traveling enlistment, 
  and then turn the tables on the presumably nefarious goings-
  on here.
  Mission Hook: The city of Uruk was founded, say the 
  legends, around the great temple of Inanna, which stood 
  there before even the first king of Uruk was proclaimed. 
  Uruk thrived because the goddess had stolen the tablets of 
  knowledge from the god Enki. This ancient tale recalls an 
  ancient power struggle, and a desperate queen who discovered 
  she could call upon heavenly “angels” when her rituals were 
  properly performed. In fact, she has created portals through 
  time to draw hapless individuals to serve her. Your heroes.
  You will have to steal these tablets from the god who rules 
  neighboring Eridu. But what are these gods and goddesses? 
  And what exactly are these tablets that include all the knowledge 
  necessary for civilization? Trapped in ancient Sumeria, your 
  heroes are expendable pawns, but your only hope to get home 
  is to convince Inanna to conduct her time traveling rituals on 
  your behalf. How will you convince an insane god-queen to 
  help you?
  
  ALTERNATE CAMPAIGN FRAMES
  329
  The White Hole
  The “black widow pulsar,” B1957+20, is one of the most 
  massive stellar objects that can be observed (you can look 
  it up). Moving through the galaxy at a staggering million 
  kilometers per hour, and spewing antimatter as it hurtles 
  along, this object distorts space and time all around it. Close 
  to a massive stellar object like this, time warps and distorts and 
  goes the wrong way. Obviously humanity wants a closer look.
  Daigo Fukuru, the first expedition to B1957+20, is no longer 
  mentioned but in hushed rumors, stories of an empty vessel 
  returning but moments after it was launched, interiors rusted 
  shut and no sign of the thirty-person crew. Perhaps your 
  characters have been asked to explore the abandoned vessel 
  itself, to try and discover the fate of its crew, and to try and 
  understand what happened in the few seconds it was gone. Or 
  perhaps they are mounting a new expedition to B1957+20, in 
  the hopes of finding their answers in the madness of space 
  around the bizarre object.
  Time travel in a story like this is less under anyone’s control. 
  But you may discover ways in which you can move back and 
  forth in time, and if that doesn’t drive you mad, you may discover 
  the secret of Daigo Fukuru. 
  Mission Hook: After years of preparation, the tremendous 
  research vessel Daigo Fukuru set off on its rendezvous with 
  B1957+20. Traveling at a reasonable proportion of the speed 
  of light, Daigo Fukuru was expected to return years from now, 
  with its crew in suspended animation for most of that time. 
  But an anomaly occurred, and Daigo Fukuru suddenly seemed 
  to teleport across a vast distance in space, and rather than 
  traveling away, it was returning at high speed towards its launch 
  site. There have been no responses to any communication, 
  and unless something is done the ship will hurtle past the 
  station and on into the darkness of space. Your team has to 
  get aboard and discover the truth of what happened.
  
  330
  
  331
  If you never get enough of history’s awesome little details, or 
  if you’re looking for inspiration, this section provides ideas 
  and clues to inspire you in developing thrilling TimeWatch 
  adventures of your own. Read it over, browse the Internet, and 
  find the moment in history where you’d change everything.
  We’ve tried to provide a sampling of notable or interesting 
  figures from across history. Many of these are not the most 
  famous individuals, or even the most important. Hopefully 
  there are a few names in here you’ve never come across before, 
  that spark your own research and inspiration.
  All dates are Common Era unless noted otherwise.
  NORTH AMERICA
  MARY HARVEY (C. 1700–?)
  After Mary Harvey and her husband, Thomas, were 
  transported to the province of Carolina in 1725 to serve time 
  for robbery, arson, and extortion, they escaped and took to 
  a life of minor piracy aboard the Raphael (named after the 
  avenging archangel). Rumored to be the piratical mastermind 
  but released from jail in 1726 after her husband escaped 
  capture, Mary was an athletic shaggy-haired brunette with a 
  number of scars and a “bawdy loose nature.” She disappeared 
  in 1727; if TimeWatch tried to recruit her, it isn’t unreasonable 
  to assume that she betrayed her team and is still running loose 
  with a spare autochron. (Google “women in piracy” for more 
  wonderful examples.)
  TECUMSEH (1768–1813)
  Leader of the Shawnee who pulled together a confederacy 
  of native nations, Tecumseh helped the British hold off the 
  United States in the War of 1812. His untimely death at the 
  Battle of the Thames put an end to that confederacy and made 
  it impossible for the British to insist on the recognition of 
  native nations between the United States and Upper Canada.
  THEODOSIA BURR ALSTON (1783–1813)
  Lost at sea off the Carolina coast at age 29, possibly to piratical 
  wreckers, the daughter of Aaron Burr was considered one of 
  the best educated women in America. 
  SACAGAWEA (1788–1812)
  Best known as the woman who led the Lewis and Clark 
  Expedition across North America, Sacagawea was an 
  accomplished diplomat and courageous explorer without 
  whom the expedition might have failed.
  THEODORE ROOSEVELT (1858–1919)
  Theodore Roosevelt became president after the assassination 
  of William McKinley, and then turned against the Republican 
  Party leadership in championing policies of trust-busting and 
  preserving national parks. Had he not helped overturn the 
  corporate monopolies, the United States might have been as 
  ripe for proletarian revolt as Russia at the turn of the century.
  IDA B. WELLS (1862–1931)
  A journalist who documented the horrific atrocities of white 
  supremacists in America, Wells devoted much of her life to 
  exposing the racism of the American South. She advocated 
  for armed resistance, though she stopped short of organizing 
  an actual uprising.
  
  CHAPTER NINE
  332
  LESTER B. PEARSON (1897–1972)
  Prime minister of Canada for much of the ’60s, Pearson 
  brought about a peaceful resolution to the Suez Crisis of 1957 
  by proposing a joint United Nations peacekeeping force. This 
  effort won him a Nobel Peace Prize for “saving the world” 
  and introduced the idea of international peacekeeping that the 
  United Nations continues with to this day.
  MARILYN MONROE (1926–1962)
  The greatest sex symbol in Hollywood’s history, Monroe was 
  involved with influential men from all parts of American life: 
  athletes, writers, and presidents. She called John F. Kennedy 
  just before her death, which was called a “probable suicide.” 
  Lee Strasberg, the great acting teacher, said she had been 
  second only to Marlon Brando amongst his students. 
  SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA
  FRANCISCO PIZARRO (C. 1471–1541)
  Greedy for Peru’s fabled riches and envious of his distant 
  cousin Hernán Cortés’ success in Mexico, Pizarro left Panama 
  City and conquered the Inca Empire. His expeditions of 1524 
  and 1526 both failed due to scant supplies, bad weather, and 
  hostile natives, but his expedition of 1528 alerted him to the 
  wealth of northern Peru. Forced to appeal directly to the King 
  of Spain for a license to proceed, Pizarro captured the Incan 
  emperor Atahualpa in 1532. Despite the ransom of a room full 
  of gold, Pizarro betrayed the emperor and had him executed. 
  Conquering Cuzco and all of Peru soon followed. Pizarro was 
  assassinated by the son of a personal enemy in 1541.
  BARTOLOMÉ DE LAS CASAS (1484–1566)
  Born in Spain and an early colonist to the West Indies, Las 
  Casas soon actively opposed the subjugation and enslavement 
  of indigenous Native Americans. This set the Dominican friar 
  apart in an era when Europeans considered the local populace 
  to be sub-human. Las Casas spent five decades proselytizing 
  against slavery and arguing for pro-Indian policies throughout 
  Central America. He agitated for universal human rights at a 
  time when most people considered the idea unthinkable. 
  LA MALINCHE (1496–1529)
  To say that La Malinche’s modern reputation is conflicted 
  is an understatement. One of 20 female slaves given to 
  Spanish conquistadores after a victorious battle, she became 
  the advisor, interpreter, and mistress to Hernán Cortés. Her 
  diplomatic prowess has lead some historians to consider 
  her key to Spain’s conquering of Mexico; while her loyalty 
  to Cortés was absolute, she is also remembered as the very 
  definition of treachery to her native people.
  SIMÓN BOLÍVAR (1783–1830)
  Hailed as the liberator of South America, Bolívar is often 
  compared to George Washington for his role in establishing 
  Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela as 
  independent of Spanish rule. Bolívar’s revolutionary forces 
  were well served by his keen political instincts and skill in 
  military tactics. 
  ANTONIO LÓPEZ DE SANTA ANNA 
  (1794–1876)
  “The Napoleon of the West” is considered an ardent 
  Mexican nationalist and general who served a whopping 11 
  non-consecutive terms as president over 22 years. He’s also 
  considered to be a failure, as during his reign Mexico lost more 
  than half of its territory. Fun fact: the charismatic leader’s leg 
  was blown off during the Pastry War of 1838 (really!) and 
  buried with full military honors; after Santa Anna’s prosthetic 
  cork leg was captured eight years later during the Mexican-
  American War, it ended up on display in Springfield, Illinois.
  AUGUSTO PINOCHET (1915–2006)
  Need a dictator? In power between 1974 (thanks to a US-
  backed coup) and 1990, Pinochet ruled Chile with both fear 
  and the proverbial iron fist. Under his watch tens of thousands 
  of people were tortured and imprisoned, and thousands of 
  people disappeared, presumed murdered. When it comes to 
  human rights, it’s safe to say that Bartolomé de Las Casas 
  wouldn’t have been a fan.
  FIDEL CASTRO  
  (1926–FOREVER, APPARENTLY)
  A Communist revolutionary turned charismatic and hard-
  working politician, Castro has been annoying American 
  leaders since the 1950s. His role in world politics is hard to 
  understate, especially when you consider that the closest the 
  world has gotten to a full nuclear exchange (as far as we know) 
  happened on his watch during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  
  EUROPE 
  ARISTOTLE (384–322 BCE)
  One of the greatest philosophers and most influential writers 
  in Western history, Aristotle’s ideas (for better or worse) guided 
  Western thinking for nearly two thousand years. He tutored 
  Alexander the Great (more on him later), wrote hundreds 
  of books, invented logic, and established the groundwork 
  for physics, geology, biology, metaphysics, and pretty much 
  everything else. He had strong opinions on drama, too.
  
  HISTORICAL MISCELLANY
  333
  ALEXANDER III (THE GREAT)  
  (356–323 BCE)
  Plutarch says of this fellow: He was of a fair color, as they say, 
  and his fairness passed into ruddiness on his breast particularly, 
  and in his face. Moreover, that a very pleasant odor exhaled 
  from his skin and that there was a fragrance about his mouth 
  and all his flesh, so that his garments were filled with it. The 
  temperament of his body was a very warm and fiery one. His 
  neck was bent slightly to the left, and his eyes had a melting 
  glance. Although Alexander was unyielding and resisted being 
  compelled by his father, he was easily led by reasoning into 
  the path of duty. He was by nature a lover of learning and a 
  lover of reading, with an eager yearning for philosophy. His 
  self-restraint showed itself in the fact that, although he was 
  impetuous and violent in other matters, the pleasures of the 
  body had little hold upon him, and he indulged in them with 
  great moderation, though he was prone to drink, due to the 
  heat of his body.
  So there’s that.
  BOUDICA (C. 10–60)
  A British queen who led a massive revolt against the Romans, 
  one that nearly caused Emperor Nero to withdraw all Roman 
  forces from Britain. But defeated in her final battle (the Battle 
  of Watling Street), she and the revolt collapsed.
  JANI BEG (C. 1320–1357)
  Ruler of the Golden Horde, whose assassination contributed 
  to the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Beg is also remembered 
  as the man who might have caused the Black Death.
  JOHANNES GUTENBERG (1398–1468)
  Inventor of the Western moveable type press, Gutenberg 
  only created his world-changing machine because a previous 
  venture involving mirror manufacturing failed. Makes you 
  think.
  CAPTAIN JAMES COOK (1728–1779)
  He may have been stabbed to death by Hawaiian islanders 
  in 1779 after trying to kidnap and ransom their king, but 
  the British explorer and navigator’s global circumnavigation 
  and trips around the Pacific Ocean provided a wealth of 
  information about geography, mapping techniques, botany, and 
  the indigenous people of the lands he reached. Cook was an 
  outstanding hero and explorer in an age of discovery, and he 
  left behind a legacy of scientific and cartographic research for 
  others to expand upon. Rumors that Cook was actually recruited 
  into TimeWatch instead of dying remain unsubstantiated.
  ADA LOVELACE (1815–1852)
  One of the greatest mathematical minds of all time, Lovelace 
  famously wrote the first computer program — more than a 
  century before the first computer was built. Sadly, her associate 
  Charles Babbage was never able to assemble sufficient funds 
  to build the Analytical Engine for which she devised her 
  programs.
  OTTO SKORZENY (1908–1975)
  Hitler’s favorite Nazi commando, SS-Obersturmbannführer 
  (lieutenant colonel) Skorzeny had a reputation as a 
  swashbuckling man of action — and even had the dueling 
  scar on his face to prove it. He famously rescued Mussolini 
  from an Italian fortress by infiltrating by glider, and reputedly 
  had an affair with Eva Perón while acting as her bodyguard 
  in Argentina after the war. Skorzeny is the epitome of a good 
  TimeWatch adversary: deadly, resourceful, fascinating, amoral, 
  unscrupulous, and very good at his job. 
  AFRICA
  HATSHEPSUT (1508–1458 BCE)
  One of the greatest pharaohs of Egypt, this woman ruled 
  that nation for over twenty years, overseeing expansion, trade, 
  and the building of some of the greatest temples in Egyptian 
  history. (Pro tip: Egyptian history is full of awesome.)
  TARIQ IBN ZIYAD (DIED 720 CE)
  The conqueror of Iberia, a great Muslim general, known as 
  the man who found the (subsequently lost) golden table of 
  Solomon. (Pro pro tip: Muslim history is full of awesome, too, 
  and often ignored by most Western historians.)
  IBN BATTUTA (1304–1369)
  One of the greatest explorers of all time, Ibn Battuta traveled 
  through Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and even China. 
  His writings of his travel were famous throughout the Muslim 
  world.
  YAA ASANTEWAA (1840–1912)
  An Asante queen who led the last, ultimately unsuccessful war 
  against British colonialism: The War of the Golden Stool.
  RABIH AZ-ZUBAYR (1842–1900)
  A Sudanese warlord who nearly fought the French to a 
  standstill in Central Africa.
  
  CHAPTER NINE
  334
  HAILE SELASSIE I (1892–1975)
  Emperor of Ethiopia, descendant of Solomon, messiah to 
  the Rastafarians, Haile Selassie lost his nation to an Italian 
  invasion in the 1930s when virtually all first-world nations 
  refused to support him. But Ethiopia’s independence was 
  restored during the Second World War, and Selassie went on 
  to rule until deposed in a 1974 coup.
  NELSON MANDELA (1918–2013)
  South Africa civil rights activist and politician, Mandela spent 
  27 years in prison and then became president of his country 
  after the end of apartheid.
  MIRIAM MAKEBA (1932–2008)
  Singer and activist, barred from her native South Africa for 
  much of her life, Makeba contributed immeasurably to global 
  understanding of the situation in her homeland.
  MIDDLE EAST
  CYRUS THE GREAT (576–530 BCE)
  Founder of the immense Achaemenid Empire, which 
  stretched from China to Libya, and was the greatest empire in 
  the ancient world. In the process he freed the Jews from their 
  captivity in Babylon and let them re-establish themselves in 
  Israel, which turned out to be a pretty big deal. 
  EMPEROR MAURICE OF BYZANTIUM 
  (539–602)
  An effective ruler whose murder shattered the peace he’d 
  forged with Persia, thus paving the way for the Muslim 
  conquests of Persia and later Byzantium itself.
  FATIMA BINT MUHAMMAD (605–632)
  Youngest daughter of the Prophet, Fatima was the only child 
  of his to produce her own offspring, so all descendants of 
  Muhammad are hers. After her father’s death, Fatima was 
  central to the conflict that gave rise to the split between Shia 
  and Sunni.
  MUHAMMAD IBN SAUD (C. 1720–1765)
  Founder of the Saud dynasty that still rules Saudi Arabia today, 
  founder of the First Saudi State that set the foundations for 
  the modern state (the Third Saudi State), ibn Saud sought to 
  purify Islam of what he saw as dangerous modern influences.
  ZAHIR SHAH (1914–2007)
  The last king of Afghanistan, Zahir Shah modernized his 
  nation, providing universal suffrage and promoting the rights 
  of women. He was deposed in a bloodless coup, introducing 
  years of instability in the nation that culminated in the Soviet 
  intervention a decade later.
  EAST ASIA
  QIN SHI HUANG (260–210 BCE)
  The first emperor of China, the man who pulled the country 
  together out of a dozen warring states. That terracotta army 
  you hear so much about was his.
  WU ZETIAN (624–705)
  The only woman to ever rule Imperial China in her own name, 
  Wu Zetian was a scandal for millennia, although she presided 
  over one of the greatest flowerings of Chinese culture.
  YUE FEI (1103–1142)
  A storied military leader who was on the verge of expelling 
  the Mongols before they ever established themselves in China, 
  Yue Fei was called back on the verge of his final assault and 
  executed by a fearful emperor, ensuring Kublai Khan’s victory. 
  MUSASHIBŌ BENKEI (1155–1189)
  A Japanese warrior monk who has since ascended into 
  folklore, Benkei was said to be a man of surpassing strength, 
  height, and loyalty. He served as warrior and outlaw; whether 
  he was actually a demon or ogre remains a little less certain.
  TOMOE GOZEN (1157–1247)
  A late twelfth-century female samurai warrior, she was said to 
  have been a remarkable archer, sword fighter, and equestrian 
  who was sent to battles as first captain. If you think to yourself 
  “my game needs more female samurai beheading her defeated 
  enemies,” she’s your solution.
  ADMIRAL YI SUN-SIN (1545–1598)
  Arguably the greatest naval commander in history, this Korean 
  commander remained undefeated against numerically superior 
  (sometimes vastly so) Japanese fleets. Completely aside from 
  the whole “military genius” thing, he also invented the turtle 
  ship, the world’s first armored battleship, which combined 
  both technological and psychological warfare innovations — 
  including a dragon-head fog-of-war dispenser.
  
  HISTORICAL MISCELLANY
  335
  TAKUAN SÔHÔ (1573–1645)
  A deeply influential monk and philosopher, known to 
  swordsmen and politicians all across the nascent Tokugawa 
  Japan. Had a huge influence on the thought and culture of 
  Japan.
  CHING SHIH (1775–1884)
  The greatest, most successful pirate of all time was this 
  Chinese woman who ruled a fleet of hundreds of warships 
  and basically ran the South China Sea like her personal domain. 
  At one point her fleet held over 1,500 ships and 80,000 sailors. 
  She retired and lived like a queen in Hong Kong on her ill-
  gotten wealth. 
  SOUTH & SOUTH EAST ASIA
  KAUTILYA (350–275 BCE)
  A great philosopher and minister who steered the rise of the 
  Maurya Empire, first to unite India.
  ASHOKA MAURYA (304–232 BCE)
  Grandson of the first Maurya Emperor (Kautilya’s protégé), 
  Ashoka is the guy who basically conquered all of India.
  TÖREGENE KHATUN  
  (EARLY 1200S-MID 1200S)
  Töregene was the second wife to Ögedei Khan, son of 
  Genghis Khan and Mongol warlord. When Ögedei died, 
  canny Töregene became the great khatun and regent of the 
  Mongol empire for five years (1241–1246) until her eldest son 
  was elected khan. She deftly balanced the rival political powers 
  within her empire while expanding its borders.
  KUTULUN (1260–1306)
  The wrestling woman of Mongol fame, who was almost made 
  khan by her father, and might have almost held the Mongol 
  Empire together.
  AKBAR I (1542–1605)
  Another “guy who conquered India,” Akbar turned the 
  Mughal Empire into a pluralistic and vital center of world 
  culture.
  MAI BHAGO (LATE 1600S-EARLY1700S)
  A fierce woman who led the charge preserving Guru Gobind 
  Singh Ji, and possibly kept the Sikh nation alive. The British 
  Indian Army was, by the way, 20% Sikh by the outbreak of 
  World War I.
  WOOLLARAWARRE BENNELONG  
  (C. 1764–1813)
  An Aboriginal man who served as ambassador, interpreter, 
  and diplomat between the indigenous population and the 
  European immigrants to Australia, Bennelong was an advisor 
  to the governor of New South Wales. 
  QUEEN RANAVALONA I “THE CRUEL” 
  (1778–1861)
  Strong and brutal queen of Madagascar, Ranavalona I held an 
  isolationist stance that managed to force British and French 
  imperial interests out of her country and keep Christian 
  missionaries at bay until decades after her death. That said, 
  she managed to reduce the population of her country from 5 
  million to 2.5 million subjects in a mere six years; her sobriquet 
  was likely well deserved. 
  MAHATMA GANDHI (1869–1948)
  Look, you know who Mahatma Gandhi is.
  SAMPLE CHARACTERS AND 
  SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
  Head over to Pelgrane Press’ TimeWatch Resources page on 
  the website for unique and historical TimeWatch characters, 
  from future and past, filled out and ready to run. 
  
  CHAPTER NINE
  336
  THE ANTI-HISTORY
  Below is a long list of crazy ideas about ways in which history 
  might be changed, that could turn into full-blown adventures. 
  Read and be inspired!
  If some of the names or places don’t ring a bell for you, 
  look them up! Lots of very interesting stuff in here.
  X
  X 	Germany doesn’t declare war on US in 1941, delaying US 
  entry into the war. Alternatively, the Japanese do not attack 
  Pearl Harbor.
  X
  X 	The US Constitutional Convention fails, proving that 
  republics cannot work on a large scale.
  X
  X 	Churchill dies in NYC in 1931 in a taxi accident (which 
  almost happened), and England falls in WW2.
  X
  X 	The AIDS virus is tweaked to become more communicable.
  X
  X 	Socrates dies (where he almost did) at the battle of Delium 
  in 424 BCE, and never becomes responsible for so much 
  intellectual development. The West remains a backwater 
  throughout history.
  X
  X 	Stanislav Petrov passes on the nuclear launch warning in 
  1983. This would have been bad.
  X
  X 	The Apostle Paul dies in his shipwreck, and Christianity 
  never becomes a world religion.
  X
  X 	Turks win the Battle of Lepanto and dominate the 
  Mediterranean.
  X
  X 	Darwin never goes on the Beagle and doesn’t codify evolution. 
  Religion dominates all views of science and history.
  X
  X 	Trofim Lysenko is dismissed by the USSR, and they have 
  effective agricultural techniques and compete better with 
  the West.
  X
  X 	Copernicus becomes a bishop and never publishes his work 
  on the solar system.
  X
  X 	The Marshal Plan after WWII is blocked so that Europe 
  continues the retributive cycle of warfare.
  X
  X 	Shakespeare never writes his plays, or they are destroyed.
  X
  X 	Ezeru first frame Lee Harvey Oswald as a pawn of the 
  Russians, thus setting the US up for war after JFK’s 
  assassination, then go back and cancel Prohibition — 
  assuring that he never becomes president in the first 
  place (since the Kennedy fortune was reputedly built by 
  bootlegging).
  X
  X 	Edison wins the power war against Tesla, and the world 
  uses DC current. Battery technology is vastly improved.
  X
  X 	TimeWatch has been cloning vital historical figures, replacing 
  them every time a well-meaning time traveler assassinates 
  the real one. Unfortunately, the cloning facility is penetrated, 
  and several iterations of cloned Genghis Khan (or another 
  warlord) escape out into the time stream.
  X
  X 	The British win the Revolutionary War, Victoria inherits 
  an empire that includes all of North America, and the sun 
  never does set on it.
  X
  X 	The South wins the Civil War, and an alliance of slave states 
  including Brazil and China join with America in future conflicts.
  X
  X 	Penicillin is never discovered; human population remains 
  beneath a billion by 2000 CE.
  X
  X 	Europeans are wiped out by disease (or Mongols); Native 
  Americans and Asians rule North America.
  X
  X 	A time traveler has become a world-famous superhero.
  X
  X 	TimeWatch’s efforts cause temporal rifts to randomly open 
  all the time.
  X
  X The other side wins the war (WWII, WWI, American 
  Revolution, Russian Revolution, etc.).
  X
  X Neanderthals are the dominant hominids. Homo sapiens 
  died out.
  X
  X George Washington takes the crown. USA and most of the 
  world are run by monarchies.
  X
  X Napoleon defeats Russia in 1812.
  X
  X The Roman Empire did not collapse, and continues to 
  dominate the world for millennia.
  X
  X Rome is conquered during the Punic Wars, leading to Greek 
  civilization flourishing.
  X
  X Islam conquers Medieval Europe (the Caliphate).
  X
  X The Aztecs beat back Cortés and the Spanish.
  X
  X Alexander dies at the Granicus river, and his conquest of 
  Persia dies with him.
  X
  X Alexander lives, settles his conquered lands, and ushers in a 
  world of pure reason and enlightenment.
  X
  X Mob bosses rule America.
  X
  X Humans never discovered agriculture. A small population 
  lives from hunting and gathering.
  X
  X The Yellowstone supervolcano goes off and wipes out 
  North America (harming the rest of the world too).
  X
  X The last Ice Age doesn’t end. Earth is becoming a snowball.
  X
  X Time travelers accidentally spread a horrible plague 
  throughout every era they travel to.
  X
  X Black Death never comes to Europe or triggers industrial 
  revolution.
  X
  X A larger asteroid hits the newly forming Earth, creating 
  two roughly equal planetoids orbiting each other as they 
  circle the sun. There are 80-meter tides, and life develops 
  independently on each planetoid.
  X
  X Russia reaches the moon first, but America follows closely 
  behind. Each builds a base on the moon, and the space race 
  extends into the solar system and beyond beginning in the 
  1960s.
  X
  X The Chinese do not develop gunpowder. There are no 
  firearms in the world.
  X
  X The Chinese use gunpowder for weapons and take over 
  Eurasia in the Middle Ages.
  X
  X Asoka lives to an old age and creates a culture of peace and 
  learning unrivaled in the ancient world. Alexander travels to 
  South Asia to learn, not to conquer.
  X
  X The Koreans are not stopped by tsunamis, and they invade 
  Japan before it becomes a nation of its own.
  
  HISTORICAL MISCELLANY
  337
  X
  X The Hikei/Taira win the war over the Genji/Minamoto, 
  and samurai culture dies an early death never to reappear.
  X
  X The Han dynasty does not go into decline in the early 3rd 
  century. The bureaucracy develops a means of continuity 
  and efficiency that allows them to methodically absorb all 
  of Eurasia.
  X
  X Simón Bolívar succeeds in creating the United States of 
  South America.
  X
  X China establishes a permanent navy and turns its attention 
  east and colonizes North America in the 13th century.
  X
  X Darius succeeds in conquering Greece and Europe.
  X
  X Shamanism becomes a major world “religion” with 
  followers equal to Christianity and Islam. 
  X
  X Bantu kingdoms unite all of Southern and Central Africa, 
  creating another major world power.
  X
  X The Mongols continue advancing into Europe when 
  Ögedei, the Khan of Khans, dies in 1241, before the 
  Europeans have a chance to defend themselves, and sweep 
  across the continent, destroying the medieval world.
  
  338
  
  339
  Below are inspirational ideas or “seeds” about ways in which 
  history might be changed and require some TimeWatch fixing.
  Each seed starts with a Hook, to give you an idea what 
  it’s all about, and then walks you through the True History, 
  the history TimeWatch needs to maintain. Then comes 
  the Alternate History, the history that has been changed 
  somehow, with the impacts of that change. In some cases 
  the agent responsible for the change is specifically called out; 
  in some cases this is left for you to decide. The Mission 
  section outlines how TimeWatch Agents will get involved, 
  and give some idea as to the course of the adventure. Finally, 
  a set of Research references give you a starting point to 
  look up details.
  ANTISOCIAL DARWINISM
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: Instead of waiting until the end of his life, Charles 
  Darwin publishes The Origin of  Species in 1839, sparking off the 
  idea of eugenics half a century earlier, and thus China ends up 
  ruling most of Africa.
  True History: Although Charles Darwin had conceptualized 
  the basic mechanism of natural selection as early as 1838, he 
  did not publish On the Origin of  Species until 1859. Only when 
  Alfred Russel Wallace duplicated much of Darwin’s research 
  and reasoning, threatening to beat Darwin to the punch, did 
  Darwin shift into high gear on his “big book.”
  Its publication electrified Darwin’s cousin, Francis Galton, 
  who published a letter in the 1880s proposing that enforced 
  emigration of Chinese to Africa would result in the eventual 
  extinction of native Africans, who Galton judged as deeply 
  inferior. The letter sparked no action.
  Alternate History: Darwin’s grandfather Erasmus Darwin 
  emigrates to America in 1749 after his tract Zoonomia arouses 
  fierce condemnation in Britain, and thus his grandson Charles 
  grows up in a “hustling” America and publishes his theory 
  much earlier. Both it and Galton’s “Africa for the Chinese” 
  letter are published prior to the First Opium War and the 
  subsequent Taiping Rebellion.
  The leader of the Taiping, Hong Xiuquan, begins to study 
  with an American missionary. He hears of Galton’s idea, and 
  instead of conquering China, he inspires his followers to 
  establish a new Heavenly Kingdom in Africa.
  By 1900 the world is dramatically different from today. 
  The Qing dynasty, not having faced the disastrous Taiping 
  Rebellion, remains strong and has modernized more quickly, 
  becoming a full partner in global affairs as it attempts to 
  manage and influence the breakaway Taiping Africa state. 
  China attended the Berlin Conference. When World War I 
  erupted it truly consumed the globe in catastrophe, ending in 
  nuclear destruction as accelerated competition produces the 
  bomb decades earlier.
  Stuck in an alternate history? When in doubt, Research.
  
