Battlelords of the 23rd Century

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Battlelords of the 23rd Century

Designer(s)	Lawrence R. Sims
Publisher(s)	Optimus Design Systems (1990-1998) SSDC, Inc. (1999-present)
Publication date	1990 (1st edition) 2000 (6th edition)
Genre(s)	Science fiction, Space Opera
System	Custom

Battlelords of the 23rd Century is a paper and pencil science fiction role-playing game designed by Lawrence R. Sims and first published in 1990. The game's tagline is Roleplaying in a dangerous future. The Battlelords of the 23rd Century license was later sold by Optimus Design Systems (ODS) to SSDC, Inc. in September of 1999.^[1]

1 Setting
- 1.1 Races
- 1.2 Locations
2 System
3 History
4 Spinoffs
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Setting

Battlelords of the 23rd Century is set in the year 2279. The territory of the Galactic Alliance, spanning several galaxies, is the primary setting for the game. The Galactic Alliance is made up of twelve races (including Humans), and is run behind the scenes by huge mega-corporations seeking to exploit the farthest reaches of space.

Player characters usually assume the role of Battlelords, mercenaries employed by the corporations to further their business by any means, legal or otherwise. They face various challenges, including rival mercenaries, Rebels, hostile alien lifeforms on unexplored worlds, and the alien race known as the Arachnids.

[edit] Races

There are many alien races in the Battlelords universe, but twelve are presented in the basic rulebook and form the basis for the Galactic Alliance.

[edit] Alliance Races

Chatilian Empath
Cizerack
Eridani Swordsaint
Gen-Human
Human
Mazian
Mutzachan
Orion Rogue
Phentari
Python Lizard
Ram Python
Zen Rigeln (Tza Zen Rigeln)

[edit] Additional Player Races

Aeodronian
Andromeni
Ashanti
Fott
Gemini
Goola Goola
I-Bot
Ikrini Geomancer
Jezzadeic Priest
Kizanti
Misha
Tanndai Techknight

[edit] Hostile Races

Arachnids
Krakeds
Xarians

[edit] Locations

The Galactic Alliance spans portions of several galaxies, including the Milky Way, Andromeda, Fornax, Spirax, M32, and the Magellanic Clouds. Details of two 'sectors' of the Fornax Galaxy are presented in the planetary atlas supplements, No Man's Land and Hell's Kitchen.

[edit] System

Battlelords of the 23rd Century features a d100 (percentile) based system for resolving combat and skill checks.

[edit] Character Statistics and Skills

Each character has eight Vital Statistics scores and four Secondary Statistics scores. These are significantly influenced by the character's race. There are no character classes or character levels in Battlelords of the 23rd Century; the system is skill-based, with skills being increased with experience earned. Some races have matrix abilities (psionics) which can also be advanced with character experience, while other races are more suited for physical combat or other occupations.^[2]

[edit] Combat

Combat is resolved through the use of d100 attack rolls and detailed hit location tables; futuristic armor systems and massive critical hits feature prominently. Actions are resolved in segments (1 second each) and rounds (3 seconds each).

[edit] Other system features

As of 2006, the system does not feature rules for vehicles or space combat. These rules are planned for forthcoming supplements.

[edit] History

Battlelords of the 23rd Century has been published in 6 editions since 1990:

First edition (black-and-white cover illustration of a Ram Python, published 1990).
Second edition (black-and-white battle scene)
Third edition (red 'cloud' background with a Phentari on the cover)
Fourth edition ('Blue' battle scene with a sword-wielding Eridani prominent)
Fifth edition (Black cover with a full-color cityscape illustration)
Sixth edition (featuring a montage of races and starships on the front cover, published 2000).

SSDC, Inc. now produces the core rulebook and all supplements. A number of printed supplements are available for the game, including two equipment manuals, two planetary atlases, three player companion accessories, and an alternate campaign setting.