Titans Of Titan - The Game

What follows is fiction and much of it is a fiction within a fiction. It expands on what was described here.

The Titans Of Titan Role-Play Game was hastily written to try and revive flagging interest in the toy franchise and a small run was published in 1988 by Aquila Publishing (producers of quality books on cookery and wine-making). It came as a boxed set comprising a game book (including a colour insert of images drawn from the telemovies), a card-paper Game Programer screen with cellophane windows, some dice, a plastic hex-map approximately scaled to the toys, and a pad of player character record sheets. That pad included pre-filled sheets for characters depicted by the toys.

Games such as Dungeons & Dragons were controversial in the 80s. The Duchess Gloriana XIII and her Ducal Minister for Trinkets the Professor Dom Woodlock were aware of this but figured that the rather matter-of-fact science-fiction story-telling of Titans Of Titan as shown in the telemovies would escape the scare. After all, there was nothing supernatural or pagan in its content. You cannot please everyone however, and the rather occultist Grand Fenwick chapter of the Worldwide Order of Oddballs (WOOB) objected to this very lack. How could such cold and clinical story-telling ever prepare the hearts and minds of Alpine youths for the wonder of transcendent oddness? Woodlock attempted to placate this influential group, with whom he regularly shared drinks at the Fenwick Grand Coffee House, by reminding them that key Titans Of Titan characters were named for immortals of antiquity. Gloriana went one better, however, by hinting to them that there were coded occult messages hidden within the text and illustrations of the boxed set. To this very day, Fenwickian WOOBs argue over the true meaning of the game.

The telemovies were all set on Earth but the Titans Of Titan game proposed storytelling on the technological homeworld of the Titans. The game simply called it The Homeworld or 001 (which orbited a neutron star with the designation 000). It was a setting of clashing factions, side-switching mercenary crews and non-aligned energy shelters. Several elements of back-story were described only in the game book. The homeworld was of immense age and the Titans themselves told tales of its design at the hands of an utterly impersonal yet clock-work obsessed prime mover. They went onto say they were the oldest existing sentient species and that it was they who had created organic life as an aberration of nanotechnology. Despite this, key aspects of the Titan body plan were distinct from those of other life-forms. They had what looked like heads but only sensors and a sense-coordination processor were housed within. The central computer of a Titan was located well inside its vented torso and as such the head was technically an extremity.

Titans were far from self-sufficient however and needed external technology and energy. The ability to assume fresh camouflage was renewed by ancient and sophisticated installations called Progenitor Kilns. Likewise new Titans could only be forged in these same devices. The only way to activate a Progenitor Kiln was for two existing Titans to work in tandem. This ensured a degree of collaboration and negotiation in the fabrication of such powerful robots. Each Titan was programmed with a code-key that interfaced with Titan technology. Titans possessed either an electronic or a positronic code, the former more common than the latter, and activating a kiln required the involvement of both keys.

Woodlock regarded robots as neuter but Gloriana insisted that they be masculine or feminine for the sake of character appeal. Only in the pages of the game book was a compromised explanation given. It was important for long-term Titan survival that they identify who possesses which of the two code-keys. Automatic translation of Titan communication into human languages usually rendered this distinction by utilizing gendered pronouns. Among the few Titans met by humans the electronic coded ones tended to be bigger and had more bass-toned vocal simulations. Humans went onto regard electronic and positronic code-holders as masculine and feminine respectively. Titans responded by saying this was a flawed understanding and one that overlooked the role of the kilns themselves. Some Titans advised humans that they wished to be known as 'it' but others were happy with and adapted to the human perception.

Only some of the game book was given over to such esoterica. Most of it was dedicated to character generation and game-play. The rules were rudimentary and had many gaps which players were left to fill. Some of its game mechanics were the work of an original mind but others were very derivative. The most blatant of these borrowings was that the concepts of Strength, Intelligence, Speed, Endurance, Rank, Courage, Firepower and Skill were taken directly from rival Transformers brand toy packaging.

