The Time is Now: Difference between revisions
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
====Part 1: Call to Action==== | ====Part 1: Call to Action==== | ||
Blaster and Perceptor introduce the team to [[Tracy Pembrooke|Doctor Tracy Pembrooke]] and ask them to escort her to a scientific symposium in New Mexico known as the Mobius Gathering. | [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] introduce the team to [[Tracy Pembrooke|Doctor Tracy Pembrooke]] and ask them to escort her to a scientific symposium in New Mexico known as the Mobius Gathering. | ||
====Part 2: The Doctor is In==== | ====Part 2: The Doctor is In==== | ||
On the way to the Mobius Gathering, the Autobots get to know Dr. Pembrooke better and learn more about the symposium. Once there, the team might attract the attention of a [[Blazewake|Decepticon Seeker]] if they don't blend in. | On the way to the Mobius Gathering, the Autobots get to know Dr. Pembrooke better and learn more about the symposium. Once there, the team might attract the attention of a [[Blazewake|Decepticon Seeker]] if they don't blend in. | ||
Revision as of 09:38, 6 November 2024
| |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| "The Time Is Now" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Renegade Game Studios | ||||||||||||
| First published | March 27, 2023 (digital) May 2023 (physical) | ||||||||||||
| Written by | Bryan CP Steele | ||||||||||||
| ISBN | ISBN 978-1-957311-25-8 | ||||||||||||
"The Time Is Now" is an adventure book for the Transformers Roleplaying Game. The adventure is optimized for 4 to 6 Autobot characters of 2nd level, which will reach level 6 by the end of the adventure. The adventure is set as a direct follow-up to the introductory adventure "Troubled Waters", published in the Core Rulebook, and can be played following "A Beacon of Hope", the adventure that came packaged with the Game Master Screen.
Contents
Chapter 1: Roll Out!
Part 1: Call to Action
Blaster and Perceptor introduce the team to Doctor Tracy Pembrooke and ask them to escort her to a scientific symposium in New Mexico known as the Mobius Gathering.
Part 2: The Doctor is In
On the way to the Mobius Gathering, the Autobots get to know Dr. Pembrooke better and learn more about the symposium. Once there, the team might attract the attention of a Decepticon Seeker if they don't blend in.
Part 3: Meeting of the Minds
The Autobots join Dr. Pembrooke in a virtual gathering of genius-level conspiracy theorists, researchers, and xenoscience experts. There are some high-concept discussions about temporal displacement and intergalactic matter transports; some of which seem seeded by beings that know a little too much.
Part 4: Keeping Secrets Secret
The Autobots discover a small unit of Decepticons gathering scientific data from the earthling geniuses and must track down the trespassing Decepticons. Why do these villains want this information, who is in charge of these spies, and why are they trying to kidnap these human scientists?
Part 5: A Wrinkle in Space-Time
After finding a test site for temporal experiments, the Autobots must deal with the side-effects of this new scientific procedure, figure out where the Decepticons are performing this crime against quantum physics, and stop them.
Part 6: Base Camp
The Autobots report what took place at the summit, preparing their commanding officers for what might come next.
Chapter 2: Looking Back to Go Forward
Chapter 3: Cybertron Never Dies
Chapter 4: Burning Bridges
Appendix: Threat Stat Blocks
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Notes
Trivia
- Throughout the book, several images depicting a team of Autobots used as stand-ins for the player characters can be seen. Members of this rather eclectic group include: Gauge, Hound, Novastar, Seaspray , Smokescreen, and Springer.
- Among the more established Decepticons, four brand new 'Cons are presented in this book, including the seeker Blazewake, the spy Spikestrip, the engineer Static, and the brawler Trasher.
- Despite him featuring in the synopsis of the adventure, as well as being on the cover of the book, Soundwave is relegated to little more than a bit player in the escapades that unfold, especially after the conclusion of the second chapter, after which he’s only mentioned in passing. It can be reasoned that the recognizability of Soundwave trumps that of actual big-bad, Mindwipe, in terms of marketing.
- This book includes rules for Combiners! They're basically an abridged version of the rules for combining Zords in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Roleplaying Game, also developed and published by Renegade Game Studios.
Transformers references
- The book features a few noteworthy alien races pulled from various corners of the Transformers mythos, including:
- Velgrox, who originated in Rescue Bots,
- Catharsians, Gorlamites, and Miliarians, all of whom had their origins in the 2005 IDW continuity,
- Nebulans who are a well-known species to many longtime fans of the franchise,
- Arcadroids ("Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1") and Eurythmans ("Carnage in C-Minor"), both somewhat obscure aliens that appeared in a single episode of the original cartoon each.
- Also Lightpoles!
- The Devourers, Meanaconda, Reptaurica are all described as being proto-versions of established Transformer factions, specifically, the Terrorcons, Predacons, and Dinobots, respectively.
- The Devourers bear a striking resemblance to the Terrorcon Sinnertwin.
- Mindwipe's fascination with the dead is an allusion to his original characterization, an aspect of him that's never been that much in focus whenever he's been included in stories.
- Unicron appears in two separate images in this book, but isn’t included as a threat or even alluded to at all within the story. Of his two appearances, one depicts him in his traditional Generation 1 design, while the second features him in the planet-mode of his Armada toy incarnation.
Errors
- There are several issues with the overview sections of each chapter, as many of the details presented there are just flat-out wrong when compared to the actual events of the chapters themselves.
- In the overview of chapter one, Dr. Pembrooke’s first name is spelled "Tract", instead of "Tracy". It also states that the Autobot player characters return to the Ark to deliver their report, something that doesn't happen, as they just call in for assistance.
- Chapter two’s overview states that Optimus Prime has a part to play in the beginning stages of the chapter, but he doesn't.
- When the player characters and Dr. Pembrooke are offered a chance to get to know each other in chapter one, the book states: "After a brief period of travel, Tracy asks whichever character is transporting her to open communications with the rest of the team so she can start a dialogue. Read or paraphrase the following."—only that the block quote meant to lead into the back-and-forth appears above this particular bit of text, not below it.
- In the intro to "Part 6: Base Camp", in the book's first chapter, Meanaconda is referred to as "Maniaconda"—despite his name being written correctly several other times on that very page.
- In the write-up of Spikestrip's abilities, an editor's note lingers, explaining what art to use in relation to the write-up.
