CHRONOS Universal LARP System Core Rulesbook

William Myers (order #6211081)

DisclaimerThis book provides rules for a theatrical non-contact role playing game. Although these rules provide for the safest experience we can create, you assume the risks that are associated with any physical activity you participate in and are ultimately responsible for your own safety. This includes the use of safe props, safe and proper interaction, choosing a safe and legal place to play, and adjusting for terrain and weather.

Eschaton Media INC, its employees, and related companies assume no responsibility or liability, including but not limited to injury, damage, or loss incurred by using these rules in a role playing game setting. You are responsible for complying with all local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and statutes.

Finally, remember that this is just a game.

Stay Safe and Have Fun!


creDitsOriginal COnCeptMegan Dawson JaffeJoshua Brain JaffeR.M. Sean JaffeMichael PucciMatthew VolkAshley Zdeb

WritersJosh HarrisonMegan Dawson JaffeJoshua Brain JaffeR.M. Sean JaffeShoshana KessockIan PowellMichael PucciMatthew Volk

layOut & DesignJoshua Brain Jaffe

eDitingMegan Dawson JaffeMatthew Volk

artJaclyn WellnerMatthew Volk

prODuCerAshley Zdeb

With special thanks to all of our play testers, friends, loved ones, and supporters over 8 years of development and toil. Without you we could not have made cHrONOs a reality.

Also Very sPeCIAl THANKs To All oF oUrKICKsTArTer sUPPorTers

escHatONmeDia.cOm/cHrONOs


table Of cONteNtsiNtrODuctiON 6the MissiOn

airWhat is this BOOk? 8A Welcome to Roleplaying Games

iNtermissiON: exarcaNa 6an intervieW

WaterWhat is this gaMe? 20A Welcome to the Chronos System

iNtermissiON: DeVil DaYs 28saturDay night

fireplaying the gaMe 32Rules & Examples for Playing Chronos

iNtermissiON: tHe Dreamless 54Careful What yOu Call

eartHsetting the gaMe 56Suggestions for Running Chronos

cONclusiON 65the next MissiOn

lexiCOn 68


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Saniya Elian looked down at the ragged grey-green hotel carpet and cleaned her glasses again. She sniffed as she shifted in her seat, and looked out the window at the parking lot again and the drab highway beyond. A sign for a nearby chain restaurant flicked on as the sun hung low and lazy into an early twilight.

A kid dressed as an anime character bustled past her, knocking her glasses down with his tail. Sighing, she picked them up, wondering why they always do these things at these silly events. She looked around. People in t-shirts and jeans, all wearing gaudy name badges, filled the lobby. Mostly younger kids, but the occasional greying beard or streak of white hair betrayed the older crowd among the superheroes and Stormtroopers and wizards, all tethered to reality by the Welcome to ClumpyCon! barges slung around their necks. Saniya hated to judge, but it seemed to odd to her; the strange escapism of it. Her eyes again darted around the room. It wouldnt be too much longer. She wondered if she had enough to to grab a coffee. She looked at her watch. Probably not.

Stretching, she rose from her chair as a cadre of early-20s males with brightly colored hair maneuvered their luggage past her. She heard the sound of falling papers, and at her feet, she found a single manila envelope. She picked it up and started to raise her arm to offer it to them when a thin man in a well-tailored suit walked past in the other direction. As the elevator doors closed, one of the green-haired boys nodded at her, almost imperceptibly. She looked into it , then shut the envelope with purpose, placing it in her bag as she strode after the suited man.

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Saniya hated doing this here; she missed the old locations for these things, warmer places, sometimes even locales that could be considered glamorous. But it was always so obvious. This was a new world, with a new economy, which meant this kind of work usually took place in out-of-the-way hotels around small towns and quiet cities, in universities and even parks and private homes. The suited man turned a corner into long hallway leading to a business meeting room marked Academy Suite. She followed, stopping by the door to the suite.

Looking in, she was confident no one had seen her. The Suited Man had joined to other men and the first thing Saniya noticed wasnt their exquisite tailoring or well-pressed slacks but the identical Eye of Horus lapel pins they all wore. She reached into her purse.

Nick Morganchild? She asked with all of the sweetness of a hotel receptionist. He began to turn, but never finished. She fired. One in the eye, one in the throat for good measure. He never even got to see the gun, but that was the point. Saniya was a professional.

Morganchilds guards pulled their guns, but she ducked behind the door before they could even get a shot off. Bullets whizzed out the door, but she stayed tight to the walls and was out the hallway before they could catch up. Too many witnesses now. She started towards the lobby when a third suited man, Lapel Pin worn high, emerged from the service exit in front of her, gun drawn.

You failed to adequately cover your escape. He smirked. A hand reached over from behind him, neatly slicing his through before he could fire. Sanaiya tagged back to see green-hair gently wipe his razor on Lapel Pins tie. Putting a finger to his lips, he took her hand and led her through the superheroes and orks to the elevators as the other two bodyguards carefully gave chase. The doors dinged and closed as one saw them go, only moments too late.

You do good work. Saniya offered. Where did you train? Quantico? Novosibirsk? Belgium?

Green hair smiled. Gencon.

Saniya nodded. Shed learned to roll with it. After all, Espionage had gotten very different in the past few years.

Welcome to the Chronos Universal LARP system. For those of you who have just picked up this book for the first time, we will use the next few pages to introduce you to the core concepts explored within and answer some basic questions for novice and veteran gamers alike.

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airWHat is tHis bOOk? This book will show you how to play Chronos.

We understand a game as a set of rules that provide instructions for how to play. Play is an improvisational communal activity. If you watch kids engage in imaginative play, youll see that they introduce new elements and change existing assumptions just by making suggestions (How about if), creating a constantly shifting and dynamic play space. Games provide systems which ration out this agency and authority to minimize arguments and create a cohesive and consistent experience.

here is an example: Setting up chess pieces and pretending to be medieval kings is play, but it is not until you decide how each piece moves and attacks that youve made chess into a game.

The rules you put into place give your play structure. They resolve the disagreements that would compromise your creative play. Instead of stepping back to argue whether a knight can hop over a pawn, you reference the predetermined rules, see that they address the situation, and continue the story of your two scheming kings and their miniature war. Thats what a game can do for your imaginative play, and thats what a game like Chronos can do for your role playing experience.

hOW tO use this BOOk

This book isnt designed to be read cover-to-cover in one go. We expect you will read it in sections, learning more about the world and system as necessary. A good first stop is the basic game and setting information that follows. Once you understand the world of the game, you can continue into character creation or to the Game Organizers guide, depending on your interests in the game and your role in it. From there, you can explore the mechanics and narrative materials relevant to your character or story. We strongly suggest taking the time to read the narrative elements, since they are an excellent point of entry for understanding our world setting.

You will be able to use these rules and game tools to play the Chronos universal LARP system as either a Tabletop or a Live Action Role Playing Game. The system uses a set of cards to represent your characters


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abilities and skills, as well as the challenges you may face within our world. With the help of this book and those tools you will be able to create a diverse and immersive game world to explore.

While the Chronos system is designed to require very little reference to this book during play, you can certainly keep it on hand as a go-to source of information and rules clarifications. As you become more familiar and comfortable with the rules, you may leave the book aside to be better able to focus on the game at hand.

What is live aCtiOnrOle playing (larping)?

Live Action Role Play, often shortened to LARP, is a form of play that blends improvisational acting, storytelling, strategy, and socializing into a seamless real-world experience. Like its Table Top cousins, Live Action games challenge their players to invent and embody imaginary characters and bring their story to life. They can explore the details of their characters motivations, wants, desires, and challenges in a variety of scenarios, all while interacting with other players characters.

Other styles of game are represented through pieces on a game board, miniatures on a map, or data on a computer screen. LARPs represent that information through the players themselves. Imagine walking in on a game of chess in progress and asking, Whos winning? By viewing the captured and active pieces, youd be able to tell which side had the advantage. In a Live Action game, however, you would have to look at the players, noting both their appearance and their actions, to judge the state of the game. For this reason, LARPing is one of the most immersive role playing genres. The experience of play corresponds very closely to the in-world experience of the game. LARP rules work to highlight this close relationship while providing real-world safety and community.

