Battlelords of the 23rd Century, 7th Edition - Science Fiction Roleplaying Game
Created by 23rd Century Productions
Battlelords of the 23rd Century (Kickstarter Edition) is a full color, hardcover tabletop sci-fi RPG book. The new version features streamlined rules.
Kickstarter is now closed, but you can still purchase the book at retail price below.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Stretch Goal #1 Complete! Stretch Goal #2 (17k) started! Stretch Goal #3 (18k) on deck
over 6 years ago
– Wed, Oct 18, 2017 at 05:14:16 PM
The Kickstarter is Funded!
Stretch Goal #1 UNLOCKED!
We have exceeded the funding required to unlock Stretch Goal #1: "Armor Up." So expect some new Battlelords scenarios and missions in your future! Thanks for your support! Let's keep the momentum going!
Stretch Goal #2 ($17,000): Artist Bonuses
Stretch Goal #2 is intended to share the wealth. We can’t do this alone and we appreciate the artists who freelance for us to create our visions. This stretch goal is a way to thank the artists who make our Core Book look amazing! We’re paying our artists a 5% bonus on top of their standard fee when receiving a finished piece if we meet this stretch goal.
Stretch Goal #3 gives a little more depth to the aliens out there. Sometimes you’d rather face an Alien rather than a heavily armed mercenary protecting a pirate’s stolen goods, other times, you see the plus side to something that won’t rip your arms off or steal your sanity.
This 48pp (est) PDF “Uncle Ernies catalog of dangerous creatures 2275 ce” will focus on some of the dangerous aliens you may find deployed by anarchists trying to take down the government, allied to the Ak-Nar-Ryn, or maybe just infecting a space ship that made a rift run and is now drifting towards shipping lanes. For those who've been around a while, you’ll recognize some of these guys from Uncle Ernie’s Minions of Doom but rest assured there will also be some fresh faces.
Be sure to spread the word about our Kickstarter to anyone you think would enjoy playing Battlelords of the 23rd Century.
In addition to our Kickstarter campaign emails, if you’d like to stay up-to-date on the latest info about Battlelords head over to www.facebook.com/battlelords and ‘Like’ our page.
Battlelords Quote of the Day
... and my favorite.
"If you're not excessive, then you're never really sure."
Day 28
over 6 years ago
– Tue, Oct 17, 2017 at 07:41:07 PM
Homestretch
As I write this we are 96% funded, and less than $500 from our funding goal, with about 50 hours left to go in the Kickstarter Campaign. We know we can make it with your help and support. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and stuck with us through the campaign!
Re-occurring themes in Battlelords
Battlelords takes place in a war-torn universe. There can be no doubt about that. Most characters fight using whatever they inherited or can scrounge up, assuming they’re not enlisted in the Alliance military. There are certainly places in the Battlelords universe that are bastions of wealth, technology, and high society, but often they’re not what they appear.
Theme One: Everything is dirty (and probably broken) even if you can't see it.
One of my favorite scenarios to run takes place at a luxury space resort, orbiting a stellar nebula. In true Battlelords fashion the lavish resort is actually a remodeled mining station, but the guests don’t know that. The poor characters, who have to scour the antiquated innards of the station, however, discover this in short order. The characters are forced to search through the cramped, pipe-filled, maintenance tunnels looking for the hostile alien lifeforms (HALs) that have been eating the guests. The station’s crumbling infrastructure make their job increasingly difficult to keep the presence of the HALs a secret from the tourists, per their orders. The corridors aren't the only thing that's dirty. Many of the characters attempting this mission are already flawed and emotionally broken thanks to rolls on the Character Development Tables.
“What do you mean there are no sensors down here?”
Theme Two: Nothing goes as planned.
Some wise military scholar once said, "all plans breakdown at first contact with the enemy." The best laid plans… The path to hell… This is an all-to-familiar theme for humanity in general and doubly so for Battlelords. In the scenario I detailed above the critters that were lurking in the steam tunnels eventually escape into a crowded dinning area, filled with tasty-looking patrons. This lovely dining spot is bordered by a massive, arcing, transparent wall, which runs along the outside of the station. The glass-like wall gives dinner guests a fantastic view of the nebula. The wall also happens to be less resistant to weapon's fire, than the original, reinforced, outer bulkhead of the mining station that the transparent wall replaced.
“What’s all that screaming?”
Theme Three: Pristine stuff is going to get destroyed or dirty.
Nothing stays intact for long in the Battlelords universe. Armor, weapons, dining rooms filled with size class 9 HALs, character’s souls. They all get tarnished along the way. In my scenario, the characters, in an attempt to save their jobs, and the dinner patrons will try to debilitate the HALs without maiming any guests. Accidentally dismembering a paying guest would surely get a character a black mark on their corporate record. In short order the heavily armed and under-trained characters will turn this beautiful corporate vacation spot into a war zone, thus completing the trifecta of Battlelords themes.
“This is why we can’t have nice things, Fred.”
This brings us to “The Three Gs”
As a visual reinforcement of these themes, most things you see depicted in the artwork for the 7th edition of Battlelords of the 23rd Century feature at least one of three Gs: Grime. Graffiti. Gear. Unless it’s fresh off the showroom floor, most stuff the characters have is going to be dirty, pockmarked, riddled with dents from bullet strikes, and covered in grime.
