You are a Time Traveller.
The Time Line is not as robust as everybody seemed to think. While stepping on a butterfly doesn't dramatically change everything, it turns out that you're not alone in being able to a time Travel. Some of your fellow Travellers are not nice.
Card Types:
Traveller Cards
Big cards with lots of information about a Traveller. Includes bio, special abilities, unique win conditions, attributes, and health. These go in front of the player.
Age Cards
Big cards that are placed in a Time Period along the Time Line to define that time period. These effect the rules for players in that Age. Extra draws, extra time tokens, etc. These will have a designating symbol that corresponds with other symbols on other cards.
The Deck.
Historic Cards
Figures, items, and locations from history. These are played during a player's turn into the Age they are currently in. They have a cost in Time Tokens to be played. If they are played in the corresponding Age, then they cost nothing to play. These cards will have minor effects on the game rules but are required to resolve Event Cards. Historical Cards on the Time Line may be used by any player. (Designer note: we don't want players hoarding historic cards to play them all in one go or to just play them when an event becomes resolvable. Hmmm...)
Event Cards
These have a different back than the other cards in the deck. When an event cards comes up in the deck it is immediately placed in the current age face up. Three counters are placed on it and one is removed each Round. When the last counter is removed, the event resolves often with dramatically disastrous results.
Temporal Cards
Players may play these cards during and out of their turn. There are different types of Temporal Cards, event modifiers, Enemy Cards, and Time Line manipulations.
Companion and equipment cards
Cards that go in front of the player and modifies their attributes or give them abilities.
Tokens
Time Tokens
Generated by a Traveller at the beginning of their Turn. Used to play cards and use abilities. (Design note; Do we want a cap on how many can be stored?)
Anomaly Tokens
Generated by certain cards and events not being resolved in time. These are placed in an Age. Too many Anomaly tokens will cause the Time Line to change. Some Temporal Cards and abilities have Anomaly Token costs to play.
Player Tokens
Used to indicate where a player is in the Time Line.
There are three attributes on each Traveller and each Figure card. They are represented by a shape, but are often referred to by different names on the cards.
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Set Up
The Time Line
There are five (5) Time Periods along the Time Line; Distant Past, Past, Present, Future, and Distant Future. Each one gets an Age Card. The initial Age Cards are determined by looking at the Traveller cards. If that is less than five (5) then choose Age cards at random until you have five (5). Shuffle the five (5) and place them on the Time Line starting in the Distant Past. Shuffle remaining Age Cards and set them to the side.
Players place their Traveller Token in the Age indicated on their cards.
Turns and Rounds
Each player gets one turn during a round. The round is when play progresses from the Distant Past to the Distant Future.
Turn Order
Turn Order is established at the beginning of each round. Players in the past take their turn before players in the future. If two or more players are in the same Age at this step, then keep previous Turn order.
The player going last deals out seven cards to each player, any Event cards that come up are placed on the Time Line starting in the Distant Past. Each Age receives one as they come up.
On their turn a player does the following:
- Draw a card
- Generate Time Tokens
- spend Time Tokens to perform actions and play cards.
Spending Time Tokens
On the player's Turn
- Move Traveller Token to a different Age.
- Pay the cost of a card to put into play.
- Pay and place a card Face Down under an Event Card.* (See Resolving Events)
- Pay to recruit a Companion.
Out of Turn
- Spend Time Tokens to play Temporal Cards.
Resolving Events
On a Player's Turn they may attempt to resolve an Event. A player resolves an event by comparing the attribute number on the Event Card to the relevant Attribute on the Traveller Card. If the Traveller's attribute is higher than they have resolved the event.
There are two (2) effects written on the Event Card, one if the requirements are met, the other if they are not. The player announces which effect they are going for. Other Players may play Temporal Cards to help or hinder the Player attempting to resolve the Event.
Events require Historical Cards to be resolved. The Historical Cards required will be on the Event.
When a player announces they are attempting to resolve an Event, they reveal any cards that have been placed beneath the Event and treat them as if they had just been played. (design note; orientation of card to indicate if they are helping or hindering?)
There are two types of events, minor and Major. Minor events have low costs and low risks but enough of them can have major effects. Major Events have higher costs and higher risks but can reshape the Time Line more dramatically than minor events.
Other players may assist or hinder a player directly so long as they are in the same Age as the acting player.
Anomaly Tokens
Anomaly Tokens are generated when Events don't happen as they should, when Temporal Cards indicate, and when a card is played in an incompatible Age. Things happen as these tokens accumulate. Examples: three Anomaly Tokens in an Age, move one Event Card and all Face down cards beneath it from another Age to this one. Seven Anomaly Tokens discard the next Age Card from the Time Line as well as all Events in that Age. Some cards consume Anomaly Tokens as a cost or an effect.
Recruiting Companions.
On the Traveller Cards are three slots for companions and Equipment. Any Figure may be recruited as a Companion. On their cards is a cost to recruit and they fill up a slot. They may still be used to meet Event Costs but are not available to all players.
Equipment
These fill up the same slots as companions.
Winning the game.
Each Traveller Card has a unique Win Condition.
(designer notes: k