What is narrative rOle playing (taBletOp)?

While Live Action play is the most immersive style of roleplaying, it has its limitations- not the least of which is that it requires a tremendous amount of effort with regards to sets and location. Its also worth noting that certain options go completely out the window- for example, its a long time before we can successfully LARP a car chase or aerial combat. Fortunately, Chronos is designed to work just as well in tabletop play, and more importantly, to translate seamlessly between Live and Tabletop play.

In Narrative Play, The Game Organizer takes on the role of storyteller, and the other players interact in a story created by that individual.


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The players find a comfortable location- usually around a table, hence the colloquial tabletop gaming,- and tell the story together, with the action unfolding exclusively in the players imagination. While not as immediately engaging or immersive, this style of play allows for much broader range and scope than any Live-Action scenario could ever offer. Massive floating castles or world-sized starships, tremendous battles between huge armies, collapsing worlds of falling rock and flowing lava, and multi-lane car chases replete with multiple-car pileups are all impossible in LARP, but easily doable in Narrative.

What is a CharaCter?

A character is a persona that you, the player, design to interact with the fictional world of a roleplaying game. This book will guide you through the process of creating a character. It is best to start with a basic idea, what we call a character concept, to guide your choices as you design your persona. If you are stuck for an idea, you can browse this book to see what factions, story themes, and abilities appeal to you that could inform your characters development. Character creation is more than simply a list of skills and abilities, but a set of important choices that can be difficult to readjust during play. We recommend that you take some time during this step and create a persona you will enjoy playing long-term.

You make these decisions about your characters history, motivations, and allegiances before you enter play. During play, you will have chances to update your characters personality and goals based on the experiences you share with your fellow players characters. Your character is a dynamic personality that will grow and undergo change based on in-game events both planned and unexpected as the game progresses.

You can guide the development of your character by staying focused on the story you are trying to tell and making in-game choices true to that narrative. In turn, your character can illuminate aspects of your own


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personality and style of play. While dealing with situations in-game, you should be asking yourself, What would my character do? That doesnt mean you have to stop asking, What should I do? Instead, if you keep your own identity as a player in mind alongside your fictional persona, youll be able to create a relationship that satisfies you as a player while providing interesting in-game challenges to your character.

WhO is the gaMe Organizer?

A Game Organizer is an Individual in charge of managing both the storyline and the administrative side of a LARP game. Those familiar with Table Top role playing games (RPGs) might recognize terms like Dungeon Master, Game Master, or Storyteller. These titles have a lot in common with our own. Your game may have a single Game Organizer or a number of them working in concert. Whether they are shared or held by a single person, Game Organizers have many responsibilities, ultimately to attain one goal: providing an entertaining and meaningful experience for the players. To do this, the Game Organizers write plots for game events, portray allies and villains who are non-player characters (NPCs), and adjudicate conflict resolutions as needed.

Before play begins, the Game Organizer is typically responsible for the logistics behind the game such as finding appropriate game locations, scheduling sessions, and making announcements. During play, the Game Organizer will be on hand to help players resolve issues that arise regarding the game rules or setting.

Though the Game Organizer will shape the over arcing story of a game session, their authority should focus, rather than monopolize, your communal narrative. The Game Organizers voice and vision unite the story lines of the players characters and build a shared experience for everyone to explore.


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the universal rules Of play

When playing a Chronos game there are a few basic safety guidelines you should always follow to ensure that the game remains safe and fun.

This is just a game. Within a LARP, the intended goal is for you to fully immerse yourself in your character. An ideal game experience would have every LARPer so engrossed in his or her character that the world transcended rules and costumes and felt real. Sometimes, however, this deep connection to the character translates back into the real world, and this can lead to hurt feelings, angry tirades, and bruised egos. If you find yourself in a situation like this, take a big step back and remember these words:This is just a game.

There is no winning or losing in a LARP. You play your character to experience their journey. Sometimes that journey may take you to astoundingly emotional highs, or devastating lows. These emotional transitions should be a source of excitement and fun. Some people may forget this purpose by becoming too entangled within the game and start taking things to heart. They may take things personally and be pained by slights against their character. But at the end of the day, a LARP is just a game, and if the game stops being fun for you, then you should either reexamine your approach or reevaluate if the game is right for you.

Fun should be the end game. Get lost in the drama, but dont lose your common sense.

No use of real weapons, drugs, or alcohol. In a world where emotions are running high and people are making a fantasy real, adding drugs, alcohol, or tools of violence can make for a lethal mistake, and are in many instances illegal. Never mix real weapons, drugs, or alcohol into your game environment.

Weapons, even props that have been peace bound or dulled, are potentially deadly tools that people may not realize are lethal. Latex replicas can be convincing, and a person wielding your grandfathers combat knife may not realize hes wielding a piece of live steel. Accidents happen, and an accident with a sword or handgun can often end with a wooden box in the ground.

Drugs and alcohol may seem like a fun addition to your LARP, but adding mood and mind altering substances to a world that is already intended to alter your mind and mood will only detract from the experience of the game. If the Game Organizer and your fellow players are doing their part, the LARP will surely alter your perceptions of reality enough on their own.


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respect the personal limits of others. You may like hugs. Someone else may not. Hugging that person violates their personal limits. That is a simplified example, but the example still stands. A persons limits may be much more subtle, or may be different depending on their circumstances and company, but crossing their limits will lead to said person not having fun. We are all here to have fun, after all.

Limits may involve fear or phobias, words or ideas, or physical contact. Many times, especially within the structures of a LARP, you may not know you are crossing these lines. If someone voices their discomfort, the impetus is now on you to respect and honor those boundaries.

Play in a safe, secluded, and legal location. safe: Safety is key to any LARP. Playing in a locale that is poorly lit or full of dangerous obstacles is a recipe for a hospital visit. Make sure your games are in areas clear of dangers. A physically safe environment makes more relaxed and comfortable players. Relaxed and comfortable players make a better game.

secluded: A secluded environment does two things for a LARP. First, it increases the reality of the game. Taking the players away from the things they know and see daily makes this different and new game world feel more realistic. It also prevents people who are curious or just taking a look from wandering through your game brandishing cameras and detracting from the world you have worked so hard to build. It also avoids an even worse scenario, a misunderstanding with the locals or law enforcement. If you were not in the LARPer mindset, and saw a few dozen people running around the wood near your house brandishing seemingly real swords and handguns, you would be justifiably concerned. Seclusion prevents these misunderstandings. legal: While it shouldnt really need saying, play in places you are allowed to be. While that abandoned field by Farmer Johns house looks like a great place for a game, or that old warehouse on Foster Avenue could really be a used for a swinging nightlife hotspot for a plot you are running, nothing destroys a games atmosphere faster than a group of police officers telling you to leave for trespassing. No one wants to be in the following moment where you, as the Game Organizer, are put in handcuffs and placed in the back of a patrol car. If you wish to play Chronos out in the world, find a location that you can play in legally, and avoid such mishaps.

Always abide by all local laws and legal guidelines. This taps into the above concept of not contradicting the legal precedents of your play space. For a game to stay fun and healthy, it is in the best interests of everyone involved in that game to play within the confines of the law of the land. Violating laws in the real world can and will lead to confrontations with local law enforcement and the


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government that will only hurt your games chances for success. To make a LARP that is fun to play and safely enjoyable by all, it is best to keep in line with local laws.

Dont endanger yourself or others. This rule is one of the simplest. It may seem cool to go diving through a crowd to catch a rare and precious artifact falling to the floor, but in reality, you are probably not as nimble as your character, and that cool action quickly turns into caused game to stop because some idiot knocked two people over and broke his arm. If you have to ask yourself is this safe? then dont do it. If the question crosses your mind, then the answer more than likely going to make you look the fool as opposed to the bad-ass.

Always aim to make your game experience betterfor others and yourself.

There is nothing more contagious than good roleplaying. Delving deep into your character makes others around you dig deeper into theirs. This relationship between players is what makes LARP such an amazing means of communication and story telling. The actors and the audience are one in the same. By bettering yourself and your character, you improve the reality of the game world. By being your best, you inspire the same in others. If you see another player who may be uncomfortable or not sure of how to play, reach out to them and strike up conversation. Bringing them into the fold with you may be a rewarding experience for both of you, helping them learn the ropes, and maybe learning more about your character and yourself in the bargain.