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  The Mission: Agents are sent to discover why Shanghai 
  was destroyed in an atomic explosion in the 1930s. They 
  will have to negotiate their way through a war-torn world to 
  discover that the Taipings simply left China instead of causing 
  the deaths of 70 million Chinese. They will then try to relax 
  Charles Darwin so he doesn’t publish his great work until 
  much later. 
  It’s possible that a futuristic Chinese time traveler was 
  the person who convinced Erasmus Darwin to emigrate to 
  America in 1749. If so, preventing that conversation should set 
  the world back to rights… assuming that Chinese commandos 
  from the future aren’t now established in that time period, 
  guarding Erasmus so that he won’t be influenced by any other 
  time travelers.
  Research: “Taiping Rebellion”, “Francis Galton”, “Charles 
  Darwin”
  ASSYRIA TRIUMPHANT
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: In 853 BCE in northern Syria, at the Orontes River, 
  the Assyrians somehow win the Battle of Qarqar. The victory 
  of King Shalmaneser III over an alliance of 11 kings ends up 
  changing the course of empires and destroying advances such 
  as the alphabet and monotheism.
  True History: The Assyrian empire specialized in total 
  warfare. Defeated cities were leveled, and defeated nations 
  were ethnically cleansed and resettled with Assyrian colonists. 
  With its iron-wielding armies and metal-shod chariots 
  invincible in the field, Assyria dominated every land to its 
  north, east, and south. King Shalmaneser III turned west in 
  857 BCE to conquer Syria. King Ben-hadad II of Syria called 
  together allies from Asia Minor, Israel, and Phoenicia to stop 
  the Assyrians at the crossing of the Orontes River at Qarqar. 
  The resulting battle had a larger number of combatants than 
  any previous engagement in recorded history, and is where the 
  Arabs first enter the historical record. 
  Alternate History: Time travelers interfere in a way that 
  allows the Assyrians to triumph at the Battle of Qarqar. By 
  sowing dissension in the anti-Assyrian alliance of 11 different 
  kings, and by providing King Shalmaneser III’s troops with 
  anachronistic weapons such as poison gas, Greek fire, and 
  death rays, the Assyrians defeat some 60,000 soldiers and 
  go on to conquer Syria easily. Assyria establishes permanent 
  colonies on the Mediterranean and vastly strengthens the 
  empire. Consequences of this might include Shalmaneser 
  taking revenge on his opponents, utterly destroying Israel 
  and Phoenicia and incidentally aborting the invention of the 
  alphabet; and Assyria sacking Jerusalem and destroying the 
  Kingdom of Judah (as it would destroy Israel in our history), 
  incidentally ending Judaism and monotheism. Its flank secure, 
  Assyria moves into Asia Minor, reaching the weak Greek 
  city-states just in time to eradicate the beginnings of science, 
  democracy, and coined money.
  The Mission: History begins to unravel as massive cultural 
  advances disappear, creating a more barbaric and almost 
  unrecognizable modern world full of polytheist cultures that 
  populate the Middle East and portions of Europe. With both 
  Judaism and Christianity removed, Agents are sent back to 
  Jerusalem in 1 CE to get their bearings and work their way 
  backwards until they find the original problem. The mission 
  climax comes at the Battle of Qarqar, where Agents must subvert 
  and sabotage the meddlers’ attempts to help Assyria win.
  Research: “Battle of Qarqar”, “Assyria (Neo-Assyrian 
  Empire)”
  AUKISI KONGO!
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: A great central African power arises in the 17th 
  century, limiting the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the partition of 
  Africa, and the subsequent history of everything.
  True History: The Kingdom of Kongo was the largest, 
  most powerful state in West Africa during the 15th to 17th 
  centuries. Converted to Christianity in 1485, Aukisi Kongo 
  (“Holy Kongo”) grew rich on trade in gold, ivory, and slaves 
  captured in its expansionistic wars. However, Kongo refused 
  to allow Portuguese slavers to operate in its dominions, 
  causing friction between the kingdom and the Portuguese 
  colony of Angola to its south. In 1624, King Pedro II of 
  Kongo allied with the Dutch to finally drive the Portuguese 
  out of West Africa, but the king died before the attack could 
  take place, and his successor proved less eager to get rid of 
  the Portuguese. Later efforts foundered as the Portuguese had 
  become too well established. Kongo finally invaded Angola 
  on its own in 1665, but was roundly defeated and plunged into 
  a civil war that left the coast clear for European colonization.
  Alternate History: Pedro is kept alive in 1624 by interfering, 
  nationalistic Congolese time travelers who hope to improve 
  African prominence with modern medicine. The Kingdom of 
  Kongo participates in that year’s attack on Angola, and the 
  Portuguese are driven from Africa, taking with them the most 
  profitable form of the slave trade.
  The Kongo remain equal partners in the development of 
  West Africa, sending delegations to Europe and continuing to 
  expand their own territory. By the 19th century they are only 
  one of several African nations able to stand as equal partners 
  with European nations, and resist the efforts to colonize and 
  conquer. With the discovery of oil and other strategic mineral 
  reserves, Kongo becomes a major player on the world scene.
  The Berlin Conference of 1884, the “partition of Africa,” 
  never happens, and the frantic escalation of power that leads 
  to the First World War is muted. European powers never 
  acquire the dominance of our timeline and instead become 
  the battleground for the 20th-century conflicts between Africa 
  and North America, both of whom see themselves as the true 
  inheritors of the Enlightenment, the paragons of modernity.
  These battles eventually culminate in a destructive world 
  war in which atomic weapons destroy most of Europe.
  The Mission: When nuclear destruction is detected in 
  Europe in the 1950s, Agents are dispatched to understand 
  what’s happened. They find African armies squaring off against 
  Americans on a war-ravaged Europe. Their investigations lead 
  
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  to the rise of the Kongo and the survival of King Pedro.
  They will have to make sure the king dies, or at least fails to 
  participate in the 1624 attack on Angola, in order to keep the 
  horrors of the slave trade alive. Or maybe they won’t, leading 
  to other important ethical (and bureaucratic) questions that 
  TimeWatch will want answered.
  Research: “Kingdom of Kongo”, “Berlin Conference”, 
  “Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade”
  AXIS INDIA
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: Sikh victory over the British in 1845 leads to a 
  dramatically different global arrangement and outcome to 
  World War II.
  True History: In the 1840s, the East India Company 
  fought a war against the Sikh rulers of the Punjab, whose 
  defeat put an end to the largest, most effective military power 
  in Northern India. This paved the way for the unification of 
  India under British rule.
  But this war was nearly lost by the British at a town called 
  Ferozeshah. Only the failure of a Sikh general named Tej Singh 
  turned possible British annihilation into victory. Singh arrived 
  late to the battle and instead of immediately overwhelming 
  the British with his superior forces, withdrew and allowed the 
  British to regroup and entrench. It is rumored that Tej Singh 
  was turned by British agents to surrender the battle, and thus 
  leave his nation prostrate before the foreign invaders.
  Alternate History: Tej Singh is not tempted to betray 
  his country (or is perhaps replaced by a shape-shifting 
  antagonist), and he attacks on the second day of the battle of 
  Ferozeshah instead of holding back and allowing the British 
  time to regroup and defend their positions. The British units 
  are wiped out, and the resulting momentum raises up similar 
  efforts across the country. India, instead of being the crown 
  jewel of the British Empire, becomes a costly and bloody 
  hellhole that cripples Britain, leaving her unable to manage 
  other assets competently.
  After the First World War Britain is even less able to oversee 
  her possessions and India falls into chaos, beset with guerilla 
  forces and anti-British violence. Britain is unable to prosecute 
  the Second World War effectively, and surrenders to the 
  Germans, giving up Egypt and Iraq to fascist forces.
  India, although differently configured than in our history, 
  emerges as a post-WWII power and major trade partner 
  for the US. They enter into a major war with China, which 
  escalates into a full-blown nuclear holocaust.
  The Mission: Agents are sent to discover why nuclear war 
  happened on such a scale at the end of the 20th century. They 
  find a world run by fascists, where the Nazis never lost and 
  the great battles are being fought in Asia rather than Europe. 
  They must discover that the battle of Ferozeshah turned out 
  differently, and find a way to restore that outcome.
  Research: “Ferozeshah”, “Punjab,” “First Anglo-Sikh 
  War”
  BATTLE OF KADESH
  Time Seed by Douglas Haxton
  Hook: Egypt and the Hittite Empire clash in a massive 
  battle that ends with a decisive Egyptian victory, giving 
  Ramesses II great leverage in conquering the ancient world.
  True History: The Battle of Kadesh is the largest known 
  battle fought in the Near East in the second millennium BCE, 
  and it’s the first battle that modern history has a detailed 
  account of. The Hittite King Muwatallis led a force of 37,000 
  infantry and 2,500 chariots into Syria, establishing itself near 
  Kadesh. Ramesses II marched northward with 18,000 infantry 
  and 2,000 chariots. Ramesses learned of a Hittite ambush just 
  a little bit too late, losing most of his Ra unit and sending his 
  camp into chaos. The actual battle turned out to be indecisive; 
  both sides declared victory, withdrew, and entered a generation 
  of tense standoff. This battle resulted in the Egyptians and 
  Hittites sharing control of Syria-Palestine, and in keeping 
  Assyria and other Mesopotamian countries out of the area.
  Alternate History: A minor bit of time traveler interference 
  assures that Ramesses learns about the ambush from two 
  captured spies earlier than he did in true history; perhaps the 
  spies were captured a day earlier, or perhaps the torture is more 
  effective. Regardless, Ramesses does not go into the battle 
  tricked into thinking that the Hittites are camped kilometers 
  away from their true position. Instead of splitting his troops, 
  three of his four units maneuver while the fourth unit distracts 
  Hittite spies, and the larger Hittite army is crushed. It doesn’t 
  hurt that Ramesses II gets superb military tactical advice that 
  day from a local of Kadesh, a man that Ramesses immediately 
  had elevated to be a constant military adviser.
  With the Hittite king captured, Ramesses uses the leverage 
  to conquer or ally with the leading Mesopotamian powers 
  such as Assyria and Babylonia. He conquers northwards into 
  the Hittite Empire, aided by his new and brilliant military 
  adviser. Egyptian influence grows, and Ramesses’ armies 
  slowly conquer a great deal of the ancient world. The military 
  training and traditions passed down from this army and 
  adviser influence Egypt for generations to come, allowing 
  them to resist Nubian, Assyrian, and Persian attacks on their 
  country for the next 500 years.
  The Mission: The Egyptian-Hittite peace treaty — the 
  earliest written international peace treaty known — vanishes 
  from existence, and a TimeWatch visit to 1259 BCE reveals 
  that there was no need for the treaty, because the Egyptians 
  had thoroughly defeated the Hittites. The real question here 
  is the military adviser. Perhaps he is a contemporary or future 
  military general with a brilliant tactical sense who decided to 
  try and change history; perhaps he is a socially awkward gamer 
  who gained access to a time machine and decided that real 
  troops were more fun than miniatures on a table. Regardless, 
  he’ll have taken steps to keep himself protected from ambush.
  Research: “Battle of Kadesh”, “1270s BC”, “Egyptian-
  Hittite peace treaty”
  
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  CARTHAGE TRIUMPHANT
  Time Seed by Ciaran Conliffe
  Hook: In order to engineer a future where megacorporations 
  hold sway, illegal corporate time travelers trigger the 165 CE 
  Antonine Plague three hundred years early. It sweeps through 
  the Roman military and causes Carthage to win the Second 
  Punic War instead. 
  True History: The Antonine Plague of 165–180 CE 
  was a smallpox or measles pandemic brought back to the 
  Roman Empire by troops returning from the Near East, first 
  appearing during the Roman siege of Seleucia in the winter of 
  165–166. Total deaths are estimated at 5 million, and it ravaged 
  and greatly weakened the Roman armies. 
  Also relevant, Hannibal and his Carthaginian army fought the 
  Romans for 16 years during the Second Punic War (218–201 
  BCE), running rampant across Italy but lacking the reinforcements 
  and siege engines needed to defeat and destroy Rome. 
  Alternate History: The Roman Republic was a huge 
  influence on the emerging USA; their ideals of democracy 
  helped to lay the foundation of the state. The Carthaginian 
  Empire was more capitalistic in outlook, with their highly 
  oligarchic society. When a late 22nd-century megacorporation 
  decides to use access to time travel technology and engineer 
  a controlled “paradise” where the nation is fully controlled by 
  cyberpunk megacorps, the corporation’s historians and social 
  engineers agree that using Carthage instead of Rome could set 
  the standard for later governments to emulate. The solution? 
  Make sure that Carthage wins the Punic Wars. 
  They decide that the most efficient means for doing so is to 
  weaken Rome at a time when Hannibal can take best advantage 
  of the weakness. Fully immunized corporate scientists and 
  their bodyguards swing into Antonine Rome, take samples of 
  the plague, and then time travel back to 217 BCE. Infecting 
  Rome and the Roman armies is child’s play; after that, it’s just a 
  matter of waiting for the sickness to spread and for Hannibal 
  to take advantage of the opportunity. A surreptitious role as 
  one of his advisers helps make sure that occurs, particularly 
  when the scientists make sure that Hannibal and his troops are 
  properly inoculated.
  The city of Rome is conquered by 215 BCE, rebuilt 
  and repopulated by Carthaginians whose culture spreads 
  throughout their growing empire. The greater focus on 
  mercantile oligarchies results in the growth of concentrated 
  power within North America when the US is founded, and 
  by the mid-21st century the world has changed to one of 
  cyberpunk, corporate dystopia. Riding high in this new world, 
  effectively controlling the North American continent, is the 
  megacorp who put the initial plan into action.
  The Mission: Agents are informed that world culture has 
  been swept away, and are sent to New Phoenecia (stretching 
  hundreds of kilometers along the United States’ Eastern 
  seaboard) in order to investigate what happened. This dystopia 
  leads them to understand that Rome fell early, and they can 
  work their way back from there. This is a dangerous mission; 
  corporate enforcers with chronal technology have trillions 
  invested in making sure their plan doesn’t go awry.
  Research: “Punic Wars”, “Fall of Carthage”, “Hannibal”, 
  “Antonine Plague”
  CHRISTOPHER WHO?
  Time Seed by Kim Grønbek
  Hook: Viking society survives in America, leading to 
  very different outcomes for Native Americans and Western 
  European explorers.
  True History: Norse colonization reached North 
  America as early as the 10th-century CE. Settlements in 
  Greenland lasted as long as 500 years, but the small colonies 
  on continental North America never became permanent. 
  Additional expeditions may have arrived to collect timber, 
  but that was the extent of it. The initial expedition to North 
  America was led by Leif Eiriksson, whose father Erik the Red 
  was injured in a riding accident and forced to stay behind in 
  Greenland. It’s possible that had Eiriksson been supported by 
  his father, the colonies might have prospered.
  Alternate History: Nationalistic Danish time travelers 
  from the 23rd century decide to take history into their own 
  hands. A series of trips into the past puts them in touch with 
  Erik the Red and his children. Posing as a merchant named 
  Bjarni Herjólfsson, a time traveler informs the family of 
  the existence of North America and counsels that traveling 
  south along the coast leads to more hospitable climes. They 
  are doubtful, to say the least, but Leif follows the route that 
  “Bjarni” gives him and arrives in Newfoundland in 1001. He is 
  joined by his father Erik; another time traveler’s warning about 
  not riding horses near wet rocks lets him avoid injury and lead 
  the expedition.
  Heading south from Newfoundland, Erik and his family 
  decide that these new lands are worthy of being settled. They 
  send quiet word to their friends and families back in Iceland, 
  who further pass word east to the Scandinavian mainland. 
  By 1020 colonists are founding settlements up and down the 
  Eastern seaboard of North America. Their contact with the 
  natives (called Skraelings) is generally hostile, but European 
  diseases carried by the Norse end up weakening the natives 
  long enough for the emigrating Norse to become established. 
  Over the following four centuries the Norse spread south and 
  west, intermarrying with or conquering Skraeling populations 
  and engaging in brisk trade from Newfoundland to the 
  Carolinas.
  During this time the North American Norse colonists lose 
  touch with Greenland, Iceland, and Europe. They believe the 
  original sagas to be myths, a belief encouraged by the Danish 
  time travelers (now considered to be the Norse gods incarnate) 
  who reappear regularly to teach, cajole, and counsel. Aided 
  by the Danish time travelers, the cleverest Norse children are 
  trained in engineering techniques and modern science. The 
  result is a warlike, steampunk society that is poised to crush 
  Western European settlers when they arrive centuries later, in 
  1492. 
  The arrival of Western European explorers shows the 
  American Norse that their legends of an ancestral homeland 
  are far from a myth, and that the foreign warriors are weak. 
  
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  343
  Norse technology and skill in battle is superior now to other 
  contemporary technology, and — like the reavers of the past 
  — they decide to bring war to Western Europe and reclaim 
  their ancestral home in the name of their old gods. 
  The Mission: TimeWatch is alerted when early 16th-
  century reports start coming in of technologically advanced 
  Vikings invading Iceland, Britain, France, and Spain. Agents 
  are dispatched to western Spain in the year 1502, where 
  they witness the carnage firsthand. Whether investigating 
  the foreigners’ myths or working their own way backwards 
  through history, the Agents must then determine the root 
  cause and stop the Danish time travelers who set Erik and 
  Leif on their new path.
  Research: “Norse colonization of the Americas” 
  DEAD MAN’S HAND
  Time Seed by Kyle Hickok
  Hook: In arresting a chronal fugitive during the 21st century, 
  Agents accidentally save the life of Wild Bill Hickok back in 
  1876.
  True History: On August 2, 1876, 39-year-old gunfighter 
  and gambler Wild Bill Hickok was playing poker in Nuttal & 
  Mann’s saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, when he was 
  shot in the head from behind and killed by Jack “Crooked 
  Nose Jack” McCall. Hickok normally sat with his back to the 
  wall, but another player named Charles Rich had gotten there 
  first and twice declined to change seats. 
  Alternate History: Charles Rich is no ordinary gambler, 
  nor is that his real name. Chuck Bellican is the least appreciated 
  kind of time tourist, a 22nd-century actor and compulsive 
  gambler who used his trust fund to buy a black market time 
  machine. He time travels to famous historical gambling events, 
  then bets on games where he already knows the outcome. This 
  becomes problematic when he gets greedy, and his string of 
  successes displaces the people who actually should have won. 
  TimeWatch becomes aware of him when a British man 
  named Mick Gibbs wagers 30 pence on a 2001 parlay bet, 
  wagering that he would correctly pick 15 consecutive football 
  victories at odds of 1,666,666 to 1. Gibbs won and took home 
  £500,000. Bellican time travels in and joins in on the action, 
  wagering £10 on the same bet. Agents are sent to pick him up.
  What the Agents don’t realize is that without interference, 
  six months hence Bellican would be disguised as Charles Rich 
  in a Deadwood saloon when Hickok walks in the door. Once 
  he’s arrested or killed by TimeWatch Agents, or if Bellican 
  successfully flees from the arrest attempt, Hickok survives and 
  history changes. He strikes it rich in the South Dakota gold 
  fields, making his fortune and eventually becoming governor 
  of South Dakota when it becomes a state in 1889.
  Agents have several choices. Fake Hickok’s death and 
  recruit him as a TimeWatch agent? Impersonate Charles Rich 
  themselves? Let Bellican go? True history evidence suggests 
  the former; when Hickok’s corpse was disinterred in 1879, 
  his flesh had reportedly absorbed calcium carbonate from the 
  nearby soil and petrified, possibly a sign of an artificial corpse.
  The Mission: Originally dispatched to arrest Bellican 
  before he can place the winning parlay bet in 2001, the 
  Agents find him to be a charming, entertaining sociopath with 
  remarkable abilities of mimicry and Disguise. It isn’t until after 
  Bellican is arrested that they feel a wave of paradox sweep 
  over them. Research or History (Contemporary) reveals that 
  Hickok wasn’t shot down, and it’s up to the Agents to put this 
  together. 
  TimeWatch won’t object to leaving Hickok alive, faking his 
  death, and recruiting him to the service. If so, the Agents will 
  need a plan for doing so that won’t trigger additional paradox. 
  Research: “Wild Bill Hickok”, “biggest gambling jackpots 
  in history”, “biggest winning sports picks in history”
  DINOSAUR’S ENVOY
  Time Seed by Jonathan M. Thompson
  Hook: Time travelers stumble onto an alternate time stream 
  where dinosaurs rule the world from within fantastic domed 
  cities. They aren’t aware of sophosaurs, however, and Agents 
  are sent to rescue the stranded time travelers before they get 
  devoured — and to rescue them in a diplomatic manner that 
  doesn’t trigger an invasion.
  True History: The Chicxulub extinction event resulted 
  from a 10-kilometer-wide asteroid or comet striking Earth, 
  releasing a billion times more energy than the A-bombs 
  dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Mass extinction 
  followed. The only survivors among the dinosaurs were the 
  birds, and the extinction gave early mammals a chance to 
  evolve and thrive.
  Alternate History: The killer asteroid misses, and the 
  dinosaurs thrive. Mammals (such as they are) make for 
  delicious food sources, and higher mammals never evolve. 
  The dinosaurs grow in intelligence over millions of years and 
  eventually develop tools, technology, and higher thinking; with 
  heated domes to survive ice ages and remarkable nonhuman 
  technology, the dinosaurs in this alternate time stream grow to 
  be masters of their world and eventually of space itself.
  And then, the very lost time tourists from our time stream 
  show up. Stumbling into the dinosaur’s world and embarrassing 
  themselves in a hundred different ways, they make the mistake 
  of revealing the existence of our own world, as well as the fact 
  that dinosaurs are long extinct in our own. The saurians hunt 
  down and devour most of the humans; finding them delicious, 
  and having overeaten most of the fun-to-hunt prey in their 
  own time, the dinosaurs vow to use their technology to hunt 
  down humans in other timelines and punish them for their 
  “otherness.” One tourist manages to escape and bring back 
  the story to our world in the mid-20th century, at which point 
  he is locked up for being insane.
  The Mission: The Agents are sent to question the poor 
  beleaguered time tourist in his 1950s asylum. If his story 
  carries weight, the Agents are instructed to steal back his 
  time machine (currently claimed by the government), use 
  his coordinates to find the alternate timeline, then go serve 
  as diplomats and emissaries of the human race. Their job? 
  Befriend the dinosaurs and prevent the murder of the other 
  
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  time tourists. Most importantly, however, the Agents are to 
  make sure that these dinosaurs don’t learn of and befriend 
  the sophosaurs — or vice versa. Such an alliance could spell 
  doom for humanity. A shame, then, that sophosaur spies are 
  hot on their heels…
  Research: “Dinotopia”, perhaps; this is pure imaginary alt-
  history and negotiation, with no modern history to interfere
  EMPIRE OF THE MOUSE
  Time Seed by Christopher Noble
  Hook: In 1954, Walt Disney stumbles through an actual 
  time portal when building Disneyland’s Tomorrowland and 
  lands in 1599 Holland. He insinuates himself into the power 
  structure and becomes the head of the Dutch East India 
  Company, renaming it something a little bit more personal. 
  True History: Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie 
  (VOC), named the United East Indian Company and referred 
  to as the Dutch East India Company by the British, was 
  chartered in 1602 with a 21-year monopoly on Dutch spice 
  trading. The first multinational corporation in the world 
  and the first company to issue stock, it had immense power. 
  The company could (and did) found colonies, raise armies, 
  build forts, wage war, mint currency, negotiate treaties, and 
  imprison and execute prisoners. In the 17th and 18th centuries 
  almost 5000 ships moved more than 2.5 million tons of Asian 
  trade goods, and the company employed almost a million 
  Europeans. The Dutch East India Company largely displaced 
  the Portuguese from the spice trade, and was responsible for 
  mapping most of Australia’s coast. 
  The VOC went bankrupt and was disbanded in 1800. 
  Its territories became the Dutch East Indies, and then the 
  Republic of Indonesia in the 20th century. For two centuries, 
  however, they arguably maintained the most important and 
  influential trading company in the world.
  Alternate History: A sloppy group of time tourists leave 
  their time tunnel open when investigating the early Disneyland, 
  and one late night in 1954, a curious and insomniac Walt 
  Disney stumbles through the tunnel while thinking he is 
  inspecting a new exhibit. Disney is trapped in 1599 Holland, 
  unable to return, and it doesn’t take him long to realize that he 
  has become the living embodiment of Tomorrowland. There 
  are almost four centuries of history between himself and his 
  home, and it is unlikely that there will be any way to return. 
  Clearly, the solution is to make the best of it — and if that 
  means making such a big splash that people in the future notice 
  and come back to rescue him, all the better. Walt gives serious 
  thought to not changing history at all, and firmly rejects the 
  idea. He is a businessperson and an entertainer, a promoter 
  who could entrance an audience. He is a man who can change 
  the world. If he can’t do so in the 20th century, then he is going 
  to do so in the 17th century, and damn the consequences.
  Disney spends a few years learning Dutch and establishing 
  himself as a man of means and capabilities within Dutch 
  society; his general knowledge of 20th century of science 
  and technology, while far from exhaustive, is enough to get 
  him noticed by the right people in industry and royalty. His 
  ability to entertain and amuse with animation make him a 
  favorite of 16-year-old Frederick Henry of Orange-Nassau, 
  stadtholder of Holland, and his reputation and political 
  power quickly spread. 
  Disney himself engineers the formation of the Dutch 
  East India Company, and handpicks the Heeren XVII (Lords 
  Seventeen) who run it. He names it differently, however; 
  insisting the name be English, he names it the Dutch India 
  Spice and Near Eastern Yachting Corporation. Every single 
  ship — every one of the 1500 trading ships that plies the East 
  Indies’ waters for the next two centuries — sports a particularly 
  memorable cartoon-mouse-head-shaped figurehead, and 
  the ships are crewed with company soldiers whose military 
  uniforms follow the same theme.
  Disney and his trading corporation remake the world. 
  The accidental time traveler’s historical and geographical 
  knowledge help the corporation be even more profitable 
  than it would have been regardless. Disney takes this money 
  and develops motion picture technology in the early 1600s, 
  advancing science along with animation. 
  By the time Disney dies in 1620, he has established leadership 
  that helps the DISNEY Corporation colonize and trade with 
  vast swathes of the world. He is buried in Rotterdam in a 
  huge tomb overlooking the harbor. His vast wealth pays for a 
  huge mouse-shaped stone colossus to stand above the harbor, 
  forever gazing with carved cartoon eyes at an ocean overrun 
  with the trading yachts of an unending spice empire. 
  Hundreds of years hence, research funds started by Disney’s 
  bequests uncover technology that lead to the first time travel. 
  The Mission: The Agents are assigned to prevent a time 
  travel–assisted 1839 assassination attempt against James 
  Brooke, the White Rajah of Sarawak, that is to be attempted 
  while Brooke helps crush a rebellion against the sultan of 
  Brunei. It’s during that altercation, in the middle of a sea 
  battle, that history ripples around the Agents and the ships 
  change. Brooke’s own boat is suddenly sporting a carved 
  wooden figurehead of a certain cartoon mouse. The Agents 
  will undoubtedly decide to investigate why.
  Unfortunately, that initial time tunnel was left open by a 
  group of time tourists who were doing their own historical 
  mission within Disneyland, something involving setting the 
  stage for the audio-animatronic birds of the 1963 Enchanted 
  Tiki Room exhibition, and those time travelers will react with 
  force if anyone tries to shut it down prematurely; doing so 
  would strand the tourists in the mid-20th century. The Agents 
  will need to uncover Disney’s new empire, talk to him in 
  order to trace back what happened, and prevent him from 
  blundering into the past, all while dealing with the time tourists 
  and their secret mission at Disneyland. 
  Research: “Dutch East India Company”, “Walt Disney”, 
  “James Brooke”
  
  TIME SEEDS
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  GOOD INTENTIONS
  Time Seed by Jon Davidson
  Hook: The Plague of Justinian was bubonic plague that 
  killed 25 million people in the Byzantine Empire in 541–542 
  CE. Complications arise when social activists from the future 
  come back to stop it.
  True History: Occurring 600 years before the Black Death 
  devastated Europe, the plague outbreak in Constantinople 
  is believed to have originated in China and was transmitted 
  from infected rats on grain boats arriving from Egypt. The 
  epidemic began in the port of Pelusium, near Suez in Egypt. 
  At its peak, the plague reportedly killed 5-10,000 people a day 
  in Constantinople, and killed 25% of humans in the eastern 
  Mediterranean. 
  Alternate History: Heaven’s Respite is a group of early 
  22nd-century college students with high-minded ambitions, 
  little forethought, and access to a one-way rogue time machine. 
  The ten students decide that it is their destiny to save millions 
  upon millions of people by eliminating one of the first great 
  plagues. Their plan is to inoculate as many people around the 
  docks of Constantinople as possible, slowing the plague from 
  spreading quickly. If possible they intend to burn the ship 
  itself, killing the rats before they reach shore. With only a one-
  way trip possible, they see themselves as martyrs doing a great 
  and humane work.
  Arriving a year and a half early, they establish themselves and 
  learn the language. The inoculation program goes smoothly. 
  They didn’t health screen their own people, however, and two 
  of the team accidentally transmit syphilis to locals. The disease 
  spreads quickly near the docks, and incapacitated dock workers 
  result in slowdowns when unloading cargo boats. This works 
  in Heaven’s Respite’s favor, as this makes it easier for them 
  to eliminate the plague before it spreads. Several of the ten-
  person team fall to violence or disease, but seven of them live 
  out their lives knowing that they saved millions.
  The lack of plague ripples forwards through time; Emperor 
  Justinian’s wars against the Vandals are fully funded by taxes, 
  the reunification of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires 
  lasts beyond the assault of the Lombards, and the Anglo-
  Saxon conquest of England falters. Eventually, the larger 
  population of the Byzantine Empire allows them to conquer 
  the Turks in 1453.
  The Mission: Higher-than-expected Byzantine populations 
  set off TimeWatch’s atmospheric alarms, and the Agents are 
  dispatched to 10th-century Constantinople to find out why. 
  History (Ancient) or Medical Expertise indicates that the 
  Plague of Justinian never occurred. It isn’t difficult to deal with 
  the inoculations, but the syphilis will also have to be addressed 
  in order to ensure that the grain ship is unloaded on time. 
  If the Agents meet the students years after they arrived, 
  they will need to be careful not to kill them when their initial 
  arrival is intercepted. This may be difficult; expecting trouble, 
  the students arrived in Pelusium armed, and not all are prone 
  to talk first before resorting to violence.
  Research: “Plague of Justinian”, “Byzantine Emperor”
  HAPSBURG JETS!
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: The great philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein invents 
  jet aircraft prior to World War I, changing the rest of the 20th 
  century. A non-Nazi Germany leads the world into space by 
  2000.
  True History: In 1904, the Romanian engineer Henri 
  Coandă entered the Technische Hochschule in Charlottenburg, 
  Berlin, where he became interested in aeronautical engineering. 
  After graduating in 1906, he moved on to aeronautical institutes 
  in Belgium (where he met the Italian aircraft designer Caproni) 
  and in Paris, where in 1910 he built either a working prototype 
  or an actual whole-body jet engine for a monoplane aircraft. 
  Meanwhile, the heir to the second-largest fortune in Austria-
  Hungary, Ludwig Wittgenstein, enrolled at the Technische 
  Hochschule in 1906 and was also bitten by the aeronautical 
  bug. After graduating in 1908, he entered university in 
  Manchester, where he designed (and in 1911 patented) an 
  aircraft propeller driven by small jets. Wittgenstein gave away 
  his fortune, went on to revolutionize philosophy, and never 
  returned to aeronautical engineering.
  Alternate History: Wittgenstein and Coandă are 
  introduced to each other in 1906, and by working together 
  develop working jet aircraft by 1914. This gives the Central 
  Powers such a tremendous advantage that WWI is scarcely 
  even a contest. Without the debilitating effects of the war, the 
  Spanish influenza doesn’t even rear its head.
  Austria-Hungarian aeronautics run about 20 years ahead 
  of our timeline, and Germany never suffers the terrible 
  deprivations that lead to the National Socialist takeover (Adolf 
  Hitler enjoys a modest career as a happy painter). Germans 
  land on the moon in 1960, and world travel is easy and cheap 
  by that time — which causes devastation as the Spanish flu 
  finally does emerge, and spreads with terrifying rapidity.
  A depopulated globe struggles into the 21st century amid 
  chaos and turmoil.
  The Mission: World population levels drop dramatically 
  in the early 2000s, and Agents are dispatched to learn which 
  of the likely suspects (AIDS, Ebola, zombie serum) are 
  responsible, only to discover the Spanish flu is the culprit. 
  Investigation will reveal the German global dominance, and 
  thus to the curious “chance” meeting between two brilliant 
  minds that never should have happened.
  It turns out that a well-meaning but narcissistic engineering 
  student took a time travel tour through a somewhat 
  shady company, broke free of his group, and arranged for 
  Wittgenstein and Coandă to meet, just so he could get a selfie 
  of himself in front of his two favorite engineers. Through 
  such small acts do hundreds of millions die.
  Research: “1918 Flu Epidemic”, “Wittgenstein”, “Henri 
  Coanda”
  
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  THE HERO ENGINE
  Time Seed by Hanna Järvinen
  Hook: A plague reduces the Greek slave population, 
  causing Hero’s aeolipile (steam engine) to catch on quickly. 
  The industrial revolution occurs in ancient Greece during 
  the first-century CE, boosting Greek military and intellectual 
  development and changing the world dramatically.
  True History: Hero of Alexandria (c. 10–c. 70 CE) was 
  a Greek mathematician and engineer who lived in Roman 
  Egypt. He is considered one of the greatest inventors in 
  antiquity, and his work on automated devices might be the 
  first formal research into cybernetics. 
  His aeolipile is the first recorded steam engine, created 
  almost two thousand years prior to the industrial revolution. 
  At the time it was relegated to the status of “temple wonder,” 
  and was never harnessed for industrial use; why should it be, 
  when the Greeks had so many slaves to do tasks for them? 
  The majority of Athenian citizens had at least one slave, and 
  slaves were the backbone of Greek agriculture, mining, and 
  workshops.
  Alternate History: Plague roars across ancient Greece and 
  Rome during the 1st century, affecting laborers and the poor 
  most keenly. A full half of all Greek slaves die in the plague, 
  leaving those who survive short-handed to try and manage 
  their empire without the help they have come to depend upon. 
  Where does the plague come from? It could be deliberately 
  set by a chronal terrorist who wishes to shape Greek society, 
  or it could simply be a foolish accident. In the early days of 
  time travel, tourists are sloppy and not every time traveler is 
  inoculated and disease free. 
  Whatever the reason, the lack of slaves mean that Hero 
  of Alexandria’s labor-saving inventions are immediately 
  recognized to have magnificent potential. The Hero engine is 
  turned into a device that aids any number of tasks that were 
  previously accomplished by brute force; manufacturing and 
  agriculture particularly benefit. A generation later, Greece has 
  steam-powered engines of war, including a weapon that can 
  spew steam into the face of enemies and a steam-powered siege 
  engine. While the industrial revolution that follows is slowed 
  by a lack of advanced metallurgy, Greek culture — with a 
  focus on intellectual, cultural, and philosophical sophistication 
  — spreads across the ancient world. Christianity is swallowed 
  up and subsumed by the new popularity of the Greek gods 
  (and due to the decline of Roman culture and influence), and 
  ancient steampunk technology actually comes into existence.
  The Mission: Roman-influenced architecture suddenly 
  turns to Greek, Christianity disappears, cybernetics thrive, and 
  humanity reaches the stars a thousand years before they should 
  have; looks like something shifted. It won’t take Agents long 
  to identify Hero’s engine as a prime candidate for change, but 
  determining what caused the plague may be more challenging. 
  Unfortunately, future cybernetic Greek soldiers who have 
  mastered time travel may have a few things to say about any 
  attempt to erase them from future history.
  Research: “Hero of Alexandria”, “aeolipile”, “Greek 
  slavery”
  HOW NOT TO FALL OUT A WINDOW
  Time Seed by Liam DiNapoli
  Hook: A brutal 14th-century political assassination goes 
  awry due to a technological anachronism, changing the course 
  of Italian history. 
  True History: Joanna I (1328–1382) claimed the crowns 
  of Jerusalem and Sicily and was queen of Naples from age 15 
  to her death at age 54. Her grandfather King Robert bypassed 
  his nephews and declared her to be his successor, arranging 
  her marriage to her cousin Andrew of Hungary. At the time 
  they were married, Joanna was 5 and Andrew was 6. Andrew 
  was designated Duke of Calabria, but Robert took steps to 
  make sure that he would never rule, even in the event of 
  Joanna’s death.
  Political power struggles broke out almost immediately with 
  betrayals, maneuvering, bribes, and murders. (Be sure to look 
  these up on the Internet; they’re great fun to read, especially if 
  you’re a fan of shows like Game of  Thrones.) While Joanna was 
  crowned queen of Naples upon reaching majority in 1344, she 
  opposed her husband’s coronation and Andrew was excluded 
  from the government. 
  But, emboldened by a ring his mother gave him that 
  was supposed to protect him from death by blade or 
  poison, Andrew agitated for true power. He made himself 
  exceptionally unpopular amongst nobles when he freed the 
  notorious Pipini brothers, imprisoned by King Robert for 
  treason, murder, pillage, and rape. His mother managed 
  to convince the pope that Andrew should be given greater 
  power, and the nobles’ hostility increased. A year after Joanna’s 
  coronation, on a hunting trip in Aversa, Andrew was set upon 
  at night, strangled, and thrown out a window with a cord tied 
  to his genitals. The ring did not appear to help much.
  Joanna expressed a widow’s dismay in public, but may 
  have had a hand in her husband’s murder, and this suspicion 
  continued to taint and complicate her reign. Her following three 
  marriages carried through a life of war, invasion, and political 
  shenanigans — if you can call something “shenanigans” 
  that leaves you assassinated, smothered between two feather 
  mattresses.
  Alternate History: The ring given to Andrew by his 
  mother isn’t just a handsome ring with a false fairy tale 
  attached. Instead, it is a powerful protective technological 
  anachronism left behind by a chronal anthropologist who 
  really should have known better. Able to protect the body 
  from piercing weapons and instantly denature poison, the ring 
  also puts Andrew’s body in a state of suspended animation 
  unmistakable from death — not that that helps the indignity 
  of the window-dangling. 
  Revived the next day while his body was taken away, Andrew 
  understands that his miraculous resurrection could only be 
  credited to God. He leverages this story and quickly becomes 
  the most talked-about man in both Italy and Hungary. He is 
  too politically important to publicly denounce, and those who 
  do are decried as heretics. The pope declares Andrew’s miracle 
  to be a sign of God, suggests that he is a living saint, and 
  crowns Andrew as a full king alongside Joanna. He and his 
  
