Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century is a paper and pencil science fiction role-playing game designed by Lawrence R. Sims and first published in 1990. The game's newest tagline is Roleplaying in a Galaxy at War. The Battlelords of the Twenty-Third Century license was later sold by Optimus Design Systems (ODS) to SSDC, Inc. in September 1999. In 2017, SSDC granted exclusive rights to produce games set in the Battlelords Universe to 23rd Century Productions, LLC. Subsequently, 23rd Century Productions, LLC. launched a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the Kickstarter Edition, also known as the Revised Edition, of Battlelords of the 23rd Century. Setting Battlelords of the Twenty-Third 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. 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. Alliance Races Chatilian: Psychic green-skinned humanoids with lumpy projections on their skulls. The projections can generate and store psychic energy that can be channeled and directed by the use of special attuned crystals carried or worn by the user. (Empath): Emotion-reading psychics. Cizerack: Territorial matriarchal quadrupedal Felinoid warriors. Females control all aspects of their society and males are used for breeding purposes. They make excellent scouts and spies. Eridani: Philosophical methane-breathing humanoids from a rigid caste-bound militocratic society. They follow Kaush-mukal ("Study of the Inner Self"), a philosophy that states that the individual can find enlightenment through performing their function correctly within their cultural niche. The Vax ("warriors") are the upper class; they run the military and control the government. The Tolude ("gentry") are the lesser families of the Vax and form the middle class. They serve as non-commissioned officers and soldiers, technicians and artisans, doctors and nurses, bureaucrats and civil servants, industrialists, bankers, and merchants. The Mudig ("unclean") are the lower-class, who perform the manual trades. They serve as laborers