By being a positive player, leading by example, and encouraging other players to join in the fun, you improve the game not only for them, but for yourself.


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- Chicago - 4:35pm March 14th, 2009 - Introductory Interview Transcript- Elias McCallum - Apothecarium Guttersnipe Scientist and therian Scholar

So, sorry if this interview isnt terribly exciting. I know that when most Magisters hear Guttersnipe they expect some brash young kid hucking fireballs off the back of skateboard to the tune of Arcade Fire or something.

Well, Im not... Arcade Fire? Oh, its a band. Rock and roll. Theyre an indie band that won the... you know, its not important.

So, yeah, about me. I was studying at the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago when it first happened. You see, I still dont totally understand it. But I suppose its my hunt for that answer that makes me who I am. It all starts with the Standard Model. Fermions and bosons. You know, the God Particle and other elementary particles.

Ok, Im losing you. Im going to assume you know what an atom is, yes? Ok, good. So atoms are made of smaller things, and those smaller things are made of even smaller smaller things.

You see, no matter how much you split something, theres always something there left to split. Thats not the weird part. The weird part is that smaller the pieces get, the more powerful they are. And this power is everywhere, in everything. No ones ever really understood it all, let alone how to really harness it. Like the Large Hadron Collider. Its over 15 miles wide, and it allowed us to prove that the Higgs Boson exists, and people were afraid that the damn thing could create a man-made black hole.

Oh, its a hole in all of time of space that could suck in light, for Petes sake. And you know what? They were right to be afraid. I, like most scientists, had no clue what kind of power we were toying with.

ther. What is it? Some dont know, most dont care. Its the stuff fireballs and telekinesis and telepathy is made of, right? Who cares, as long as it works. Thats certainly the common Guttersnipe take on it, which to me is sad. Its like a a poet who cant read or write. I try to explain it, but then next thing you know, some Oathbreaker shows up, or a Bunyip or... or they start falling asleep. Whatever.

So here goes. As best can be figured out, ther is simultaneously


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time and energy; concurrently solid and yet ethereal and untouchable, like light. Like time itself, it merely is. As it stands, unfortunately, at this point in human evolution, our brains are simply incapable of fully understanding ther. Think of how incapable any single cell of your body is of being able to understand you, or even its relation to you. It merely understands its place and role within you. We are only feebly able to categorize the characteristics while never being able to conceive of the whole.

Somewhere in there lies the secret. The power in the minutiae. Its always there, in everything... or really, next to it. Or around it. Were working on it. It seems the trick is in the ability to gather enough of it to be useful, without splitting atoms in a 17 mile radius hula hoop. The Eldritch can simply store it in vast enough quantities to actually utilize it. Most people are so focused on the effect, they never think about the cause. And thats where I come in, you see. I ask those questions, and I answer them as best I can, even though I often feel like a surgeon in the dark ages, cataloging the symptoms with no idea what the disease is. Or that diseases even exist.

So, we know ther is real. We know its a calculable yet intangible thing. We know its not inherent to our dimension, but its attracted to it like osmosis. ther seeps into our world from the Outer Spheres, attaching itself to various components. Even the magical universe abhors a vacuum, so it seems. Dont even get me started on the Rule of Fours, and the elemental properties of ther.

Ok, well, too late.

You see, this is how I got the attention of the Arcanum, the Apothecarium to be precise. I started noticing the theric alignments in all things. The weirdest part was that when I realized these properties didnt seem to exist in my research as an undergrad, prior to 2008.


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But after 2008, everything I studied finally started making more sense, and yet less at the same time. Everywhere I looked, I ran into this wall. That wall was the Rule of Fours. Nothing in modern literature seemed to be able to explain it, and thats what got me searching for older and older texts.

I was last one to expect to find how scientifically accurate the alchemists of the past were, but Id be damned if I didnt keep proving them right at every turn. Earth, air, fire and water. It defied logic, and yet had a logic all of its own. My professors were less than enthused, and thats when things got hard. I had to fake my results to better match proven modern science, because I couldnt get them to believe or understand my findings. I felt like I was looking at one of those magic eye posters, and I just couldnt get them to see the sailboat that was hovering right in front of my eyes, clear as day. I was starting to question my own research, hell, my own sanity on a daily basis. Thats then things got really weird.

Now, most people wouldnt recognize Tesla if he was standing right in front of them and didnt look like David Bowie. But I am of course not most people. He looked like he walked right of that classic portrait. Apparently he reverses his own aging process on a pretty regular basis; He claims its a matter of impressions and expectations. I still find it weird for a guy whos been a virgin since 1856.

Whatever, thats not the point. So Nicola Frackin Tesla walks up to me in my own lab around 2am, looks me right in the eyes and says Dobrodoli na Arkanum.

I blink. He looks confused, then repeats, this time in English,

Welcome to the Arcanum.


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the ChrOnOs systeM

The Chronos Universal LARP System is built around a core set of rules which define a baseline reality for our world. However, our normal blue green sphere has forces at work upon it beyond our perception, known as Aethers, which filter into our world and make possible the seemingly impossible. The core rules set allows you to build a basic person who survives and lives in the mundane world. But the world is far more than simply your average fire fighter or accountant; by being a protagonist within the Chronos setting, you can be someone special. You are someone who has the potential talent, birthright, or training to see what lurks between the lines of reality.

The Thresholds are the barriers between worlds, a filter of a sort that protects us from being constantly aware of the naked truth: our world is not alone. Throughout history there have been events that were so powerful, dramatic, or cataclysmic, the very nature of reality had to shift, and generated a variation of our world, known as a Skein. This phenomenon is known as the Infinite World Theory.

the infinite WOrlD theOry

Scholars have studied the nature of reality as long as philosophers have asked who am I? Scientists have plumbed the depths of human knowledge and technical understanding to explore the depths of space and the minutia of the atom, all in the hope of better understanding how our universe works and what our place is in it. What has been theorized, but rarely comprehended, is that we are limited in our perceptions. We can only witness the world we live in, and that world is one of an infinite number of variations that have occurred throughout history.

Those who study these phenomena have come up with many names for them. Watershed Points. Aetheric Rifts. Temporal Shearing. Breaches of Space-Time. Each of these titles reflects a fraction of the truth, that the world is built on core principle laws that are not so much immutable, but


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redundant and insulated against traumatic shifts. At any time in history when such an event occurred, the world defended itself, and deviated into a branching timeline from our own. A reflection of our world was born and now lives independent of our own.

These events share one thing in common; Aetheric energies. At those points in history, Aetheric energy in one form or another entered our world and was discovered and embraced. From the earliest moments of

human history when ancient magi spoke with faerie kin and goblin kind, to more recent rifts where secret societies embraced dark philosophies and energies to power vast war machines, there have been these crisis moments. The introduction of Aether at particular moments of history dramatically redirects humanity into new directions of technological, political, and spiritual growth.

the skein WOrlD guiDes

While the Chronos Core rules let you explore our world as we know it, the Expansion decks and Skein world books and decks allow you to build characters using specialized powers, items, and knowledge of worlds beyond ours, and sometimes entirely different than the one we know.

Each Skein book and its partnered decks are designed to give you the in-depth knowledge needed to run a game set within that echo of reality. You will find history as it is reckoned within that world, their understanding of the Aether, the Thresholds, and their own Watershed moment.

For example, in the Ex Arcana Skein, there was a critical point in prehistory where Aether technologies and rituals

were discovered and implemented by magi. From that moment forward Aether was seen as a supernatural power to be refined and wielded by those who were talented and loyal enough to be trusted with it, and to protect those that could not harness its power from those who would seek to abuse it. This society of wizards, warlocks, and witches would continue to grow and refine itself over time, becoming a powerful secret


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society of magic users fighting a secret war hidden from the world of the silent masses.

When using the Chronos system, you are stepping into one (or more) of these potential timelines. Each time you cross the Threshold you step into a unique world, timeline, and environment that replaces the True Time reality of modern day.

the iMpOrtanCe Of true tiMe

True Time, simply put, is the real history of the real world that we really live in. True Time is often referenced in the Chronos game universe as the events that have happened prior to the pivotal moments known as Aether Watershed points. Different game Skeins all use True Time or True History prior to a particular point. At this moment in time, Aether is introduced into the True History and the timeline of history changes. When a book refers to True Time or True History, they are referring to real world events which predate the Aether Watershed that has caused a particular timeline to become different.