  TIME SEEDS
  347
  wife, reconciled and determined to rule together, extend their 
  power throughout Italy.
  They unify all of Italy in the late 14th century, leading to a 
  great stability that profoundly changes European history. The 
  Western Schism never divides the Catholic Church, and thus 
  no Reformation occurs. The Catholic Church continues to 
  unite Europe, keeping it internally focused, so that the great 
  conquering expeditions never happen, and by the 20th century 
  the world looks completely different than today, with power 
  distributed across the continents.
  The Mission: Agents are informed that the expected 
  double election of Popes Urban VI and Clement VII has 
  not happened, and they are sent to meet with a chronal 
  anthropologist in 1378 Naples who can explain what is 
  happening. This researcher turns out to unknowingly be the 
  same person who lost their protective ring 50 years prior 
  (leaving it with Andrew’s mother, Elizabeth of Poland), setting 
  the event in motion. In order to uncover the mystery, the 
  Agents will need to observe Andrew’s attempted assassination, 
  determine the origin of the ring, and work back to where it 
  came from. 
  Research: “Joanna I of Naples”, “Andrew Duke of 
  Calabria”, “Western Schism”, “Elizabeth of Poland”
  JAPAN STAYS OPEN
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: A Japan that never isolates itself instead creates an 
  Asian power center that is able to match European power by 
  the 1800s, turning Russia into the world’s battleground in the 
  20th century.
  True History: Until the imposition of the sakoku (“chained 
  nation”) policy in the 1630s, Japan was on its way to becoming 
  a major “gunpowder” empire much like contemporary powers 
  such as Sweden and France. Individual Japanese daimyo had 
  more guns in their retinues than existed in the whole English 
  army, and Japanese three-masted ships raided and traded 
  all over the western Pacific. But such dangerous weapons, 
  and outside sources of wealth, threatened to destabilize the 
  Tokugawa shogunate. So the shoguns banned guns and closed 
  Japan to outside trade except for a dribble through (Tokugawa-
  owned) Nagasaki. This isolation lasted for over 200 years.
  One of the key influences on sakoku was the Shimabara 
  Rebellion in 1637, spurred by the draconian taxation demands 
  of Matsukura Shigemasa and his son, Katsuie. Matsukura 
  Shigemasa died in 1630, assassinated in a hot spring. His 
  son carried on with his draconian policies, and the rebellion 
  erupted seven years later. As many of the rebelling peasants 
  were Christians, the violence was considered to be religious in 
  nature, and the Japanese rulers became determined to prevent 
  foreign influences from poisoning their country.
  Alternate History: Matsukura Shigemasa’s death was 
  supposed to have been a warning to his son, but the message 
  never got through. If some time travelers interfere and make 
  sure Katsuie understands that he needs to change his father’s 
  policies, the rebellion doesn’t happen and the Tokugawa 
  Shogunate doesn’t isolate Japan.
  An open Japan engages in diplomacy, warfare, and trade 
  with other Asian powers, and over the subsequent 200 years 
  the nations of Japan, Korea, China, the Philippines, and 
  the Southeast Asian countries all drive each other to speed 
  development and expand their global influence. Against their 
  combined efforts the European nations are unable to maintain 
  their global dominance.
  The heartland of Asia, the Russian steppes, becomes the 
  main arena of global conflict. Vast mechanized armies sweep 
  across the continent in the early 20th century, as the conflict for 
  oil becomes acute early on. Terrible devastation is unleashed as 
  the world becomes engulfed in battle after battle. Mechanical 
  battle machines styled in the Japanese aesthetic are common; 
  if you want a world in which steampunk-style mechs tramp 
  across the steppes by the mid-20th century, you could do worse. 
  The Mission: With many world cities in ruins by the year 
  2000, Agents must discover what caused the terrible war. 
  Their investigation will lead to Tokugawa Japan, and the bitter 
  choice that the suffering of the Shimabara peasants means a 
  more peaceful world.
  Research: “Sakoku”, “Shimabara”
  LA BELLE AMERIQUE
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: An America founded by the French provides for a 
  notably different world.
  True History: The French navigator and explorer Samuel 
  de Champlain, searching for a hospitable site for a winter 
  colony in 1606, sailed into what are now the Massachusetts 
  harbors of Boston, Plymouth, and Chatham. The harbors 
  were excellent, but skirmishes with the local Nauset people 
  turned Champlain’s ships back north. The French emphasis 
  on transient fur-trading colonies over settlements, and the lure 
  of Cartier’s previous exploration of the St. Lawrence River, 
  led Champlain to eventually found Quebec (1608) as the 
  capital of New France.
  Alternate History: For some reason (insert time traveling 
  mischief-makers here), the Nauset people and the French get 
  along, and Champlain stays in Massachusetts. Proven in our 
  timeline to excel at relations with North American natives, 
  Champlain builds thriving colonies and a New France that 
  stretches from the St. Lawrence to Chesapeake Bay.
  The English settlers are restricted to Virginia, and are 
  eventually overwhelmed in later Anglo-French wars. With the 
  great resources of America at his disposal, King Louis XIV 
  is able to win the War of Spanish Succession and cement the 
  Bourbon dynasty’s control of Europe.
  The French Revolution is never able to happen, and the 
  world continues to be dominated by absolute monarchies. 
  The Mission: When the Declaration of Independence 
  disappears, Agents sent to fix the issue find themselves in a 
  strange French version of the modern world. They will have 
  to go back into the very early days of American colonization 
  and somehow scare Champlain out of Boston.
  One possible reason for the change is a very embarrassed 
  
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  chrono-anthropologist who has embedded herself in 
  Champlain’s expedition. Relying on her proven ability to stay 
  unnoticed while she documents history, she’s surprised when 
  Champlain realizes that she can communicate with the Nauset, 
  and her extremely reluctant diplomacy changes history. By the 
  time she realizes what she’s done, she’s hoping to stay under 
  the radar so that she isn’t then fired from her job — a poor 
  decision that lets the time change propagate forward.
  Research: “Samuel Champlain”, “War of Spanish 
  Succession”, “New France”
  MAGICIAN’S GAMBIT
  Time Seed by Michael Damecour
  Hook: Thrown back in time by squabbling, competitive 
  time travelers, a street magician ends up as the figure the 
  English rally behind during the Hundred Years’ War. His 
  presence is enough to change the outcome of the conflict and 
  have the English win the war over the French.
  True History: The Hundred Years’ War lasted from 1337 
  to 1453 between the English House of Plantagenet and the 
  French House of Valois. When five generations of kings from 
  two rival dynasties battle over who gets to rule the largest 
  kingdom in Europe, all at the height of the age of chivalry, 
  you know it’s a notable war. These conflicts replaced feudal 
  armies with professional troops, introduced new weapons and 
  tactics, gave rise to British and French nationalism, reduced 
  the influence of heavy cavalry, and led to standing armies — 
  not to mention famines, plagues (France alone lost half its 
  population during the war), and civil wars. 
  With Joan of Arc’s appearance in 1429, the French spirit 
  revived and the war began to go against the English. The 
  Battle of Castillon (1453) was the last major battle in the war, 
  more or less sealing a French victory and resulting in English 
  people who owned property in France losing their possessions 
  and holdings.
  Alternate History: Somewhat echoing the plot of the 
  movie Trading Places, an aristocratic married couple in 23rd-
  century France get into an argument about Joan of Arc and 
  the Hundred Years’ War. She maintains that if England had the 
  morale-building equivalent of Joan, they’d have won the war 
  instead; her wife instead maintains that that’s ridiculous, and 
  that adding a spiritual leader with no tactical skill to England 
  would make no difference whatsoever in the conflict. They 
  decide to test their theory. Buying time travel from an illicit 
  time merchant, they go back to 20th-century London to find 
  a con artist and street magician. They then fling him back into 
  1431 with a simple instruction: “If you make sure the English 
  win this war, we’ll rescue you.” 
  The magician is less than pleased. 
  Regardless, he’s superb at street magic and public speaking. 
  Using sleight of hand and other common tricks of the present, 
  the magician ends up as a figure the English rally behind during 
  the last few decades of the war. An entire nation rallies around 
  him and the vision of divine mandate he promotes, and the 
  rise in morale is enough to tip the outcome of the war over to 
  the English from the French. This ripples forward to create a 
  super-powered nation of a unified France and England, one 
  that vastly influences world politics for centuries to come.
  In the future, the aristocrat pays off her wife with a single 
  franc, and they abandon the magician in the past. They like 
  this new history better, anyways.
  The Mission: TimeWatch learns of a strong unified 
  England and France when the Great War never develops into 
  a global conflict. Research indicates that there’s a new, iconic 
  “handpicked by God” English analog to Joan of Arc that 
  shouldn’t be there; they may be surprised by his charming and 
  sympathetic nature, however, or by the reason he first showed 
  up in 15th-century England. TimeWatch can’t simply kill or 
  arrest the French aristocrats who started this, either, as they 
  are both historically significant in the future; the Agents will 
  need to find some other way to end the interference.
  Research: “Hundred Years’ War”, “Joan of Arc”
  MUSCOVY DEFEATED
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: One of humanity’s most important efforts was 
  the exploration of space. The discoveries and inventions 
  that came out of this great adventure advanced the human 
  condition on all fronts. When it turns out that the Apollo 
  landing never happens, TimeWatch Agents sent to discover 
  why are entwined in Mongolian politics (again).
  True History: Following the Mongol invasion of Russia in 
  1237–1240, every Russian state (except Novgorod) became a 
  tributary of the Mongols’ Golden Horde Khanate. Muscovy, 
  a favored satellite, played the Mongols’ divide-and-conquer 
  policies well, becoming the most powerful Russian state 
  over the next century. The Mongol general Mamai, needing 
  to punish this over-proud vassal and resist his own rival 
  Tokhtamish of the White Horde, decided to invade Russia 
  alongside allies from Lithuania and the Russian state of 
  Ryazan. Prince Dmitri of Muscovy (grand prince since 1363), 
  builder of the Kremlin fortress in Moscow, forged a coalition 
  of the other Russian states and successfully stopped the 
  Mongols at Kulikovo Field on the east side of the Don River. 
  Key to Dmitri’s survival was a knight named Mikhail Brenok, 
  who wore Dmitri’s identifiable armor in the battle, drawing 
  Mongol archery and keeping Dmitri alive at the expense of 
  Brenok’s life. Although Tokhtamish burned Moscow in 1382, 
  he reconfirmed Dmitri as Grand Prince. When the city arose 
  again Muscovy regained its primacy, and Mongol invincibility 
  was no more. 
  This paved the way for Russian unification, the excesses of 
  the Tsarist regime, and the eventual rise of Bolshevism, whose 
  competition with American capitalism led to the “space race” 
  of the mid-20th century.
  Alternate History: The brave Mikhail Brenok is murdered 
  just before the battle, and there is no one to wear Grand 
  Prince Dmitri’s armor. Dmitri is killed in the battle and the 
  Khanate of the Golden Horde rules unchallenged across the 
  steppes for centuries thereafter. When it eventually collapses 
  in the 18th century, it produces a patchwork of fiefdoms and 
  petty nations that cannot support a revolution on the scale 
  
  TIME SEEDS
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  of the Bolsheviks, and Communism never appears a serious 
  threat to the capitalist nations.
  Russia, in this timeline, has only existed since the end of 
  the Second World War, when Nazi invasion required a unified 
  resistance, and is still beset by internal conflicts. Refugees 
  flooding into Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe have 
  destabilized all those regions, leaving America comfortably 
  astride the world.
  Without the threat of Communist domination, the American 
  space effort never gets off the ground, and humanity never 
  reaches the moon.
  The Mission: Beginning in 1958 America to investigate the 
  state of the space program, the Agents discover the National 
  Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (the predecessor to 
  NASA) even more anemic than it should be — nothing more 
  than a think tank that occasionally provides much-derided 
  “guidance” on possible extra-planetary efforts. NASA is 
  supposed to be created on July 29, but without the “Sputnik 
  Event” of the previous year, there is no perceived need.
  Discovery that the USSR does not exist will lead the Agents 
  into the past, and eventually they will find that the Battle of 
  Kulikovo did not go as expected. Preserving Dmitri’s life in 
  the battle will be necessary — as will defeating whoever it was 
  that had Mikhail murdered.
  Research: “Battle of Kulikovo”, “Golden Horde”, 
  “National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics”
  NO GEORGE WASHINGTON
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: Without its great general and first president, George 
  Washington, the nascent United States remains a puppet state 
  of Britain.
  True History: George Washington has been described as 
  the “indispensable man” for American independence. Even 
  if another general could have won the war against Britain, no 
  other man could have simultaneously resisted the temptation 
  to dictatorship and held the infant republic together under an 
  untested constitution. 
  But he very nearly followed a completely different life path. 
  In 1746 he hoped to join the Royal Navy, a dream that was 
  dashed when his mother refused to sign his warrant to make 
  him a midshipman.
  Meanwhile, Charles Lee had expected to find himself made 
  commander in chief of the Revolutionary forces in America. 
  He had abandoned a prominent military position in Britain 
  and felt entitled to the position, but was generally considered 
  to be slovenly in appearance and coarse in language. He was 
  resentful of Washington receiving the position instead of 
  himself. This rose to a head after the Battle of Monmouth, 
  a battle in which Lee earned a court martial for retreating in 
  violation of Washington’s orders. 
  Alternate History: Washington’s mother does sign the 
  warrant, and George Washington has a well-regarded career in 
  the Royal Navy as a loyal servant to His Majesty.
  Thirty years later command of the Revolutionary forces 
  falls to the cowardly Charles Lee, who is easily suborned by 
  British agents, and the Revolution dies in its earliest stages. 
  King George takes no further chances and only intensifies 
  the subjugation of the colonies, which compels the desperate 
  Americans to make deals with all of Britain’s enemies. North 
  America becomes a ferocious battleground in which mutually 
  suspicious puppet states skirmish and war constantly.
  Native Americans are able to play the European powers 
  against each other, and their confederacies grow into powerful 
  nation-states in their own right. Eventually North America 
  becomes a patchwork of tiny states and republics.
  The Mission: Hollywood evaporates along with an 
  enormous chunk of world cinema as California (never mind 
  Los Angeles) simply never happens. Agents must untangle the 
  mess of a balkanized North America and come face-to-face 
  with a cheerful George Washington in order to convince him 
  of his true destiny… or just make it happen to him anyway.
  The villain here is likely Charles Lee, approached by a power-
  mad time traveler (perhaps in the role of the devil, giving rise 
  to popular “be careful what you wish for” legends) who offers 
  to change history for Lee so that Washington never becomes 
  commander in chief. 
  Research: “George Washington”, “Charles Lee”
  NO MAGNA CARTA
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: A weird, but subtle, shift in Shakespeare’s work 
  reveals a much larger scheme.
  True History: In 1214, at a town called Bouvines in 
  northern France, King Philip II of France issued a stern 
  defeat to a host of enemies, including King John of England. 
  Weakened by this failure and in dire need of revenue, John 
  faced an insurrection of barons upon his return. They forced 
  him to sign a charter guaranteeing certain baronial and 
  freemen’s rights in 1215, among them due process of law 
  and speedy trial. Papal patronage allowed John to ignore the 
  charter, and the rebellion continued. 
  John died suddenly during the insurrection, and the new 
  child-king Henry III confirmed the original magna carta 
  libertatum (“great charter of liberties”) in 1217 and periodically 
  thereafter during his reign — usually when he needed to raise 
  taxes. In 1297, Edward I reissued Magna Carta as a royal 
  statute under his seal, embedding it in English law and thus 
  eventually in American (and other) legal tradition.
  Alternate History: During the battle at Bouvines, Philip 
  was knocked from his horse in the early part of the fighting, 
  but rallied and led his forces to victory.
  But if time traveling assassins, intent on sabotaging the 
  development of European democracy, kill Philip while he’s 
  down, the battle goes very differently. This results in a triumph 
  for John, who is strengthened by his valuable overseas 
  possessions and returns home to stamp out the insurrection.
  The Magna Carta is never developed, much less signed, and 
  Britain remains a Catholic nation and an absolute monarchy 
  until the 20th century. Europe remains mired in low-tech 
  
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  autocracy and becomes a global backwater.
  The Mission: TimeWatch is alerted when the works of 
  William Shakespeare change subtly. His play Henry VIII 
  now describes the king receiving his desired divorce from 
  Catherine of Aragon, rather than being forced to defy 
  papal authority. The Agents are dispatched to investigate 
  Shakespeare, but it will take careful deduction to realize that 
  England is still solidly Catholic, and that something much 
  earlier has happened.
  Research: “The Battle of Bouvines”, “Henry VIII”, 
  “Magna Carta”
  ROME FALLS EARLY
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: A pagan Europe conquers the world in the name 
  of Wodan, because the Roman Republic collapsed before the 
  empire got off the ground.
  True History: After the death of the competent but cruel 
  dictator Sulla in 78 BCE, everything continued to get worse 
  for Rome. The general Sertorius led a rebellion in Hispania 
  (80–72 BCE) that established Hispania as an independent 
  province with its own senate. The Cilician pirates, who had 
  strangled Mediterranean trade for a century, accelerated their 
  depredations all along the Italian coasts and even held Julius 
  Caesar for ransom. Spartacus’ slave revolt (73–71 BCE) 
  unleashed an impossibly dangerous army in the heart of 
  Italia itself. Rome itself roiled with faction wars, purges, and 
  treason culminating in the conspiracy of Catiline (65 BCE) to 
  overthrow the republic itself.
  Despite all this, the efforts of Pompey, Julius Caesar, 
  and Augustus Caesar pulled the Roman nation together 
  and founded the great empire that would go on to spread 
  Christianity and culture across Europe.
  Alternate History: Time travelers intent on destroying 
  Rome strike at a number of  places in the time stream. 
  They have Julius Caesar murdered by Cilician pirates in 
  75 BCE instead of  ransomed, removing his genius from 
  Rome’s arsenal. Three years later, in 72, they arrange for 
  Sertorius to escape assassination so that he can arrange 
  an alliance between Rome’s enemies, and then convince 
  Spartacus to sack the city of  Rome itself  rather than 
  head into the hills. These disasters combine to completely 
  collapse the Roman nation.
  European history develops in a completely different 
  direction. The Gauls are able to resist Germanic incursions, 
  and Christianity, neither persecuted nor supported by a 
  massive empire, never attracts more than a few followers. The 
  European states develop into pagan cultures, retaining their 
  traditional beliefs through the centuries.
  The Mission: Every image of Christ suddenly turns into 
  an old one-eyed man with a couple of crows. TimeWatch 
  knows what that means, and there’s no time to lose! Agents 
  are dispatched to the early days of Christianity, where they 
  find the Roman Empire has ceased to exist. With active 
  and multiple time traveling opponents running about, the 
  Agents will have their hands full trying to restore affairs in 
  the Mediterranean.
  For an enemy organization, consider one of the alternative 
  groups on p. 240. It’s possible the enemy detests Rome — 
  or is instead trying to promote the worship of Odin and the 
  Norse pantheon, and destroying Rome with surgical strikes is 
  the fastest way to do so.
  Research: “Apostolic Age”, “Sertorius”, “Spartacus”, 
  “Cilician Pirates”
  SAVING BOTTICELLI
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: The infamous book burnings known as “The 
  Bonfire of the Vanities” in 1490s Florence helpfully destroyed 
  the only copy of the Nekronomikon and thus saved humanity 
  from destruction by the Old Ones.
  True History: The radical Dominican preacher Girolamo 
  Savonarola gained control of the Florentine government in 
  1495 after the expulsion of the Medicis by the French invaders 
  under Charles VIII. He celebrated this victory with a “Bonfire 
  of the Vanities” (repeated in 1496 and 1497) in which the 
  citizens of Florence burned sinful or pagan art, books, music, 
  and other antiquities. Among his enthusiastic converts was the 
  Time seeds can be anywhere; for instance, there’s one 
  particular street in Rhodes that never stops attracting chaos...
  
  TIME SEEDS
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  artist Sandro Botticelli, who burned an unknown number of 
  his own paintings. Eventually, the pope ordered Savonarola 
  excommunicated, arrested, hanged, and burned.
  Alternate History: Art-stealing time travelers snatch away 
  Botticelli’s lost masterpieces, but in the process they interfere 
  with the burning of the Byzantine copy of the Nekronomikon. 
  This foul text is thereby found by papal investigators, who 
  attempt to use it with all-too-predictable results, and humanity 
  is enslaved upon the arrival of Yog-Sothoth. If you want to 
  introduce Lovecraftian horror into your TimeWatch game, this 
  is a nice historical way to do so.
  The Mission: Well, the world has ended. Again. 
  TimeWatch is able to pinpoint the moment of destruction at 
  1495 Florence, and Agents must figure out what’s happening, 
  foil a gang of dedicated temporal thieves, and manage to not 
  call upon the Great Old Ones. 
  If you want to introduce the Agents to a world where humans 
  are terrified sheep and the Great Old Ones hold sway (similar to 
  Neil Gaiman’s short story “A Study in Emerald”), the Agents can 
  arrive after 1495 and explore before working their way backwards. 
  This might also introduce the reality of time travel to the minions 
  of a Lovecraftian menace, allowing such monstrosities to 
  continually plague the Agents for the rest of the series.
  Research: “The Bonfire of the Vanities”, “Botticelli”, 
  “Savonarola”, “Necronomicon”
  SCIENCE FOR THE SONG
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: Scientific revolution triggers Song industrial 
  revolution, leading to the total defeat of Jurchen, Mongols, 
  and Japanese in 13th century and the extension of Chinese 
  imperial culture and economy around the world by the 14th 
  century.
  True History: Under the Song dynasty (960–1279) China 
  entered a new golden age of trade, technological invention, 
  and scholarly inquiry. With gunpowder, hydraulics, and 
  mechanized textile production, the Song were possibly on 
  the verge of a full-blown industrial revolution five hundred 
  years before the West. But despite the presence in the Song 
  court of brilliant polymaths like Shen Kuo and Su Song, and 
  the need for technological progress in the face of barbarian 
  invasion, the Song’s intellectual development never turned 
  into a full-blown, self-sustaining scientific revolution. And in 
  1279, Kublai Khan’s Mongol invasion put a permanent end 
  to the Song glory. The incurious and isolationist regimes of 
  the Ming and Manchu that followed never lived up to the 
  promise of their forefathers, and the great Chinese flowering 
  was smothered before it had truly begun.
  Alternate History: Chinese nationalists, certain that the 
  Mongol invasion of 1279 demolished China’s hopes for 
  world domination, travel to the Mongol courts in the wake 
  of Genghis Khan’s death and intensify the civil war, making it 
  impossible for his grandson Kublai to conquer China. 
  The Song dynasty never unifies China, but the multitude 
  of post-Song states in competition creates a dynamic, thriving 
  intellectual environment, and a scientific revolution by the 
  mid-1300s. The Chinese have steam power and industrial 
  manufacture before Europe, and the two great centers of 
  world power meet in North America, which becomes the 
  battlefield of the new First World War in the late 18th century. 
  The United States is consumed in fire before it ever appears.
  Clearly, this is a fun time hook for GMs who love steampunk 
  culture. The colonization of North America by the Chinese 
  from the west, and by the European powers from the east, 
  can be as detailed as checking in near San Francisco bay every 
  hundred years, or as simple as finding and reading a historical 
  account. 
  The Mission: Agents are sent to the chaos of a Boston 
  besieged by Chinese mechanized cavalry to discover why 
  the Declaration of Independence is not being written. They 
  must trace the changes back to the Song dynasty, which was 
  supposed to have been conquered by the Mongols, and then to 
  the court of Genghis Khan himself. Meanwhile, the Chinese 
  time travelers beset them at every opportunity, delighted by 
  the outcome of their meddling.
  Research: “Song Dynasty”, “Shen Kuo”, “Su Song”, 
  “Kublai Khan”
  THE SHARK ARM CASE
  Time Seed by Andrew Raphael
  Hook: Paradox begins erupting at Australian crime scenes 
  across the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries: impossible time-holes, 
  chronal echoes of events and people that never happened, 
  futuristic technology falling into more primitive hands. It 
  turns out there’s a two-bit criminal with a time machine pulling 
  unimaginative jobs… but he’s supposed to be dead, he doesn’t 
  know it, and the paradox is ripping apart the places he visits. 
  True History: On April 25, 1935, a 3.5-meter tiger shark 
  was caught off the coast of Sydney, Australia. It was kept alive 
  and put on display; within the week, to the horror and thrill of 
  onlookers, it became ill and vomited up the left forearm of a 
  man bearing a distinctive tattoo. 
  Fingerprints taken from the hand identified the victim as 
  the 45-year-old former boxer, police informer, and small-time 
  crook James (Jim) Smith, born in England in 1890. His wife, 
  Gladys, identified the tattoo, and examination revealed that 
  the arm had been severed with a knife. A murder examination 
  followed.
  The case remains unsolved. The trial against forger and 
  accused murderer Patrick Brady fell apart when the most 
  important witness, Reginald Holmes, turned up murdered. 
  Brady’s lawyer argued that an arm “did not constitute a body” 
  and that Jim Smith could still be out there walking around 
  minus an arm. Brady was found not guilty and acquitted.
  Alternate History: Jim Smith is still out there walking 
  around, but he’s sporting both arms, and it’s messing up 
  the time stream. This case became legendary in Australian 
  history, and it’s no surprise that a time tourist wanted to 
  come back in time and find out what truly happened. 
  Unfortunately, Jim Smith noticed the observer, didn’t 
  
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  like being spied upon, took the young man by surprise, 
  and punched him into unconsciousness. Smith took the 
  time tourist’s time machine, left the fellow in the Sydney 
  hospital, and took off to explore history. 
  The problem is that no one remembered to tell the tiger 
  shark. Due to a paradoxical glitch, Smith shifts into true time 
  instead of his alternate history where he was never murdered, 
  cut up, and thrown into the bay. His presence at robbery 
  scenes and local haunts triggers environmental paradox that 
  attracts TimeWatch. Jim may just want to drink, beat people 
  up, and make illicit cash — but he’s destroying small bits of 
  reality just by existing.
  The Mission: Agents are dispatched to a location where 
  reality is turning itself inside out. While they won’t know why 
  initially, the presence of the same burly tattooed man at each 
  location (despite intervening decades) will quickly clue them 
  into the problem. Smith won’t want to be captured, and he 
  definitely won’t like the obvious solution of being murdered 
  and fed to sharks. It’s up to the Agents to convince him to just 
  sacrifice one arm to placate history, or to find another solution 
  that stops Neanderthals from attacking local saloons every 
  time the thug decides to have a pint. The Agents may even want 
  to rescue the stranded time tourist, bring the real murderer to 
  justice, and in the process, find out who killed the star witness. 
  Research: “Shark Arm Case”
  SINO-SOVIET WAR
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: Suppression of a single secret document in 1969 
  leads to global thermonuclear annihilation.
  True History: Both the Soviets and Mao had internal 
  political reasons to escalate their ongoing ideological conflict. 
  In 1969, a series of mutual provocations and border clashes in 
  Xinjiang and on Zhenbao Island in Manchuria led the Soviet 
  leadership to consider a nuclear attack on China, and even to 
  approach the US for approval or assistance.
  President Nixon received guidance from a variety of 
  sources, but one memorandum from a group of State 
  Department officials convinced him that friendship with 
  China was the best path forward. The Soviets, denied any hint 
  of US support, declined to escalate the conflict.
  Alternate History: The State Department memorandum 
  is suppressed, and Nixon relies on more hawkish advisers such 
  as William Hyland, who felt that a conflict between the USSR 
  and China would be no big deal. The US remains coy about its 
  likely reaction to USSR escalation, one thing leads to another, 
  and then the missiles start to fly.
  1970 is a bad year.
  The Mission: This is a straightforward “save the world” 
  scenario, requiring Agents to track their way through Nixon-
  era politics and international maneuvering. The most likely 
  antagonist here is the ezeru, who can only benefit from 
  massive nuclear war. A small conspiracy of ezeru in the State 
  Department can suppress the document easily.
  Research: “Sino-Soviet War”, “Zhenbao”, “William Hyland”
  SOME DAY MY PRINCE WILL COME
  Time Seed by Vyv Baker
  Hook: Famous missing British princes reappear as adults, 
  demanding the kingdom they were cheated out of — and 
  equipped with anachronistic technology that will help them 
  claim it. 
  True History: The “Princes in the Tower,” 12-year-old 
  Edward V of England and 9-year-old Richard of Shrewsbury, 
  Duke of York, disappeared from the Tower of London in 
  1483. It’s widely assumed that they were murdered at the 
  command of their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who 
  then took the throne for himself. Richard became Richard 
  III and perished in 1485, at age 32, when he was defeated at 
  Bosworth Field in the last decisive battle of the Wars of the 
  Roses. Just recently in 2012, archaeologists found Richard III’s 
  bones under a parking lot in Leicester, England.
  With the princes missing, and their claim on the throne 
  declared invalid by Parliament, Richard III became the last 
  king of the House of York. He was succeeded by Henry VII, 
  first monarch of the House of Tudor. 
  Alternate History: The princes aren’t killed. An elderly 
  24th-century amateur historian, Anglophile, and aficionado of 
  fairy tales decides that his single and independent goddaughters 
  deserve their own fairy-tale princes for husbands. The 
  goddaughters would certainly disagree, but they are never 
  consulted on the idea. 
  The elderly historian uses his university’s time machine and 
  goes back in time, kidnaps the two princes (or rescues them, 
  if you look at it from his point of view), and drops both boys 
  off with his younger self back in the 24th century. His younger 
  self raises the two boys for nine years without knowing who 
  they are, although a letter written and delivered by his older 
  self finally explains the situation. If you think that’s confusing, 
  feel bad for the meddling elderly historian; the paradox from 
  giving himself two adopted sons he’d never previously raised 
  drives him slowly insane.
  The elderly historian might have hoped for fairy-tale 
  princes. Instead, he ends up with two traumatized and spoiled 
  brats, entitled boys who lean towards solving problems with 
  their fists instead of with words, and who then expect their 
  adopted father’s university position to get them out of trouble. 
  Technology locks away the boys’ memories of their 
  childhoods until Edward turns 21 and Richard turns 18. The 
  elderly historian assumes that both boys will immediately 
  marry his goddaughters, but the goddaughters want nothing 
  to do with this plan. Neither do the young princes, who swear 
  to each other that they’ll recover the throne and kingdom that 
  was rightfully theirs. They gather weaponry and technology, 
  steal a university time machine, and head back to reclaim 
  the throne of England. The historian and his two daughters 
  immediately go after them, accidentally creating paradox in the 
  time stream themselves as they hunt for their missing princes. 
  They are further followed by university security who know 
  that the school will face massive fines for the time-crimes 
  already committed, and government officials determined to 
  track down everyone and revoke their time machines. 
  
