TEXT: LO-FI SCI-FI RPG • JASON TOCCI
  TEMPUS
  DIDUCIT
  THEY CALL IT THE UNRAVELING. Or they will,
  anyway. Hard to say with time travel. Too many
  trips, and timelines begin to fray at the edges.
  Most folks just struggle to adapt to this broken
  world. Some exploit it for their own gain. But for
  others — the warriors, investigators, and agents of
  change — there are wrongs to right, paradoxers to
  catch, and a glimmer of hope of fixing this mess.
  ►Someplace like…
  1
  Babylon
  2
  Beijing
  3
  Bottom of the sea
  4
  Camelot
  5
  Cappadocia
  6
  Giza
  7
  Hawaii
  8
  Icelandic coast
  9
  Jerusalem
  10
  Kolkata
  11
  Kyoto
  12
  The Louvre
  13
  Machu Picchu
  14
  The Moon
  15
  Pompeii
  16
  The Serengeti
  17
  Times Square
  18
  The Titanic
  19
  Uluru
  20
  Vatican City
  With elements from…
  1
  Biblical Flooding
  2
  Bunraku theater
  3
  Burning Man
  4
  Cleopatra’s reign
  5
  The Cold War
  6
  Cryogenian ice age
  7
  Disco
  8
  Gupta Empire
  9
  IKEA
  10
  Jurassic Period
  11
  Imperial Russia
  12
  Late Zhou Dynasty
  13
  Mastodon hunting
  14
  1001 Nights
  15
  Prohibition era
  16
  The Renaissance
  17
  Salem witch trials
  18
  ’60s counterculture
  19
  Victorian England
  20
  World War I
  And/or from…
  1
  Alpha Centauri exodus
  2
  Area 51 explosion and the Roswell Papers
  3
  Branislava’s Arms Emporium (deals anytime!)
  4
  Construction of the space elevator
  5
  The death of the sun
  6
  Discovery of time travel
  7
  Failed Martian terraforming project
  8
  The First Contact Incident
  9
  Formation of the asteroid belt
  10
  Founding of the Church of the Hive Mind
  11
  Founding of the interstellar Starlines®
  12
  Golden Age of the Galactic God-Emperor
  13
  Invention of the antimatter jump drive
  14
  Post-Fall, rise of the cockroaches
  15
  Pre-Fall, reign of the Nuclear Overminds
  16
  Pre-quarantine xenoarchaeology
  17
  Psychic agitators free Project Ikaros captives
  18
  Second Robot Uprising
  19
  Slinger’s Casino, orbiting Venus, pre-robbery
  20
  The Thirty Earths War
  ►You hear word of…
  1
  A whole army of
  2
  Bazooka-toting
  3
  Dinosaur-mounted
  4
  Fire-spewing
  5
  Flesh-eating
  6
  Forcibly controlled
  7
  Glow-in-the-dark
  8
  Gun-toting
  9
  Incompetent
  10
  Motorcycle-riding
  11
  Mud-caked
  12
  Psychic
  13
  Reanimated
  14
  Robotic
  15
  Stealthy
  16
  Super-strong
  17
  Sword-wielding
  18
  Two-headed
  19
  Xenotech-bearing
  20
  Zeppelin-riding
  That might…
  1
  Attempt to merge all Earths, catastrophically
  2
  Attract a predator from between worlds
  3
  Awaken millennia-old warbots
  4
  Broker peace with… (roll another threat)
  5
  Call down “the Light of Heaven”
  6
  Conquer an area “for their own good”
  7
  Destroy all but one timeline
  8
  Dose the local populace with mutagens
  9
  Forever blot out the sun
  10
  Go back in time to revise a religious text
  11
  Hack the planet
  12
  Hunt a child believed to grow up into a fascist
  13
  Install one of their own as God-Emperor
  14
  Kill their past-selves for some weird reason
  15
  Merge into a giant, rampaging monster
  16
  Pillage and burn just for the fun of it
  17
  Prevent the extinction of the dinosaurs
  18
  Raid peaceful towns for scarce resources
  19
  Shake down travelers at the crossroads
  20
  Smuggle a nuke into the area
  A threat…
  1
  Aristocrats
  2
  Bandits
  3
  Centurians
  4
  Chimpanzees
  5
  Clones
  6
  Cosmonauts
  7
  Ex-marines
  8
  Gangsters
  9
  Hunters
  10
  Locusts
  11
  Mech pilots
  12
  Octopi
  13
  Parallel-world you’s
  14
  Peasants
  15
  Pirates
  16
  Porcupines
  17
  Priests
  18
  Prisoners
  19
  Ronin
  20
  Suburbanites
  Version 1.0. Art CC BY BEEPLE. More 2400 at jasontocci.itch.io/2400
  
  CHARACTERS
  RULES
  ►Roll d20 for one valuable thing.