To further explain: in our True History in 1249 Roger Bacon introduced a formula for gunpowder to Europe. This key event triggered thousands of events in the True Time that we have experienced. If instead Roger Bacon had discovered an alchemical method, using Aether as an accelerant, then the entire technological (and historical) timeline would be completely different. This would be considered an Aether Watershed moment, and the reality that came into existence after the Watershed moment would be defined by the Skein game book you apply to your game. Every moment prior to the Aether watershed point would be True History, and every moment after the watershed point would be the work of fiction that the Skein game book defines. We live by default in True Time; the games that we play take place in one of the different variations of the Aether Constant.

What is the aether COnstant?

Aether is a concept that transcends all of the different genres and Skeins of the Chronos game system. The Aether Constant is the idea that history and reality varies from True History once Aether is introduce to True Time. The appearance and use of Aether changes from Aether Constant to Aether Constant as well as from Skein to Skein. In one Aether Constant, Aether may be found through occultists that are members of early European secret societies. With the discovery and use of Aether in the hands of old world European ritualists, the use and manifestation of Aether becomes rather esoteric.

If Aether were instead to be discovered during the combat driven scientific boom of World War 2, the uses of Aether would be focused


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into combat and mechanical design. Gone would be the bell, book, and candle of the early European occultists with their desire to harness Aether through acts of will, and born would be complex transportation and war focused machines fueled on the curious properties of Aether reaction.

In short, the Aether Constant is the fact that along a Skeins history, at one point or another Aether is introduced, which then causes the history of the Skein to be very different from the history of True Time.

the nature Of the spheres

While the deviations generated by Watershed points are typically derivative of True Time and maintain a strong connection to the reality we know today, there are Aetheric events that can cause much more fundamental shifts in the fabric of reality. In these cases, where perhaps even the laws of physics were thrown askew by the introduction of Aether, the world splinters off of reality in such a dramatic fashion that it barely seems related to True Time earth. These divergent realms have become known and understood to be part of the greater cosmology of Chronos universe.

These bizarre, mystical, and alien worlds can bear almost no resemblance to our own, and are awash with the powerful Aethers that created them. You may find a world sundered from our own by Empyrean energy, wracked with violent electrical storms and mind-bending science fiction technologies. Others may be the epitome of Ondine energy, where dragons and faerie kin roam and rule freely.

In truth, every Skein functions like this, with the Aetheric influences upon it determining just how far from True Time the world deviates. Some are not so set apart from the constant of True Time, some are more dramatically different. As such, the cosmology of Chronos does not so much reflect a solar system of planets in relation to one another, but instead a series of mixtures, each unique combination creating a different colorful world to explore. These worlds do not so much exist apart, but simultaneously overlaid just beyond comprehension.

What is aether?

Aether, as a varied source, is neither a liquid nor a gas, yet contains properties of both. Aether is a mercurial substance which is defined in relation to the Skein in which it is used. In some Skeins and genres, Aether is found by pulling essence from the makeup of reality. In other Skeins, Aether may be found in a particular genetic design, by pulling energy from arcane locations, or even through making pacts with beings which exist outside the standards of reality.


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That is the trick of Aether; Aether changes. Aether leaks through the cracks of reality as a near indefinable substance that is a catalyst of change. However, Aether does hold certain universal traits across all Skeins.

Aether is an energy source that links physical manifestations of power to ethereal and mystical forms.

Aether is only tangible when it is transferred in some sort of solution. Aether can be stored in particular solutions that act as a means of short term storage.

Aether responds to particularly strong willed individuals who have studied techniques to focus their mind and spirit. Individuals with weaker wills require additional external devices to control Aether, such as tools or complex rituals which assist in focusing intent.

Aether binds potently to mortal flesh. With skilled hands directing it, this bonding can augment the human form beyond the limits of normal flesh. Aether binding can cause extreme flesh transfigurations with varying permanency.

Aether comes from limited sources known as Fonts, or more potent portals known as Thresholds. Fonts and Thresholds are harvested for Aether through different means across Skeins.

Aether bubbling or pouring forth from Fonts must be harvested. Each Skein and timeline has produced different techniques for gathering Aether in relation to the events of the Aether Watershed point of that timeline. In addition to harvesting from these individual Fonts, some timeline Skeins have developed additional Aether garnering processes. While Aether may flow freely during an offshoot of an Elizabethan era Watershed point, the people that live during a World War 2 Aether manipulated timeline may have to make deals and fight for every ounce of Aether. In a world of demonic investment and walking dead, the Aether wielder may find that they must harvest Aether from living people who have touched the Font instead of pulling directly from the Font itself.


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fOnts anD threshOlDs

Aether flows through conduits that connect the many and varied worlds of Chronos. They range from tiny cracks and pinholes which only emit Aether, know as Fonts, to larger fissures which can allow passage from one world to the next, called Thresholds. These breaches

in reality, the cracks through which Aether seeps, all seem to flow inward towards a magnetic center. Near as any scholar can tell, that center is here, True Time, but that is not to say there are not other Skeins that are close enough to True Time that it seems they are the center of their own cosmology. What has slowly become apparent, however, is that Aether is a diminishing resource. While some realms are so infused with Aetheric energy as to become wellsprings of it, they can only produce Aether at a particular rate, and it flows out from them as fast as other realms use it. In most of the spheres, this is nearly unnoticeable, a drop in the bucket by contrast to the Aether they generate versus how much is lost or used. However, in a few cases, there are worlds beginning to crumble at the edges, entire realities falling apart because they no longer have enough Aether to sustain them.

Aether, as it transcends the different Aether Constants, travels like ribbons of chaos that bring change from an outside source. These ribbons of Aether, manifesting in Fonts and Thresholds, are not limitless resources. Each Font or Threshold will only produce Aether for certain durations of time before either drying up or moving to a new location. With such a powerful resource being in such limited quantity it should be

no surprise that individuals, groups, and organizations would seek to control the flow of Aether. As Aether has different unique meanings to the individuals that wield it, conflicts and contradictory philosophies and intent often cause dissidence between different sects of Aether users.

In some places, these breaches are large enough for more than simply Aether to cross over into a given world, but for spirits, creatures, and


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denizens to step across a Threshold into neighboring Skein worlds. This is how the theorists, philosophers, and scientists have become aware of the Infinite World Theory, for they have met people and creatures from the far side. In many cases, they have been lucky, meeting denizens who have been friendly, or from realms similar enough to our own that those Thresholds have been maintained and protected as channels of communication and trade. Not all have been so lucky.

the threats frOM BeyOnD the spheres

Beyond the universal theme of Aether existing within all of the Skeins of Chronos, there are two other reoccurring themes: the threat from within and the threat from without. With the influx of Aether being brought into True Time, each individual Aether Constant finds that the control and use of Aether not only brings about moral and philosophical issues, but also new threats to those aware of Aether.

In addition to the tensions caused between groups within each individual Skein, there is an external threat that is universal for all worlds that Aether touches. Aether has a source from somewhere outside of reality, a place not limited by the perceivable dimensions of logic. Some have theorized that Aether is the remnants of primal energies of the Big Bang. More romantic and theological minds theorize that the energies of the Aether come from the spiritual location the soul retreats to in the afterlife. Regardless of the origin, the trickle of Aether not only provides a font of power and change, but also a source of otherworldly threats. Inhuman, supernatural monsters that seem to not only be born of the Aether (which varies in its physical manifestation based on the Skein) but also are drawn towards those who wield it. Aether leaves a mark on those that have wielded it, and once it has touched the individual they will never be truly free of attacks from the outside threat.

These threats are varied, based on the physical form that Aether has taken in a particular Skein. In a world where demonic investment is the primary source of Aether, the antagonists of the Aether often take both demonic and angelic forms. Imps, demons, devils, miracles, demonic possession, and the angelic host become threats to all those who have taken the gifts of the Aether. In a world where Aether is imbued into a select few via the gifts of the restless dead, the threat of the Aether often manifests in the form of poltergeists, haunting, curses, and apparitions that pursue the Aether users both day and night.