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  The princes disagree whether to kill their uncle Richard 
  before their younger selves are ever put in danger, whether 
  to travel to 1491 and seize the crown from Henry VII, or 
  whether to try something else. They decide to go to 1483 and 
  tell Parliament that God has aged them in order to protect 
  England from perfidy and treason. Thanks to a simple 
  hologram generator they brought with them, this actually 
  works (the angelic glow is a nice touch), and Edward takes the 
  throne and has his uncle executed. They proceed to rewrite 
  history, dodging or imprisoning the time travelers attempting 
  to stop them.
  The Mission: When Shakespeare’s famous play Richard III 
  becomes instead The Princes of  Heaven, Agents are dispatched to 
  the Globe Theatre to find out what has happened. They soon 
  discover that history was changed by imposters claiming to be 
  the lost princes. Traveling back to solve the problem uncovers 
  the truth, and the princes have little interest in allowing the 
  true timeline to be restored — since the true timeline results in 
  their deaths! Meanwhile, everyone from the slightly deranged 
  middle-aged historian, the insane elderly historian, both 
  goddaughters, campus security, and government enforcers 
  track each other across the late 15th century. It’s a comedy of 
  errors that the Agents must untangle to set history to rights.
  While one possible solution is stopping the historian and 
  letting the young princes be killed in 1483, the Agents might 
  also head to the 25th-century and convince the princes not to 
  try and retake their empire.
  Research: “Princes in the Tower”, “Richard III of England”
  THE STRONG MAN OF EUROPE
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: A sultan avoids poisoning and leads the Ottoman 
  Empire to a conquest of Rome and Italy in 1481, dealing 
  Christianity and European power a fatal blow.
  True History: The Ottoman dynasty of Turkish rulers 
  went from minor warlords to Islamic superpower status in 150 
  years, taking Constantinople in 1453 and ending the Roman 
  Empire once and for all. With efficient administration, the 
  unstoppable (and self-funding) Janissary armies, and modern 
  ships and artillery, the Ottoman Turks were poised to cripple 
  the squabbling states of Western European Christendom and 
  roll over their Persian rivals for Muslim supremacy; Ottoman 
  navies pressed toward India and Italy simultaneously.
  But internal squabbles and succession battles undermined 
  their success. In 1481, as he was traveling to Italy in order to 
  support the recent Ottoman conquests there, Mehmed the 
  Conqueror died of poison. The resulting struggles amongst 
  his sons for the throne consumed the Ottomans and enabled 
  Christendom to throw them back.
  Alternate History: If Mehmed does not die of poison in 
  1481, he leads his relief force to Otranto at the heel of Italy, 
  and then proceeds northwards to conquer Rome just as he had 
  done to Constantinople thirty years previously.
  The pope is forced to relocate, ending up in France while 
  the Ottomans continue to press against Europe both on the 
  east, conquering Hungary and Vienna, and from the south 
  via both Italy and Spain (which remains a Muslim nation). 
  No Reformation ever happens, as Christianity is in a struggle 
  for its life with Islam, hanging on only in the northern part 
  of Europe.
  A Pan-Mediterranean culture develops as Islam becomes 
  the dominant religion all throughout the area, and it is Islamic 
  rather than Christian explorers who discover the New World.
  The Mission: Agents must discover how Rome collapsed 
  in 1483, and trace the issue back to the survival of Mehmed. 
  His poisoning was never officially solved, so they may have to 
  get creative in order to murder the most well-protected man 
  in the world. 
  One possibility (depending on how much you want to upset 
  the applecart of history) is that in true history Mehmed was 
  never poisoned, and it’s the Agents who actually administer 
  the poison in order to somehow stop the world from later 
  ending in paradox. Another possibility is that the assassin was 
  never born due to a time traveler’s actions (or even the Agents’ 
  own actions!) in the past, and so they’ll need to find a poisoner 
  to take his or her place.
  Research: “Mehmed the Conqueror”, “Otranto”
  TECUMSEH STAMPS HIS FOOT
  Time Seed by Kenneth Hite
  Hook: A fatal accident changes the course of US and 
  Native relationships, leading to the foundation of a lasting 
  Indian Confederation.
  True History: Taking advantage of a religious revival led 
  by his brother Tenskwatawa “the Prophet,” the Shawnee chief 
  Tecumseh built an alliance of Amerind nations in Indiana, 
  Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, and Alabama. A confrontation 
  with Indiana governor William Harrison in 1810 ended in 
  frustration and indecision and Tecumseh continued to seek a 
  peaceful resolution.
  In 1811, trying to convince the Creek leader Big Warrior 
  to join him, Tecumseh said, “I will stamp my foot in Detroit 
  and shake down every house” in the Creek country. Big 
  Warrior didn’t follow Tecumseh, but other “Red Stick” Creeks 
  did. William Harrison, while Tecumseh was away, attacked 
  Tenskwatawa’s settlement “Prophetstown” on the Tippecanoe 
  River and broke Tecumseh’s Confederacy before its leader 
  could stamp his foot.
  Alternate History: During the 1810 confrontation, 
  a gun goes off and William Harrison is killed. A melee 
  ensues and the entire American leadership of the area is 
  wiped out. With this unexpected victory, Tecumseh gains 
  immediate support, and his aggressive nature leads to an 
  ongoing, successful campaign.
  The expansion of America is drastically limited by 
  Tecumseh’s alliance (supported by British interests), and the 
  emerging American nation is unable to keep negotiating land 
  treaties with Indian nations. More and more natives flock to 
  Tecumseh’s banner, more and more European powers get in 
  on the act, and North American becomes a disorganized crazy 
  
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  quilt of minor nations all constantly warring with one another.
  Mission: Investigating the sudden appearance of mid-
  20th-century Shawnee literature and art across Europe, 
  Agents discover that North America looks notably different 
  than it should. It doesn’t take long to pin the change down to 
  Harrison’s death in 1810. 
  The question, of course, is who killed William Harrison? 
  Native sympathizers? Or radical communists attracted to 
  Tecumseh’s doctrine of universal ownership? Perhaps it’s even 
  the accidental discharge of a time traveling tourist’s firearm 
  that sets off everyone else. One possible culprit are the 
  sophosaurs, whose quest to destroy human culture might start 
  by wiping out European-influenced North American culture 
  with a single gunshot. 
  Research: “Tecumseh”, “William Harrison”
  THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN
  Time Seed by Jerry Prochazka
  Hook: The deadly 1755 Great Lisbon Earthquake shattered 
  Portuguese fortresses and dramatically dampened the 
  country’s 18th-century colonial ambitions. Future Portuguese 
  seismologists with seismic dampening equipment change the 
  course of world history when they travel back in time and 
  prevent the quake from occurring.
  True History: On All Saints Day (Saturday, November 1, 
  1755), 9:40 a.m. local time, a magnitude 8.5–9.0 earthquake 
  struck Lisbon, Portugal. Almost the entire city was destroyed; 
  with fires and a tsunami, between 10,000 and 100,000 people 
  were killed. The earthquake shattered coastal fortresses in the 
  Algarve, increased political tension, and sabotaged Portuguese 
  colonial ambitions for the second half of the 18th century.
  Alternate History: Drunk and sitting around a card table 
  playing poker, four Portuguese seismologists get on the topic 
  of the Great Lisbon Earthquake. “Do you know what we 
  could have become?” one of them slurs into his drink. “We 
  lost so much. We lost our future.” “My sister has access to a 
  time machine,” one of the other seismologists say quietly. And 
  that is that.
  Arriving in the past in 1750, loaded down with seismic 
  dampeners and sealed dive suits to reach the underwater 
  epicenter, the four friends take years to get the dampeners in 
  place 200 km southwest from Lisbon. It is worth their trouble. 
  When the earthquake does occur, the tremor is perhaps 
  a magnitude 1.5, barely noticeable, and the friends realize 
  they’ve saved tens of thousands of lives who will never know 
  or appreciate it. Then they head home to the 23rd century… 
  and find out the hard way that their time machine no longer 
  functions. 
  Trapped in 18th-century Portugal, tempers run high and the 
  group separates. Now two of them are actively encouraging 
  Portuguese colonial expansion, making sure the country seizes 
  the opportunity it doesn’t even know it has. The other two 
  live in Lisbon, doing their best to subtly advertise their nature 
  as outsiders, hoping that other time travelers will notice and 
  rescue them.
  The Mission: TimeWatch notices a problem after Brazil 
  doesn’t declare independence in 1821, and sends Agents to 
  investigate. They learn that in this timeline the Portuguese 
  royal family never flees to Brazil in 1807, as Portugal is rich 
  and proud enough to withstand French troops during the 
  Napoleonic Peninsular War. Further research indicates 
  that Brazil is larger than normal, and that Portugal is richer 
  because there was no gold disruption following the now 
  nonexistent earthquake. Investigation in Lisbon may lead to 
  the seismologists, as might an investigation of the quake’s 
  epicenter underwater.
  The two most activist seismologists do eventually find 
  their way home if TimeWatch never intervenes; should the 
  earthquake occur and the alternate reality collapse, the two 
  seismologists will gather a collection of goons and return to 
  the past in order and try to save their new timeline.
  Research: “1755 Lisbon earthquake”, “Portuguese 
  Empire”, “Independence of Brazil”
  A WHOLESALE  
  FORM OF SLAUGHTER
  Time Seed by Matt Bridgeman-Rivett
  Hook: An assassination society targets current or future 
  world leaders, politicians, inventors, industrialists, and 
  leaders… whomever its clients pick. The assassins pick key 
  moments in history when great disasters occur, and use the 
  wholesale death to hide their one murder. 
  True History: The Great Fire of London occurred on the 
  2nd and 3rd of September 1666, and consumed over 13,000 
  houses. It was a bad few years; the fire arrived at the tail end of 
  the Great Plague of London, a bubonic outbreak that killed an 
  estimated 100,000 people, a quarter of London’s population. 
  Many records of who died in the plague were consumed by 
  the fire.
  Alternate History: When you want to kill a single person 
  and not get caught, don’t assassinate one person. People are 
  bound to notice. Instead, cause a natural disaster and kill 
  hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people… and just 
  make sure your one victim is part of the human wreckage. 
  Their death is blamed on the disaster, and no one is the wiser.
  The 24th-century Internment Society has single agents — 
  salespeople, really — scattered throughout known history in 
  year-long periods before great tragedies. They quietly gather 
  business, exchanging favors, secrets, and property for ensuring 
  an individual’s death. They may die by disease, violence, or 
  happenstance, and whole family lines may be removed in 
  order to assure another family’s social ascendance, but it 
  always occurs untraceably. For example, the Great Fire of 
  London was designed to hide the deaths of hundreds of 
  people who the Great Plague had been genetically engineered 
  to slay — while clearing out unwanted buildings on property 
  now owned by the Internment Society.
  The Mission: Agents are made aware of a problem 
  when individuals and family lines begin vanishing across the 
  centuries. History (Contemporary) reveals the now nonexistent 
  
  TIME SEEDS
  355
  life paths of family members; Research shows that the family 
  was snuffed out in one natural disaster or another. Whether 
  Iceland’s 18th-century Mist Hardships, the influenza epidemic 
  of 1918 that killed 16 million people, or the Great Fire of 
  London, whole families have been removed to the benefit 
  of other families. Traveling back to the incident will allow 
  Agents with Medical Expertise to learn that plagues have been 
  genetically tampered with. 
  One name comes up multiple times when researching; in 
  diaries and calling cards, at least one member of each wiped-out 
  family was visited by a person calling themselves Lottie DeVic. 
  This alias is a running joke for members of the Internment 
  Society, used as a password to recognize one another, and 
  was adapted as an acronym from the Low Orbit Transgenic 
  Infection Engine’s Delivery Device that the society uses to brew 
  tailored plagues. Should the Agents actually meet and question 
  one of the Internment Society’s embedded assassins, they can 
  find records leading them to the location of the satellite-based 
  plague cannon. They may not be permitted to stop the Great 
  Plague or the Great Fire, but they can make sure it doesn’t kill 
  people who were truly supposed to have survived.
  Tracing the Internment Society back to its 24th-century 
  offices is challenging; a secretive and decentralized organization 
  with many agents spread across many time periods can be a 
  difficult problem to solve. This allows the society to reappear 
  in multiple missions, letting the Agents slowly unravel the 
  conspiracy as they inch closer to the truth.
  Research: “Mist Hardships”, “Great Plague of London”, 
  “Great Fire of London”, “1918 influenza”, “List of natural 
  disasters by death toll”
  A WINTER CARCASS
  Time Seed by Timothy Hidalgo
  Hook: An alien body is discovered in 1876, triggering a 
  fascist America and leading to Axis victory in 1946. 
  True History: One of the worst train crashes in American 
  history occurred on December 29, 1876, when a train bridge 
  over the Ashtabula River gorge failed during a severe Ohio 
  snowstorm and 92 people died. 
  Unrelated but relevant, Former Civil War General James 
  Garfield was an Ohio state representative when this happened. 
  He won the presidential nomination and became President 
  Garfield five years later in 1881, but was assassinated 200 
  days into his presidency. President Garfield spent his short 
  presidency advocating to rebuild the south. He appointed 
  African Americans to federal jobs (the first to do so) and 
  pushed for public education at a time when 60% of people in 
  the South were illiterate.
  Just after the 1876 train wreck the bridge inspector was 
  found dead (a possible suicide). Five years later in 1881, the 
  same year President Garfield took office, the owner of the 
  Pacific Express railroad committed suicide as well.
  Alternate History: It isn’t well known, but aliens abduct 
  or murder humans all the time. The smart ones make sure 
  they never get caught. For example, the ezeru only prey upon 
  humans who are about to die in circumstances that would 
  normally destroy their bodies. 
  On December 29, 1876, ezeru shift onto the train and begin 
  stunning, kidnapping, and devouring humans. All but one of 
  the ezeru time travel away with their victims by the time the 
  bridge falls; the one remaining alien is caught in the crash and 
  plummets with the train down into the gorge. In the accident’s 
  aftermath, the engineer from the lead engine staggers down the 
  bank and stumbles into this “monster” crawling away from the 
  fiery wreckage. He pulls out a pistol and shoots it, the authorities 
  recover the body, and it becomes an 1876 Roswell-like incident 
  complete with alien autopsy and cover up.
  The true course of events is turned aside by the discovery of 
  a nonhuman body. The government has proof that aliens exist! 
  Representative James Garfield now plays a lead role in 
  recovering the alien, and is present during the autopsy. 
  Everyone is understandably terrified. The bridge inspector is 
  shot to keep him quiet. The train engineer is sent to an asylum 
  to keep him out of the public. James Garfield goes on to win 
  the presidency and immediately forms a new secret federal 
  agency (the “Ash Unit”) to combat the alien threat to America. 
  His would-be assassin, Charles J. Guiteau, is shot down by 
  Ash Unit agents on July 2, 1881 before he can assassinate the 
  president. 
  President Garfield’s presidency ushers in an era of extreme 
  federal paranoia as he prepares for a phantom alien invasion… 
  an invasion that seems less phantom when other shape-
  shifting ezeru are apprehended. There is no chance for social 
  reform, and the United States becomes a dictatorship ruled 
  by the National Federalists, a secretive government driven by 
  terror of shape-shifting enemies. 
  When the Great War breaks out in Europe in 1914, the 
  American National Federalists use the opportunity to conquer 
  Mexico and Central America. This turns European public 
  sentiment against the opportunistic US, and reflected American 
  resentment paints most European powers as weak and hostile. 
  At the outbreak of the Second World War, the insular and 
  paranoid United States joins the Axis powers and by 1946 
  succeeds in bringing about the end of the free world. Nuclear 
  weapons are not required, and the entire world is controlled 
  by three nations: Germany, Japan, and the United States. The 
  National Federalists are the only political party in the unified 
  North and South America, their bold symbol of a three-legged 
  swastika of red, white, and blue displayed everywhere.
  GM ADVICE:  
  SWAP THE MONSTER
  Don’t like the ezeru? It’s simple to substitute 
  any style of time traveling aliens you like, 
  from traditional greys to sophosaurs to 
  shape-shifting reptilians. 
  
  CHAPTER TEN
  356
  The Mission: TimeWatch atmospheric sensors indicate 
  that nuclear bombs were not dropped on Japan in August of 
  1945. The Agents are sent to investigate why. They discover a 
  very different political landscape, and trace the differences in 
  US politics back to President Garfield. From there they hear 
  hints of aliens and secret police, and may be able to question 
  an Ash Unit agent or the hospitalized train engineer. The 
  mission’s climax comes when the Agents board the doomed 
  train, eliminating the ezeru before the chain of events is ever 
  set into motion.
  Research: “Ashtabula River Railroad Disaster”, “James 
  Garfield assassination” 
  YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER
  Time Seed by Brett Ritter
  Hook: The weather that summer was gorgeous, not 
  miserable and cold, and so Frankenstein is never written by 
  Mary Shelley. This leads to a future where technology is used 
  with more abandon and less concern about how tech affects 
  humans, ending in a world where robotic AI runs rampant. 
  So why was the weather different? An 1815 volcanic eruption 
  never occurs, and the “year without a summer” never comes 
  to pass.
  True History: In 1815, Mount Tambora in the Dutch 
  East Indies (Indonesia) erupted in one of the largest volcanic 
  explosions in recorded history. The eruption caused climate 
  abnormalities that triggered major food shortages across 
  the Northern Hemisphere. This led to widespread famine 
  across the world, flooding, and typhus epidemics, brown 
  and red snows across Hungary and Italy, spectacular sunsets 
  (evidenced in the paintings of J. M. W. Turner), the possible 
  invention of the velocipede, the eventual founding of the 
  Mormon Church, and the writing of Frankenstein during a 
  “wet, ungenial summer” in Lake Geneva.
  All in all a miserable summer, if an incredibly important one.
  Alternate History: Mount Tambora doesn’t erupt, and 
  the summer of 1816 turns out to be a fine and beautiful 
  one. In Geneva where Mary Godwin, John William Polidori, 
  Percy Shelley, and Lord Byron spend the summer at the Villa 
  Diodati, they are so busy picnicking, boating, and spending 
  time outside that they never begin telling each other ghost 
  stories. Frankenstein is never written, nor is Polidori’s The 
  Vampyre (the precursor to Dracula). 
  The effects of this are subtle. In addition to the short-
  term changes of the good weather, such as far less famine, 
  the popularized lesson of humankind attempting to play God 
  with artificial life never seeps into popular consciousness. 
  Over the following decades and centuries, technology is 
  used by humanity more readily and with less concern for 
  consequences. This peaks in the late 21st century when an 
  artificial intelligence achieves sentience, boosts itself to levels 
  far above humanity, and proceeds to create cybernetic units 
  designed to sterilize the earth of non-robotic life.
  TimeWatch classifies this as “bad.”
  Why no eruption? A group of scientists, engineers, and 
  operatives from a multi-chronal corporation (i.e., one that 
  exploits resources from multiple timelines) is running a 
  massive power plant that taps into the power of the magmatic 
  engine of the volcano, preventing any eruption in the process. 
  The Mission: Cybernetic Armageddon is enough to catch 
  TimeWatch’s attention, and luckily it happens before time 
  travel is widely available. While other Agents control some of 
  the fallout from human extinction, the Agents are assigned 
  to uncover the root cause. They’re sent to early 21st-century 
  California, and told to slide forwards or backwards until they 
  uncover what happened. 
  Even in California, however, technological experimentation 
  is greater than it would be in true history. Human cloning 
  is common, humans are more accepting of cyborg body 
  parts for better physical performance (leading to new 
  cybered sports leagues), and there are significantly fewer 
  texts and white papers on medical and technological ethics. 
  The Research or Trivia abilities indicate that Frankenstein 
  was never written, a story whose absence could explain the 
  gradual ethical change. 
  Visiting the quartet in Geneva, it turns out to be beautiful 
  summer with the group enjoying a collection of outdoor 
  activities during their time there. This conflicts with original 
  history, as the Year Without a Summer should be in full swing. 
  Why didn’t it occur?
  Meanwhile, the Agents are attacked by a group of time 
  traveling human operatives who are familiar with the Agents, 
  even though the Agents have never encountered them before. 
  These operatives come from a timeline where the Agents will 
  destroy the power plant operation and the volcano; they hope 
  to stop this from happening, thus saving the lives of their co-
  workers at the Tambora power plant. 
  From Geneva, it’s a simple step to Mount Tambora 
  and the corporation operatives there. If approached, the 
  operatives are friendly, open, and positive, well liked by their 
  local hirelings that operate as low-level mechanics. They will, 
  of course, resort to violence (something they’re quite well 
  GM ADVICE: CIRCLING BACK
  So, why did the one ezeru not shift away? 
  Perhaps it was distracted or delayed — or 
  perhaps it was ordered not to and deliberately 
  set these events in motion, anticipating that 
  a fascist world is one more prone to using 
  nuclear weapons once they’re developed.
  Interestingly, a completely different TimeWatch 
  team sent back to stop the ezeru might have 
  triggered the alternate timeline in the first place 
  by preventing the ezeru drone from escaping. 
  If so, it’s up to the GM whether that team is 
  grateful to the player characters for covering 
  up their mistake, or resentful for having made 
  the error in the first place.
  
  TIME SEEDS
  357
  trained at) if the Agents suggest destroying their operation 
  as well as their personnel.
  The Agents have several difficult choices: blow the plant, 
  killing everyone there (except, hopefully, the enemy team 
  that has already hunted them) and causing the worldwide 
  devastation needed for their timeline, or find some other 
  solution and deal with the fact that they’ve made the reality 
  of themselves and everyone in their timeline less likely. Clever 
  teams will likely try to find some middle ground, perhaps 
  blowing the plant but rescuing local workers into another 
  place/time. Encourage any solution that reinforces players 
  caring about the effects of their actions.
  Research: “Year Without a Summer”, “Mount Tambora”, 
  “Mary Shelley”
  
  358
  
  359
  This section provides you with three fully detailed adventures 
  for your TimeWatch team.
  The TimeWatch adventures presented here start with an 
  Overview just to set you up to understand the story, and then 
  there’s a bunch of Background with details on the bad guys’ 
  Plot, the Supporting Characters you need to know, a quick 
  Timeline (or two) to help you keep track of what happens 
  when, and some Research Terms for you to investigate 
  further. Then there’s the Mission itself, with a Briefing to 
  kick things off, a quick Likely Adventure Path to give you 
  a sense of how this will probably play out, and then a list of 
  Scenes that the Agents will likely go through in the adventure.
  RECRUITING CALL
  A Patrol adventure for TimeWatch
  Sometimes, embracing paradox is the only way to bring 
  about your future. In this adventure the Agents set out to 
  recruit one of TimeWatch’s greatest agents only to find out 
  the hard way that not everyone wants her alive. In order to 
  successfully recruit their new agent the characters need to stop 
  the same enemy from several different eras, all attacking time 
  in different ways. 
  WHAT’S GOING ON?
  July 2, 1937, marks the date that aviator Amelia Earhart and 
  her navigator Fred Noonan safely crash land on the island 
  of Nikumaroro (also known as Gardner Island), a coral atoll 
  with a central lagoon in the western Pacific Ocean. There they 
  survive for several months before succumbing to exposure. 
  Their bodies have never been found.
  In this mission the Agents are sent to recruit Earhart 
  before her death. They soon learn that Earhart is destined to 
  be a particularly successful and effective TimeWatch agent, 
  one who delivers significant setbacks to the plans of a time 
  traveling Nazi named Oskar Toht. He tries to destroy Earhart’s 
  recruitment in several ways at different points in his life, and 
  it’s up to the Agents to ensure a successful recruitment.
  Once all threats are dealt with, paradox settles down and 
  Earhart can officially be recruited to TimeWatch. 
  Background
  The Agents encounter Oskar Todt in the reverse order from 
  the way he’s lived his life, and the reverse order from the way 
  this adventure is written. Todt was a young soldier in Nazi 
  Germany when a strange Messerschmitt crashed during an 
  Allied bombing raid. Todt was first to the scene and managed 
  to salvage futuristic equipment from the plane. He spent 
  several years researching the burned and melted gear, finally 
  recognizing it as a time travel device in 1945. Brilliant! This 
  would help reverse Germany’s flagging fortunes in the war 
  effort. Todt tested it, then traveled back in time to sabotage 
  key Allied strategies…
  ... and was thwarted by Amelia Earhart, TimeWatch agent.
  Two other times he attempted chronal sabotage, and was 
  thwarted by Earhart and her team both times, barely escaping 
  with his life. He decided on a different approach. He was still 
  young, handsome and strong; he went back in time to romance 
  Earhart’s mother (Scene Four). They met, fell in love, had 
  a daughter named Greta (and not Amelia), and Todt trained 
  Greta to be a world-class Nazi time agent. Then suddenly it all 
  vanished; Amelia’s allies destroyed his romance, his wife had 
  married a different man, and his daughter tragically faded out 
  of existence. Todt was left middle-aged, with memories of a 
  loving wife and daughter who never existed. 
  Fine. He led a team back to Nikumaroro Island to kill Earhart 
  as she staggered ashore (Scene Three). A well-chosen sniper 
  rifle and the job was done, and the pilot would never become 
  
