Timemaster

Last updated
Timemaster
Timemaster game book cover, Goblinoid Games edition.jpg
Designed by Mark D. Acres, Andria Hayday, Carl Smith
Published by Pacesetter Ltd, Goblinoid Games
Publication date1984 (Pacesetter Ltd), 2011 (Goblinoid Games)
Genres science fiction
SystemsPercentile based (d100)

Timemaster is a role-playing game centered on traveling through time and alternate dimensions, written by Mark D. Acres, Andria Hayday and Carl Smith (game designer) and published by Pacesetter Ltd in 1984. [1] Players take on the role of Time Corps agents to fix deviations in the timeline of the game. The primary antagonists are the Demoreans, a fictional race of shape-shifting aliens from another dimension who are determined to mold time to suit their needs.

Contents

History

The games company Pacesetter Ltd was founded by former employees of TSR who had left the company because they felt that in terms of role-playing games, it was headed in the wrong direction. [2] Although Pacesetter was short-lived, it produced several role-playing games within a one-year period, all based around the same house system of rules. These included Chill , Star Ace , and Timemaster. [3] :197

Timemaster, published by Pacesetter in 1984, was designed by Mark Acres, Garry Spiegle, Andria Hayday, Carl Smith, and Gali Sanchez, with cover art by Jim Holloway. [4] Timemaster was published as a boxed set containing

After Pacesetter folded, their assets were acquired by 54°40' Orphyte, who published two Timemaster adventures, Miss Him, Miss Him, Miss Him (1991) and Darkest Before the Dawn (1992). They also supported the line with RPGA tournaments. [3] :199 In 2011, Goblinoid Games purchased all rights to Timemaster from 54°40' Orphyte.

According to game historian Shannon Appelcline, Timemaster "did more to play up the issues of time travel than any of the other scant few games in the genre, past or future". [3] :197

Contents

Timemaster is a role-playing game (RPG) featuring a time-travel system in which the player characters are agents of the Time Corps, who are dedicated to preventing their enemies from changing history. The rules are basic and easy to learn. Movement and combat is position-oriented, designed for use with counters on a hex grid. [4] The 64-page "Traveler's Manual" covers characters, combat (individual characters and mass battles), skills, paranormal talents, equipment, and non-player characters. [4] The 32-page "Guide to the Continuum" describes the Time Corps and the enemy Demoreans, with brief overviews of ancient Athens, Rome during the time of Julius Caesar, medieval England, Tudor England, Napoleonic France, and World War II France. [4] The 16-page "Red Ace High" pamphlet is an introductory scenario set during World War I. [4] The game is compatible with Chill and Star Ace . [4]

Setting

Timemaster is a science fiction role-playing game. Characters may come from any point in history and from alternate dimensions. The Time Corps is based far in the future, in 7192. Adventures may take place anywhere from medieval times to the space age.

Time Corps

In Timemaster, the Time Corps are the policing agency responsible for safeguarding the natural flow of time both within the Corps' home dimension and in other dimensions. Agents are rescued from the past and recruited into the ranks, though they are forbidden from returning to any time that coincides with their previous lives.

Editions

The game was originally produced by a company called Pacesetter Ltd. [1] Once Pacesetter Ltd ceased operations in 1986 (though it continues to exist as a Goblinoid Games product line), Timemaster was bought in 1990 by 54° 40' Orphyte, Inc. In 2011, the game was purchased by Goblinoid Games, and a revised version of the ruleset was published. Goblinoid Games plans to reprint all of the scenarios and sourcebooks. A total of 12 official modules and one major rules supplement were released by Timemaster's publishers between 1984 and 1992. The revised edition of the rules has the same cover as the original game, but the original public domain interior art has been replaced with custom illustrations.

Products

Numerous products were published for Timemaster.

Pacesetter edition

Game tools

  • Timemaster Screen (included Missing: PT 109 scenario)

Sourcebooks and scenarios

  • The Assassin Queen (scenario)
  • Clash of Kings (scenario)
  • The Cleopatra Gambit (scenario)
  • Crossed Swords (scenario)
  • Partisans from the Shadows (scenario)
  • Sea Dogs of England (scenario)
  • Temples of Blood (scenario)
  • Terrible Swift Ford (scenario)
  • Timestorm (scenario)
  • Timetricks (sourcebook)
  • Whom the Gods Destroy (scenario)

54° 40' Orphyte, Inc. products

Scenarios

  • Darkest Before the Dawn (scenario)
  • Miss Him, Miss Him, Miss Him (scenario)

Pacesetter System game line (Goblinoid Games)

Reception

Steve Norledge reviewed Timemaster for White Dwarf #61, giving it an overall rating of 7 out of 10, and stated that "Overall, I quite liked Timemaster — it is an unpretentious little game, simple and yet provides the best yet framework for time travel rolegaming. It is eminently suited to the 'one-off' style of play, and, yet, with effort, would also be a good campaign game (though it would have a very episodic feel to it)." [5]

Jim Bambra reviewed Timemaster for Imagine magazine, and stated that "With its infinite variety of settings Timemaster has a lot of potential. Players can experience many different situations and save the world numerous times over." [6]

Warren Spector reviewed Timemaster in Space Gamer No. 75. [7] Spector commented that "Time travel RPGs seem to be in a mini-renaissance these days. If you're into this sort of game (and I confess, I'm not), Timemaster may be a good choice. It's got a fairly interesting unifying theme; the game does an excellent job of making time travel seem plausible, and the "Guide to the Continuum" is a gem. In this most open-ended form of roleplaying, providing players direction is no simple task. Timemaster does a fine job." [7]

Other reviews

Related Research Articles

Toon (role-playing game) Cartoon tabletop role-playing game supplement

Toon is a comedy tabletop role-playing game in which the players take the roles of cartoon characters. It is subtitled The Cartoon Roleplaying Game. Toon was designed by Greg Costikyan and developed by Warren Spector, and first published in 1984 by Steve Jackson Games.