Rank And Ability Scores

Rank is separated from the others characteristics as the equivalent of experience level in the game. Characters start adventuring at Rank 1 and can advance as far as Rank 5. Promotion is awarded by the Game Programer (the referee-narrator) following successful missions. Every promotion beyond Rank 1 results in an improvement of 1 to each of seven Ability Scores (and consequently the re-calculation of other derivative scores).

To generate Ability Scores players are allocated 35 points to distribute as they wish among Intelligence, Skill, Courage, Speed, Firepower, Strength and Endurance. However each initial score cannot exceed 10. The maximum Ability Score of 15 is the result of additional bonuses described herein. A Titan named Template (the most average of all alien robots) at Rank 1 has a score of 5 in each ability.

- Intelligence determines access to a list of computerized super-powers. Each super-power has a value of 3 Intelligence to compute. So far Template can only use one super-power but at Rank 2 once it has an Intelligence of 6 it will have access to two.

- Skill determines how well one performs functional tasks. A 20-sided dice is rolled and Skill score is added. An 11 or better total is needed for a task to succeed. Template rolls a 5 and even with its bonus of 5 still falls short of success in a chosen task.

- Courage determines position in the sequence of turns taken in combat. Template takes its actions after someone with a Courage of 6 but before someone with a Courage of 4.

- Speed indicates how many actions can be taken within ones turn. Actions include mode-changes, using a super-power, performing a duty, attacks or seeking shelter. A character can take one action for every 3 increments in Speed. So far Template can only take one action but at Rank 2 once it has a Speed of 6 it will be able to take two actions.

- Firepower is added to damage done by all projectile and energy weapons. Template can add 5 Life Force damage to what its energy blaster automatically inflicts.

- Strength score determines damage dealt in hand-to-hand combat and is added to damage done by melee weapons. Template can punch or kick for 5 Life Force damage.

- Endurance indicates how much damage is regenerated per turn. Template has a total of 5 Life Force restored to it per turn (assuming it has taken that much damage in combat).

Size

All Titans fall into the sizes of Small, Medium, Large, Huge or Massive (only the Game Programer can operate characters of the last size which tend to be gestalts or armoured augments). Each limits what a Titan can camouflage themselves as. Among Probots a small Titan could be a motorcycle, a medium Titan a car, a large Titan a truck, a huge Titan a passenger helicopter.

Small characters get a +1 bonus allocated to Speed but a -1 penalty to Endurance. Large characters get a +1 bonus allocated to their choice of Strength, Endurance or Firepower. Huge characters get bonuses of +2 to allocate to one or two of those same scores. Massive characters get bonuses of +3 to allocate across any of those same scores. In all cases however a total score can never exceed 15. Template is Medium in size so nothing changes.

Life Force

Life Force is the energy store of a Titan and is generated by multiplying Speed and Endurance scores and is re-calculated at every Rank promotion. Damage is deducted from Life Force. If it is ever reduced to 0 then the character is deactivated. If half of ones total Life Force is deducted due to just one attack then it results in the loss of a robot or camo-mode extremity. Template has a Life Force of 25. If it is promoted to Rank 2 then that will be recalculated to a Life Force of 36. If it takes 13 damage from one attack (half of 25 rounded up) then Template could lose its head!

Camo-Charges And Camo-Modes

Camo-Charges are expended by Titans to assume Camo-Modes in addition to the default robot mode. Expending one charge gives a character one form of camouflage to use as much as they wish. Expending another allows either the replacement of that form with a new one or the adoption of modularity. Modularity allows a character to combine into a new form with fellow Titans as a gestalt or to itself be composed of separate modular components with limited autonomy. A character can only be using two Camo-Charges at a time. A character is given a maximum of three Camo-Charges at a time by a Progenitor Kiln. Template has so far expended one so has just one rather pedestrian Camo-Mode of a utility vehicle (but also two spare charges to use later).

Factions

The game lists the Factions that a character can belong to as the Probots and Kronotons. It also provides suggestions on how to devise new factions and sub-factions. Probots and Kronotons tend to assume civilian and military Camo-Modes respectively.