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  360
  a TimeWatch agent. He returned to Germany to wreak chronal 
  havoc for his homeland. Then suddenly his life changed, and 
  whatever fate the Agents hidden on Nikumaroro had in mind for 
  him — imprisonment, banishment, something worse — snapped 
  into place. After losing his family, it also snapped his mind.
  It’s an angry, insane, elderly Todt who comes after the 
  younger Agents in a plane (Scene One). He told himself they 
  would be there; he knows he will be, too, because he recognizes 
  his plane as the one he found as a youth all those decades 
  ago. He’ll die here, but maybe he’ll take those bastards out 
  with him. If he does, they’ll never be able to stop his younger 
  self from courting the woman who once became his wife. It’s 
  worth the risk. It will always be worth the risk. He loves his 
  country, but he loved his daughter Greta more.
  Time to fly.
  PLAYER CHARACTERS
  This adventure uses the seven iconic player characters for 
  TimeWatch. The adventure runs smoothly with as few as 
  three characters; if you have fewer than seven players, give 
  the players their choice of Agents and just remove the ones 
  no one chose. If your players would rather use their own 
  characters, that’s just as easy and just as much fun.
  Iconic characters available on the Pelgrane Press 
  website include:
  Kelfala: a 23rd-century West African starship captain 
  focused on philosophy and speed.
  Mace Hunter: A mustachioed 19th-century African 
  explorer and big game hunter.
  Altani: Genghis Khan’s daughter, a 12th-century warrior 
  princess.
  Uurrk: A brilliant Neanderthal with an extremely limited 
  vocabulary, capable of surges of brilliant eloquence. He hits 
  things very, very hard.
  Vidh: A cyborg assassin disguised as a human, she is trying 
  to reconcile her past as a killing machine.
  Dr. Leah Breen: Definitely not literally a mad scientist, Dr. 
  Breen claims to be one of the inventors of time travel. She 
  may lack a bit of empathy, even if she has TimeWatch’s best 
  interests in mind.
  Skegg: A psychic velociraptor from an alternate timeline 
  when the meteor never struck Earth, Skegg tries to survive in 
  a world full of humans.
  DETAILED PLOT
  Amelia Earhart has the potential to be one of TimeWatch’s 
  best agents of all time. That means that as soon as actions are 
  taken by the player characters to recruit her, her many possible 
  futures as an agent snap into reality — and it turns out that 
  she sure knows how to make enemies. One of these enemies 
  has decided that it is preferable to risk paradox and eliminate 
  Amelia before she ever gets started as an agent. The Adversary 
  might only exist in potentiâ, but that’s still enough to let him 
  come back and stop Amelia before she starts.
  X
  X 	An elderly Nazi time traveler named Oskar Todt tries to 
  use a souped-up Messerschmitt to shoot down the Agents 
  over war-torn Germany; he is likely killed in the dogfight, 
  his plane crashing into the darkness. He knows and hates 
  the Agents, but they have never encountered him before.
  X
  X 	The Agents are assigned the mission of recruiting Amelia 
  Earhart.
  X
  X 	Time traveling Nazis led by a middle-aged Oskar Todt 
  successfully assassinate Amelia on the island before the 
  Agents ever arrive; the Agents arrive to find her corpse 
  instead. They must fall back in time, stop the Nazi assassins, 
  and save Amelia’s and her navigator Fred’s lives. The Agents 
  met an elderly Todt in Scene One.
  X
  X 	A young Oskar Todt makes sure Amelia was never born. 
  Amelia suddenly begins to fade from reality due to chronal 
  instability, and she can no longer remember her parents. As 
  a young officer in Hitler’s elite occult division, Todt has gone 
  back in time to discredit her father and romance her mother 
  before Amelia was ever conceived. To fully save Amelia, 
  the Agents must go stop this threat as well — although 
  they can’t kill Todt’s younger self without risking further 
  paradox. Worse, Greta Todt, the deadly future daughter of 
  Todt and Amelia’s mother, comes back in time to fight for 
  her life.
  Amelia Earhart is going to make an  
  amazing TimeWatch agent…
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  361
  X
  X 	Optional encounter: enemy recruiters. If there’s time in 
  the slot, Rebels try to be diplomatic after going back in 
  time and befriending Amelia in her tomboy youth. These 
  nonviolent rebels and refugees from TimeWatch try to talk 
  Amelia into working for them instead. This roleplaying 
  encounter is optional, and should be used as a (probable) 
  noncombat encounter at your own discretion.
  The challenge here is that Amelia is no shrinking violet. Any 
  attempt on her life makes her furious and determined, and she 
  won’t accept being left behind on missions. 
  Once Amelia’s past is stable and she is no longer rife 
  with potential paradox, she can officially be recruited into 
  TimeWatch and the game concludes. 
  GAME SETUP
  This adventure uses standard TimeWatch rules. Don’t feel 
  you need to explain everything at start of play; it’s much 
  faster and more useful to explain rules as you go along. The 
  exceptions? Walk through the character sheet, describing gear 
  and the difference between Investigative and General abilities. 
  Describe how Preparedness works in TimeWatch (the “Bill 
  and Ted” method). Describe the importance of Stitches, and 
  mention Boosters. The How to Play TimeWatch sheet may help 
  as a handout.
  You will need poker chips or another token to represent 
  Stitches, and an item to mark who goes next in initiative.
  SCENE ONE: A NEW OLD ENEMY
  Scene Type: Antagonist Reaction
  Lead-Out: Briefing
  “Nein!” The elderly man’s voice crackles out of  your plane’s radio 
  speaker. “You have ruined my life for the last time. You have destroyed 
  everything I stand for and brought about ruin to my fatherland. But 
  now, finally I gain vengeance. Now you die!” You hear the sound of  
  a generator, and blue-white lasers sear through the bulkhead and cut 
  your pilot almost in half.
  You have no idea who the elderly German is. 
  It’s after midnight in the year 1942, and you’re in a British plane 
  somewhere over Nazi Germany, ordered by TimeWatch headquarters 
  to join the flight as “military observers.” This must be why. What 
  do you do?
  The Agents are in a British Bristol Blenheim light bomber 
  (room for two crew and six passengers, but it was just the now-
  dead pilot and the player characters on board). They must fly 
  the plane and defend themselves against an insane Nazi pilot 
  with a massive, unknown grudge. 
  The enemy pilot is an elderly Oberst (or Colonel) Oskar 
  Todt, who they will meet younger versions of two more 
  times during this adventure. Todt’s Messerschmitt 109 seemed 
  to appear magically in the darkness behind their own plane 
  (because it did, clocking in through time in order to ambush 
  the Agents). Todt’s plane is more maneuverable and has 
  deadlier future weapons, but its maneuverability deteriorates 
  sharply at high speeds. 
  Elderly Oberst Oskar Todt,  
  Nazi Time Traveler
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4 (5 while inside Messerschmitt), 
  Armor 2 (while inside plane only), Health 5
  Offense: Scuffling 3 (2-1), Shooting 12 (2-2-2); Damage 
  Modifier +0 (skull-headed walking stick), +1 (Luger pistol)
  Abilities: Tempus 12
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Extra Attack (cost 2), 
  Oracle (cost 1), Technology (cost 2)
  Misc: Stealth Modifier +3 (until noticed) 
  Description: Elderly Todt is a dying, cancerous, bitter, angry 
  ex-soldier who is determined to turn what little remains of his 
  life into an instrument of vengeance against the Agents who 
  have thwarted him so many times throughout his life. From 
  Todt’s perspective, the player character Agents have given 
  him scars, taken away his wife and daughter, and ruined his 
  triumphant assassination attempt against Earhart. From the 
  player characters’ point of view, of course, they’ve never heard 
  of the guy before.
  Messerschmitt 109 (Souped-Up 
  German Fighter Plane) 
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4; grants +1 Hit Threshold to anyone 
  inside; Armor 2; Health 20
  Offense: Shooting as per gunner; Damage Modifier +3 
  (Messerschmitt-mounted beam weapon)
  Bristol Blenheim (British bomber)
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4; grants +1 Hit Threshold to anyone 
  inside; Armor 2; Health 30
  Offense: Shooting as per gunner; Damage Modifier +2 
  (machine guns)
  Action!
  Start by asking each player to describe their character. Hand 
  them a Stitch once they finish.
  Then describe the dead pilot, wind whipping through the 
  hole in the fuselage, the sound of the engines, and the steep 
  dive the bomber is starting. Ask what the characters do. With 
  luck, someone chooses to shove the dead pilot out of the way 
  and wrestle the plane under control.
  Play this scene out like a fight, starting initiative with Kelfala. 
  The Blenheim is sturdy and has a machine gun and bombs; the 
  Messerschmitt is more fragile and has a deadly beam weapon. 
  This should feel like the desperate beginning of a war movie, 
  at least until sci-fi technology makes an appearance.
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  362
  Clues and Benefits
  X
  X 	Vehicles 8+: The Blenheim’s top speed is 430 kph, far 
  slower than the Messerschmitt’s top speed of 610 kph. 
  The Messerschmitt’s maneuverability deteriorates near top 
  speed.
  X
  X 	Science!: A Science! spend can temporarily boost the 
  Blenheim’s speed, armor, maneuverability, or weaponry. 
  X
  X 	Military Tactics: Oberst Todt is clearly a skilled pilot, 
  using flying techniques developed after WWII. His accent 
  is German, if slightly crazed, and oddly has some Kansas 
  mixed in. 
  X
  X 	Military Tactics: Shooting through his canopy forces 
  Todt to slow his plane and increases the Difficulties of his 
  Shooting and Vehicles actions by 2.
  X
  X 	Paradox Prevention: The chronal energy the Messerschmitt 
  is emitting indicates that it is from a future, potential reality 
  and not from true history.
  X
  X 	Timecraft: The Messerschmitt is probably equipped with a 
  time travel device in addition to its high-tech beam weapons
  X
  X 	Timecraft: The Messerschmitt is projecting a mild 
  interdiction field that would make teleportation directly on 
  board or time travel while within eight kilometers of the 
  Messerschmitt difficult. Such travel requires a Difficulty 6 
  Chronal Stability test. If failed, no additional points are 
  lost but the autochron does not function. Any character 
  who spends a Timecraft point can automatically counter 
  this interdiction effect.
  X
  X 	Preparedness 8: Remind the player that they can use 
  Preparedness and Flashback to do things like have already 
  modified their plane, have special technology on board, and 
  the like.
  X
  X 	History (Contemporary): According to standard history, 
  Nazi Germany doesn’t actually have any time travelers.
  Think of this scene as the start of an action movie. Have 
  it progress quickly, lasting no more than a half an hour. This 
  scene concludes when the Agents’ bomber goes down (and 
  they hopefully escape) or when Todt’s fighter explodes or 
  crashes. He has rigged his plane’s engine and fuel tank to his 
  own heartbeat; if he dies, one round later his plane explodes. 
  This imminent auto-destruct is incredibly clear to anyone on 
  board the plane when Todt is killed. He’s likely to die without 
  revealing why he hates people who don’t even know him, 
  but if Interpersonal abilities are used to coax clues out of 
  him (particularly Taunt) he mentions that the Agents took 
  away everything he loved, and released his greatest nemesis 
  upon him and all of Nazi Germany’s time-corps. He doesn’t 
  explain further.
  SCENE TWO: BRIEFING
  Scene Type: Intro
  Lead-In: A New Old Enemy
  Lead-Out: Amelia’s Assassins
  As soon as Scene One ends, the Agents’ tethers warble, 
  calling them back to the Citadel for a fast briefing. As usual 
  when time traveling, every Agent must make a Travel test (roll 
  a d6; roll 1–3, lose 2 points of Chronal Stability.) 
  In the shining and futuristic Citadel, a haven located in the 
  quantum singularity that precedes the Big Bang, their briefing 
  officer Hypatia (a Greek mathematician and astronomer 
  in 4th-century Egypt) gives them their mission. They are to 
  recruit 40-year-old aviator Amelia Earhart from the island she 
  crashed on, shortly before her death in late September 1937 
  (almost three months after she crashed on July 2, 1937). It 
  is up to the group whether they recruit her navigator Fred 
  Noonan; they are told to use their best judgment. The island 
  of Nikumaroro is not otherwise inhabited, so they shouldn’t 
  necessarily worry about disguises during this recruitment 
  process, but they’re encouraged to approach her in whatever 
  way they think best.
  If you prefer, substitute Hypatia with a briefing officer of 
  your own invention. There’s no problem with doing so; just 
  make sure the briefing comes from someone trustworthy. 
  Hypatia gives the group a paradoxometer, and tells them 
  not to bring Earhart back to the Citadel as a formal recruit 
  until it reads zero; they may need to train her or solve some 
  potential paradoxes to reach that level. The paradoxometer 
  samples the amount of paradox currently swirling around a 
  person, usually coming from future events that survival may 
  change. Really, the purpose of this device is to give the players 
  a sense of progress as they deal with enemies, and to show 
  when Amelia is safe to become a formal recruit.
  No other gearing up process is necessary, as that’s what 
  Preparedness handles. As soon as the group is ready, they can 
  depart. Players should feel free to look up Amelia Earhart and 
  Nikumaroro on Wikipedia, using their phones, if they so wish.
  SCENE THREE: AMELIA’S ASSASSINS
  Scene Type: Antagonist Reaction
  Lead-In: Briefing
  Lead-Out: So Much for Father’s Day
  Time traveling requires a Travel test from every character, or 
  players can spend one Stitch to bypass the Travel test. 
  Arriving on the island of Nikumaroro in September 1937, 
  the Agents find both Amelia and Fred dead. It’s difficult to 
  tell because several months have passed and both seabirds 
  and insects have picked at the corpses, but some clues can be 
  detected:
  Clues and Benefits
  X
  X 	Shooting 8+ or Military Tactics: Both were shot with a 
  high-powered sniper rifle at Long range. They likely never 
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  363
  suspected the shot was coming. They were killed after 
  staggering ashore from the plane crash in the lagoon.
  X
  X 	Notice: The assassin took the time to remove the bullets 
  afterwards. 
  X
  X 	Forgery: Some signs of survival (such as glass bottles 
  used to boil water) exist on the island, but they have been 
  fabricated.
  X
  X 	Outdoor Survival: The tree where the sniper waited had 
  four other individuals waiting as well. A cigarette stub can 
  be found: Sturm-Zigaretten (Storm or Assault Cigarettes), a 
  Nazi brand.
  X
  X 	Spying: A character with Spying can declare that next week 
  they will go back in time to set up a hidden camera in the past. 
  They need to make two Travel tests or spend a Spying point, 
  but they can get holographic evidence of what happened. 
  Five Nazi soldiers — including a middle-aged Oskar Todt — 
  arrive on the island via a time traveling 1960s seaplane (not a 
  Messerschmitt.) They camouflage the plane and hide, waiting 
  for Earhart and Noonan to arrive. They tell jokes, sweat, and 
  smoke while they wait. Once the explorers crash land, Oskar 
  Todt uses a sniper rifle to put a single bullet in each, killing them 
  instantly. His assistants then run out, plant forged evidence, 
  remove the bullets, and return to their plane. The plane then 
  takes off and disappears in a purple flash.
  The Agents have several options for saving Amelia’s and 
  Fred’s lives. The most likely solution is to time travel back to 
  before the Nazis arrive and ambush them, then let the aviators 
  arrive safely. 
  Middle-Aged Oberst Oskar Todt,  
  Nazi Time Traveler 
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 14
  Offense: Scuffling 8 (2-2-2), Shooting 12 (3-3-3); Damage 
  Modifier +1 (skull-headed sword cane), +1 (Luger pistol), +2 
  (sniper rifle)
  Abilities: Tempus 12
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Extra Attack (cost 2), 
  Oracle (cost 1)
  Misc: Stealth Modifier +3 (until noticed) 
  Time Traveling Nazi Soldier
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 3
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +0 
  (combat knife), +1 (pistol), grenades
  Abilities: Tempus 8, Vehicles 3 
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Description: Six trained soldiers, ready to defend their Oberst 
  with their lives.
  Potential Paradox
  X
  X 	Killing Todt, instead of letting him go, means that he dies in 
  middle age even though the group has already fought him 
  as an old man. Everyone must make a Difficulty 4 / Loss 4 
  Paradox test.
  X
  X 	Because the group knows that someone succeeded in killing 
  Amelia and Fred, saving their lives creates (very worthwhile) 
  paradox. Everyone must make a Difficulty 4 / Loss 4 
  Paradox test when the two are saved.
  X
  X 	If any clues are left for future generations to find, such as 
  the wreckage of the Nazi seaplane, history may be changed 
  — everyone must make a Difficulty 4 / Loss 4 Paradox test. 
  Luckily, this is easily avoidable.
  This scene ends once Todt has somehow been dealt with 
  (exiled, killed, allowed to escape) and Amelia and Fred are seen 
  to have lived instead. The paradoxometer drops by roughly 
  50% when scanning Amelia.
  SCENE FOUR: SO MUCH FOR FATHER’S DAY
  Scene Type: Core / Antagonist Reaction
  Lead-In: Amelia’s Assassins
  Lead-Outs: Old Friends, Conclusion
  Once she’s no longer dead, Agents can approach Amelia 
  immediately (when she and Fred depart their wrecked plane) 
  or several months in the future (shortly before she is due to 
  perish from exposure). Either is acceptable.
  …assuming that Nazi assassins let her live that long.
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  364
  Amelia Earhart
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 6
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier −1 
  (fists)
  Abilities: Athletics 8, Chronal Stability 6 (soon to be −3), 
  Vehicles 15
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Note that despite being a supporting character, Amelia has 
  Chronal Stability instead of Tempus. 
  Fred Noonan 
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 1
  Offense: Scuffling +3, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier −1 
  (fists)
  Abilities: Tempus 10
  The approach to recruit Amelia Earhart may be more 
  difficult than expected. Not due to any hesitation on Amelia’s 
  part, mind you; she’s confused but fascinated, and the idea of 
  time travelers is something she quickly takes to. If approached 
  shortly before her death, she’s particularly exuberant about the 
  idea of rescue. She insists that if she comes, her navigator 
  Fred must come as well. Amelia is fiercely loyal and does not 
  willingly abandon him. She may be talked into leaving Fred 
  behind only if someone spends a Reassurance point and 
  offers to come right back for him.
  The difficulty comes when Amelia suffers a massive attack 
  of chronal instability; although she survives it (as GM you 
  don’t need to roll, but her Chronal Stability drops to −3), she 
  is left faded and shaken, plagued with future memories of her 
  death and disappearance. If an Agent spends at least 2 points 
  of Reality Anchor on her, her Chronal Stability rises to 1 and 
  she starts to feel like herself again. She cannot rise higher than 
  1 Chronal Stability until this paradox is resolved.
  Amelia suddenly realizes that she has no idea who her 
  family is. She can’t remember her youth or her parents, or even 
  the town where she grew up. Timecraft (core clue) indicates 
  that this is common behavior for an agent whose parents were 
  somehow prevented (by death or circumstance) from having 
  children, so that the agent was never born. Amelia barely 
  survived the resulting paradox wave, and hangs on to existence 
  by the proverbial skin of her teeth.
  Clues and Benefits
  Amelia’s Early History
  Amelia Mary Earhart was born July 24, 1897, in Atchison, 
  Kansas, in the home of her maternal grandfather Alfred Otis. 
  Her parents were Amelia “Amy” Otis Earhart (1869–1962) 
  and Samuel “Edwin” Stanton Earhart (1867–1930). Her 
  father was a failed lawyer with a drinking problem that would 
  eventually progress into true alcoholism. They married in 
  1895 in Atchison after several years of courtship. 
  Young Todt’s Master Plan
  In order to stop Amelia from being born, a youthful Oskar 
  Todt (who has recently found the exploded, burned wreckage 
  of a Messerschmitt and reverse engineered the time drive 
  in it) arrives in Kansas in 1892. He sets himself up as a 
  successful German immigrant, befriends Amy’s father, Alfred, 
  and successfully romances Amy Otis before she ever meets 
  Edwin Earhart. He decides that he can kill Edwin if the need 
  arises, but it never does; Todt encourages his drinking instead, 
  launching him into alcoholism earlier than usual and making 
  sure he is never attractive to Amy Otis. 
  What Has Changed
  In order to prevent Amy from marrying the wrong man, the 
  Agents and Amelia must use Research (core clue) to find out 
  what happened in this changed world to Amelia’s family. They 
  learn:
  X
  X 	a German immigrant and entrepreneur named Oskar Todt 
  moved to Atchison, Kansas, in 1892
  X
  X 	Todt meets Amy Otis in 1893
  X
  X 	they marry in 1895
  X
  X 	they have a daughter they name Greta in July, 1897
  Depending on the year in which they’re doing this research, 
  Agents may also discover that Oskar and Greta disappear in 
  1912. This is when Oskar tells Greta that he is secretly a time 
  traveler and begins training her as a warrior and adventurer for 
  the Fatherland.
  It is up to the Agents as to how they stop Oskar and make 
  sure that Edwin and Amy meet and fall in love on schedule. 
  Draw on your knowledge of such classics as Back to the Future, 
  handwaving as much of this as needed. You may want to have 
  the players describe a movie montage, narrating one scene 
  each where they restore the relationship. They may choose to 
  discredit Oskar, reduce Edwin’s drinking, or befriend Amy.
  The reason middle-aged and elderly Todt detests the Agents, 
  of course, is that they ruined his life by destroying his marriage 
  to Amy. He has made sacrifices for his country and his ideals, 
  but it made him bitter. Here in the late 19th century, Todt has 
  no idea yet who the Agents are.
  If the Agents kill Oskar they once again face paradox, this 
  time with a Paradox test of Difficulty 6 / Loss 6 (because 
  they’ve now met him twice before at older ages). They can 
  kidnap, exile, or otherwise run him off in order to succeed. 
  Oskar has a local gang of toughs, six drinking buddies who 
  come to his aid if he is threatened. More importantly, Oskar’s 
  time traveling daughter, Greta, arrives from the parallel 
  history to protect her potential father. Greta is a true threat, 
  an alternate-future Amelia Earhart indoctrinated in Nazi 
  propaganda and armed to the teeth.
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  365
  Young Oberst Oskar Todt,  
  Nazi Time Traveler 
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 14
  Offense: Scuffling 8 (2-2-2), Shooting 12 (3-3-3); Damage 
  Modifier +1 (weighted walking stick), +1 (pistol)
  Abilities: Tempus 12; Charm 2
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Extra Attack (cost 2), 
  Oracle (cost 1), Technology (cost 2)
  Misc: Stealth Modifier +3 (until noticed) 
  Enthusiastic Thugs 
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 3 (Mook)
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +0; Damage Modifier −1 
  (fist), +0 or Stun 4 (brass knuckles), +1 (pistol)
  Abilities: Athletics 6, Vehicles 3
  Greta Todt,  
  Alt-History Nazi Time Commando
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 15
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +3; Damage Modifier +0 
  (combat knife), +1 plus disintegration (Colt-Luger beam 
  pistol)
  Abilities: Tempus 18, Vehicles 12; Spying 1
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Help Yourself (cost 5), 
  Technology (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1 
  Greta Todt resembles an Aryan Amelia Earhart. She 
  is exquisitely competent and creative, girded for the 
  battle of  her life and ready to defend both her father and 
  existence. Attempting to avoid paradox, she tries to fight 
  the Agents without making her young father and mother 
  aware of  her existence.
  Once Greta is defeated, Oskar is dealt with, and Amelia’s 
  parents both meet and show mutual interest, Amelia’s Chronal 
  Stability is returned to full and the paradoxometer drops to 
  either 25% or 0% (depending on how much time is left in the 
  playing slot). If you are ready to end, the Agents are successful 
  and Amelia can officially be recruited. If you want another 20 
  minutes of play, proceed to Scene Five.
  SCENE FIVE (OPTIONAL): OLD FRIENDS
  Scene Type: Alternate
  Lead-In: So Much for Father’s Day
  Lead-Out: Conclusion
  Wherever the Agents and Amelia are when her parents’ 
  affection is back in place, a charming and friendly woman 
  named Jenabu Boro strolls up. She is West African in descent 
  (from Sierra Leone, like Kelfala) and accompanied by a slight, 
  friendly South American man named Alfredo Salazar. Neither 
  is armed. Amelia embraces Jenabu like a sister. It’s clear to all 
  Agents that Jenabu and Alfredo are not from this time period; 
  anyone with Bureaucracy recognizes them as fugitives from 
  TimeWatch, former agents who are believed to have defected 
  after sabotaging a mission that would have required them to 
  instigate a historical genocide. 
  Jenabu Boro, Time Rebel
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 8
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier −1 
  (fists)
  Abilities: Tempus 12; Reassurance 2
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Flashback (cost 5), 
  Technology (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1 
  Alfredo Salazar, Time Rebel
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 1, Health 8
  Offense: Scuffling +1, Shooting +1; Damage Modifier −1 
  (fists)
  Abilities: Tempus 12; Charm 1
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Technology (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Amelia explains that she and Jenabu are like sisters, old 
  and dear friends who have spent years together sharing 
  confidences. This doesn’t match any history the characters 
  know. When the Agents object, Alfredo and Jenabu exchange 
  a glance and suddenly two player characters (your choice) 
  realize that they also are old friends with Alfredo and Jenabu, 
  from their own youth before they joined TimeWatch. 
  What has occurred, of course, is that a few days from now 
  both Jenabu and Alfredo go back in time to make dear friends 
  with two player characters as they are growing up, thus ensuring 
  that both rebels are trusted friends. Jenabu has already done 
  this with Amelia. The two try to explain that they are in a 
  group that wants to change time for the better, not enforce 
  the horrors that history has inflicted on humanity. She makes 
  an impassioned case for Amelia to join their group instead, to 
  fight for what’s right instead of what is “supposed” to happen. 
  The Agents can make a counterargument, or attack Alfredo 
  and Jenabu. Neither will fight to hurt any Agents, but instead 
  try to escape with regrets — hoping to show by their actions 
  that theirs is the superior moral and ethical choice.
  SCENE SIX: CONCLUSION
  Scene Type: Conclusion
  Lead-Ins: So Much for Father’s Day, Old Friends
  Once Amelia makes up her mind as to which group to join 
  (and hopefully it’s TimeWatch), the paradoxometer drops 
  to zero. Success! She thanks the Agents for their help and 
  kindness in saving her, and officially joins the team.
  Congratulations!
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  366
  QUEEN OF THE NILE
  By Corey Reid
  The New Testament has disappeared, and along with it the 
  entire time stream is becoming unstable. Whatever happened, 
  it needs to be stopped. 
  OVERVIEW 
  TimeWatch Agents are dispatched to investigate who’s 
  interfering with the birth of Christ, only to discover the 
  destruction of Christianity is just a side-effect of what’s 
  actually happening: a Gaulish druid, seeking to reverse the 
  collapse of his nation, discovered he could go back in time 
  and rescue his king. That led, obviously, to mammoths, rocket 
  launchers, and superintelligent talking cats.
  The Agents will have to find the moment when this druid 
  started interfering and try to put things right. In their way 
  is the greatest queen in history, an entire alternate history 
  fighting for survival, and as we mentioned, a bunch of 
  stampeding mammoths.
  BACKGROUND 
  The Plot
  Everything started in 36 BCE, when a nationalistic young 
  druid named Divinorix discovered that if he meditated 
  amongst the standing stones of Carnac, he could watch the 
  stars shift. He found he was able to drift back in time and send 
  his spirit soaring over the world. He saw the destruction of his 
  nation’s grand history when Caesar executed its king. Furious 
  at the unfairness of it all and dreaming of a world ruled by 
  the mighty Gauls, he sought back along Caesar’s timeline 
  and found a moment when the great general was alone and 
  vulnerable: Alexandria in 48 BCE.
  Caesar arrived there pursuing his rival, Pompey, only to 
  discover that the young King Ptolemy had killed the Roman 
  renegade. In our history, Ptolemy loses his nerve to Caesar 
  and shortly thereafter his throne to his more ambitious and 
  intelligent sister, Cleopatra. But Divinorix’s time traveling 
  spirit is able to enter into the mind of Ptolemy’s adviser and 
  he convinces the king to murder Caesar then and there.
  He then leaves Alexandria and rushes to Rome to free 
  Vercingetorix and restore his nation. All would have been 
  perfect, had it not been for that darn Cleopatra. Freed of 
  Roman oppression, her armies then rage across the world, and 
  they conquer the Gauls instead.
  Divinorix’s first gambit, murdering Caesar, worked so well 
  that he was confident more time travel would help defeat 
  the Alexandrians. Although he struggled to find a solution 
  (perhaps his rapidly deteriorating sanity had a part to play in 
  that), he did attract the attention of Madame Percival, who 
  appeared in guise of a witch and offered to supply the Gauls 
  with mighty weapons.
  But guns of limited ammunition, as terrifying to their users 
  as to their targets, prove of little value. Divinorix presses 
  Percival for something grand, something his soldiers can use. 
  She unwisely reaches back into the great past and brings forth 
  a stampede of huge prehistoric beasts. It’s impressive, but 
  sadly for her their furious passage destroys her time machine.
  A titanic war then erupts across Europe. The mammoths 
  provide a great advantage, but Cleopatra’s armies are led by 
  canny generals, and the fighting goes on and on.
  But as the Gauls learn how to properly manage their 
  terrifying cavalry, they slowly force the Alexandrines back. 
  Through Greece and Asia Minor and down through Syria, 
  they drive towards the heart of Cleopatra’s empire, the 
  great city of Alexandria. Madame Percival delights in the 
  bloodshed and dreams of getting her hands on the great 
  treasures of Cleopatra.
  Cleopatra the Great is at this point nearly 70 years old and 
  has been empress longer than most of her subjects have been 
  alive. She also has a very curious adviser, one that few of her 
  court even know about: Bastipuss, a sleek, attractive, fastidious 
  black cat that has come from the future to advise the elderly 
  queen against the machinations of Madame Percival.
  But even Bastipuss’ cleverness is insufficient to resist 
  the mammoth-mounted Gauls (some still equipped with 
  futuristic weapons), and now after 10 years of war against the 
  tremendous beasts, Cleopatra faces the collapse of her mighty 
  Empire. Alexandrine forces withdraw slowly southwards, 
  driven ever further back by the Gauls.
  In some realities, Cleopatra’s reign was long and glorious.
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  367
  On their way to Egypt, Divinorix’s army razes Bethlehem, 
  killing virtually everyone in the city and crushing it to rubble. 
  Bad timing, that.
  And about a week later, the Gauls will have advanced to 
  the walls of Alexandria, and the final battle for the fate of the 
  Western world will be joined.
  Supporting Characters:
  Fictional
  These are people entirely made up for the purposes of this 
  adventure.
  Divinorix is about 50 years old in 7 BCE (so he is about 20 
  in 36 BCE when he performs his time travel ritual) and now 
  leads the Gaulish nation. His time traveling has not been kind 
  to his sanity, and he is prone to violent outbursts, reveling in 
  destruction and bloodshed. He is fanatically devoted to the 
  idea of Gaulish supremacy and will do anything in his power 
  to prevent the collapse of his beloved people.
  Divinorix
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 4 
  Offense: Scuffling +1; Damage Modifier −1 (fists)
  Abilities: Tempus 6
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2); Magic (cost 2)
  Madame Percival is a time traveling mercenary who has 
  inadvertently stranded herself here. She is a short, rotund 
  woman of disheveled appearance who delights in both 
  historical treasures and great quantities of chaos. She cackles 
  and sneers like a crazy lady, but she is very sharp. All she really 
  wants right now is another time machine so she can get out 
  of this situation.
  Madame Percival
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 6 
  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +2; Damage Modifier +2 
  (beam pistol)
  Abilities: Tempus 10
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2); Magic (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2
  Bastipuss is a fastidious talking cat from a future descended 
  from the Alexandrian empire. He has certainly come to enjoy 
  life in a wealthy empire that worships cats. He is very fond 
  of Queen Cleopatra and is one of her most trusted (though 
  secret) advisers. His personal affection for her, however, 
  is nothing compared to his determination to protect what 
  he believes is the “proper” future, in which Alexandria, not 
  Rome, forms the foundation of Western culture.
  His powers enable him to time travel and to knock out 
  electronic devices, and he is crafty enough to use time travel to 
  prepare surprises for anyone who tries to interfere in his plans. 
  But he has no effective means of attacking and so always 
  works through indirection.
  Bastipuss
  Defense: Hit Threshold 5, Health 3
  Offense: None (although his claws could probably take out 
  a commoner)
  Abilities: Tempus 15
  Special Abilities: Clock Out (cost 2), Electronic Interference 
  (cost 2), Flashback (cost 5), Oracle (cost 1), Teleport (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2, Stealth Modifier +3
  Factual
  These are “real” people, as in you can look them up in 
  Wikipedia if you want more details.
  Cleopatra is brilliant, well educated, and determined to see 
  her beloved kingdom anchor an empire of tolerance and glory. 
  She is not driven by ideas of racial purity or fanatical fervor; she 
  is pragmatic and compassionate and totally convinced that she 
  is a god and thus can do whatever she wants. Until the arrival of 
  Divinorix’s stupendous beasts, nothing had ever troubled this belief.
  Vercingetorix is a Gaulish general who is not much more 
  than a MacGuffin in this story. In the Divinorix-adjusted 
  history, he unites the Gauls, defeats the Romans, and dies a 
  hero, leaving Divinorix in charge.
  Julius Caesar is, in 48 BCE, an experienced leader and 
  politician in his 50s. He is a legendary womanizer, ruthless and 
  courageous and very very suspicious of everyone around him. 
  If he gets to meet Cleopatra, he’s going to like her a lot.
  Timeline
  Here’s a quick timeline of what’s happened — first the actual 
  history, and then what the Agents discover when they arrive. 
  Remember that BCE dates go down, not up. That can be 
  confusing.
  Actual History
  52 BCE: Julius Caesar defeats the Gauls at Alesia, takes 
  Vercingetorix prisoner.
  48 BCE: Julius Caesar pursues his rival Pompey to Egypt 
  (ruled by Ptolemy) and meets Cleopatra (Ptolemy’s sister).
  47 BCE: Cleopatra and Caesar defeat Ptolemy, and she 
  becomes queen of Egypt.
  46 BCE: Julius Caesar returns to Rome and holds a triumph 
  in which he executes Vercingetorix.
  44 BCE: Julius Caesar is murdered in Rome; Cleopatra 
  becomes involved with Marcus Antonius and the struggle for 
  control of Rome.
  30 BCE: Cleopatra dies (suicide? murder?) after being 
  defeated by Octavian (later Augustus Caesar), who then 
  founds the Roman Empire.
  Divinorix’s Adjusted History:
  48 BCE: Julius Caesar is killed in Egypt by King Ptolemy, on 
  the suggestion of the time traveling druid Divinorix. Cleopatra 
  never meets Caesar.
  47 BCE: Divinorix frees Vercingetorix from Rome. 
  Meanwhile, Cleopatra has defeated her brother Ptolemy and is 
  now queen of Egypt. Deprived of its greatest generals, Rome 
  falls into disarray. Marcus Antonius goes to Egypt and becomes 
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  368
  Cleopatra’s king. They set up Alexandria as a successor to Rome 
  and set about conquering the Mediterranean. Antonius dies 
  before this is completed, and Cleopatra rules as lone empress.
  36 BCE: Divinorix performs his time traveling and then 
  wakes up in a Gaulish-dominated northern Europe.
  26 BCE: The Gauls are struggling once again, this 
  time against an even wealthier and better-organized foe: 
  the Alexandrians. Divinorix fools with his time traveling 
  and attracts the attention of Madame Percival. Sensing 
  opportunities for wealth and power, she supports the Gauls 
  with weapons from the future.
  15 BCE: Divinorix convinces Percival to bring out some 
  mammoths, which she does, but destroys her time machine in 
  the process. Vercingetorix having passed away in the meantime, 
  Divinorix leads the Gaulish army to victory after victory.
  10 BCE: Bastipuss arrives from the Alexandrian future to 
  advise Cleopatra and help her find a way to hold off the Gauls.
  7 BCE: The Gaulish army plows through Judea on its way 
  to Alexandria. TimeWatch Agents arrive.
  Research Terms
  “Cleopatra”, “Vercingetorix”, “Julius Caesar”, “Alexandria”, 
  “Druids”, “Ptolemaic Egypt”, “Alesia”, “Carnac”
  THE MISSION 
  Briefing
  The New Testament’s disappearance is evidence of an 
  enormous temporal adjustment. Someone has interfered 
  with human history in a huge way. Many have tried, but the 
  rise of major religions is a difficult thing to mess with. And 
  the subsequent winking-out of nearly all of known Western 
  culture only reinforces the idea that whatever happened, it’s 
  huge.
  Of course the Nativity is a well-visited moment in the past, 
  and there have been other issues dealt with by TimeWatch at 
  the birth of the founder of Christianity. The assumption at 
  TimeWatch Citadel is that this is another attempt to destroy 
  Christianity and that the answers will be found in Bethlehem 
  in 7 BCE. The Agents are prepared and dispatched to find out 
  what adjustments were made at this time.
  They expect to find an overcrowded inn and a stable out 
  back with some funny guests hanging around, a few sheep, the 
  usual crowd. Instead, they find nothing but smoldering ruins. 
  The little town of Bethlehem has been thoroughly destroyed. 
  Whoever sought to wipe out Christianity, they didn’t take any 
  chances. If there is a star hanging above this stable, it has been 
  rendered invisible by the immense clouds of smoke filling the 
  sky as the world burns.
  Likely Adventure Path
  The Agents arrive in Bethlehem and discover it recently 
  destroyed by a massive Gaulish army mounted on mammoths. 
  They save a talking house cat from death at the hands of 
  some superstitious Gaulish soldiers, and it introduces itself as 
  Bastipuss, chief adviser to Cleopatra, empress of Alexandria.
  The Agents go with Bastipuss to meet his legendary mistress 
  and discover an alternate history in which Alexandria rules 
  the world, not Rome. They learn that the invading Gauls at 
  the doorstep of Alexandria have only recently acquired these 
  mammoths and go in search of the source of this obvious 
  temporal mix-up.
  Amongst the Gauls they discover a rogue time traveler, 
  Madame Percival, stranded by the destruction of her time 
  machine (stampeded by mammoths). She will be keen to get her 
  hands on another time machine and at the same time may warn 
  them that Cleopatra and Bastipuss are not exactly their friends.
  They will learn that Bastipuss is from the Alexandrian 
  timeline and is seeking to preserve that. They will have 
  to get past both him and Percival in order to restore their 
  own timeline (where Rome rules, and Cleopatra suffers an 
  ignominious death). They may have to kidnap the younger 
  Cleopatra and sneak her past guards and assassins both in 
  order to get her in front of Julius Caesar.
  Scenes
  Battle in Bethlehem
  Scene Type: Core
  Lead-In: Briefing
  Lead-Outs: The Rendezvous, The Empire That Never Was: 
  Cleopatra’s Alexandria
  This is the opening scene. The Agents have arrived in 
  Bethlehem, expecting to find some interference going on with 
  the Nativity. “Some interference” turns out to be “Bethlehem’s 
  been recently destroyed by a rampaging army.” The city is a 
  smoldering ruin, with bodies everywhere, not a soul left alive, 
  it seems. This was not just some battle; this was not just your 
  run-of-the-mill sacking of an enemy town. Buildings have 
  been crushed as if by giants, blown to smithereens. Craters pit 
  the streets. Bodies lie piled where they fell: women, children, 
  elderly. No soldiers. No defenders. The city looks like a WWII 
  ruin rather than something from the classical period.
  Before anyone can settle into a serious investigation of 
  these troubling ruins, a small black house cat comes tearing 
  down what’s left of the street. It stops a few yards in front of 
  them and says quite clearly, “We have to get out of here, now!”
  Any further discussion has to be put on hold as with a 
  deafening trumpet blast, a nearby ruin explodes, bricks and 
  smoldering planks flying, and through the wall comes a gigantic 
  beast, all tusks and fur and massiveness. Atop the enormous 
  creature ride tall, pale-skinned men dressed in Roman armor 
  but with long, wild hair and shouting in Gaulish. They see 
  the cat and one of them raises a shoulder-mounted rocket 
  launcher.
  “Kill the beast!” his fellows cry.
  He fires; the mammoth charges. The fight is on.
  Gaulish Soldiers (6)
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 3
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
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  Offense: Scuffling +2, Shooting +0; Damage Modifier +1 
  (sword), RPG: annihilation (Point-Blank), 2d6 + 9 (Close); see 
  Explosion Damage on p. 100 for details
  Abilities: Athletics 6 
  Woolly Mammoth
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Armor 2, Health 40
  Offense: Scuffling +2; Damage Modifier +6 (crush), +4 
  (tusks), +3 (trunk — 2 Point-Blank targets with one attack)
  Abilities: Athletics 16, Tempus 10 
  Special Abilities: Strength (cost 0); the trunk attack can 
  target more than one creature at once — roll a separate test 
  for each target
  Misc: Stealth Modifier −4
  The RPG has only one rocket, and the soldiers fire it at the 
  cat, much less worried about these strangely dressed civilians 
  than a talking cat.
  The talking cat is of course Bastipuss. He’s nimble and has 
  a pretty good force field for defense, so he stays clear of the 
  Agents until the rocket goes off. Most likely helpful players 
  suffer a Near hit rather than Close.
  Once it’s fired, five of the soldiers jump down from the 
  mammoth and think to mop up the rest with their swords, 
  while the sixth remains up top to guide the mammoth if 
  required. They are here to kill the Agents, but should the battle 
  go against them they attempt to flee.
  Once the soldiers are dealt with, the Agents can begin trying 
  to put together what’s happening. It can be figured out pretty 
  easily that a massive Gaulish army recently ripped through 
  here, as impossible as that seems. From coins, building design, 
  or other evidence scattered about, it may be possible to 
  determine that Bethlehem and all of Judea appear to be part 
  of an Alexandrine Empire ruled by Empress Cleopatra, rather 
  than Augustus Caesar of Rome. And there’s the mammoth 
  and the rocket launcher.
  The soldiers were instructed to remain here and kill anyone 
  who appeared. When Bastipuss saw them, he at first thought 
  they might be the Agents and, somewhat desperate, spoke to 
  them. Bad idea. The soldiers’ instructions came from Madame 
  Percival, who awaits their report on the outskirts of the ruined 
  town. If the Agents kill all the soldiers, they can find a note 
  from Madame Percival, written in Gaulish.
  Core Clues 
  A massive Gaulish army destroyed virtually all of Judea about 
  a week ago on its way to besieging Alexandria. (History 
  (Ancient), Military Tactics, Intimidation, Charm)
  Rocket launchers and mammoths don’t belong here. 
  (History (Ancient), History (Contemporary), Paradox 
  Prevention)
  This here cat is talking. (No ability required)
  Extra Clues
  The anachronistic weapons and mounts are from a Gaulish 
  leader named Madame Percival, who is waiting at the rendezvous 
  for these soldiers to report. (Intimidation, Notice)
  Cleopatra appears to be in charge, but she ought to be 
  long dead by this time. (History (Ancient), Paradox 
  Prevention, Trivia)
  The soldiers don’t know there’s anything strange about 
  mammoth-riding, but they are pretty excited about the crazy 
  weapons Madame Percival has found for them.
  Assuming the heroes make friends with the talking cat, 
  Bastipuss tells the party that the problem is that the Gaulish 
  army has anachronistic weapons (including, obviously 
  mammoths), and that if they will come with him to meet 
  with Queen Cleopatra, she will help them understand what’s 
  going on.
  So the most likely outcome is the Agents go with the talking 
  cat to meet Cleopatra, but they may also go to the rendezvous 
  if they got the tip-off about Madame Percival. Bastipuss may 
  come with them if they spend a Charm or similar ability 
  point, otherwise he assures them of a warm reception should 
  they choose to visit Alexandria.
  The Rendezvous
  Scene Type: Core
  Lead-In: Battle in Bethlehem
  Lead-Outs: Who’s in Charge?, The Empire That Never Was: 
  Cleopatra’s Alexandria
  If the Agents decide to confront the mysterious Madame 
  Percival, they find her waiting a safe distance from the intended 
  battle. She recognizes the Agents unless they are disguised, 
  for this version of Madame Percival has already met them — 
  that’s why she sent a bunch of soldiers with a rocket launcher 
  to kill them before they could cause any trouble!
  It is almost certain at this point that Madame Percival has 
  already met the Agents, or at least knows who they are. She 
  wants them killed immediately and directs her bodyguards 
  (another batch of Gaulish soldiers) to do so. These soldiers 
  don’t have an RPG, but they do have a couple of submachine 
  guns. And axes and swords and stuff.
  But Madame Percival has little faith in even her faithful 
  minions, and she always has a way out.
  In this case, it’s a futuristic one-way matter transporter that 
  she can use to have herself zapped from anywhere back to 
  the transporter’s other “end” (currently with Divinorix in 
  the Gaulish army). She presses the button on a little jury-
  rigged control box, and glowing fans open up around her and 
  whoosh! She disappears.
  She makes with the disappearing as soon as it becomes clear 
  her soldiers are outmatched.
  Core Clues
  Madame Percival is a time traveler. (Notice, Timecraft)
  Extra Clues
  Madame Percival is supplying a huge Gaulish army with 
  anachronistic weapons. (Authority, Charm, Intimidation, 
  Taunt)
  The mammoths were brought forth in Carnac, eight years 
  ago, in 15 BCE (Authority, Charm, Intimidation, Taunt)
  Possible Clue
  Should Madame Percival escape, a Timecraft or Science! 
  spend in the vicinity of her disappearance reveals her 
  destination — outside Alexandria.
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  370
  If Bastipuss is here he again encourages the Agents to come 
  meet with his famous queen, explaining that she has a vast 
  library (maybe you heard of it) and much knowledge about 
  what’s going on. Alternatively, they may follow Percival to the 
  Gaulish army, or realize they need to go to Carnac in 15 BCE.
  Who’s in Charge?
  Scene Type: Core
  Lead-In: The Rendezvous
  Lead-Outs: The Empire That Never Was: Cleopatra’s 
  Alexandria, Amongst the Menhirs, The Defense of Cleopatra’s 
  Needle
  At the heart of the Gaulish army is its famous druid general, 
  Divinorix, and his close adviser, the scheming time traveler 
  Madame Percival. They are having a whale of a time conquering 
  the world with mammoths and rocket launchers, and nobody’s 
  going to tell them to stop. They’re now encamped in front of 
  the eastern approach to Alexandria, preventing any land traffic 
  in or out.
  Their vast army is organized around its enormous riding 
  beasts. Each mammoth is surrounded a dozen men forming 
  the squad that supports the animal. These men gather food 
  and tend to the beast, and in battle or on the march, they 
  ride its broad woolly back, fire their weapons, and guide the 
  animal’s movements.
  Each squad also has a few anachronistic weapons: WWII 
  bazookas, AK-47s, miniguns, Napoleonic cannons, neural 
  disruptors, etc. No two squads have the same weaponry. 
  All this stuff  has been provided by Madame Percival. In 
  many cases, the weapons are low on ammunition, and at 
  this point the army is saving up for the big assault on 
  Alexandria.
  The Gauls are secure in their formidableness, and security 
  is light. Unobtrusiveness makes it easy to walk through 
  the disorganized camp, or Authority or Disguise might 
  accomplish the same sort of thing. Closer to the command 
  central, the tents get bigger, the armor shinier, and the guards 
  less sloppy.
  Divinorix and Madame Percival have installed themselves in 
  a temple overlooking the Canopic Gate of Alexandria. Here 
  they prepare for their army’s assault on Alexandria and live 
  in spectacular splendor. Divinorix is unconcerned about any 
  potential threats, convinced that Gaul’s historic ascension is 
  at hand, but Madame Percival knows the Agents are around 
  and will likely be trouble. She has prepared Divinorix for their 
  arrival with a force to hold them prisoner.
  Core Clues
  The mammoths appeared in Carnac eight years ago, in 15 
  BCE. (Charm, High Society, Taunt)
  Madame Percival tells them that if they want to know 
  more about all the anachronistic stuff they should go trouble 
  Cleopatra. (Charm, High Society, Authority — a point of 
  Falsehood Detection here reveals she’s not exactly being 
  honest with them)
  Extra Clues
  Most of these weapons look very low on ammunition. 
  (Military Tactics, Notice)
  Empress Cleopatra (who should be dead) has ruled the 
  Alexandrine Empire for forty years now. (Charm, High Society)
  The Gauls were originally united forty years ago upon the 
  escape and return of King Vercingetorix. (This should never 
  have happened because Vercingetorix should have died a 
  prisoner in Rome in 46 BCE.) (Charm, High Society)
  Divinorix arranged the death of Julius Caesar prior to the 
  execution of Vercingetorix, thus saving the Gaulish king. 
  (Taunt)
  The anachronistic stuff really came from Madame Percival’s 
  efforts. (Intimidation, Taunt)
  Divinorix is unlikely to tell anyone that he engineered the 
  escape of Vercingetorix by traveling back in time and killing 
  Julius Caesar. This is his great secret, that only Madame 
  Percival knows. Thus, only an extra spend on Taunt can reveal 
  this clue at this point.
  Madame Percival is very keen to steal one of the Agents’ 
  autochrons. Their command tent is surrounded by crack 
  troops who await her command.
  If they only get the core clues out of this scene, they have 
  to choose between going to Carnac or Alexandria. If they 
  successfully saw through Madame Percival’s bluff about the 
  source of the gear, they should realize the secret lies at Carnac.
  The Empire That Never Was: Cleopatra’s Alexandria
  Scene Type: Core
  Lead-Ins: Battle in Bethlehem, The Rendezvous, Who’s in 
  Charge?
  Lead-Outs: The Defense of Cleopatra’s Needle, Amongst 
  the Menhirs
  The Agents are invited to visit Cleopatra by Bastipuss. 
  Should they take him up on that invitation, they see one of the 
  great marvels of non-history.
  Alexandria in this 7 BCE is the greatest city on Earth, a 
  glorious testament to the wealth and stability of its empire. The 
  city Cleopatra inherited decades ago has been expanded and 
  made ever more wondrous. The Lighthouse of Alexandria, 
  known as the Pharos, one of the Seven Wonders of the 
  ancient world, has been improved upon, casting its beckoning 
  light far out across the waters, and the paved streets of this 
  city glitter with sculptures, temples, and glorious architecture 
  on all sides. Most of which glorifies the seemingly eternal god-
  queen who has ruled this city and much of the known world 
  for longer than most of her subjects have been alive.
  Time in Alexandria is a chance to dazzle the Agents with 
  the glories of Cleopatra’s reign. Her empire stretches across 
  Parthia to what is now modern-day India, and her famous 
  libraries fill hall after hall alongside the grandeur of her palace. 
  Cleopatra has assembled the greatest thinkers and writers of 
  the West here and some of those from the East as well. If 
  restoring the time stream gives your players a sense of loss at 
  having to destroy what Cleopatra has spent her life building, 
  so much the better.
  Cleopatra’s palace is of course the grandest and most 
  glorious of all structures here. The elderly queen is still a 
  hard-working monarch, but she lives in unimaginable luxury, 
  surrounded by thousands of fanatically loyal soldiers.
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  371
  Not just anyone can get to see Cleopatra, of course. But 
  it just so happens that while the army of Divinorix gathers 
  outside her gates, she is holding a public event to boost morale 
  — a thrilling chariot race!
  Cleopatra at this time is in her sixties, a small, delicately 
  built, clear-eyed woman who has seen it all. She has murdered 
  virtually every relative she ever had, including some of her 
  own children (they probably had it coming, the scamps), raised 
  and led armies, built cities and roads, and ruled the lives of 
  millions of people over Asia, Africa, and Europe.
  She also has a talking cat, our friend Bastipuss. Bastipuss is 
  an uplifted house cat from the 2300s in a timeline where the 
  Alexandrian Empire ruled much of the world for centuries. 
  He is very fond of his famous queen (she’s even more famous 
  in his timeline, of course), and is determined to keep her 
  empire from destruction at the hands of Madame Percival and 
  her pesky mammoths.
  Note that Bastipuss will not realize automatically that the 
  Agents are attempting to restore a different timeline than his — 
  he thinks the Alexandrian Empire is the correct timeline, and 
  is trying to stop Madame Percival. Once he discovers that the 
  Agents are attempting to restore some crazy Roman Empire, 
  he becomes their enemy.
  Agents can get information by chatting with Cleopatra and 
  perhaps her court, or by enlisting her glorious library and all 
  the mighty thinkers assembled there. Winning the chariot race 
  would sure impress her.
  Core Clues
  The Gauls acquired these mammoths eight years ago, in 
  Northern Gaul. (Research, High Society)
  Extra Clues
  Vercingetorix escaped Rome and died in battle in Gaul, 
  fifteen years ago. (This should never have happened because 
  Vercingetorix should have died a prisoner in Rome in 46 
  BCE.) (Bureaucracy, Research)
  Cleopatra never met Julius Caesar because her little 
  brother Ptolemy XIII murdered him in 48 BCE. (Charm, 
  Bureaucracy, High Society, Research)
  Alert Agents who get the extra clue referring to Caesar 
  may realize that this represents the earliest moment of time 
  disruption. But it is not a moment Cleopatra regards with any 
  importance; in her memory, 48 BCE is the year her younger 
  brother pissed off Rome by killing a couple of its generals, and 
  then the Romans turned on each other and never recovered. 
  The name Julius Caesar is known to her, as the Roman who 
  first conquered the Gauls, but beyond that, he is little regarded.
  Remember: What actually happened (in our time stream) is 
  that Caesar arrived in Alexandria in 48 BCE, pursuing his rival 
  Pompey. He was greeted by King Ptolemy XIII (Cleopatra’s 
  younger brother, bitter rival, and, uh, husband) who offered 
  as a gift the severed head of Pompey. Instead of gratitude, 
  Caesar flew into a rage at the thought of a non-Roman killing 
  a Roman in such a disgraceful fashion. Things got a little 
  tense, but it all really went downhill for poor Ptolemy when 
  Cleopatra, whom he had thus far kept away from the Roman 
  visitor, managed to sneak into the palace (some say she had 
  herself rolled up in a carpet) and chatted up Caesar. They 
  got together and killed Ptolemy, and Cleopatra was queen 
  of Egypt and shortly thereafter bore Caesar his only son. 
  All of this was what led up to the polarization of the Roman 
  Republic and Caesar’s murder, resulting in the formation of 
  the Roman Empire.
  The Defense of Cleopatra’s Needle
  Scene Type: Antagonist Reaction / Alternate
  Lead-Ins: The Empire That Never Was: Cleopatra’s 
  Alexandria, Who’s in Charge?
  Lead-Out: Save Caesar
  At some point Divinorix and Madame Percival give the 
  order to attack, and Cleopatra’s beloved city falls under assault 
  by mammoths, rocket launchers, and a whole host of weapons 
  from every imaginable time period. They focus their attack 
  on a great symbol of Cleopatra’s enduring rule: a stele, a 
  huge stone “needle” she raised forty years ago when she first 
  conquered the city.
  Of course this should happen while the Agents are in 
  Alexandria talking with Cleopatra and Bastipuss. The Gauls 
  run out of most of their futuristic weapons shortly after 
  breaching the walls, but the battle should be spectacular and 
  explosive. Giant statues toppling into the streets, great temples 
  erupting in flames, crowds running screaming in all directions 
  — do not stint on the special effects.
  The primary battle takes place upon the great Canopic Way, 
  the massive avenue that bisects Alexandria from east to west. 
  Mammoths come charging down from the gate and are met by 
  the Alexandrian forces at the huge stele celebrating the forty 
  years of their beloved queen’s rule.
  Whether the Agents are among the Gauls (who wouldn’t want 
  to ride a mammoth into battle?) or the Alexandrines (defending 
  Cleopatra) or just scrambling, trying to survive, what’s most 
  important is that at this point they see the stele and understand 
  what it signifies: that Cleopatra never met Julius Caesar.
  Alternate Core Clue
  Cleopatra conquered the city in 47 BCE, after Julius Caesar was 
  murdered by her brother. This is the earliest time-manipulation 
  the Agents have yet come across. (Trivia, Anthropology, 
  History (Ancient))
  Extra Clues
  The Gauls are out of ammunition. (Military Tactics, 
  Science)
  Amongst the Menhirs
  Scene Type: Core
  Lead-Ins: Who’s in Charge?, The Empire That Never Was: 
  Cleopatra’s Alexandria
  Lead-Out: Murder Most Unfair
  Upon discovering that the mammoths appeared in Gaul 
  eight years ago (in 15 BCE), the Agents will no doubt wish to 
  observe how this happened. At Carnac in Brittany, they can 
  find the standing stones — five rows of towering menhirs 
  carved with mystical runes, stretching for kilometers across 
  rocky plains overlooking the ocean.
  Should the Agents find a way to arrive here at the moment 
  the mammoths emerge, they find the rows of menhirs lined 
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  372
  with robed figures chanting, desperate prisoners chained to 
  every one of the thousands of stones. At one end of the long 
  rows stands Madame Percival’s time machine: a sort of tall, 
  delicate wirework structure that gives off a pale blue glow — 
  that glow reaches out to the stones and seems to direct the 
  energy somehow. Stars wheel and shift overhead, and knives 
  flash and with a massive sacrifice of blood; the weave of time 
  is pulled apart and the earth shudders. And keeps shuddering, 
  quaking beneath the sudden rush of thundering feet as 
  between the rows appear, as if out of dark mists, immense 
  woolly beasts, enraged and furious as they charge into a world 
  that had long forgotten them.
  And trample that delicate wirework structure into so much 
  twisted pipe-cleaner mash. Madame Percival is notably not 
  impressed.
  Core Clues
  Investigation of the stones reveals that they were used in a 
  similar fashion twenty years before, in 36 BCE. (Timecraft)
  Extra Clues
  Divinorix can tell them that step one in rescuing Vercingetorix 
  was killing Julius Caesar. (Charm, Reassurance)
  Stopping this ritual accomplishes nothing, other than 
  further adjusting the alternate timeline. The Gauls are crushed 
  by the advancing Alexandrines and Cleopatra’s empire rules 
  unchallenged for centuries, ushering in a shining age of 
  progress and tolerance. The good guys win, basically, but the 
  time stream is not restored. Christianity still never happens, 
  and the world is still out of balance. They also attract the 
  attention of Madame Percival, who was really enjoying 
  stomping around with mammoths and rocket launchers.
  The Agents must discover that the current ritual was not the 
  first, and pursue Divinorix’s initial foray into time travel.
  Murder Most Unfair
  Scene Type: Core
  Lead-Ins: Amongst the Menhirs
  Lead-Out: Saving Caesar
  If the Agents have figured out that Divinorix made an 
  earlier time travel, they have to go back in time to 36 BCE in 
  Carnac to witness what happened.
  They find the menhirs almost completely empty, isolated 
  rows of stone on a dark hillside. Only Divinorix himself 
  stands amongst the ancient stones, praying for a solution 
  to the collapse of his once-mighty people. He cuts himself, 
  spraying blood across a great stone, and collapses.
  Moments later he awakes, laughing delightedly. In that 
  moment of unconsciousness, Divinorix’s spirit traveled back 
  to 48 BCE, to possess the body of Ptolemy’s adviser Pothinus. 
  He convinced Ptolemy to kill Julius Caesar and then rushed to 
  Rome and freed Vercingetorix.
  This is certainly a place where Madame Percival would show 
  up to protect this version of history.
  Core Clues
  Divinorix traveled back to 48 BCE to kill Julius Caesar 
  (Timecraft, Charm)
  Extra Clues
  This is the only clue that matters now.
  Save Caesar
  Scene Type: Time Repair / Antagonist Reaction
  Lead-Ins: Murder Most Unfair, The Defense of Cleopatra’s 
  Needle
  Lead-Out: Reward for a Queen
  Bastipuss realizes that the Agents are not trying to restore 
  his timeline, and he scoots back to 48 BCE to try and interfere 
  in things.
  If he can keep Cleopatra from meeting Julius Caesar, his 
  timeline wins. Without that fateful meeting and all that follows, 
  the Roman Empire never arises. So even stopping Divinorix 
  back in Carnac won’t restore history. That darn cat.
  Alexandria in 48 BCE is nowhere near as impressive as 
  it is at the height of Cleopatra’s noncanonical reign, but it’s 
  still a hell of a city, and it’s still being besieged, this time by 
  Cleopatra herself. The army of the 20-year-old princess is 
  camped exactly where Divinorix and Madame Percival were 
  (will be), and she is debating how to blow down the gates and 
  kick her annoying little brother’s butt. And then a lovely black 
  cat shows up and tells her exactly what she should do.
  If nobody interferes, Cleopatra’s assault on Alexandria 
  results in Caesar’s death at Ptolemy’s panicky hands anyway 
  and Bastipuss wins.
  In order for history to be restored, Cleopatra needs to be 
  gotten into the palace in Alexandria in time to meet Julius 
  Caesar before Divinorix/Pothinus convinces Ptolemy to 
  kill the Roman general. Should the Agents interfere with his 
  efforts, Bastipuss finds other ways to stop things. He alerts the 
  palace guards, hisses menacingly at cat-worshipping Egyptians, 
  but he refrains from revealing his abilities to anyone other than 
  the Agents (or Cleopatra) for as long as possible. He is also not 
  a killer and will not under any circumstances resort to lethal 
  force against the Agents.
  The Agents can try to convince the princess to work with 
  them, or maybe they can kidnap her, stuff her into a rolled-up 
  carpet, and drag her into the palace (it worked in Plutarch’s 
  version).
  Should the Agents succeed, Bastipuss sadly accepts the 
  much less glorious timeline that results, and he fades away.
  Reward for a Queen
  Scene Type: Conclusion
  Lead-In: Save Caesar
  So Bastipuss accepts a dimmer, grimmer history, but he sure 
  wishes his queen got a better deal than being forced to commit 
  suicide after the destruction of all her dreams. Forty-year-old 
  Cleopatra, betrayed by Marcus Antonius and imprisoned by 
  Augustus Caesar, experienced and clever, speaking a dozen 
  languages and familiar with half the world, makes for a great 
  TimeWatch agent, thus solving one of the great locked-
  room mysteries of all history — how did Cleopatra smuggle 
  poison into her prison? Well, of course, she didn’t. She and 
  Bastipuss were taken to the TimeWatch Citadel, where they 
  fight temporal crime with the best of them.
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  373
  THE ONCE AND FUTURE 
  PHOTOBOMBER
  By Heather Albano
  A time traveling art thief accidentally causes his wife to 
  never be born. After trying and failing to undo the problem, 
  he uses the stolen art to attract TimeWatch’s attention, in the 
  hope that they will figure out how to restore her. This is a 
  small-scale, intimate adventure. It’s not the universe at stake, 
  but the lives and loves of a couple of people. 
  OVERVIEW
  TimeWatch has noticed that a 1998 art studio is selling copies of 
  paintings that famously went missing in heists both previously and 
  centuries later — each altered to include the face of a dark-eyed, 
  salt-and-pepper-haired man. The Agents discover the copies to 
  be the work of Arthur Kim, who is deliberately photobombing 
  these paintings in order to get TimeWatch’s attention. 
  Arthur used time travel to collect for himself paintings 
  that famously went missing in a couple of unsolved heists 
  — but something went awry, and when he came home from 
  the expedition his beloved wife, Maliha, was gone. Not as in 
  “stepped out for a moment,” or even as in “ran off with the 
  fencing instructor,” but as in “never existed ever.” Whoops!
  Frantic, he recklessly traveled back through time to visit the 
  heists and figure out what happened, but rather than reverse 
  the tragedy he only managed to reduce his chronal stability 
  and wreck his time machine. Now, stuck as a gallery owner 
  in 1990s Maine, he is willing to surrender and confess to his 
  crimes if only TimeWatch will help him restore his wife.
  The mission is straightforward as far as it goes: find the 
  change that erased Maliha from the time stream, and reverse 
  it. However, it turns out to be more complicated. Maliha’s 
  ancestor was killed because of Arthur’s interference in a heist, 
  but simply preventing her death won’t bring Maliha back to life. 
  While the Agents struggle with that, they will find a kid named 
  Tony who’s determined to “rescue” his personal hero, Arthur, 
  and keep TimeWatch from grabbing him. Finally, once restored, 
  Maliha turns out to be not so much a loving wife as a formidable 
  career criminal with plenty of backup plans for getting away.
  BACKGROUND
  The Plot
  Arthur Kim and his wife Maliha came up with a very clever idea 
  for time travel: to show up at the scene of famous unsolved art 
  heists — as the heist is in progress. Using advanced technology 
  common to their time of origin (the year 2507) the idea was 
  to accost the thieves as they finish, and acquire for themselves 
  the famous never-recovered art the thieves have just stolen. 
  It was a foolproof scheme. The thieves had already done 
  the hard work. Because the crimes were never solved, they 
  were not changing history, so they figured there’d be little 
  risk of attracting TimeWatch’s attention. And they certainly 
  weren’t too worried about local law enforcement — what were 
  the thieves gonna do, call the cops? 
  But tragedy struck. During the second of the two heists 
  (one in 2231 and one in 1990), Arthur unknowingly caused 
  the death of one of the thieves — the getaway driver, Aleisha 
  Washington — by causing the getaway car to crash. He got 
  home with his haul of stolen art, and Maliha was gone. Aleisha 
  was her great-great-great-whatever-grandmother.
  Arthur, once he realized what had happened, rushed back 
  in time to the first heist: on an asteroid in the year 2231, and 
  found nothing but a strange young man demanding Arthur 
  pay attention to him. He decided to go back to 1988, a few 
  years previous to the second heist, to give himself more time 
  to find out what might have happened, but either due to his 
  loss of chronal stability, or just a fault in the time machine, he 
  accidentally jumped to 1992 — two years after the heist, and far 
  too late to change the outcome.
  Worse yet, his time machine failed on this effort, and now 
  Arthur was trapped, knowing he’d erased his beloved wife 
  from existence, but with no way to fix it.
  But he did have a bunch of paintings. He’d never unloaded 
  his haul from the two heists, and so he hit on the idea of 
  photobombing the anachronistic paintings to see if that would 
  attract the attention of time travelers who might help him. 
  Arthur wants TimeWatch to restore his wife. He says he’s 
  willing to go to jail to save Maliha, and that is true, but he’s 
  also counting on his younger self thinking fast (as usual) and 
  putting himself first (as usual) and thereby escaping to rejoin 
  his restored wife and enjoy their art in the restored timeline. 
  Arthur wants to have his cake and eat it too. 
  One of the times Arthur tried to stop his younger self, twelve-
  year-old Tony Kiprotich caught a glimpse of the two (or possibly 
  three) of him, understood that time travel was possible, and 
  within seven years (because he’s a hotshot mechanical genius) 
  figured out how to build his own time machine. Now he trails 
  around the space-time continuum after Arthur, not wanting the 
  art, mostly wanting Arthur’s approval and for him to maybe 
  sign a T-shirt or something. (Think of Tony as a cross between 
  young Tony Stark and the more extreme kind of cosplayer fan 
  trailing around a con after their idol. He should start as comic 
  relief, but end with pathos leaking through.) 
  Supporting Characters:
  Arthur Kim — quick thinker; arrogant enough to believe he 
  can overcome fate even with his older self taking increasingly 
  desperate measures to prevent him; self-absorbed enough not 
  to understand what Tony wants from him. Excellent artist. 
  Self-aware enough to admit to the Agents, when explaining 
  that his younger self won’t listen to him, “I’m kind of an 
  asshole.” 
  Arthur Kim
  Defense: Hit Threshold 3, Health 5
  Offense: Scuffling 6 (1‐2‐1-2), Shooting 8 (1-2-1-2-2); 
  Damage Modifier −2 (fist)
  Abilities: Tempus 5
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  374
  Maliha Kim — an excellent shot and an expert in time 
  machines. She honestly cares about the art; it is possible to 
  rattle her by destroying one of her treasures. What she doesn’t 
  care so much about is her husband.
  She has a number of time travel devices she keeps at the 
  ready, including a temporal grenade that triggers a D4/L4 
  Chronal Stability test to anyone within Near range when it goes 
  off, and a nasty-looking raygun that not only causes damage 
  but reduces a target’s Athletics by 2 with every successful 
  hit. She’s got a short-range travel device as well so she can 
  occasionally double up and assist herself.
  Maliha Kim
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 5
  Offense: Scuffling 9 (1‐2‐1‐2-3), Shooting 10 (1-1-2-2-3-
  3); Damage Modifier +2 plus paralysis (Gendite 47 Para-ray), 
  temporal grenade
  Abilities: Tempus 10
  Special Abilities: Destabilize (cost 4 — temporal grenade), 
  Help Yourself (cost 5)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +2
  Aleisha Washington — tough exterior; thick skin grown 
  out of necessity; needs to learn to value herself enough to not 
  stay in relationships where she is mistreated; high Vehicles and 
  Tinkering ratings.
  Tony Kiprotich — lonely insecure rich kid genius who 
  imprinted on Arthur like a baby bird.
  His time machine is sort of like a “chopper” with flames and 
  the sort of stuff a nineteen year old thinks is cool. There’s a 
  gun mounted on it that can occasionally fling a target through 
  time.
  Tony Kiprotich
  Defense: Hit Threshold 4, Health 4
  Offense: Scuffling 6 (1‐2‐1-2), Shooting 8 (1-1-2-2-2); 
  Damage Modifier +1 plus Exile (raygun)
  Abilities: Tempus 8
  Special Abilities: Exile (cost 2 — raygun), Extra Action (cost 2)
  Misc: Alertness Modifier +1
  Timeline
  From Arthur’s point of view:
  2507: He and Maliha scheme to use time travel to acquire 
  great works of art.
  2231: Arthur goes to the Googlezon Asteroid Five Art 
  Collection and interrupts the theft of several paintings.
  1990: Arthur goes to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum 
  and interrupts another theft.
  2507: Arthur comes home and discovers Maliha has been 
  erased.
  2231: Arthur goes again to the Googlezon heist and 
  encounters Tony but doesn’t see anything that could have 
  caused his wife to disappear.
  1992: Arthur mistakenly travels to 1992, and his time 
  machine breaks down. He spends years creating and selling 
  his photobombed images, hoping someone will contact him. 
  Research
  “Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum 1990 robbery”, “Ogunquit 
  tourism” (the GM should feel free to replace “Ogunquit” with 
  whatever vacation spot they prefer), “Boston Combat Zone”
  THE MISSION
  Briefing
  Briefing Officer Thomas Wu is middle-aged, balding, 
  invariably dressed in a suit and tie, and always seems to be 
  fighting off an imminent headache. He presents himself as 
  a Phil Coulson type — the long-suffering handler who has 
  to ride herd on the extraordinary but unpredictable field 
  agents — but the careful observer recognizes this as an act. 
  Wu’s eyes are both diamond-sharp and ice cold. He cares 
  very little for the human cost of the missions he coordinates, 
  whether said cost is inflicted on his agents or on anyone else, 
  and he is completely willing to manipulate his people for the 
  greater good. He’s Mycroft Holmes pretending to be Phil 
  Coulson, because observation has shown him that people 
  respond better to that mask.
  He shows the team images of six paintings. Agents with 
  History (Contemporary) should be able to identify The Storm 
  on the Sea of  Galilee, Chez Tortoni, and The Concert, stolen from 
  the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. Agents with 
  History (Future) should be able to identify Roadrage, Rising 
  Waters, and Three Men in a Suborbital Skimmer to Say Nothing of  the 
  Dog stolen from the Googlezon Asteroid Five Art Collection 
  in 2231. Agents with Notice spot that when the images are 
  compared side by side with the originals, each has a face 
  altered to look like the same dark-eyed, salt-and-pepper-haired 
  man. It’s subtle, such that the owners of these copies wouldn’t 
  be likely to notice, but becomes more obvious the more copies 
  you see side-by-side with their originals.
  “So there are copies of paintings, subtly photobombed, 
  owned legally, by people who bought them knowing they were 
  copies of famous art — so what?” Wu says rhetorically, then 
  answering his own question: “So what is that these copies were 
  purchased in Ogunquit, Maine, in 1998. And while it is possible 
  that the person making subtly photobombed copies might have 
  seen the first three at the ISG Museum before the 1990 robbery, 
  odds are good he did not also make it to the asteroid unless he’s 
  a time traveler. Which makes it our business. I need the team to 
  go to 1998 and figure out what he’s up to.” 
  Likely Adventure Path
  The Agents learn from Arthur in 1998 that he has inadvertently 
  eliminated his wife, and head to the heist at the Isabella Stewart 
  Gardner Museum, but even if they prevent Aleisha’s death there, 
  they cause her to continue to lead a life of crime and never have 
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  375
  a child. It was the near-death experience in the “original” heist 
  that caused her to have a family, and so they have to somehow 
  reproduce that, all the while dealing with the fanatical interest of 
  Tony, who will eventually lead them to a final battle with Maliha. 
  Remember they’ll need to keep Aleisha alive, but cause 
  her to experience the change of heart that leads to Maliha’s 
  birth. They’ll also need to realize that Maliha is actually behind 
  Arthur’s chronal difficulties, and is not to be trusted.
  Scenes
  The Art Gallery, 1998, Ogunquit, Maine 
  Scene Type: Core
  Lead-In: Briefing
  Lead-Out: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Heist, 1990
  Either the Agents wander aimlessly through Ogunquit 
  galleries, or they pick a particular buyer who purchased a copy 
  and follow them (requires Research). If the former, they 
  wander until an Agent with Notice or History notices one of 
  the ISG paintings, photobombed, hanging in a window. 
  Either way, the Agents go in to discover that the 
  photobombed image is clearly of that guy, right there, who 
  runs the place. Once they reveal who they are, he begs the 
  Agents to find out what might have happened that took 
  away his wife. He’s willing to confess to his crimes, and serve 
  whatever punishment might be necessary, if they’ll just restore 
  her. If they go for a spend on any of the abilities listed below, 
  they can convince Arthur to paint them a likeness of Maliha.
  Core Clue
  Maliha was gone when he came home, after the two heists. 
  (No abilities needed; Arthur just tells them this)
  His time machine failed after he arrived in 1992. 
  (Reassurance)
  Extra Clues
  Maliha’s appearance. (Authority, Charm, Intimidation, 
  Reassurance)
  Maliha is an expert on time travel. (Reassurance)
  Note that under no circumstances will Arthur reveal where 
  or when he is from, or where his time machine might be. His 
  cooperation in all this is dependent on his wife being safe from 
  punishment. That said, enterprising Agents may find ways to 
  track this down. Stay tuned!
  The Isabella Stewart Gardner Heist, 1990
  Scene Type: Core
  Lead-In: The Art Gallery, 1998, Ogunquit, Maine
  Lead-Outs: Investigate Aleisha, Investigate the Other 
  Robbers
  The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was robbed in the 
  early morning hours of March 18, by two men disguised as 
  police officers. They walked up to a side entrance, demanded 
  entry by claiming to have heard about a disturbance in the 
  courtyard, and were buzzed in. Once inside, they tricked the 
  main security guard into stepping away from the museum’s 
  only alarm button, handcuffed and gagged him, and 
  handcuffed and gagged the museum’s second security guard 
  when he arrived. They spent the next 80 minutes stealing art 
  and were about to load it into a waiting car.
  That’s what was happening when Arthur Kim appeared. 
  Upon his appearance, the driver of the car, Aleisha 
  Washington, hit the gas and peeled out. The car roared out 
  onto the Fenway, struck a street light and plunged into the 
  pond opposite. Aleisha was thrown against the windshield and 
  killed instantly.
  Unaware of the young woman’s death, Arthur calmly loaded 
  the art into his machine and disappeared. Arthur kept himself 
  focused and just took care of business, disabling the thieves 
  and winking out of existence with the paintings.
  Police investigations did tie the death of Aleisha (a known 
  criminal) to the robbery that took place, but never found any 
  evidence as to what had actually happened. The two surviving 
  thieves escaped after Arthur disappeared. 
  Core Clue
  Aleisha Washington died because of Arthur’s appearance. 
  (Streetwise, Spying)
  Extra Clues
  Aleisha Washington is nervous even before Arthur shows up, 
  ready to peel out. (Streetwise)
  If they have the painting of Maliha, they realize that Aleisha 
  kind of looks like Maliha. (Notice)
  Here’s the thing, though: had Arthur not shown up, Aleisha’s 
  nervous recklessness would have endangered her and the 
  robbery anyway. What happened in the now-lost version of 
  the robbery before Arthur tampered was that there was a 
  crash, but she kept going, and the robbery was successful.
  But that near-death experience was what gave Aleisha the 
  impetus to turn her life around, leading to her marry a decent 
  guy and becoming Maliha’s ancestor. Without that particular 
  experience, simply keeping her alive won’t restore Maliha.
  Investigate Aleisha
  Scene Type: Core
  Lead-In: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Heist, 1990
  Lead-Outs: Investigate the Other Robbers, Set Up Aleisha 
  and the Doctor
  Having determined that Aleisha is of interest, the Agents 
  must find out more about her. This might go a number of 
  ways — they might seek to meet with her prior to her death, 
  or simply review records of her life. Either way they discover 
  that she never had any children, and that she is a reckless, 
  long-term criminal. But if they have the picture of Maliha, 
  they certainly see that she’s a dead ringer for Arthur’s wife. But 
  Aleisha has no siblings.
  Core Clues
  Aleisha Washington had no children prior to her death. 
  (Authority, Bureaucracy, Research)
  Aleisha Washington is a career criminal with many traffic 
  violations and accidents. (Authority, Bureaucracy, Research)
  Extra Clues
  Aleisha had never before worked with the gang that is suspected 
  of pulling off the ISG heist. (Streetwise, Bureaucracy, 
  Research)
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  376
  A doctor was questioned as part of the heist investigation. 
  (Bureaucracy, Research)
  At this point they may realize that something must have 
  happened to Aleisha after the robbery to change her life’s 
  direction, and they may surmise it has something to do with 
  a traffic accident, or possibly with this new crew she was 
  working with.
  Should they decide to track down the doctor, they notice (if 
  they have the painting of Maliha) that he, too, kind of looks 
  like Arthur’s wife (alternate core).
  Investigate the Other Robbers
  Scene Type: Core
  Lead-Ins: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Heist, 1990; 
  Investigate Aleisha
  Lead-Out: Set Up Aleisha and the Doctor
  It’s possible the Agents think to look into Aleisha’s 
  confederates. They might go through police records (they’ve 
  seen the two men, and could pick them out of mug shots), or 
  track the individuals down on their own (doing so is tough but 
  not impossible for TimeWatch Agents, although these thieves 
  are not the sort of people who are likely to sit around and 
  answer questions from authoritarian types).
  Core Clues
  Aleisha had never before worked with this crew. (Charm, 
  Streetwise, Research)
  The team had a trusted doctor on standby in case of 
  accidents. (Charm, Streetwise)
  Extra Clues
  The doctor is actually a good guy, uncomfortable with crime 
  and really good looking. (Charm)
  Should the Agents track down this doctor, they can (if they 
  have the painting of Maliha) notice that he, too, kind of looks 
  like Arthur’s wife. Also, he seems like a really great guy who 
  doesn’t want to be mixed up with criminals.
  Note that there’s no scene with the doctor as meeting him 
  only confirms existing clues: that he and Aleisha together are 
  Maliha’s ancestors.
  At this point they should be thinking, somehow Aleisha 
  needs to meet the doctor. 
  Set Up Aleisha and the Doctor
  Scene Type: Time Repair
  Lead-Ins: Investigate the Other Robbers, Investigate Aleisha
  Lead-Out: Tony Rescues Arthur
  Okay, so these two need to get together in order for Maliha 
  to exist. The Agents can fool around with all sorts of ways to 
  make this work, but in general, Aleisha must have a near-death 
  experience, and be treated by the doctor, in order to produce 
  Maliha’s ancestor.
  While they’re trying to make that happen is a great time for 
  Tony to show up and rescue Arthur.
  The Asteroid Heist, 2231
  Scene Type: Core
  Lead-In: Briefing
  Lead-Out: Tony Rescues Arthur
  This is the first heist Arthur pulled off, and it’s likely the 
  Agents come here to see if there’s any suggestion of time 
  stream damage here.
  The Googlezon Asteroid Five Art Collection is an office 
  gallery set off from the main Googlezon offices on this bit of 
  spinning rock in the asteroid belt. It is of course a zero-gravity 
  environment, so characters without experience in such a world 
  need to make Athletics tests with a Difficulty Number of 3 in 
  order to perform basic actions such as moving from place to 
  place. Target Hit Thresholds, should combat occur, increase 
  by one for any characters who are not familiar with zero-
  gravity environments.
  The gallery is a spherical chamber with two entrances on 
  opposite sides, about fifty meters across. Paintings dot the 
  curving walls, and assorted sculptural objects (some that 
  articulate and move of their own accord) float about the 
  space, kept from bumping into each other, the walls, and 
  unsuspecting patrons by subtle repulsion fields. It is sufficiently 
  crowded with such objects that it is impossible to behold the 
  entire space from any one point.
  The day before the heist, Twelve-Year-Old Tony ran away 
  from home, hid in the gallery, and was not discovered (because 
  he managed to both elude his household’s robots and disable 
  the gallery security, which are nontrivial accomplishments, 
  noticeable to Agents with Science!, Hacking, or Spying). 
  That night, the heist happens, with a wide-eyed kid witnessing 
  it. Twelve-Year-Old Tony sees Young Arthur pop into 
  existence to relieve the thieves of their stuff, then a second 
  version of the same man appear and watch the proceedings 
  carefully. He grasps that time travel is possible and heads 
  home, his young life forever changed.
  Tony researches what he saw, and realizes that Arthur was a 
  time traveler who was interrupting an art theft in order to claim 
  the work for himself. Delighted with the stranger’s chutzpah, 
  he sets about attempting to duplicate the effort, but while he’s 
  able to build a time machine, he can’t seem to manage the 
  derring-do necessary to pull off these outrageous heists.
  So years later, at the ripe old age of nineteen, Tony returns 
  to the scene of the Googlezon heist, determined to join up 
  with his hero.
  He harasses the second Arthur (observing the first Arthur’s 
  heist), but of course Arthur has no idea who this kid is and 
  just wants to get away. Arthur triggers his time machine and 
  disappears, leaving behind a disappointed Tony.
  Core Clues
  Arthur’s heist has no impact on the time stream here. 
  (Timecraft, History (Future))
  The kid watching is also the kid trying to talk to Arthur. 
  (Notice)
  Extra Clues
  The second Arthur’s time machine is malfunctioning as he 
  departs. (Timecraft, Science!)
  Tony is a child genius. (Notice, Hacking) 
  The Agents may decide they need to find out more about this 
  kid, suspecting he has a role to play in Maliha’s disappearance. He 
  doesn’t, but Tony can certainly impact future (and past) events.
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  377
  Most importantly, if Tony sees the Agents he immediately 
  recognizes them as also being time travelers and attempts 
  to follow them to get to his hero, Arthur. If they attempt to 
  interfere with Arthur (either one) at this point, Tony swoops 
  in and “rescues” him.
  Tony Rescues Arthur
  Scene Type: Antagonist Reaction / Time Chase
  Lead-Outs: Arthur and Maliha’s House, Saturn, 2507; 
  Kiprotich Household, 2231 or 2238 (or both)
  At some point, the Agents may decide to take Arthur into 
  custody or otherwise use their authority against him. This is 
  a great time for Tony to show up with his homemade time 
  machine and swoop in to “rescue” his hero.
  It’s best if this happens after Aleisha has been manipulated 
  back into producing Maliha’s ancestor.
  Tony is well prepared for this moment, as he is sure this 
  will win him Arthur’s approval at last. The Agents should be 
  well challenged by this chase, and once he realizes he’s got his 
  hands on a working time machine again, Arthur will want to 
  get back home and see if Maliha’s been restored, so this chase 
  can readily end up at the Kim household.
  Some ideas for the chase: 
  X
  X 	Wok racing 
  X
  X 	Luge 
  X
  X 	Snowmobiles
  X
  X 	Yaks, in Central Asia
  X
  X 	Camels, in the desert
  X
  X 	WWII fighter pilots
  Kiprotich Household, 2231 or 2238 (or both)
  Scene Type: Alternate
  Lead-In: Tony Rescues Arthur
  Lead-Out: Arthur and Maliha’s House, Saturn, 2507
  Tony’s mother is a high-ranking executive at Googlezon, 
  spending half of her time at the main office back on Earth 
  and half of her time on Asteroid Five, where her husband 
  is Googlezon district manager. As part of his compensation, 
  Tony’s father gets living space: a three-story mansion, futuristic 
  and squeaky clean, and anonymously furnished, mostly in 
  white. It doesn’t actually smell like bleach; it just looks like 
  it should. It is inhabited by Tony’s mother (ten days out of 
  twenty), Tony’s father (in the few hours a day he isn’t at work), 
  Tony, and a fleet of robots who see to the humans’ needs. 
  Tony has every luxury a robot can provide, including an entire 
  half floor to use as a workshop. 
  Tony’s hunger for parental approval and human connection 
  should make perfect sense in this context. He has devoted 
  years to not only building a time machine, but figuring out 
  who that mysterious man was. Once he has a working time 
  machine, he spends some time tracking Arthur down, but 
  instead of confronting the thief at his home, he heads to the 
  scene of the Googlezon heist and attempts to impress Arthur 
  with his knowledge.
  Agents may be able to determine Arthur’s home from 
  Tony’s copious notes, though he hasn’t made it easy for them.
  Core Clues
  Tony is obsessed with Arthur. (Taunt, Charm, Notice, 
  Spying)
  Extra Clues
  Arthur is from the Saturn Refurbishment, 2507. (Intimidation, 
  Notice, Research)
  Arthur’s Time Machine
  Scene Type: Alternate
  Once he arrived in 1992, Arthur found his time machine would 
  no longer function. He was no expert in this technology (that was 
  Maliha), and so he did his best to disassemble and hide the machine.
  But should the Agents think to track it down, and find it, 
  they discover it was deliberately set to only work four times. The 
  initial heist plan required three jumps: one to the Googlezon, 
  one to the ISG Museum, and one back home, so the machine 
  was set to fail upon its first use after returning the loot.
  Which is certainly very curious.
  Clues
  The time machine was rigged by someone who knew what 
  they were doing. (Timecraft, Science!)
  Arthur and Maliha’s House, Saturn, 2507
  Scene Type: Conclusion
  Lead-Ins: Tony Rescues Arthur; Kiprotich Household, 2231 
  or 2238 (or both)
  Once uncovered by the agents, Arthur and Maliha’s mansion 
  is revealed to be luxurious: on the top of a cliff overlooking a 
  turquoise ocean and white sand beach. It is large and airy, with 
  soft sea breezes billowing through white curtains, the rooms 
  bathed in golden light that perfectly sets off the absolutely 
  gorgeous art about the house.
  All of this is an illusion, as the house is in fact on Saturn, in 
  a super-high-tech scenario called the Saturn Refurbishment, in 
  which wildly advanced technology was used to create Earth-
  like environments on distant planets.
  The Agents arrive here either via a time chase following 
  Tony, or by learning Arthur’s home place and time from the 
  young man. If Maliha has not yet been restored, then the 
  house appears to be a tastefully decorated bachelor pad. If she 
  has, then she is eagerly awaiting Arthur’s return, having no idea 
  that she was temporarily erased from existence.
  Her plan is to take the treasure from Arthur and then send 
  him on another “quick errand,” which will of course strand 
  him in time when the machine stops working. When faced 
  with a team of TimeWatch agents, she immediately fights to 
  defend herself and escape.
  This is a climactic final battle (Scuffling, Shooting, booby 
  traps). Maliha is an excellent shot and a cool strategist, but she 
  cares more about the art than Arthur so it should be possible 
  to rattle her by threatening to destroy one of her treasures. 
  On the other hand, she will happily use Arthur as a hostage 
  to allow herself to escape. Tony will switch sides confusedly, 
  seeking to help Arthur as best he can.
  Core Clues
  This Maliha lady is trouble.
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  378
  QUICK REFERENCE CHEAT SHEETS
  REFRESHING YOUR  
  POOL POINTS (P. 67)
  X
  X 	Spend a Stitch at any time to refresh 2 points from one pool
  X
  X 	After resting 24 hours, fully refresh Athletics, Scuffling, 
  Shooting, and Vehicles
  X
  X 	After the end of a mission (and not before), refresh all 
  Investigative points, all Health and all Chronal Stability 
  (barring points that have been permanently lost)
  X
  X 	Heal 2 Health per day unless Seriously Wounded; see p. 87.
  SIMPLE TEST DIFFICULTY (P. 70)
  Difficulty
  Example
  3 — Easy
  Sneaking past a sleeping guard
  4 — Normal
  Sneaking past an awake guard
  5 — Hard
  Sneaking past an awake, alert guard
  6 — Very Hard
  Sneaking past an awake, alert guard 
  with a guard dog
  8 — 
  Exceptionally 
  Difficult
  Infiltrating 
  an 
  integrated 
  high-
  tech security system that includes 
  guards, laser tripwires, infrared 
  cameras, floor sensors, and video 
  surveillance
  SIMPLE CHASE RULES (P. 73)
  Simple chases use the Full Contest rules; characters roll 
  Athletics or Vehicles tests, and any character who fails a roll is 
  out of the chase. If a quarry fails, pursuers catch up with him 
  and he typically must surrender or fight. If a pursuer fails, he 
  may not continue the chase. The chase ends when all pursuers 
  have dropped out of the chase, or when all quarries have been 
  caught up with.
  During a simple chase, attempting any non-chase action 
  (such as Shooting, trying to hide with Unobtrusiveness, and so 
  on) raises the Difficulty for both that non-chase action and the 
  chase action by +2. The GM adjudicates any unusual actions 
  you try.
  INVESTIGATIVE 
  BUILD POINTS (P. 23)
  The number of points each player spends on Investigative 
  abilities varies according to the number of regularly attending 
  players, according to the following table. 
  # of players
  Investigative Build Points
  1–2
  23
  3
  20
  4
  18
  5+
  16
  TimeWatch thoroughly trains agents in basic chronal theory 
  and proper time travel procedures. Every TimeWatch Agent 
  gains Timecraft 1 for free. 
  GENERAL BUILD POINTS (P. 26)
  Each player gets 50 points to spend on General abilities, 
  regardless of group size. You start the game with an additional 
  6 free points each in Health and Chronal Stability. 
  Although there is no set cap on abilities, the second highest 
  rating must be at least half that of the highest rating. 
  THE TRAVEL TEST (P. 64)
  Every instance of time travel requires a Travel test, a simple 
  Difficulty 4 / Loss 2 Paradox test described on p. 91. Effectively, 
  roll a d6; roll 1–3, and lose 2 points of Chronal Stability. Paying 
  a Stitch per trip bypasses the need for a Travel test. 
  WHAT STITCHES DO (P. 65)
  X
  X 	Refresh a General ability pool by 2 points
  X
  X 	Simplify time travel (pay a Stitch, ignore the Travel test)
  X
  X 	Teamwork (pay 2 Stitches, give someone else +1 on a die 
  roll if you can explain how you’re helping)
  X
  X 	Boost your damage by 1 point
  X
  X 	Reduce damage done to you by 1 point
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  379
  COMBAT RANGE (P. 78)
  X
  X 	Point-Blank (adjacent)
  X
  X 	Close (same room)
  X
  X 	Near (within 30 or 40 meters)
  X
  X 	Long (within 100 meters)
  X
  X 	Very Long (within 500 meters)
  SURPRISE (P. 79)
  When surprised, you suffer a +2 increase to all General 
  ability Difficulties for any immediately subsequent action. In a 
  fight, these penalties pertain only to the first round of combat.
  Avoid being surprised with a successful Unobtrusiveness test 
  to notice the hidden ambush. The basic Difficulty is 4, adjusted 
  by the foe’s Stealth Modifier. The +3 bonus from impersonator 
  mesh never applies on this test. You surprise antagonists by 
  sneaking up on them with a successful Unobtrusiveness test. 
  The basic Difficulty is 4, adjusted by the foe’s Alertness Modifier 
  (see p. 72). The +3 bonus from impersonator mesh can apply to 
  this roll, so long as you have not drawn any attention to yourself 
  and your foe has not noticed you at all.
  INJURIES (P. 87)
  ADVANCED CHASE RULES (P. 74)
  Quarry is…
  Point-Blank
  Close
  Near
  Long
  Very Long
  To the Pursuer
  Lead Tracker
  WEAPON DAMAGE (P. 82)
  Weapon Type (see p. 117)
  Damage 
  Modifier
  Fist, kick
  −1
  Improvised weapon, club, knife,  
  inactive autochron
    0
  Heavy club, sword, crossbow, 
  firearm (including automatic weapons)
  +1
  Heavy assault rifle, beam weapon
  +2
  PaciFist or neural disruptor
  Stun test  
  (usually Stun 5)
  Health: 0 to −5
  HURT
  Health: −6 to −11
  SERIOUSLY WOUNDED
  Health: −12 or lower
  DEAD
  X
  X  Immediately make a Consciousness 
  roll to stay conscious
  X
  X 	Can’t spend Investigative points until 
  above 0 Health
  X
  X 	Difficulties of all General ability tests 
  increase by 1 until above 0 Health
  X
  X 	Can be healed normally by the Medic 
  ability
  X
  X 	Immediately 
  make 
  another 
  Con-
  sciousness roll to stay conscious
  X
  X 	Lose an additional Health point every 
  half hour until stabilized
  X
  X 	Can’t spend Investigative points until 
  above 0 Health
  X
  X 	Difficulties of all General ability tests 
  increase by 2 until above 0 Health
  X
  X 	Can’t be healed normally by the Med-
  ic ability
  X
  X 	Must recuperate in a medical facility 
  to regain Health
  X
  X 	Barring time machine–related inter-
  vention by your allies (or a particular-
  ly timely use of the Flashback ability 
  by an ally with high Preparedness), 
  mourn your late Agent’s heroic death
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  380
  PARADOX TESTS (P. 89)
  Trigger
  Difficulty/Loss
  Paradox Prevention  
  Spend Required?
  No Paradox:
  X
  X You successfully restore history back to its true path, ending the mission
  None  
  (no test required)
  No
  X
  X Any time travel (“the Travel test”)
  D4/L2
  No
  Lesser Paradox:
  X
  X You learn, experience, or cause something that violates a known fact
  X
  X You significantly change the future, perhaps by revealing future history 
  to someone or by leaving a futuristic device behind in time
  X
  X You kill someone consequential, but not essential, to history
  X
  X You are hit by a chronal destabilizer (whether weapon or effect)
  X
  X Your future self leaves you a vague or mostly useless clue about a future 
  event
  D4/L4
  No
  Paradox:
  X
  X Your future self leaves you a specific message or important clue about a 
  future event 
  X
  X You overlap yourself in a scene and aid yourself, changing history, al-
  though your past self never becomes aware of the fact (such as secretly 
  sniping a foe from a nearby rooftop or unlocking your own prison door) 
  X
  X Every additional overlap adds +2 to the Difficulty and +2 to the Loss
  D4/L4 – P
  Yes
  (if you choose not  
  to spend a Paradox 
  Prevention point, you can’t 
  aid yourself in this way)
  Greater Paradox:
  X
  X You overlap yourself in a scene and directly offer yourself aid (such as 
  arriving to heal your own unconscious body, or your future self joining in 
  an ongoing fight to double your firepower 
  X
  X Every additional overlap adds +2 to the Difficulty and +2 to the Loss)
  D4/L6 – P
  Yes
  (if you choose not  
  to spend a Paradox 
  Prevention point, you can’t 
  aid yourself in this way)
  Severe Paradox:
  X
  X You close off a time loop and remove the reason you time traveled in the 
  first place, with the unfortunate result that two paradoxical versions of 
  you exist simultaneously (see p. 44) 
  X
  X You kill someone essential to history
  X
  X You change events in a way that fundamentally changes a future you 
  know to have occurred, perhaps branching correct history onto an al-
  ternate history timeline 
  X
  X You are caught in the chronal field of a broken autochron
  X
  X Your direct ancestors within the past 3 generations are killed in a way 
  that ensures you will never be born (Loss decreases by 1 for every gen-
  eration prior to that; a change more than 250 years before your birth 
  does not trigger a test) 
  D6/L6 or higher
  No
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  381
  EXPLOSIVES DAMAGE (P. 100)
  Class
  Examples
  Annihilation Range
  Damage Range
  Debris Range
  1
  pen grenade, pipe bomb, black pow-
  der explosive, micro-grenade
   — 
  Point-Blank
  (2d6 + 3 dmg)
  Close
  (Difficulty 3 Athletics 
  test or 1d6 + 1 dmg)
  2
  grenade, stick of TNT, concussive pro-
  jector, weaponized mini-drone
   — 
  Point-Blank
  (2d6 + 6 dmg)
  Close
  (Difficulty 6 Athletics 
  test or 1d6 + 2 dmg)
  3
  nitroglycerine, RPG rocket, brick of C4, 
  land mine, mortar shell, suicide vest, 
  cinematic gas tank, satellite death ray
  Point-Blank
  (Dead)
  Close
  (2d6 + 9 dmg)
  Near
  (Difficulty 9 Athletics 
  test or 1d6 + 3 dmg)
  4
  truck bomb, AP shell, gas main
  Close
  (Dead)
  Near
  (2d6 + 12 dmg)
  Long
  (Difficulty 12 Athletics 
  test or 1d6 + 4 dmg)
  5
  HE shell, hellfire missile, gravity bomb, 
  exploding black powder magazine
  Near
  (Dead)
  Long
  (2d6 + 15 dmg)
  240 m
  (Difficulty 15 Athletics 
  test or 1d6 + 5 dmg)
  6
  suitcase nuke, exploding spaceship
  Long
  (Dead. So, so dead)
  3 km
  (2d6 + 18 dmg)
  4 km
  (Difficulty 18 Athletics 
  test or 1d6 + 6 dmg)
  If you are within a bomb’s annihilation range, report back 
  to TimeWatch for your replacement character. 
  If you are within a device’s damage range (but outside 
  its annihilation range) when it explodes, you take two dice of 
  damage, plus a modifier equal to three times its class. 
  If you are outside of its annihilation or damage range 
  but within its debris range, make an Athletics test with the 
  explosion’s class times three as the Difficulty. If you fail, you 
  take a die of damage, plus a modifier equal to its class.
  STANDARD ISSUE  
  TIMEWATCH GEAR (P. 109)
  X
  X 	Autochron (your time machine)
  X
  X 	Impersonator Mesh
  X
  X 	Medkit
  X
  X 	MEM-Tags
  X
  X 	PaciFist Neural Disruptor (usable with both Scuffling and 
  Shooting)
  X
  X 	Tether
  X
  X 	TimeWatch Uniform
  X
  X 	Translator
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  382
  ANTAGONIST SPECIAL ABILITIES (P. 152)
  Special abilities are powered by Tempus. 
  Ability
  Cost
  Effect
  Armor
  0 or 3
  Reduces damage
  Awareness
  0
  Raises the Difficulty 
  of player character 
  Unobtrusiveness 
  tests to hide
  Blink
  2 + 1/round
  Flash in and out of 
  combat
  Branching Point
  4
  Pick one of two possi-
  ble paths for yourself 
  or another
  Chronal Drain
  2
  Drain Reality Anchor 
  points on a hit
  Clock Out
  2
  Time travel
  Cybernetics
  2
  Trigger a robotic 
  effect
  Destabilize
  2 or 4
  Trigger D4/L4 
  Paradox test
  Disguise
  1
  Look like a different 
  person
  Distortion
  2 or 3
  Increase Hit 
  Threshold
  Electronic Interference
  2
  Render electronics 
  useless
  Embrace Instability
  0
  Gain Tempus every 
  time Agents make 
  Paradox tests 
  Exile
  2
  Fling target through 
  time
  Extra Action
  2
  Gain a 2nd action in a 
  combat round
  Flashback
  5
  Have a preprepared 
  plan, as per the 
  Preparedness Booster
  Flight
  0 or 2
  Levitate or fly
  Fluid
  0 or 3
  Effectively immune 
  to most physical 
  attacks
  Help Yourself
  5
  An older, healthy ver-
  sion arrives to help in 
  combat
  Hivemind
  0 or 2
  Link brains to share 
  information and 
  lower a foe’s Hit 
  Threshold
  Immaterial
  0 or 2
  Out of phase with 
  reality
  Impersonation
  2
  Perfectly imperson-
  ate another creature
  Infection
  0
  Spread disease
  Interdiction
  0 or 2
  Briefly restrict time 
  travel
  Ability
  Cost
  Effect
  Invisibility
  3
  Increases Hit 
  Threshold and 
  Stealth Modifier
  Lightning Speed
  2
  Move quickly
  Mastermind
  0
  Genius planner and 
  tactician
  Mental Attack
  Variable
  Chronal Stability test 
  to avoid mind control 
  or possession
  Mutation
  2
  Trigger a muta-
  tion-related effect
  Oracle
  1
  Predict upcoming 
  future events
  Psychic
  2
  Trigger a psychic 
  effect
  Regenerate
  0 or 2
  Regenerate Health 
  damage
  Resist Stun
  0
  Stun test Difficulties 
  are lowered by 2
  Restabilize
  Variable
  Refreshes another 
  creature’s Tempus
  Seize Initiative
  2
  Jump into combat 
  initiative at any point
  Shape-Shift
  2
  Reshape body into a 
  nonhumanoid form
  Spider Climb
  0 or 1
  Walk on walls and 
  ceilings
  Stealth
  0
  Raises the Difficulty 
  of player character 
  Unobtrusiveness 
  tests to notice you 
  hiding
  Stony
  0
  Made of stone and 
  resistant to many 
  attacks
  Strength
  0 or more
  Incredibly strong
  Stun
  0
  Attacks can stun, 
  usually at Stun 5
  Summoning
  3
  Summon Mooks as 
  backup
  Technology
  2
  Use super-science to 
  produce technology
  Teleport
  2
  Move instantly from 
  one location to 
  another
  Unfeeling
  0
  Never become 
  Hurt, and make all 
  Consciousness rolls 
  and Stun tests
  Universal Attack
  1 or 2 per target
  Instantly attack ev-
  eryone you wish to 
  within range
  Venom
  2
  Attack also delivers 
  poison
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  383
  HOW TO PLAY TIMEWATCH: 
  A CHEAT SHEET FOR NEW PLAYERS
  History may be fairly robust, but apply the right pressure at the 
  right time and everything changes. You travel through time to 
  stop other time travelers from messing up the true timeline. 
  You’re incredibly competent, you’ve got a time machine and 
  high-tech gear that hides itself, and you hail from anywhere in 
  the whole of recorded history. You’re an agent of TimeWatch.
  Doing Stuff
  General abilities are how you get stuff done. Sneaking, fighting, 
  running… all these are done with General abilities. If you 
  have a General ability rating of 8 or higher, you’re extremely 
  talented at that activity (and may get access to cool bonus stuff 
  when using it). If you don’t have any rating at all in a General 
  ability, you stink at it and won’t generally succeed. A 0 Vehicles, 
  for instance, lets you drive to the store and back but you’d fail 
  at any task difficult enough to require a die roll. An 8 Vehicles 
  would make you a stunt driver. Similarly, a 0 Scuffle means 
  you’re no good at hand-to-hand combat, but an 8 or higher 
  Scuffle would make you an expert martial artist.
  It’s traumatic for your dice bag, but in TimeWatch you’ll only 
  need one die: a d6. Roll it. Your target Difficulty Number 
  is usually 4; if you roll a 4 or higher with a General ability like 
  Athletics, you probably succeed. 
  Obviously, that would mean you only succeed half the 
  time. You raise these odds by spending points from your 
  General ability pools and adding them to your d6 roll. Want to 
  shoot someone? Spend 2 points from your Shooting pool, add 
  it to your d6, and you usually only fail if you roll a 1. Spend 3 
  points, and you’re guaranteed to hit. When your pool drops to 
  0, you’re stuck just rolling a d6 until you can refresh your pool. 
  You refresh your General ability pools by spending 
  Stitches, TimeWatch’s action point. The GM and other players 
  will hand them to you for being awesome, so remember to 
  be awesome. While you can also use them for a few other 
  things, Stitches can be turned in at any time to refresh one 
  pool by two points. When you start running low, turn in 
  some Stitches.
  Learning Stuff
  Ignore your General abilities for a second and look over at your 
  Investigative abilities. These are broken into three sections to 
  make things easier to find — Academic, Interpersonal and 
  Technical knowledge — but they all work pretty much the 
  same way. If you have 1 or more points in any of these, 
  you’re an expert at it. This matters because during the 
  game, all you need to do is tell the GM that you’re using an 
  appropriate ability and you’ll automatically get a clue if 
  there is one. Yes, automatically, no roll required. The fun here 
  is in what you do with that information, not how you get it.
  So let’s say you’re searching old birth records for clues. The 
  GM may ask, “Do you have any rating points in Research?” If 
  you say yes, she’ll tell you everything you can find out. No roll 
  is ever required.
  You can spend these points to get cool in-game 
  advantages. Take the Interpersonal ability Charm, for 
  instance, and pretend for a second that you have a rating of 2 
  or 3 in it. You meet the evil mastermind’s handsome assistant. 
  Tell the GM you’re using Charm to flirt with the supporting 
  character, and the assistant will let slip important clues. Tell the 
  GM you’re spending 1 or more Charm points to get cool stuff 
  while you’re flirting, and the assistant may fall in love with you. 
  Spend 2 points, and the assistant may double-cross his boss 
  out of love for you. 
  Just remember, spending a point from an Investigative 
  ability doesn’t stop you from knowing that topic. It just limits 
  how many times in a game you can ask for special cool stuff.
  And really? That’s all you need to know before starting play.
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  384
  See also alphabetical lists of General abilities (p. 46), 
  Interpersonal abilities (p. 36) and Drives (p.29), as well as in-
  dividual index entries for these categories. Gear and Weapons 
  (p. 390), Antagonists, Adversaries and Mooks (p. 389) and 
  Historical Figures (p. 389) have their own indices.
  Action points. See Stitches
  adventures, 359, See also times seeds, See 
  also campaign frames
  building, 208–14
  campaign, 197
  Once and Future Photobomber, The, 
  373–77
  one-shots, 197
  Queen of the Nile, 366–72
  Recruiting Call, 359–65
  series, 197
  structure, 211
  Wild Times! campaign frame, 326–30
  Adversaries, 164–92
  Adversary (definition), 145
  advice. See advice for players, See advice for 
  GMs
  advice for GMs. See also customizing 
  TimeWatch
  adventure design, 208–14
  antagonists, 200
  campaign, 207
  dos and don’ts, 214–17
  failure, 68
  hacking the rules, 217–25
  mystery structure, 208–14
  Mythos campaign frame, 278
  one shot adventures, 204–7
  pacing, 213
  plotting, 203
  Pulp campaign frame, 294–96
  research, 201
  running TimeWatch, 209–13
  sample themes, 199
  series game, 207
  tests, 68
  Time War campaign frame, 316–18
  advice for players, 54–60
  cheat sheet, 378
  clues, 63
  new players, 383
  Time War campaign frame, 318–19
  agents. See character creation
  Alertness Modifier, 69, 72
  altruism (drive), 29
  ambition (drive), 29
  ammo capacity, 83
  analyst (character competency), 19
  androids (character creation), 21
  antagonists, 145–96
  basic abilities, 147
  definition, 145
  design, 147–58
  devising, 200
  Hit Threshold, 150
  Mooks, 146
  motivations, 192
  Mythos campaign frame, 280
  special abilities, 150–58, 151
  special abilities table, 152, 382
  Time Crime campaign frame, 310
  anthrax (toxin), 102
  Anthropology (Investigative ability), 36
  anti-history (plot hooks), 336–38
  Antisocial Darwinism (time seed), 339
  ape (character creation), 22
  appearance (character creation), 28
  Architecture (Investigative ability), 36
  armor. See also Gear and Weapons index
  futuristic, 124–25
  how it works, 83
  Armor (antagonist special ability), 151
  Ashen Stars with TimeWatch, 225–27
  Assyria Triumphant (time seed), 340
  Athletics (General ability), 46
  refreshing, 67
  atonement (drive), 29
  Aukisi Kongo! (time seed), 340
  Authority (Investigative ability), 36
  autochron, 64
  autofire, 84–85
  Awareness (antagonist special ability), 151
  Axis India (time seed), 341
  background (character creation), 30
  backgrounds, character. See character cre-
  ation, competencies
  backlegging (Time-Crime), 309
  basics of TimeWatch, 9–14
  battles, historical. See individual entries
  beam pistol (weapon), 119
  Ben-hadad II, King (time seed), 340
  Big Bang, The, 235
  black box time machine (Time-Crime), 308–9
  Blink (antagonist special ability), 151
  bomb (weapon), 381
  Bonfire of the Vanities (time seed), 350
  boost combat damage (Stitches), 66
  Booster, 45
  Bouvines, Battle of (time seed), 349
  Branching Point (antagonist special ability), 
  151
  build points
  floating pool, 34
  gaining, 34
  reassigning, 34
  Bullshit Detector. See Falsehood Detection
  Bureaucracy (Investigative ability), 37
  Burglary (General ability), 46
  cache (Time-Crime), 312
  called shots, 85
  campaign, 197
  campaign frames
  alternatives, 245–330
  Chronal Horror, 245–50
  Cinematic One-Shot, 250–51
  Conspiracy, 251–60
  Humor, 260–61
  Leap of Faith, 261–67
  Mythos, 267–82
  overview, 11
  Parallel Realities, 282–93
  Patrol, 235–44
  Pulp, 293–97
  Rebellion, 297–306
  Stranded, 306–8
  Time War, 314–20
  Time-Crime, 308–14
  Tourist, 320–24
  Wild Times!, 324–30
  Carthage Triumphant, 342
  Castillon, Battle of (time seed), 348
  chameleon (character competency), 19
  character
  improving, 34
  character competencies, 18–21
  character creation, 15–34
  appearance, 28
  background, 30
  backgrounds. See character creation, 
  competencies
  build points, General, 26
  build points, Investigative, 23
  character concepts, 17
  competencies, 18
  concept, 16
  Drive, 28
  example, 32
  experienced, 23
  General abilities, choosing, 26
  hints, 31
  Investigative abilities, choosing, 23
  Mythos campaign frame, 268
  non-human characters, 21
  novice, 23
  personality, 28
  secrets, 30
  step by step, 15
  what to avoid, 18
  Charm (Investigative ability), 37
  chases, 73–77
  advanced, 74–76
  attacking, 75
  cheat sheet, 379
  lead, 74
  lengthier, 75
  simple, 73
  time, 76
  cheat sheet, 378
  for new players, 13
  Cherry. See Booster
  Chicxulub extinction event (time seed), 343
  chimeras, 97
  Christopher Who? (time seed), 342
  Chronal Drain (antagonist special ability), 151
  chronal expert (character competency), 19
  Chronal Horror campaign frame, 245–50
  adventure seeds, 248–49
  antagonists, 249–50
  rules changes, 246
  tone, 247–48
  what’s different, 246–47
  chronal instability, 89–98, 95
  effects, 95
  INDICES
  GENERAL INDEX
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  385
  Erased, 95
  Flung (definition), 96
  recovering from being Subsumed, 96
  Subsumed, 95
  chronal organizations (alternative), 240–41
  Chronal Stability (General ability), 46
  losing, 89
  losing Chronal Stability, 91
  parallel timelines, 91
  refreshing, 49, 68, 89, 92
  Chronological Intelligence Bureau (organiza-
  tion), 240
  Cinematic One-Shot campaign frame, 250–51
  sample settings, 250–51
  Citadel, the (TimeWatch HQ), 54
  Chronal Horror campaign frame, 248
  facilities, 238
  Parallel Realities campaign frame, 291
  Patrol campaign frame, 235–36
  Time War campaign frame, 319
  Clock Out (antagonist special ability), 151
  Clockwork Chronal Entertainment (organiza-
  tion), 301
  Close range, 78
  clues, 61–64
  core clues, 61
  example of gathering, 61
  finding clues with General abilities, 45
  gathering, 61
  inconspicuous clues, 63
  simple searches, 63–64
  special benefits, 62
  take note, 63
  zero-point clues, 63
  cold damage, 101
  combat. See fights
  combat pools (antagonist), 148, 149
  Company, The (organization), 286
  Consciousness test, 86
  Conspiracy campaign frame, 251–60
  adventure seeds, 256–57
  series and campaigns, 257–60
  tone, 255
  continuing challenges (tests), 71
  Cooperation (tests), 71
  Cordova, Dansky (adversary), 127
  core clues, 61
  Council of Merlin (organization), 241
  cover, 82
  crash damage, 98
  crashes, 98
  fast crashes, 98
  critical hits, 83
  Crosstime (organization), 302
  Cthulhu. See Mythos campaign frame
  Cthulhu Mythos (Investigative ability)
  effect of use, 273
  Mythos campaign frame, 269
  curiosity (drive), 29
  customizing TimeWatch, 217–18
  Ashen Stars, 225
  character effectiveness, 224
  Chronal Stability, 219
  Esoterrorists, 227
  fights, 221
  General abilities, 219
  GUMSHOE settings, 225
  Investigative abilities, 218
  Investigative abilities, 219
  Mutant City Blues, 229
  Night’s Black Agents, 231–32
  paradox, 219
  refreshing, 223
  Stitches, 223
  Trail of Cthulhu, 232–34
  cyber-bee venom (toxin), 102
  cybernetics, 125–26
  Cybernetics (antagonist special ability), 151
  damage
  cold, 101
  decreasing with Stitches, 66
  explosions, 100
  falling, 101
  fire, 101
  heat, 101
  increasing with Stitches, 66
  Scuffling (antagonist), 149
  Shooting (antagonist), 150
  weapon, 82
  damage (antagonist), 149–50
  dead, 88, See also death
  Dead Man’s Hand (time seed), 343
  Deadwood (time seed), 343
  death, 88
  and paradox, 97
  Declaration of Independence (time seed), 
  347
  Delium, Battle of, 336
  Destabilize (antagonist special ability), 151
  dice, 68
  Difficulty Numbers, 69, 70, See also Hit 
  Threshold
  and paradox, 91
  not revealed, 70
  Dimensional Stability (General ability), 285
  Dinosaur’s Envoy (time seed), 343
  diplomat (character competency), 19
  disembodied brain (character creation), 21
  Disguise (antagonist special ability), 151
  Disguise (General ability), 47
  Disneyland (time seed), 344
  Distortion (antagonist special ability), 153
  Divergence Detection (Investigative ability), 
  285
  Division Nine (organization), 241
  Domination (antagonist special ability), 156
  Don’t I Know You? (Disguise Booster), 48
  Double Tap (Shooting Booster), 50
  and autofire, 84
  Dreaming (Investigative ability)
  Mythos campaign frame, 270
  Drive (character creation), 28
  Driving. See Vehicles
  drowning, 99
  duplicating yourself, 81
  Dutch East India Company (time seed), 344
  duty (drive), 29
  electricity, 99
  Electronic Interference (antagonist special 
  ability), 153
  Embrace Instability (antagonist special abil-
  ity), 153
  Empire of the Mouse (time seed), 344
  employees (Citadel), 237–38
  Enforcement Protocol, The (organization), 241
  Engineeering. See Tinkering
  equipment. See gear
  Erased(chronal instability), 95
  Esoterrorists with TimeWatch, 227–28
  Evasive Maneuvers, 82
  advice, 56
  Everett Bridge (Parallel Realities), 286
  Exile (antagonist special ability), 153
  experience points, 34
  experimenter (drive), 29
  exploration (drive), 29
  explorer (character competency), 19
  explosions
  annihilation range, 100
  damage, 100
  damage range, 100
  debris range, 100
  explosives, 99–101
  Tinkering, 100
  exposed, 82
  Extra Action (antagonist special ability), 153
  ezeru. See Antagonists index
  Fading (chronal instability), 95
  failure (tests), 68
  falling damage, 101
  Falsehood Detection (Investigative ability), 38
  Fast Hands (Burglary Booster), 46
  Fate points. See Stitches
  Ferozeshah, Battle of, 341
  fights, 77–85
  damage, increasing with Stitches, 66
  example, 88
  non-lethal, 83
  range, 78
  restrain a foe, 83
  talking your way out, 83
  fire damage, 101
  Five Claws, The (organization), 313
  fixed combat bonuses (antagonist), 148
  Flashback (antagonist special ability), 153
  Flashback (Preparedness Booster), 49
  Flight (antagonist special ability), 153
  Fluid (antagonist special ability), 153
  Flung (chronal instability), 96
  Forgery (Investigative ability), 38
  former enemy (drive), 29
  Freedom Fighters (organization), 241
  friendship (drive), 29
  full contest (tests), 72
  full cover, 82
  gadgeteer (character competency), 19
  gear, 105–44
  acquisition, 105–8
  chronal decay, 108
  cost, 109
  glossary, 109
  reskinning, 107
  reskinning gear, 114
  signature gear, 108
  standard issue, 109–17
  General abilities, 45–52, See also tests
  benchmarks, 27
  build points, 26
  choosing, 26
  customizing, 219
  refreshing. See refreshing
  spends, 70
  summary, 26
  testing, 68
  Time Crime campaign frame, 310
  zero rating, 28
  General spends (tests), 70
  Genghis Khan. See Khan, Genghis
  ghosts, 95
  GM advice, 197–234, See advice for GMs
  Good Intentions (time seed), 345
  Great Race, The (Mythos antagonist), 281
  greater paradox, 94
  Grounded (Reality Anchor Booster), 50
  Group Therapy (Psychoanalysis Booster), 270
  GUMSHOE and TimeWatch, 225–34
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  386
  GUMSHOE rules, 61–104
  guns. See Shooting, See fights
  hacker (character competency), 20
  Hacking (Investigative ability), 38
  hacking the rules. See customizing 
  TimeWatch
  Hapsburg Jets! (time seed), 345
  Hard to Hit (Athletics Booster), 46
  hardened agents (character creation), 26
  hazards, 98–104
  Heal Thyself (Medic Booster), 48
  healing
  antagonists, 148
  injuries, 85
  Medkit, 111
  rapid, 88
  with Medic, 48
  Health (antagonist), 147, 148
  Health (General ability), 48
  refreshing, 68
  heat damage, 101
  Help Yourself (antagonist special ability), 154
  Her Majesty’s Royal Chrono Patrol (organiza-
  tion), 241
  heroin (toxin), 102
  Hiding. See Unobtrusiveness
  High Society (Investigative ability), 39
  historian (character competency), 20
  historical figures, 331–35
  History (Alternate) (Investigative ability), 285
  History (Ancient) (Investigative ability), 39
  History (Contemporary) (Investigative abili-
  ty), 39
  History (Future) (Investigative ability), 39
  Hit Threshold, 82
  Hit Threshold (antagonist), 150
  Hivemind (antagonist special ability), 154
  hoarding limit (Stitches), 65
  horseback riding, 46
  Hounds of Tindalos (Mythos antagonist), 281
  hubris (drive), 29
  Humor campaign frame, 260–61
  rules changes, 261
  Hundred Years’ War, the (time seed), 348
  Hurt, 87
  Immaterial (antagonist special ability), 154
  Impaired (stun), 86
  Impersonation (antagonist special ability), 
  154
  improving your character, 34
  improvisation, 210
  Infection (antagonist special ability), 154
  initiative, 79, See also order of combat
  alternative system, 80
  injuries, 85–89, 87, See also healing
  Hurt, 87
  Seriously Wounded, 87
  summary, 379
  Interdiction (antagonist special ability), 154
  interdiction (unbreakable), 155
  Interpersonal abilities
  personality, and, 25
  zero ratings and what that means, 26
  Intimidation (Investigative ability), 40
  Investigative abilities, 35–45
  alphabetical listing, 36
  build points, 23
  choosing, 23
  customizing, 218
  example of use, 35
  refreshing, 68
  special benefits, 62
  spending points, 36
  summary, 24
  Time Crime campaign frame, 309
  zero rating, 26
  Invisibility (antagonist special ability), 155
  Japan Stays Open (time seed), 347
  Judgment Day (organization), 302–3
  Kadesh, Battle of, 341
  Keep Up (Vehicles Booster), 52
  Keeper (adversary), 178
  keeping foes alive, 83
  Kickstarter backers (thank you!), 400
  Knights Temporal (organization), 303–4
  Kublai Khan. See Khan, Kublai
  Kulikovo, Battle of, 349
  La Belle Amerique (time seed), 347
  Labyrinth (Parallel Realities), 286, 288
  Labyrinthcraft (Investigative ability), 285
  Languages (Investigative ability), 326
  law, 53
  lead (chases), 74
  Leap of Faith campaign frame, 261–67
  adventure seeds, 266–67
  GM advice, 265–66
  rules changes, 264–65
  Légion Temporelle, The (organization), 241
  Lepanto, Battle of, 336
  lesser paradox, 94
  Lightning Speed (antagonist special ability), 
  155
  Long range, 78
  Longtree, 177–78
  Lords of Creation, The (organization), 241
  lovestruck (drive), 29
  lying, 38
  magic
  Mythos campaign frame, 274
  Magic (Mythos antagonist ability), 280
  Magic (Mythos), 280
  magic ritual, 115
  Magician’s Gambit (time seed), 348
  martial arts. See Scuffling
  Mastermind (antagonist special ability), 155
  Matsukura Shigemasa (time seed), 347
  Mechanical Repair. See Tinkering
  Medic (General ability), 48
  Medical Expertise (Investigative ability), 40
  Mental Attack (antagonist special ability), 155
  Mental Damage (antagonist special ability), 
  156
  Mental Projection (Mythos antagonist abil-
  ity), 280
  Mental Projection (Mythos), 280
  mi-go (Mythos antagonist), 281
  Military Tactics (Investigative ability), 41
  Milvian Bridge, Battle of, 282
  Mind Control (antagonist special ability), 156
  missile (weapon), 381
  mission
  scramble, 53
  standard, 53
  MOD ’76 (organization), 241
  money, 106
  Mongol invasion (time seed), 348
  Monmouth, Battle of (time seed), 349
  Mook (definition), 145
  Mook stats, 158–64
  Mooks, 146
  Muscovy Defeated (time seed), 348
  mutant ability, 115
  Mutant City Blues with TimeWatch, 229–31
  Mutation (antagonist special ability), 156
  Mythos campaign frame, 267–82
  adventure seeds, 282
  antagonists, 280–82
  character creation, 268–69
  GM advice, 278–79
  mental illness, 273–74
  rules changes, 268–75
  Society of the Silver Key, 275–78
  spell casting, 274–75
  Stability and Sanity, 271–74
  Stability loss table, 271
  time projection, 276
  time travel, 267
  Near range, 78
  Nekronomikon (time seed), 350
  niche protection, 28, 45, 219
  Night’s Black Agents with TimeWatch, 
  231–32
  No George Washington (time seed), 349
  No Magna Carta (time seed), 349
  nonlethal combat, 83
  non-player characters, 145
  Nothing to See Here (Unobtrusiveness 
  Booster), 52
  Notice (Investigative ability), 41
  and Unobtrusiveness, 52
  nowhere else to go (drive), 29
  NPC, 145, See supporting character
  nuke (weapon), 381
  Occult (Investigative ability)
  Chronal Horror campaign frame, 246
  Mythos campaign frame, 270
  Once and Future Photobomber (adventure), 
  373–77
  one-shot adventures, 197
  Opponent (definition), 145
  Opponent stats, 158–64
  Oracle (antagonist special ability), 156
  order of combat, 77
  organizations, chronal, 240
  Ottoman Empire (time seed), 353
  Outdoor Survival (Investigative ability), 41
  pacing the game, 213
  paradox, 89–98
  Paradox
  and Preparedness, 49
  paradox pool (optional rule), 90
  Paradox Prevention (Investigative ability), 41
  spends to prevent paradox, 94
  Paradox test, 90
  excessive paradox, 93
  table, 94
  triggers, 93
  triggers and loss, 94
  when to make, 89
  Parallel Realities campaign frame, 282–93
  campaign styles, 283–84
  rules differences, 285–86
  sample worlds, 291–92
  The Company, 286–88
  threats and dangers, 289–91
  tone, 284
  traveling the Labyrinth, 288
  types of worlds, 288–89
  parallel timelines and Chronal Stability loss, 
  91
  Patrol campaign frame, 235–44
  tone, 242–44
  personal time, 54
  personality (character creation), 28
  physician (character competency), 20
  Piggybacking, 71
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  387
  Pillars of Sanity (Mythos), 269
  pilot (character competency), 20
  pipe bomb (weapon), 381
  Plague of Justinian (time seed), 345
  player advice. See advice for players, See 
  Advice, players
  player-facing contests (tests), 72
  plot devices, 115
  Point-Blank range, 78
  poisons, 101–4
  pool. See also refreshing
  definition, 15
  pool points, 67–68
  pool refreshes (Stitches), 65
  Possession (antagonist special ability), 156
  Preparedness (General ability), 48
  and paradox, 49
  Princes in the Tower (time seed), 352
  Psychic (antagonist special ability), 156
  psychic ability, 40
  Psychoanalysis (General ability)
  Mythos campaign frame, 270
  Pulp campaign frame, 293–97
  campaign hooks, 296–97
  GM advice, 294–96
  Qarqar, Battle of, 340
  Queen of the Nile (adventure), 366–72
  quick reference, 378
  racism, 18, 215
  range, fighting, 78
  Rapid Deployment (Tinkering Booster), 51
  rapid healing (injuries), 88
  rating
  definition, 15
  zero, 26
  zero, General abilities, 28
  zero, Investigative abilities, 25
  Reality Anchor (General ability), 49
  Reassurance (Investigative ability), 42
  Rebellion campaign frame, 297–306
  adventure framework, 300–301
  rebel philosophy, 297–300
  rebellion organizations, 301–6
  Recruiting Call (intro adventure), 359–65
  recruitment to TimeWatch, 52
  reduce combat damage (Stitches), 66
  reference sheet, 378
  refreshing
  Athletics, 67
  Chronal Stability, 49, 68
  customizing, 223
  General pools, 66
  Health, 68
  on the fly, 67
  Scuffling, 67
  Shooting, 67
  Stitches, 65
  Vehicles, 67
  regaining points. See refreshing
  Regenerate (antagonist special ability), 156
  reloading weapons, 83
  remote transfer, 116
  Rep (Time-Crime), 312
  repair. See Tinkering
  Research (Investigative ability), 42
  research and game prep, 201–3
  Resist Stun (antagonist special ability), 156
  Restabilize (antagonist special ability), 156
  Restoration (organization), 304–5
  restraining a foe, 83
  Richard, Duke of Gloucester (time seed), 352
  riding, 46
  risk-taker (drive), 29
  rocket launcher (weapon), 381
  Rome Falls Early (time seed), 350
  round (definition), 79
  rules, 61–104
  hacking, 217–25
  summary, 378
  running. See Athletics (General ability)
  running TimeWatch, 209–13, See also advice 
  for GMs
  safe houses, 239
  sample characters, 335
  Sanity (General ability)
  losing, 272
  Mythos campaign frame, 270
  Saving Botticelli (time seed), 350
  scene, 92
  Science for the Song (time seed), 351
  Science! (Investigative ability), 43
  scientist (character competency), 20
  Scuffling (antagonist), 147, 149
  Scuffling (General ability), 50
  refreshing, 67
  zero rating, 77
  secret masters (Citadel), 240
  secrets (character creation), 30
  Seize Initiative (antagonist special ability), 
  157
  Sense Trouble. See Unobtrusiveness
  series game, 197
  Seriously Wounded, 87
  settings. See campaign frames
  severe paradox, 94
  sexism, 18
  Shadowing. See Unobtrusiveness
  Shape-Shift (antagonist special ability), 157
  Shark Arm Case, The (time seed), 351
  sharpshooter (character competency), 20
  Shimabara Rebellion (time seed), 347
  Shooting (antagonist), 147, 149
  Shooting (General ability), 50
  refreshing, 67
  zero rating, 77
  simple chases, 73
  simple search, 63
  simple test, 70
  simplify time travel (Stitches), 66
  Sino-Soviet War (time seed), 352
  snake venom (toxin), 102
  Society of the Silver Key (organization), 275
  soldier (character competency), 20
  Some Day My Prince Will Come (time seed), 
  352
  Song dynasty (time seed), 351
  sophosaur (character creation), 22
  sophosaurs, 184–88
  Sources of Stability (Mythos), 269
  special abilities (antagonist), 150–58
  antagonists:special abilities table” (antago-
  nist), 152
  special benefits, 36, 62
  Spider Climb (antagonist special ability), 157
  spotting hidden things, 69
  spy (character competency), 20
  Spying (Investigative ability), 43
  Stability (General ability)
  adding to TimeWatch, 219
  losing, 271
  Mythos campaign frame, 271
  standard issue gear, 109–17
  stat block (antagonist), 147
  static wormhole, 116
  Stealth. See Unobtrusiveness
  Stealth (antagonist special ability), 157
  Stealth Modifier, 69, 72
  Stitches, 65–67
  customizing, 223
  distributing, 65
  hoarding limit, 65
  hoarding limit advice, 56
  Mythos campaign frame, 271
  Stony (antagonist special ability), 157
  Stranded campaign frame, 306–8
  adventures, 308
  tone, 306–8
  Streetwise (Investigative ability), 43
  Strength (antagonist special ability), 157
  Strong Man of Europe, the (time seed), 353
  Stun (antagonist special ability), 157
  Stun test, 86
  stunning, 86
  Subsumed (chronal instability), 95
  suffocation, 99
  Summoning (antagonist special ability), 157
  super-science gear, 126–44
  supporting character (definition), 145
  supporting character stats, 158–64
  surprise, 69, 79
  Surveillance. See Unobtrusiveness
  swimming. See Athletics (General ability)
  tactics (player advice), 55
  Taiping Rebellion (time seed), 339
  talking your way out of a fight, 83
  Taunt (Investigative ability), 44
  teamwork (Stitches), 66
  tear gas (toxin), 102
  tech. See gear
  Technology (antagonist special ability), 157
  Tecumseh Stamps His Foot (time seed), 353
  Teleport (antagonist special ability), 157
  temporal early warning system, 236–37
  Temporal Preservation League, The (organi-
  zation), 241
  Tempus (antagonist ability), 147, 148
  and non-time travelers, 96
  refreshing, 148
  tests, 68–77
  advice, 68–70
  chases, 73–77, See also chases
  continuing challenges, 71
  Cooperation, 71
  Difficulty Numbers, 70
  full contest, 72
  General spends, 70
  Piggybacking, 71
  player-facing contests, 72
  retrying a failed test, 70
  roll when it’s important, 69
  simple tests, 70
  Stitches, bonus on, 66
  Thames, Battle of, 331
  That’s Gotta Hurt (Scuffling Booster), 50
  The Hero Engine (time seed), 346
  The Walls Came Tumbling Down (time seed), 
  354
  theme, 198, 199
  thief (character competency), 20
  thrill-seeker (drive), 29
  thug (character competency), 21
  TIC-TOC Inc. (organization), 241
  time chases, 76
  Time Incorporated (organization), 241
  time machine. See also time travel
  time seeds, 339–58
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  388
  time spittle (toxin), 102
  time travel
  autochron, 64
  avoiding contradictions, 97
  black box, 308–9
  chases, 76
  customizing, 217–18
  Daedalus Key, 286
  Everett Bridge, 286
  Mythos campaign frame, 267
  Parallel Realities campaign frame, 288
  sophosaur, 187
  test, 64
  Tourist campaign frame, 321
  Travel test neagated with Stitches, 66
  Wild Times! campaign frame, 325
  Time War campaign frame, 314–20
  Citadel, the, 319
  GM advice, 316–18
  player advice, 318–19
  rules changes, 314
  Timecraft (Investigative ability), 44
  Time-Crime campaign frame, 308–14
  cons and heists, 311
  historical criminals, 310
  Rep increase, 312
  rivals and enemies, 312–14
  rules changes, 309–10
  things to steal, 310–11
  TimeGuard, The (organization), 241
  TimeWatch (organization)
  employees, 237–38
  leadership, 240
  mission assignment, 53
  personal time, 54
  The Citadel, 54
  training, 53
  working for TimeWatch, 52–54
  TimeZero (organization), 241
  Tinkering (General ability), 50–51
  and explosives, 100
  gear, constructing, 106
  tips. See advice
  TNT (weapon), 381
  tone, 210
  Tourist campaign frame, 320–24
  and paradox, 322
  and time machines, 321
  rules changes, 320
  sample tourist groups, 324
  toxins, 101–4
  Tradecraft (Investigative ability). See Spying
  trading points (character creation), 26
  Trail of Cthulhu. See Mythos campaign frame
  Trail of Cthulhu with TimeWatch, 232–34
  training, 53
  Travel tests, 64, 91
  during time chases, 76
  why they exist, 91
  Trivia (Investigative ability), 45
  turn (definition), 79
  Twelve, The (organization), 313
  unconsciousness, 86
  Unfeeling (antagonist special ability), 157
  Universal Attack (antagonist special ability), 
  157
  unnamed character, 145
  Unobtrusiveness (General ability), 51–52
  suprise, 79
  vehicle crashes. See crashes
  Vehicles (General ability), 52
  refreshing, 67
  vengeance (drive), 29
  Venom (antagonist special ability), 157
  Very Long range, 78
  Wakefield, Battle of, 282
  Watling Street, Battle of, 333
  weapon damage, 82
  weapons. See also Gear and Weapons index
  ancient, 117–18
  autofire, 84
  contemporary, 118
  future, 118–19
  reloading, 83
  Wholesale Form of Slaughter, A (time seed), 
  354
  Wild Times! campaign frame, 324–30
  alternate campaigns, 326–30
  rules changes, 326
  William Harrison (time seed), 353
  Winter Carcass, A (time seed), 355
  with Medical Expertise, 41
  wounds. See injuries, See healing
  wrestling. See Scuffling
  XP, 34
  Year Without a Summer (time seed), 356
  Yithians (Mythos antagonist), 280
  Zero Hour (organization), 305–6
  zero rating
  General abilities, 28
  Investigative abilities, 25
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  389
  agent, TimeWatch rival (adversary), 189–90
  Alexandrian, 158
  assassin, 158
  Babbage, Anika (adversary), 165–66
  Bigfoot (adversary), 169
  Bigfoot beam, 127
  blemmye (adversary), 169
  bodyguard, 158
  braincase-clad disembodied brain (adver-
  sary), 171
  bumblefrog (adversary), 169
  Caide, Colonel Sir Bayard (adversary), 166–67
  cave dweller, 159
  chronal anthropologist, 159
  chronal leeches, 159
  chronal troubleshooter, 160
  chrono-hounds (adversary), 167
  chupacabra (adversary), 169
  civilian, 160
  Colony (adversary), 167–68
  mold-colonized drone, 168
  spore-patch, 168
  cryptids (adversary), 168–70
  cyber-bees, 163
  cybes (adversary), 170
  cyborg, 160
  cyborg leader (adversary), 170
  Dimensional Master (adversary), 170–71
  dinosaur (large), 160
  disembodied brain (adversary), 171–72
  elephant, 161
  elite soldier, 161
  Erelim (adversary), 192
  Eternal Church of the Piercing Consciousness 
  (adversary), 172
  Europan host (adversary), 173
  Europan juggernaut (adversary), 173
  Europan master worm (adversary), 173
  Europans (adversary), 172–73
  ezeru (adversary), 173–77
  apperance, 177
  drone, 174
  origin, 175
  queen, 175
  shape-shfting, 176
  warrior, 174
  fanatical recruit (adversary), 184
  Father Antonio Hajarnavis (adversary), 172
  ghouls, 280
  gorilla (superintelligent), 161
  guard dog, 161
  historical voyeur (adversary), 184
  Hungry Ones (adversary), 174
  immortal, 162
  inanimate walk-in (adversary), 191
  Istalindir, Rodrigo (adversary), 182
  Jessica Carson (adversary), 178
  Keeper (adversary), 178–79
  K’horn (adversary), 179
  King Tusk (adversary), 180
  Montoya, Gideon (adversary), 177–78
  motivations (adversary), 192–96
  neighborhood child, 162
  parallel universe imposter (adversary), 180
  philosoraptors. See sophosaur (adversary)
  Pi’drak (adversary), 180–81
  platypus (adversary), 169
  police, 162
  possessor walk-in (adversary), 191
  postapocalyptic raider, 162
  psychic disembodied brain (adversary), 171
  rebels (adversary), 193
  refugees (adversary), 193
  rememberer walk-in (adversary), 191
  reptoids (adversary), 181–82, 257–58
  robot, 162
  saboteurs (adversary), 193
  sanguine (adversary), 183
  scientist, 163
  sea serpent (adversary), 169
  sentient hologram (adversary), 183–84
  snake-ape (adversary), 169–70
  soldier, 163
  sophosaur (adversary), 184–88
  alpha, 186
  clan madness, 187
  clan structure, 186
  hunter, 185
  mindwhip, 185
  origin, 187
  philosopher, 185
  sample clans, 188
  tactics, 187
  technology, 188
  spy, 163
  Te’Pk (adversary), 188–89
  colonization, 189
  thief, 164
  thug, 164
  time-bear (adversary), 170, 312–14
  tyrannosaurus rex, 164
  unbodied walk-in (adversary), 190
  Underhill, Samantha Jane (adversary), 
  182–83
  Ursarch, 312–14
  Ursarch, The, 312–14
  vehicle (tractor-trailer with renegade AI), 164
  walk-in (adversary), 190–91
  warmongers (adversary), 194
  Ygg the Gallows-Tree (adversary), 191
  ANTAGONISTS, ADVERSARIES  
  AND MOOKS
  See also Types of  Antagonists and Supporting Characters on page 145.
  