<i>Dungeonland</i>

Dungeonland (EX1) is a 1983 adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) roleplaying game, written by Gary Gygax for use with the First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) rules. It is an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with the various characters from the book translated into AD&D terms.

<i>GURPS Autoduel</i> Game

GURPS Autoduel is the GURPS genre toolkit book which details the post-apocalyptic world of one of SJG's other popular games, Car Wars. The initial publication was in 1986.

<i>Against the Cult of the Reptile God</i>

Against the Cult of the Reptile God is an adventure module for the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting. It is designed for novice players and gamemasters. The suggested party size is 4-7 characters of level 1-3.

<i>Pharaoh</i> (module)

Pharaoh is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The module was published in 1982 by TSR, Inc. for the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. It formed the first of the three-part Desert of Desolation module series. The module was written by Tracy and Laura Hickman; Tracy Hickman would later go on to help create the Dragonlance campaign setting.

<i>Desert of Desolation</i>

Desert of Desolation is a compilation adventure module published by TSR for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy roleplaying game. It combines three previously published individual modules: Pharaoh, Oasis of the White Palm, and Lost Tomb of Martek. The modules were made for use with the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) rules. Pharaoh was created by Tracy and Laura Hickman soon after the couple married in 1977, and published by TSR in 1982. Oasis of the White Palm was a collaboration between Tracy Hickman and Philip Meyers, and Hickman wrote the Lost Tomb of Martek on his own; both were printed in 1983.

<i>Nights Dark Terror</i>

Night's Dark Terror is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game written by British game designers Jim Bambra, Graeme Morris, and Phil Gallagher. It was designed specifically for campaigns transitioning from the D&D Basic Set to the D&D Expert Set. The player characters (PCs) journey from a farmstead into uncharted wilderness, where they encounter new hazards and contend with a secret society. The adventure received a positive review from White Dwarf magazine.

Pacesetter Ltd Tabletop role-playing game publisher

Pacesetter Ltd was a game company based in Delavan, Wisconsin, founded in 1984. Company founders included CEO John Rickets, and Mark Acres, Andria Hayday, Gaye Goldsberry O'Keefe, Gali Sanchez, Garry Spiegle, Carl Smith, Stephen D. Sullivan and Michael Williams. Pacesetter produced both tabletop role-playing games and board games.

<i>Curse of Xanathon</i>

Curse of Xanathon is a Dungeons & Dragons adventure module designed by Douglas Niles for use with the D&D Expert Set. It was published by TSR, Inc. (TSR) in 1982 and is designed for 5–8 player characters of level 5–7.

Carl Smith is a game designer who has worked primary on role-playing games.

Andria Hayday is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games.

Mark Acres is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games.

Garry Floyd Spiegle was a game designer who worked primarily on role-playing games.

<i>Star Ace</i> Science fiction tabletop role-playing game

Star Ace is a role-playing game published by Pacesetter Ltd in 1984.

<i>Sandman: Map of Halaal</i> Tabletop role-playing game

Sandman: Map of Halaal is a role-playing game published by Pacesetter Ltd in 1985.

<i>The Cleopatra Gambit</i> Tabletop role-playing game supplement

The Cleopatra Gambit is a 1984 role-playing game adventure for Timemaster published by Pacesetter.

<i>Creature Feature</i> (Chill)

Creature Feature is a supplement published by Pacesetter in 1986 for the horror fantasy role-playing game Chill.

<i>Crossed Swords</i> (Timemaster) Tabletop role-playing game adventure

Crossed Swords is an adventure published by Pacesetter Ltd in 1984 for the fantasy time-travel role-playing game Timemaster.

<i>Into the Troll Realms</i> Fantasy tabletop role-playing game supplement

Into the Troll Realms, subtitled "Troll Adventures and Encounters for RuneQuest" is a supplement that includes adventures and material that involve interactions with trolls, published under license by Avalon Hill in 1988 for Chaosium's fantasy role-playing game RuneQuest

<i>Land of Ninja</i> Fantasy tabletop role-playing game supplement

Land of Ninja is a supplement published under license by Avalon Hill in 1987 for Chaosium's fantasy role-playing game RuneQuest.

References

  1. 1 2 "Timemaster (Review)". RPGnet. 2003. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  2. ↑ "Game: Timemaster Crossed Swords". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  3. 1 2 3 Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. ISBN   978-1-907702-58-7.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. p. 350. ISBN   0-87975-653-5.
  5. ↑ Norledge, Steve (January 1985). "Open Box". White Dwarf . No. 61. Games Workshop. pp. 8–9.
  6. ↑ Bambra, Jim (April 1985). "Notices". Imagine (review). TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd. (25): 42.
  7. 1 2 Spector, Warren (July–August 1985). "Featured Review: The Pacesetter Line". Space Gamer . Steve Jackson Games (75): 4–6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.