In all realms there exists threats from beyond. Lurking on the far side of the thresholds, in the dark beyond the outermost spheres, are the great unknowns, the outsiders, and those beyond even them. Thresholds, once opened, may lead to the profound depths of the infinite universe, and each Skeins denizens must learn how to protect their world from those threats beyond.


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iNtermissiONDevil Days

saturDay night

The hall was lit with an eerie red light, the tables covered in the white tablecloths of a high school dance. The dance floor was sparse, the men and women garbed in the mod sock hop trappings of the times. The boys dressed in tan and grey suits with black and grey trim lining their lapels, their hair slicked back into suave pompadours. The girls wore plaid skirts and puffed pink and red dresses, their white stockings looking a stained red in the dance light. A few sat at a bar in the corner, the radio playing out the coolest tunes of the day, filling the room with rock guitar and smooth crooning. One of the gentleman had removed his jacket, the sleeves of his black t-shirt rolled up to hold a pack of cigarettes. Horns poked out from under his pompadour, matching the horns of everyone else in the room, black and sleek, curved in a fashion that could only conjure up one predecessor.

Hey man, this party getting to be a real drag. When are we gonna ditch this joint and go paint the town?

Another man sat next to him, smoking a cigarette, the smoke curling around him like a wisp of cloak. His suit was a simple brown check, although under the lights, everyone appeared to be tinted crimson. He rested his cigarette in the ashtray, and produced a comb from his front pocket, slicking back his hair. James was not known to let his appearance slip, even for a moment.

Chill my man. We just gotta wait it out til Frankie sends word. He says hes gonna bring a whole bunch of juice to the party my man. Well be swimming in it. Just relax Tommy.

Tommys face curled into a sneer. Frankie always says hell be packing the juice. Hes such a square. We know it aint gonna be worth the wait.

James seemed nonplussed. Just cool your jets man. Just gonna be a little while. Why dont you go cut a rug? Dont bring me down.

Tommy kicked out of his barstool and began to storm away toward the dance floor. The song ended and the radio crackled with the voice of an announcer.

Hey out there cats and kittens. Its your main man Mad Man Mike! A maniacal cackle pierced the room, and the occupants of the party cheered out.


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Now old Mad Man has been wondering, what are all you bad Jacks and wailing Janes are up to tonight? I sure hope youre all havin a gas! Let me hear it! The teens called out to the airwaves, screaming in approval, certain that Mad Man could hear them somewhere. His broadcast sounded as though he had dragged his voicebox through an ashtray filled with gravel. He cackled again.

Alright! Thats what I like to hear out there. Now Im going to keep spinning the best of the best for all you jumping jiving Jakes, but before I do, lemme just throw on out a tip of the hat to those old hepcats partying over at the American Square. All you soulless ghouls and gizmos are just fly in my book. You dig? The room went wild with screaming. Although he was a local jockey, Mad Man was the voice of the town, and the voice of their generation. Furthermore, Mad Man was the voice of their soulless lot, and their soulless adversaries. The Aether had brought devils into this world, devils which had formed factions and given power to those who served them. The Aether replenished the loss that those powers used and allowed the footsoldiers and generals of these newly minted demonic legions to function. Not only did Mad Man speak for the cool and hip, he spoke for the minions of the devil lords. He was honored in all Houses as a purveyor of knowledge, and as a righteous deejay.

James smiled at the mention. His bosses would be pleased to know that Mad Man had shown them respect on the airwaves. Such a coup would be highly regarded, and considering that he had made his presence known at the gathering, such regards would be passed his way for having such foresight and good taste.

Although now that I got down to it, you may want to watch your backs out there tonight, dig? Seems one of your devilish brethren has gotten in a bit over his head. Seems he went out and tried to steal himself some of that sweet, sweet juice all of you kids are into. And


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you know what Jack? Seems like he went and got himself caught, and got himself all sorts of trouble. Trouble that gets you a wooden jacket. Those greasers, theyre not known for their mercy. The party continued on, a dull hum in the background. The teens were clinking glasses and giggling still over the acclaim they had received from the deejay. James no longer had the satisfied sneer written across his face. His eyes widened, searching the room for Tommy, whose eyes met his, the same panic in his eyes.

Get them moving Tommy! Hey you mopes! Get your gear! Get the door ready now! James was on his feet and barking orders, the crowd stood staring for a moment, and then sprang into action. Guns and knives were pulled from holsters and boots, bats and bits of pipe were dug out from under chairs. James produced a simple six-shooter. Tommy bolted to the door, two knives protruding from his clenched fists, their grips designed like brass knuckles.

So Im gonna say it once again my midnight mongrels: Get ready. Theres gonna be blood tonight. Another wild cackle pierced the room, and an up tempo rock-a-billy song came tearing through the speakers. As if on cue, the doors burst wide open, spilling back the two slight horned men guarding it. A dozen leather jacketed thugs poured in, brandishing axes and knives. Blood ran from their mouths and eyes, the crimson looking black under the red lights. The largest stepped forward, his pompadour large and messy, studs protruding from the shoulders of his jacket. He bore a club covered in rusty spikes and sharp implements, and his smile was maniacal and horrifying. He screamed a guttural and primal laugh.

ALRIGHT BOYS! LETS BREAK SOME SQUARES!


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firePlaYiNG tHe Game

hOW tO use ChrOnOs CarDs

Like most roleplaying games, the Chronos system lets you build your character, choosing from core traits, skill sets, and special talents to construct a character that is unique to you. To build your character, you will be choosing between a variety of playing cards and spending creation points to assemble what will become your Character Deck, which you will retain throughout your gameplay experience from session to session. This Character Deck will evolve and change as you acquire new items and abilities, or as you add to your character using Experience Points gained by participating in game sessions. Your Character Deck will be comprised of a mixture of Core Cards, Specialty Cards, Item Cards, Augment Cards, and Aether Cards.

Core Cards define the very essence of who your character is, be it their general outlook on life, personality, or basic physical prowess, and will be used in most interactions and challenges. The Core Card is where you will find your Characters secondary traits, Health, Focus, and Speed, as well as your general Aetheric alignment.

specialty Cards represent your training, skills, and further expertise, which provides the ability to use certain items or tackle certain puzzles and overcome challenges. On each Specialty card you will find a list of skills that your character possesses as a result of this specialty, allowing you to handle challenges or use items that require specific skills.

Item Cards are devices, tools, and objects you have at your disposal, providing you have the right training to utilize them. Each Item Card has a list of items that you are assumed to have access to in Live Action play, provided that you have a physical representation for it on or about your person, as well as the skill or skills required to use them. Additionally, there will be items listed in Italics that are only available in Narrative play.

Augment Cards are the most diverse of the Chronos cards and can be cornered in either red or blue. In the Skeins, Augments can represent metaphysical abilities, allegiances to hidden organizations, or hidden


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techniques and training. In the basic deck, Augments are divided into blue Talents and red Traits.

Aether Cards are the wild card of the Chronos System, which you dont purchase at character creation, but instead draw from a Font or Threshold in each game session. These cards allow you to power special abilities and items found in the various Skein decks you might use. You draw these cards randomly when you gain them from a Font, so there is no telling just how potent or useful your Aethers may be session to session. They are also discarded after use, as Aether is a resource which can run dry. Aether cards can either be Burned- discarded to activate a special ability, or Used- replacing a Core Card for an added boost.

the stats Of a ChrOnOs CarD

Primary stats Chronos Cards are designed with a few key elements you will need for gameplay. Along the top and left edge of each card is a set of four letters with numbers inside them. These represent the four building blocks of any action: Acumen, resolve, Dexterity and Brawn. The top edge of the card represents the active or aggressive use of these traits. The left edge of the card represents the defensive or passive use of these stats.

Acumen represents your characters ability to overcome challenges relating to awareness, knowledge, and critical thinking. Your ability to overcome cerebral challenges is determined by this trait.

resolve represents your characters ability to manipulate and refuse the influence of others in challenges relating to stubbornness and influence. You ability to overcome social challenges is determined by this trait.