  CHAPTER ELEVEN
  390
  GEAR AND WEAPONS
  See also Chapter Four: Gear (p. 105) and Weapons (p. 117) Time ma-
  chines are also referenced under time travel in the General index.
  ancient (definition), 109
  ankh, 126
  antigravity device, 127
  armor, 123–25
  atmospheric sealant, 114
  autochron, 110
  accessories, 114
  fragility, 110
  mounted weaponry, 115
  autofire beam, 121
  auto-stumbler, 127
  axe (weapon), 117
  baton, extendable police (weapon), 118
  beam (weapon), 120–22
  modifying, 120
  variants, 121–22
  beam rifle (weapon), 119
  behavioral helix, 127
  Bigfoot beam, 127
  bipod, 118
  Bishop’s vest, 124
  blackjack (weapon), 118
  blatant (definition), 109
  blink device, 128
  causal loop grenade (weapon), 128
  Ch’att chronal exiler, 128
  chronal destabilization grenade (weapon), 
  119
  chronal destabilizer, 121
  chronal net, 114
  chronal stabilizer, 128
  ChronoFacts, 128
  chronological chameleon shard, 129
  chronomorphic, 115
  chronomorphic (definition), 109
  chronomorphic disguise (weapon):, 121
  chronomorphic pulse (CMP) generator, 129
  club (weapon), 117
  club, heavy (weapon), 117
  concussive beam (weapon):, 121
  concussive projector (weapon), 130
  contemporary (definition), 109
  crossbow (weapon), 118
  cross-chronal phone, 130
  Daedalus Key, 286
  daggerfly hunter (weapon), 130
  decrepitude amplifier, 130
  DeLorean, 115
  Dembrill ecstasy generator, 130
  dimensional switcher, 130
  disintegration beam (weapon), 121
  dual-use stunning beam (weapon), 121
  Elder Sign, 274
  Everett Bridge, 286
  exoskeleton, powered, 119
  extended range beams, 122
  ezeru infestator (weapon), 131
  fast-cast, 131
  firearms (weapons), 119
  friction manipulator, 131
  future (definition), 109
  Gessert shield, 125
  grandfather bullet, 131
  grenade (weapon), 118
  causal loop, 128
  chronal destabilization, 119
  neural disruption, 123
  neural disruption, 119
  psychosis, 136
  table, 100
  wither, 142
  gun scope, 118
  hackable (definition), 109
  HEAPoon (weapon), 131
  holographic array template, 131
  Hyperion infiltration armor, 125
  impersonator mesh, 51, 111
  interdiction device, 132
  intimidating (weapon), 122
  jet pack, 133
  knife (weapon), 117
  knife, throwing (weapon), 118
  Koori phase converter, 133
  lance (weapon), 117
  laser sight, 118
  longbow (weapon), 118
  low-profile (weapon), 122
  Lyontech chronal regenerator, 133
  machete (weapon), 118
  machine gun (weapon), 118
  medkit, 111
  MEM-tags, 111
  micro-drones, 133
  mindblanker, 134
  MITTS, 133
  mobster’s mindclaw, 134
  Multhari dust beam (weapon), 122
  myrmidon drone, 134
  myrmidon shell, 134
  needler, 134
  neural disruption grenade (weapon), 123
  neural disruption grenade(weapon), 119
  neural disruptor (weapon), 122–23
  baton, 123
  grenade, 119
  modifiying, 122
  pistol, 119
  rifle, 119
  rod, 119
  neural disruptor baton (weapon), 123
  neural disruptor pistol (weapon), 119
  neural disruptor rifle (weapon), 119
  neural disruptor rod (weapon), 119
  neural disruptors
  variants, 123
  nostalgicator, 134
  oubliette mine, 135
  PaciFist, 112
  PaciFist (weapon), 119
  paradox generator, 135
  paradoxometer, 135
  paralysis beam (weapon), 122
  Pentheus battle armor, 125
  pistol (weapon)
  beam, 119
  neural disruptor, 119
  pistol, heavy (weapon), 118
  pistol, light (weapon), 118
  polearm (weapon), 117
  Powder of Ibn-Ghazi, 274
  Proctor serenity restraints, 135
  psychic clothes, 135
  psychosis grenade (weapon), 136
  psyonic stone, 136
  Punxsutawney prime perpetuation device 
  (Tri-P), 136
  readyblade, 136
  rebreather, 136
  resi-you analyzer, 137
  restricted (definition), 109
  ribo-viroxic resequencer, 137
  rifle (weapon)
  beam, 119
  heavy, 118
  light, 118
  neural disruptor, 119
  yesterday sniper, 142
  rock (weapon), 117
  rock, thrown (weapon), 118
  sauropod train gun (weapon), 137
  Seibert inhibitor, 137
  SherpaTech thermal stasis apparatus (weap-
  on), 138
  shotgun (weapon), 118
  siege weapon (weapon), 118
  skillreaper, 138
  Smuggler’s Heartburn (weapon), 122
  space suit, 138
  sphygmostat, 139
  standard (definition), 109
  stopwatch, 139
  submachine gun (weapon), 118
  subtle (definition), 109
  super-science (definition), 109
  sword (weapon), 117
  taser (weapon), 118
  temporal anchor dart, 139
  temporal incubator, 139
  tether, 112
  tether link for autochrons, 115
  thet, 127
  time anchor, 140
  time beacon, 140
  time cycle, 116
  time dilation gloves, 140
  time machine. See also autochron
  time machines, 114–17
  time slider, 116
  timebat, 140
  time-displaced shard thrower (weapon), 140
  timelock capsule, 140
  Tomes’ temporal tool, 141
  transcendental refuge, 141
  translator, 114
  uniform, 113
  uplift assimilator, 141
  weapon, unique, 117
  weapons, 117–23
  Wight compression cannon (weapon), 141
  wither grenade (weapon), 142
  wormhole projector, 117
  Xen plasma rifle, 122
  Xen plasma rifle (weapon), 122
  yesterday sniper rifle (weapon), 142
  