  1
  Armored case full of plutonium (bulky)
  2
  Captive velociraptor, muzzled and on chain
  3
  Da Vinci original, rolled in tube
  4
  DNA sample of a major religious figure
  5
  Explosive collar with proximity key
  6
  Frictionless skateboard, under safety recall
  7
  Grav-boots, dial ranges 10% to 200%
  8
  Hypercoil, high-tensile, extends to 10km)
  9
  Magspex, insert any magnetic tape to read
  10
  Masamune tachi and tantō, sheathed
  11
  Mirrored cloak, deflects energy attacks
  12
  Orbital bombardment target-painting laser
  13
  Pocket space-god, just add water
  14
  Semi-sentient computer virus on floppy disk
  15
  Small, “blank slate” clone body, in backpack
  16
  Starpass, used in timelines with Starlines®
  17
  TK Gauntlet, increase Telekinesis skill
  18
  Ultralight glider, collapses into backpack
  19
  War-walker, seats 4, low fuel, no ammo
  20
  Writings of the Final Prophet, looks like goo
  ►Choose or roll d12 for another valuable thing.
  1
  Armored vest (break as defense)
  2
  Bow and quiver of arrows
  3
  Climbing gear (late twenty-first century)
  4
  First aid kit with antibiotics (1 course)
  5
  Low-G jetpack
  6
  Night vision goggles
  7
  Plastic explosive with remote detonator
  8
  Plate and mail armor (break as defense)
  9
  Semiautomatic pistol
  10
  Stun gun (short range)
  11
  Repair tools
  12
  Vac suit (hazmat rated, 1 hour of air)
  PLAY: Players describe what their characters do.
  The GM advises when their action is impossible,
  requires extra steps, demands a cost, or presents
  a risk. Players only roll to avoid risks.
  ROLLING: Roll a d6 skill die — higher with a rele-
  vant skill, or d4 if hindered by injury or
  circumstances. If helped by circumstances, roll an
  extra d6; if helped by an ally, they roll their skill
  die and share the risk. Take the highest die.
  1–2 Disaster. Suffer the full risk. GM decides if
  you succeed at all. If risking death, you die.
  3–4 Setback. A lesser consequence or partial
  success. If risking death, you’re maimed.
  5+
  Success. The higher the roll, the better.
  If success can’t get you what you want (you make
  the shot, but it’s bulletproof!), you’ll at least get
  useful info or set up an advantage.
  LOAD: Carry as much as makes sense, but more
  than one bulky item may hinder you at times.
  ADVANCEMENT: After a job, increase a skill
  (none➡d8➡d10➡d12), and gain 1 credit (₡).
  DEFENSE: Say how one of your items (or robotic
  limbs) breaks to turn a hit into a brief hindrance.
  Broken gear is useless until repaired.
  HARM: Clear injuries and stress with time and/or
  treatment. If killed, make a new character to be
  introduced ASAP. Favor inclusion over realism.
  SHIP: During an emergency, choose a duty to act
  or help with (e.g., engines, pilot, weapons, etc.).
  MODERATING: Lead group in setting lines not to
  cross in play. Fast-forward, pause, or rewind/redo
  for pacing and safety; invite players to do like-
  wise. Present dilemmas you don’t know how to
  solve. Move spotlight to give all time to shine. Test
  periodically for bad luck (e.g., run into hostiles) —
  roll d6 for (1–2) trouble now or (3–4) signs of
  trouble. Offer rulings to cover gaps in rules; on a
  break, revise unsatisfying rulings as a group.
  ►Choose name and pronouns. Time is unraveling,
  so don’t worry about historical accuracy.
  1
  Ajam
  2
  Boyd
  3
  Caro
  4
  Droit
  5
  Elder
  6
  Fan
  7
  Gim
  8
  Honda
  9
  Idowu
  10
  Janz
  11
  Kadar
  12
  Lang
  13
  Misra
  14
  Nacar
  15
  Orlov
  16
  Patel
  17
  Queen
  18
  Ramos
  19
  Sadik
  20
  Tan
  ►Choose, create, or roll d20 for a background, or
  build a character using another 24XX game.