Dexterity represents your characters ability to overcome challenges relating to agility, speed, and fine motor controls. Your ability to overcome precision challenges is determined by this trait.

Brawn represents your characters ability to power through obstacles and overpower challenges of physical strength and endurance. Your ability to overcome physical challenges is determined by this trait.

You will find that not all cards will have number values for every stat. There are simply some Specialties, Augments, and Items that cannot help you in certain challenges.


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On each card you will find an art window featuring a visualization of what the card represents. In the center of the card you will find the details of the cards mechanics along with a short quote or descriptor giving you a sense of the cards flavor. These mechanics are determined by the type of card, and will allow your character to have access to various special abilities, items, and tricks while facing challenges.

Every Chronos Card also has a listing of its Cost in the very upper right hand corner. The Card Cost represents how many Character Creation or Experience points must be spent to have that card as part of your character Deck at the beginning of each game session.

secondary stats: Health, Focus, and speed In addition to the standard 4 traits found on every card, your character has three secondary stats determined by their Core Card: Health, Focus, and Speed. Health determines the amount of abuse you can take before being knocked out, and can be depleted or restored through various means. Focus determines how much Aether you are capable of manipulating and storing innately. Speed determines how many steps or paces you may move in combat without taking special actions.

asseMBling the CharaCter DeCk

Each card is assigned a point value that is used in character creation. At the beginning of game, players are assigned a number of creation points they may spend while assembling their Character deck. There are some limitations during card selection.

A Character must have only 1 Core Card.A Character must have at least 1 specialty Card. Beyond those basic limitations, the Game Organizer is at liberty to restrict or allow cards to be utilized from the Chronos Core set, Skeins, Expansion Decks, and from their own GO deck as they see fit. A typical Character deck will consist of 1 Core Card, 1-3 Specialty Cards, 1-2 Equipment Cards, and 1-4 Augment cards depending on the individual players play style and which decks they have access to. The Game Organizer will determine a point level for the game; a basic Tier 1 character will be 12 points.

the skein CarDs

The Skeins and Expansion Decks interact with the Core; they are inseparable. No Character Deck will be without Core cards. The Chronos Core provides the archetypal base off of which the Skeins build. The Core can also provide the everyday people and NPCs with which the Skein characters interact. Skein cards require approval of a Game Organizer before they may be allowed in play.


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Each Skein will come with a set of cards unique to that Skein. Skeins do not provide Core cards, though there are Augments that may be used instead of Core cards. These special cards provide the strange powers and allegiances each Skein incorporates. Elemental sorcery and talismanic items, Demonic Investments, Animalistic Totem powers, and the wildest of Fae magics are examples, with more to come as the number of Skeins increases. Many of these Augment cards are fueled by the mysterious Aethers; each Skein has its own methods and manners for drawing Aethers from Fonts and Thresholds.

asseMBling a Challenge hanD

When a character is confronted with either a static challenge, an outside threat represented by the Game Organizer, or another player, they must assemble a three card character hand. Every card will have a colored corner to indicate what type of card it is. Core Cards are grey, Specialty Cards blue, Items red. Augment Cards may be cornered blue or red depending on the nature of their abilities and what they represent or replace in your typical character hand. Each Challenge hand must consist of one grey, one blue, and one red card. The one exception to this is Aether cards. Aether cards are cornered in black, and can be a one-time replacement for your Core card in a Hand, in order to use a special ability or boost a primary stat. Each corner type also has either 1 (grey), 2 (red) or 3 (blue) notches for the colorblind.

You must keep in mind that certain cards may only be used in specific combinations. For example, if you wish to strike at someone using an antique sword from the Archaic Items card, you must include a Specialty card that possesses the skill Melee Weapons in the Challenge Hand. Once you have determined the three card hand you wish to use, you arrange them so that you can see all of their traits listed so that you can add up the total value of the trait relating to the challenge.

resOlving Challenges

Challenges can be represented a number of ways in the Chronos system. Most often they will be challenges between two characters or between a character and an NPC represented by a Game Organizer or MetaCharacter. In other cases, challenges may be situational cards found at a Story table. Other situations may be represented by index cards affixed to elements of the play space, with a target number that you need to beat before you can flip the card and read the information on the other side. Whatever the means of the challenge, you determine the Primary Stat of the challenge and assemble your Challenge Hand to try and beat your target number.

Once the Challenge Hand has been assembled, it is only a matter of matching the nature of the challenge and adding up the totals to compare them against the difficulty of the challenge. All participants in the challenge reveal their totals. Whoever has the higher total wins, with ties going to the defender.

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BasiC Challenge DiffiCulty taBles

STANDARD DIFFICULTY 7Simple 3-5Standard 6-8Difficult 9-11Almost impossible for one person 12+

ACUMEN CHALLENGESMaze on a cereal box 2Simple riddle 4A complex word problem 6Rubiks Cube 8Translating Navajo 10Designing a viable spacecraft 12

RESOLVE CHALLENGESBefriending a dog 2Making a sale 4Giving and impassioned speech 6Intimidating a guard 8Resisting an addiction 10Converting an atheist to your faith 12

DExTERITY CHALLENGESThreading a needle 2Pulling a splinter on the first try 4Breakdancing 6Walking a tightrope 8Catching a fly with chopsticks 10Free climbing a glass building 12

BRAWN CHALLENGESChanging a tire 2Lifting 100lbs 4Dragging an adult human body 6Pushing a car uphill 8Forcing open a locked door 10Lifting a car off a child 12


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The Rebel challenges the information the Guardian has provided. The Guardian uses her Scholastic Gear and experience as an Occultist to dig up the exact book reference, defeating the Rebel.

the reBel Attacks with a 7

the guarDian Defends with an 8

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samPle cOre vs aetHer cHalleNGe

A Caregiver has gotten into an extremely over matched fight with a Warrior. Fortunately, using a high Vulcan Aether, the Caregiver can focus their will and deliver a surgical strike to the otherwise superior fighter.

the WarriOr Defends with an 9

the Caregiver Attacks with a 10


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skill list anD MeChaniCs

Each character in a Chronos game may safely be assumed to have many useful abilities. These are represented by Skills. On each Specialty card, there is a list of four Skills. Talent Augments also provide Skills, though only two. Skills are a Prerequisite for using Items and Trait Augments. Additionally, Game Organizers can use Skills as gate checks for if a person can handle a specific challenge (you must have the appropriate skill in your challenge hand to overcome a challenge, and thus only items relating to that skill or other skills on that specialty card.)

artistrY Acumen Creating items or performances of beauty or complexity.

atHletics Dexterity or Brawn Overcoming physical challenges.

busiNess Acumen Understanding of commerce and trade, and how to handle money.

cONceNtratiON resolve Possessing self control and spiritual awareness.

curreNt eVeNts Acumen or resolve Contemporary knowledge, gossip, and news.

DemOlitiONs Acumen Knowledge of explosives and demolition techniques for structures.

DiPlOmacY Acumen or resolve Etiquette and first impressions.

eNDuraNce resolve or Brawn Able to muster mental or physical determination.

HaND tO HaND Brawn Able to fight without weapons or with improvised weapons.

HistOrY Acumen Understanding and remembrance of history.

larceNY Acumen or Dexterity Understanding security systems and mechanical locks, and how to defeat them.

liNGuistics Acumen Facility with different languages.

meDiciNe Acumen Understanding of medicine, toxins, and cures.


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melee WeaPONs Dexterity or Brawn Specialized ability to fight in combat utilizing Melee weapons.

NaViGatiON Acumen Able to find ones way in any environment.

Occult Acumen General knowledge of rituals and practical understanding of various beliefs.

PercePtiON Acumen Awareness of hard to find things.

PerfOrmaNce resolve or Dexterity Playing to the audience and convincing portrayals, or lying.

PilOtiNG Dexterity Controlling land, sea or air based vehicles.

raNGeD WeaPONs Acumen or Dexterity Specialized ability to fight in combat utilizing Ranged weapons.

raPPOrt resolve Persuasive speaking and arguments.

rePair Acumen or Brawn Maintenance and repair of items mechanical and electrical.

scieNce Acumen Scientific understanding and applicable knowledge.

sleiGHt Of HaND Dexterity Pick pockets, quick searches, and smuggling.

stealtH Dexterity Staying unseen and unheard. Camouflage and silent movement.

streetWise resolve Mixture of area knowledge and you know a guy.

surViVal Acumen or resolve Wilderness survival and trail signs. Hunting and fishing.

tecHNOlOGY Acumen Computers and other advanced technology operations.

tHrOWiNG Dexterity or Brawn Specialized ability to use Thrown weapons and items.

track resolve Finding someone who doesnt want to be found, either bureaucratically or physically.