  TIMEWATCH ADVENTURES
  391
  HISTORICAL FIGURES
  See also Chapter Nine: Historical Miscellany (p. 331), and Chapter 
  Ten: Time Seeds (p. 339).
  Akbar I, 335
  Alexander III (the Great), 333
  Aristotle, 332
  Asantewaa, Yaa, Queen, 333
  az-Zubayr, Rabih, 334
  Bardiya, Prince, 310
  Bartolomé de Las Casas, 332
  Beg, Jani, 333
  Benkei, Musashibō, 334
  Bennelong, Woollarawarre, 335
  Bhago, Mai, 335
  bint Muhammad, Fatima, 334
  Bolívar, Simón, 332
  Boudica, 333
  Brady, Patrick, 351
  Brenok, Mikhail, 348
  Brook, James, White Rajah of Sarawak, 344
  Burr Alston, Theodosia, 331
  Byron, Lord, 356
  Caesar, Augustus, 350
  Caesar, Julius, 350, 366
  Castro, Fidel, 332
  Clement VII, Pope, 347
  Cleopatra, 366
  Coandă, Henri, 345
  Comte de Saint-Germain, 310
  Cook, James, Captain, 333
  Cooper, Dan “D.B.”, 310
  Cyrus the Great, 334
  Darwin, Charles, 339
  Darwin, Erasmus, 339
  de Champlai, Samuel, 347
  Disne, Walt, 344
  Dmitri, Prince of Muscovy, 348
  Earhart, Amelia, 359
  Edward I, King, 349
  Edward V, 352
  Erik the Red, 342
  Every, Henry, 310
  Fei, Yue, 334
  Galton, Francis, 339
  Gandhi, Mahatma, 335
  Garfield, James, 355
  Gaumata of Achaemenid, 310
  Gozen, Tomoe, 334
  Gutenberg, Johannes, 333
  Haile Selassie, 334
  Hannibal, 342
  Harrison, William, 353
  Harvey , Mary, 331
  Hatshepsut, 333
  Hero of Alexandria, 346
  Hickok, Wild Bill, 343
  Huang, Qin Shi, Emperor of China, 334
  Hyland, William, 352
  Ibn Battuta, 333
  ibn Saud, Muhammad, 334
  ibn Ziyad, Tariq, 333
  Joanna I, Queen of Naples, 346
  John, King of England, 349
  Justinian’s, Emperor, 345
  Kautilya, 335
  Khan, Genghis, 335, 351
  Khan’s, Kublai, 351
  Khatun, Töregene, 335
  Kuo, Shen, 351
  Kutulun, 335
  La Malinche, 332
  Makeba, Miriam, 334
  Mandela, Nelson, 334
  Maurice, Emperor of Byzantium, 334
  Maurya, Ashoka, 335
  McCall, Jack “Crooked Nose Jack”, 343
  McKinle, William, 331
  Mehmed the Conqueror, 353
  Monroe, Marilyn, 332
  Nixon, Richard, 352
  Noonan, Fred, 359
  Otto Skorzeny, 333
  Pearson, Lester B., 332
  Philip II, King of France, 349
  Pinochet, Augusto, 332
  Pizarro, Francisco, 332
  Pompey, 350, 366
  Ptolemy, King, 366
  Ranavalona I, Queen, 335
  Richard III, 352
  Richard of Shrewsbury, 352
  Roosevelt, Theodore, 331
  Sacagawea, 331
  Santa Anna, Antonio López de, 332
  Savonarola, Girolamo, 350
  Selassie, Haile, 334
  Sertorius, 350
  Shah, Zahir, 334
  Shakespeare, William, 350
  Shalmaneser III, King, 340
  Shelle, Mary, 356
  Shelle, Percy, 356
  Shih, Ching, 335
  Smith, Jim, 351
  Sôhô, Takuan, 335
  Son, Su, 351
  Sulla, 350
  Sun-si, Yi, Admiral, 334
  Tecumseh, 331, 353
  Tokhtamish, 348
  Urban VI, Pope, 347
  Washington, George, 349
  Wells, Ida B, 331
  Wild Bill Hickok, 343
  Wittgenstein, Ludwig, 345
  Xiuqua, Hong, 339
  Zetian, Wu, 334
  