Since nothing ever goes according to plan, it is best to be prepared for anything. As a result, smart characters are often festooned with gear. Since the typical soldier carries up to 40% of his body weight anyway, being festooned with gear isn’t necessarily unusual for soldiers. However, the A-grav tech in Battlelords lets some characters take this to a whole new level.
Lastly, you know stuff is going to get dirty or get destroyed, so why not preemptively deface it with a little graffiti. Many of the armored suits and ultra armor shown in the book have graffiti, most of which has conveys that same dark humor we love in Battlelords. At least let the other guy know you’ve got a sense of humor, before he starts scorching the outside of your armor and boiling the contents.
Be sure to spread the word about our Kickstarter to anyone you think would enjoy playing Battlelords of the 23rd Century.
In addition to our Kickstarter campaign emails, if you’d like to stay up-to-date on the latest info about Battlelords head over to www.facebook.com/battlelords and ‘Like’ our page.
Battlelords Quote of the Day
"Carnage-a-comin'" -Graffiti on the side of an MBA helmet.
Rank Insignia (Work-in-Progress)
Stretch Goal #1 Update - 16k
over 6 years ago
– Tue, Oct 17, 2017 at 07:39:18 PM
Stretch Goal #1
Our first stretch Goal is focused on adventure hooks and source material. It is the “Armor up!" mission book PDF with 48pp est. of material covering scenarios for Mercenaries & Soldiers. It will include strategies for creating teams to survive in a dangerous future. We will also include some additional pieces of equipment to help teams round out their experience. The Stretch goal will be light on artwork unless we exceed the $16k threshold. The budget for art will be increased if we exceed $16k.
Tell us your favorite gaming moment!
We are nearing the finish line. Thank you for all of the support. We’ve been doing a lot of the talking. What do you like most about Battlelords?
Be sure to spread the word about our Kickstarter to anyone you think would enjoy playing Battlelords of the 23rd Century.
In addition to our Kickstarter campaign emails, if you’d like to stay up-to-date on the latest info about Battlelords head over to www.facebook.com/battlelords and ‘Like’ our page.
Battlelords Quote of the Day
<Brandishing Thunderbolt Generator> “He’s trying to steal my thunder, but the lightning is what I need."
Spies, Rebels, and Police. Oh my!
over 6 years ago
– Tue, Oct 17, 2017 at 07:37:02 PM
Spies, Rebels, and Police. Oh my!
"How did I end up in this mess? It smells bad and I miss my heavy armor. I am now crouched, hiding in an alley, wearing nothing but some old beat up street armor and armed with nothing but a bargain basement laser pistol. The Mazian is next to the trash bin disguised as a bag of trash. I think that’s the Mazian. It could just be a bag of trash. The Keen is somewhere, but I sure can’t see him. The Cizerack is on the rooftop watching. The Ram got sent home. He was too big and was scaring off all the informants. Now we are waiting for the deal to go down. After a long night gathering information, our Orion just found out that the crooks who stole the company’s designs and prototype weapons are going to be here to make a deal with one of the local street gangs. Though they could be the rebels, pretending to be the local street gang. That would make things interesting. It was happening soon and we had to move quickly. No time to armor up. We are supposed to capture these guys so we can find the brains behind this operation. If they are rebels we’re going to be outgunned. Who said a Battlelord can’t be flexible?"
The Battlelords of the 23rd Century roleplaying game allows for tons of flexibility in the types of games you can play. Your characters can be in Ultra Armor one day and fighting hand-to-hand the next day. One mission you might be bodyguards and on the next you’re doing corporate espionage work. Sometimes a Battlelord needs to gather intel, whether on a rim world looking for loot, or finding evidence of what Uncle Ernie might have planned. A Battlelord must be flexible and be able to use all of the skills at their disposal. Don’t let the name fool you.
Be sure to spread the word about our Kickstarter to anyone you think would enjoy playing Battlelords of the 23rd Century.
In addition to our Kickstarter campaign emails, if you’d like to stay up-to-date on the latest info about Battlelords head over to www.facebook.com/battlelords and ‘Like’ our page.
Battlelords Quote of the Day
"We Kill more people by 10am than most people do all day."
-Adversting material for Wax ‘em & Fax ‘em Bounty Hunters service
"Say hello to my little friend."
Day 25
over 6 years ago
– Sat, Oct 14, 2017 at 08:37:47 PM
Homestretch
We’re in the home stretch of our Kickstarter campaign for the 7th edition of the Battlelords of the 23rd Century tabletop roleplaying game. Please be sure to stop by our Facebook page and “like” and share one of our posts about the Kickstarter to your Facebook page to help spread the word.
In addition, if you’d like to post your own advert about our kickstarter, we have our ad images linked below.
We understand that not everyone is financially able to contribute, but if Battlelords intrigued you enough to visit our Kickstarter we’re betting the final product will blow your mind. Please feel free to ask us whatever you’d like to know about the book and/or the campaign via Kickstarter’s Message system.
There’s a reason Battlelords has been around for nearly 30 years while other sci-fi games have come and gone!
If you haven’t been able to pledge or have been holding off on pledging, now is the time!
We’d love to have your support and we know you’ll enjoy the game.
Be sure to spread the word about our Kickstarter to anyone you think would enjoy playing Battlelords of the 23rd Century.
In addition to our Kickstarter campaign emails, if you’d like to stay up-to-date on the latest info about Battlelords head over to www.facebook.com/battlelords and ‘Like’ our page.