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teaM effOrt

Sometimes your character may simply not have what it takes to overcome a challenge, and you need the aid of another character to succeed. Players working together to overcome a particularly difficult challenge may combine their totals, providing they have the appropriate Specialty, Items, or Augments to assist in the action.

For example: Cheryl and Jace are trying to force open an old vault door thats been long overdue for maintenance. To haul the door open despite protest of the rusted hinges, Jace needs a successful Brawn challenge of 8, but the lithe getaway driver is known for his Dexterity, not his Brawn, and only has a 5. Cheryl, his heist team coordinator and socialite can only manage a paltry 4 on her own, but with their efforts combined, they have a 9 and can force the door open.

gaMe Organizer anDMetaCharaCter Challenges

When a Game Organizer is within the Live Roleplay space, they often will take on the role of a variety of NPCs and agents over the course of a session. However, that does not mean they do not exist within the play space. They will often take on the role of a MetaCharacter, or a character within the environment that is available for direct player interaction. This character helps maintain the game worlds continuity by giving the Organizer a physical presence within the world. As such, while playing a MetaCharacter, the Organizer still can use a Game Organizers deck to provide challenges and NPCs in the game world. They do this using Calamity Cards and Spirit Cards, which allow them to build custom challenges and complications on the fly. These challenges are handled in the same way as a normal challenge hand when resolving a conflict. The Game Organizer can also recruit other people to assume MetaCharacters, in order to provide rules assistance and more NPCs for larger games.

tiMeD COMBat resOlutiOn

In life, some rain must fall, and in most game sessions, some degree of conflict will likely erupt between characters or against NPCs. When combat takes place in the Live game space, the game enters what we call Timed Combat. At the beginning of the conflict, when the first attack or aggression is declared, the game pauses and the Game Organizer(s) overseeing the conflict then declare that Timed Combat will begin by calling CHRONOS! This affects all characters within the sound of the Game Organizers voice. If in doubt, the Timed combat at the very least affects the room in which the combat is taking place.


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the COMBat rOunD

Combat Rounds are declared by a Game Organizer or MetaCharacter and resolve every 30 or 60 seconds. During each of these intervals, players must prepare their Challenge hand and resolve their current actions before the next round, including any movement or special actions they wish to take. Players must move in slow motion through the round, to represent that time is being stretched to capture all of the action in play. Role playing the attack not only ensures everyone understands how the attack is happening but also ensures that the individual making the attack actually has the ability to attack by confirming range and line of sight. If making a Ranged attack on someone who is not looking at you, call out the person by name or appearance.

Characters may make one attack action at any time during their movement, this does not prevent them from completing their movement. They may only make one attack per round unless otherwise modified by a Power, Specialty, or Item.

Attacks may be made only when in sufficient range for their attack type. Hand to Hand strikes must be within Arms Reach. Melee strikes must be within the reach of the Weapon used. Ranged Attacks must have line of sight to their target and be within Short (Small Room, approximately 10 yards), Medium (Large Room, approximately 50 yards), or Long (Outdoors, over 100 yards) range.

Any actions that have not been declared by the end of the round are lost. Any resolutions still in progress may cause the round to be paused to complete resolution. Players who do not adequately prepare their defenses against an action or habitually drag out their defense resolutions are considered to have automatically lost their challenge. Any resolution should be easily completed in less than 30 seconds so that combat may proceed.


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safety Caveat As all attacks are made on a target, the person making the attack must attack in slow motion. This must always be done in a safe way. Never make contact with your target, use weapons or physical representations that could cause harm, or attempt dangerous stunts.

Dealing DaMage

Characters will compare Offensive and Defensive values appropriate to their actions. Should a character be struck, they receive damage equal to the damage value present on the Weapon, Power, or Specialty card. If no value is present, they deal 1 damage.

For example: Maggie, the Attacker, wants to stab Miles, the Defender. With her Challenge Hand ready she steps towards Dean and calls an attack of 8 to Dean. Maggie then calls CHRONOS! Everyone has a few seconds to make sure they have their Challenge Hands prepared. When the Game Organizer says go, Miles declares a defense of 6 and role plays a look of shock and horror on his face, since he has been stabbed (for 2 points of damage). The only other person in the room, Josie, is one of Maggies cohorts. Josie stands up and takes Steps towards the fight, getting ready to attack Miles with her fists. Miles takes a few Steps away from Maggie, going in the direction of the door on the far end of the room.

tiMing anD aBility MODifiers

Of course, in conflict and in action there are more options than simply attack or defense. In the Chronos system, a card may have special traits which modify how the card is used, how often it can be used, or otherwise grant the character special means to defend or attack. Many of these special abilities will be found in and covered by the specific Skein world books, but there are some universal concepts with which you should familiarize yourself, as they will be found within all Chronos system game worlds.

sustained Many Items or abilities require focus and concentration to properly use, be it summoning a mystical power or setting a broken limb. To use this Item or ability, the character must continuously perform the action for the specified number of rounds without interruption. Defending yourself does not interrupt sustained actions, but taking damage does. Note that outside of Timed Combat, the rounds are translated to seconds multiplied by 10. So for example, 5 would take 5 rounds of Timed Combat, or 50 seconds in real time.


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Cooldown Recharging Items and abilities after use is a common phenomenon, especially when dealing with Aetheric powers or technological devices. After this Item or ability has been used, it cannot be used again until the specified number of rounds have elapsed. Note that outside of Timed Combat, the time required is counted in seconds multiplied by 10.

Armor There is much common sense in putting a protective layer between you and things that want to hurt you, and beyond the traditional body armors and shields of history, various powers and devices have also been developed over time to protect their wielder. acts like health, providing extra damage you can take. It is also the first points lost when taking damage. Note, armor must be repaired via an Item or Skill in order to restore its points after having been depleted.

Pierce Of course, since armor was created, adversaries have been trying to find a way around it. An Item or ability which possesses the piercing quality will ignore up to the specified amount of armor. Any armor above and beyond the specified amount will stop damage as normal.

Toxic There are also more insidious ways to deal damage, with the intent to kill slowly or debilitate instead of instantly incapacitate. Poisons, toxins, and abilities that cause damage over time will be indicated as , with an indicated amount how much damage is dealt every 30 Rounds of Timed Combat, or every 5 minutes of Real Time. The toxic effect can only be removed by Items and abilities that specifically cure toxins.

Burst There is strength in speed, and items or abilities which allow for multiple attacks or actions in a round will be indicated by the Burst modifier. This allows for the Item or ability to be used as many times as indicated per round of Timed Combat. The Item or ability will also indicate whether it must have an S single target, or if it can be used against M multiple targets. So for example, a machine gun that can burst fire three shots in a round at a single target would be indicated as 3S, while a blade that can be used for multiple strikes in melee would be indicated as 2M.


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subdual Not all Items or abilities are designed to kill or maim, but instead to simply subdue. Any item or ability marked by can only be used as a non-lethal attack, and will only knock out a target instead of sending them into bleed out.

shock Another form of non-lethal attack utilized by mystical and technological abilities alike is the Shock effect. Items or abilities that successfully deal damage to their targets health with the modifier do not deal any damage, but instead force the target to lose their next rounds actions. They may defend themselves as normal, but cannot move, activate Augment abilities, or attack.

Haste While very rarely found within True Time, Aether abilities and technologies have made it possible to move at super human speeds. Abilities or Items with the modifier allows the user to perform two actions in a single round so long as the Item or ability is activated.

Concealable Some Items and weapons are more subtle than others. A card with on it does not require the player to show a physical representation of the object on their person.