  Name:  
  Nationality: 
  Origin Time: 
  Profession: 
  Age: 
  Drive:  
  Hit Threshold:
  Armor:
  Special Boosters:
  Chronal Stability
  General Abilities
  Investigative Abilities
  Gear
  Academic Abilities
  Technical Abilities
  Interpersonal Abilities
  Health
  15
  14
  13
  12
  11
  10
  9
  8
  7
  6
  5
  4
  3
  2
  1
  0
  -1
  -2
  -3
  -4
  -5
  -6
  -7
  -8
  -9
  -10
  -11
  -12
  Max: 
  15
  14
  13
  12
  11
  10
  9
  8
  7
  6
  5
  4
  3
  2
  1
  0
  -1
  -2
  -3
  -4
  -5
  -6
  -7
  -8
  -9
  -10
  -11
  -12
  Max: 
  Athletics
  Burglary
  Chronal Stability**
  Disguise
  Health**
  Medic
  Preparedness
  Reality Anchor
  Scuffling
  Shooting
  Tinkering
  Unobtrusiveness
  Vehicles
  Anthropology
  Architecture
  History (Ancient)
  History (Contemporary)
  History (Future)
  Military Tactics
  Research
  Timecraft*
  Trivia
  Forgery
  Hacking
  Medical Expertise
  Notice
  Outdoor Survival
  Paradox Prevention
  Science!
  Spying
  Authority
  Bureaucracy
  Charm
  Falsehood Detection
  High Society
  Intimidation
  Reassurance
  Streetwise
  Taunt
  Extra Investigative Points?
  Stitches
  Extra General Points?
  
  A GAME OF TIME TRAVEL ACTION AND INVESTIGATION  
  BY KEVIN KULP
  History isn’t written by the victors. It’s written by the people with the time machines.
  “Well, that doesn’t look right,” you say as you stand in the abandoned ruins of 
  medieval Paris, with a hundred thousand rotted skulls piled up in a mountain before you. 
  Your partner draws her pistol and checks the historical record on her holographic 
  tether. “Looks like the Khan didn’t die of alcoholism, and his hordes didn’t stop at 
  Vienna,” she says.
  “Then we’d better find whoever decided to save his life.”You punch in the 
  coordinates for Karakorum in the year 1241 and fire up the time machine. As you 
  disappear from the 13th century, you silently hope that it isn’t the roaches again...
  You are agents of TimeWatch, defending the timestream from the depredations of 
  radioactive cockroaches, psychic velociraptors, and human meddlers. Go back in time to 
  help yourself in a fight, thwart your foes by targeting their ancestors, or check out a scroll 
  from the Library of Alexandria. Just watch out for paradoxes that may erase you from 
  existence... or worse. If you’ve ever dreamed of going on world-changing adventures 
  from the age of the dinosaurs to the end of the universe, this game is for you!
   
  The TimeWatch roleplaying game includes:
  • Rules for thrilling time chases, combat in every era, and the dangers of paradox, powered 
  by the GUMSHOE investigative system.
  • Extensive GM advice for creating and running games where PCs can travel anywhere, 
  anywhen.
  • Fourteen settings where you can face Mythos horrors, slide between alternate universes, 
  steal the treasures of the ages, and more.
  • More than a dozen ready-to-play time seeds, iconic pregenerated characters, and three full 
  adventures.
  • Plenty of options, so you can easily customize the game to match your group’s preferred 
  style of play.
  You’ve got a time machine, high-powered weaponry  
  and a whole lot of history to save. 
  Welcome to TimeWatch!
  PELGTW01
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Timewatch/Timewatch.pdf