  1
  AURIC TROOPER: Battle Suit Piloting (d8),
  skintight impact suit, robot battle suit (bullet-
  proof, break 3× as defense, rocket pack, arm
  cannons, infrared/telescopic sight, emer-
  gency ejection, continual risk of overheating).
  2
  AVATAR OF THE GOD EMPEROR: Energy
  Manipulation (d10), Authority (d12), cape,
  ornate armor (bulky, break 3× as defense).
  3
  CATHODE RAY TRAVELER: Deception (d10),
  Persuasion (d10), Hacking (d10), TV wrist-
  watch communicator (given to an ally). Exist
  only as a virtual life form; automatically hack
  any camera or display that’s “on the grid.”
  4
  DINO SAPIENS DEFECTOR: Biting or Goring or
  Flying (d12), Terrifying (d10), scaly hide
  (break as defense), paradox-proof suit.
  5
  EX-CHRONOCOP : Investigation (d10), Shoot-
  ing (d10), electric pistol, rumpled suit, holo-
  badge, vest (break as defense).
  6
  HISTORIAN: History (d12), Persuasion (d10),
  smart clothes, blazer with elbow patches,
  PhD, book with your name on it. Sometimes
  facts change in your head as paradox rewrites
  your memories; you remember it both ways.
  7
  JOYRIDING TIME TRAVELER: Inspiration
  (d12), Persuasion (d8), cool outfit, time
  machine (size of a phone booth, unreliable).
  8
  KNIGHT: Swordplay (d10), Riding (d10), a
  sword, armor (break as defense), shield
  (break as defense), horse.
  9
  MARSHAL: Gunslinging (d10), Tracking
  (d10), Gambling (d8), pistol, rifle, badge,
  duster, travel clothes, fancy hat, horse.
  10 PIRATE: Seafaring or Spacefaring (d10),
  Swimming or Spacewalking (d8), Swordplay
  (d8), Shooting (d8), pistol, cutlass, eyepatch,
  flashy clothes, chatty bird.
  11 POST-FALL GIANT COCKROACH: Climbing
  (d8), Gliding (d8), Survival (d12), six limbs,
  adhesive feet, antennae (senses smells,
  chemicals), exoskeleton (break as defense).
  12 PSI-OP: Telekinesis (d8, as strong as using
  both arms), Telepathy (d8, sense surface
  thoughts), Violence (d8), a machine pistol,
  neural electrodes (boost psi at risk of burnout,
  needing replacement).
  13 REPROGRAMMED CYBER-ASSASSIN: Vio-
  lence (d10), Protection (d10), Intimidation
  (d10), synth-flesh over cyber-body.
  14 SHINOBI: Swordplay (d8), Stealth (d10),
  Climbing (d8), nondescript clothes, grappling
  hook, shuriken, sword.
  15 TIME PRISON ESCAPEE: Stealth (d8), Brawl-
  ing (d10), Bartering (d8), black coveralls,
  preternatural strength and speed.
  16 TRANSHUMAN SOCIALITE: Connections
  (d10), Partying (d12), Etiquette (d10), fancy
  clothes, hovering camera drone, cortical car-
  tridge (stores a running backup of your mind;
  can be installed in another compatible body,
  even if you are killed).
  17 UPLIFTED WHALE: Swimming (d12), Singing
  (d8), Intimidation (d8), Labor (d8), Navigation
  (d8), mech frame (hydrates and allows you to
  walk on land, counts as several bulky items).
  18 WASTELAND WARRIOR: Improvised
  Weapons (d8), Survival (d8), Tracking (d8),
  baseball bat covered in nails, biker leathers
  (break as defense), goggles, motorcycle.
  19 VIKING: Glorious Battle (d10), Sailing (d8),
  mail (break as defense), bear skin (ignore
  minor hindrances from fire and steel until
  after battle), two-handed axe (bulky).
  20 WEIRD SCIENTIST: Science (d12), chrono-
  matrix prototype (function TBD, even to you),
  lab coat, suit, safety glasses, 3 wristwatches.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/2400 System/2400 Tempus Diducit [v1.0]/2400 Tempus Diducit v1.0 spreads.pdf