Clip Ranged weapons only have so many projectiles. From bows and arrows to guns and rifles, each have only so many times they may be fired. Clip indicates how much ammunition each Ranged weapon carries before needing to be reloaded.

reload Nocking an arrow or changing a clip takes time. Reload functions as a Sustained Action with the value denoting how many rounds you must actively reload before the weapon is ready to fire again.

silenced Sometimes subtlety isnt enough; one must achieve invisibility. An item marked may be used without revealing the location of a hidden or obscured attacker.


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For example: Jason has drawn a bead on Dan with his Long Arm rifle. Dan has not noticed, as he is currently swinging at Jeff in Hand to Hand. Jason calls out Ranged 8 Dan, and Dan reacts to the punch of a rifle bullet for 4 damage. Fortunately for Dan, he was wearing his Armor today. His 1 turns Jasons 4 damage into 3 damage, leaving Dan with 1 Health out of 4 and still in the game.

Jason would love to shoot Dan again, but he used up his on a different opponent, and his weapon has 4. Dan has 4 rounds before Jason can fire on him again, enough time to get the hell out of Dodge.

COMBat aCtiOns

A player must choose and declare one action per round that they are performing at the top of the round.

standard Action Character may move up to their Speed in steps and may make a Ranged attack, Melee attack, Hand to Hand attack, or activation of an Augment effect at any point during their movement. Ranged attacks are resolved as Dexterity Versus Dexterity, while Melee and Hand to Hand Attacks are resolved as Brawn Versus Brawn, unless otherwise stated on the Item, Specialty, or Augment card. (For the purposes of brevity, Melee will be used to represent both Hand to Hand and Melee attacks in this section.)

Attack for effect Character may move up their Speed in steps and make one Melee attack, declaring the intent of the attack. Attacks for effect include Disarm Item, Knock Prone, Blocking Movement, Grapple, and Disengage.

With a successful Dexterity versus Brawn challenge, an Item may be Disarmed. Disarmed Items are discarded to the floor at least 1 step away from both attacker and defender.

A character can be knocked Prone by a successful Brawn versus Dexterity challenge. Prone characters must spend 1 Step to stand before they may resume their movement. Note that this interrupts the targets current movement, and must be resolved before the targets movement can continue.

A Blocking Movement cannot be moved past within Melee reach without passing a Dexterity Versus Brawn or Brawn versus Brawn challenge (For example, blocking a doorway.) This interrupts the targets current movement, and if the attack is successful, ends the targets remaining movement this round. This does not prevent the attacker from being attacked via Melee attacks.


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To Grapple, the attacker must make a successful Brawn versus Dexterity check and be able to reach their target with both arms. If successful, the target cannot move (but may still attack and defend) until they Disengage from their attacker. The attacker may choose to end the Grapple at any time, and can take no aggressive action but to hold their target in place so long as they maintain the Grapple.

To Disengage, a successful Brawn Versus Brawn forces the target to move away from the attacker by two steps.

Focused Attack The character may not move, but may double either Offensive Brawn or Dexterity this round. They may only make one attack or aggressive Augment effect this round, regardless of special effects or Items that allow for multiple attacks.

Focused Defense The character may move up to half their Speed rounded down in Steps, but cannot perform any attacks or aggressive Augment effects. Their Defensive Dexterity and Brawn are doubled for this round.

Dash The character may move up to double their Speed in Steps in a straight line, but may not take any other action this round. They may still defend as normal.

An example of some terms: Kat, seeing Dean running for the door, starts taking three Steps towards Dean. Dean is outside of the reach of her Discreet Weapon knife, but Kat wants to keep the option for attacking this turn and does not declare Dash. Dean wants to get the hell out of this kill box of a room, and declares Dash. Dean has a Speed of 4, so he is allowed 8 paces at full sprint.

Abigail sees that Dean is running towards the door and she declares Dash as well. Abigail has a movement of 5, so her Dash is a 10. She begins to take her 10 Steps and reaches the only exit of the room before Dean reaches the door. Dean is still two Steps away from the door.


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The Time Keeper yells Turn, and the action continues. Abigail declares Focused Defense, intending to let no one through the doorway she is standing in. Dean realizes he can not move Abigail out of the doorway without some struggle, so he does not move towards the door.

zerO health, BleeDing OutanD nOn-lethal attaCks

It is assumed that all attacks against a target are intended to be lethal strikes unless otherwise stated. When a character loses all of their health, they are considered incapacitated and Bleeding Out. They may no longer take any action except roleplaying being in severe pain and talking quietly and slowly. They are literally on deaths doorstep, and if left too long will Bleed Out and die.

If an attack is made that is non-lethal, instead of entering Bleed Out, they are simply knocked out. To declare a non-lethal attack, the attacker needs to state that their damage is non-lethal and be using a Melee or Hand to Hand attack. Ranged attacks may not be made non-lethal unless a Specialty or Item card says otherwise. A knocked out character will remain unconscious for 10 minutes outside of Timed Combat, or 100 rounds in Timed Combat.

So long as the character is knocked out or Bleeding Out, they are considered Prone and may only use a single Core card for their resolution hand to defend against incoming attacks. If at any time, a knocked out character receives damage, they immediately return to consciousness at zero health and are now Bleeding Out.

A character may provide medical assistance via the Medicine skill for one full round to immediately revive a knocked out character at 1 health.

For example: Clinton has been hit by a flung bench, effectively ruining his day. He has been dropped from 4 Health to Bleed Out. Fortunately for Clinton, Rebecca is at hand, and has both the specialty: Medic and the item: Medical gear. She uses her Skill in Medicine and her First Aid Kit to restore 2 of Clintons Health as a Action over 10 rounds. Justin keeps a watch over them both, ensuring that Rebecca is not interrupted and allowing Clinton to get back on his feet.

BleeDing Out anD killing BlOWs

Once a character has begun to Bleed Out, they are in a very dangerous position. That character has five minutes outside of Timed Combat, or 150 Rounds of Timed Combat, before they will die without


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medical assistance. They are also vulnerable to someone putting them out of their misery by administering a killing blow. A successful attack of any kind on a character in Bleed Out immediately ends the characters Bleed Out, killing them outright.

DeClaring the enD Of tiMeD COMBat

If at the end of any Timed Combat round there are no conflicting actions being resolved, the Game Organizer can declare Timed Combat Over and resume the normal flow of time. Game play may now continue at full speed again.

live aCtiOn versus narrative play

There will be times when you find yourself as a player or Game Organizer wanting to include action that cannot be safely or reasonably represented in the Live Game play area. While it would certainly be amazing if you could have a car chase or set yourself up with a sniper rifle on a church steeple, there are elements that simply cannot be enacted while still following the universal rules we discussed in the introduction. For these instances, the game enters Narrative Play, where a Game Organizer and the players involved step into another area and work through their actions with words and descriptions, in place of acting them out in the Live play space.

While players are in Narrative play, card resolutions are handled in the same way, but distances, placement, and setting are at the discretion and description of the Game Organizer running the Narrative Play sequence. A sequence can be as simple as making a phone call to a friend at a laboratory to analyze some materials youve collected, or can be as in depth and complex as crossing a Threshold into another world and exploring what lies beyond.

the stOry taBle

In addition to being a gateway to Narrative Play, the Story Table also serves as a location where certain cards must be played that affect gameplay at large. There must be a table in the space designated as the Story Table. If players use a power, Item, or ability that could be easily detected by someone in the space, they then play that card upon it. The Story Table is considered an Out Of Game area for all intents and purposes, but allows for players to check in and see what persistent effects might be lingering in the play space. Game Organizers may also use this space to leave announcements for players regarding elements in play that all characters have a chance of discovering.


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For example: Ethan has cast a Ritual within the space, but out of sight of the other characters. However, the magic lingers in the air, and the Ritual card is placed on the Story Table. Any choosing to pay attention may then notice that magic has recently been worked here.

narrative play integratiOn

There are billions of possible worlds in the Chronos universe, and many of them do not obey the laws of True TIme; magic, monsters and massive machines may appear. In order to depict the scope of these worlds, you may wish to temporarily move your characters into Narrative Play. By moving the action to the players imagination, you will find that there is opportunity for far, far larger scope in your stories, but be wary of losing the characters in the action.

Chronos Narrative play integration can work three ways:

Primarily Narrative In this style, the game larg

Documents

CHRONOS Universal LARP System Core Rulesbook