Belonging to a faction can convey particular super-powers to a character free of the limitations of Intelligence. Krontons have Short Range Flight and Signal Blocking for free. Probots have Magnetism and Pressure Resistance for free. Note that Template is a Probot.

Functions And Tasks

A character can choose to fulfill one of the following roles known as Functions - Warrior, Scout, Engineer. Occupying such roles determines which functional Tasks a character can perform. Massive characters can only be Warriors. Characters of Rank 4 or 5 can occupy two of the three functions. Template is yet to choose a function. Each Function can perform the Tasks unique to it on a successful Task check as described under Skill.

- Warriors must have Courage of 6 or better and either Firepower or Endurance of 6 or better. They can (i) Anticipate And Deflect one attack from the turn of a following opponent if they choose to use one action of their current turn. Warriors reduced to Life Force 0 can still have one more turn to perform a (ii) Drone Attack - a final instinctive berserk assault.

- Scouts must have Courage and Skill of 6 or better. Smaller ones tend to act as spies. Scouts can (i) Detect Energy And Minerals (including metal and therefore fellow Titans) within as many kilometres as they have ranks. They can (ii) Hack Security Protocols. And they can (iii) Secretly Store Sensitive Data.

- Engineers must have Skill and Intelligence of 6 or better. Larger ones tend to act as labourers. Engineers can (i) Multiply Life Force Regeneration by 2 for themselves or another robot. They can (ii) Modify And Maintain Machines. And they can (iii) Design And Construct such structures as shelters and energy stores.

Super-Powers

All Titans can perform the sorts of technological acts one would expect of sophisticated robots. This includes direction and altitude sense, short range remote communication, recording and relaying sense data, infra-red and ultra-violet vision, super-and-sub sonic hearing, universal translation and whatever operations arise from particular Camo-Modes. They can also choose extra super-powers within the limits of one per every 3 increments of Intelligence from the following list. Which super-power should Template choose?

- Armoured Camo-Mode allows one to take one-half damage from any attack while in camo-mode. One cannot use robot mode weapons while in this mode.

- Force Field Generation forms a barrier that has half the total Life Force of the robot that generated it and can be utilized in the service of that and two other Titans of the same size. It can last as many turns as the user has ranks or till it is extinguished.

- Holographic Projection can produce an illusion within line-of-sight that includes visual and audial components and lasts as many turns as the user has ranks.

- Invisibility can deflect light around the user for as many turns as the user has ranks. This allows one surprise attack before Courage scores are arranged for combat sequence.

- Long Range Remote Communication exceeds the limit of short-range communication (as many kilometres as the user has rank) and can extend to an entire Earth-sized planet. It can be performed once within a turn.

- Magnetism allows the user to move ferromagnetic objects at a distance of as many meters as they are tall. The objects cannot be bigger than something that the robot could move by handling them. It can be performed once within a turn. Probots have this automatically.

- Pressure Resistance allows Titans to survive in environments of significant pressure such as dense atmospheres or oceans. All Titans can survive thinner atmosphere or even space. Probots have this automatically.

- Program Override allows one robot to temporarily take over the actions of another within as many meters as they have ranks. The potential victim can resist by rolling its own Rank or lower on a 10-sided dice. The effect lasts as many turns as the user has ranks and the victim can make a resistance roll every turn. Also acts of self-destruction cannot be forced by this power.

- Signal Blocking prevents short range remote communication and reduces Long Range Remote Communication to only short range. It can be performed once within a turn. Kronotons have this automatically.

- Short Range Flight allows flight in robot mode within as many kilometres as the user has rank. To fly long range a character must possess an appropriate Camo-Mode (such as a plane). Kronotons have this power automatically.

Weapons

All Titans can punch or kick but can only interface with one weapon. Warriors get an additional weapon. Huge or Massive characters also get an additional weapon. An oversized warrior therefore has three weapons. Template however only has one. Weapons themselves determine chances of hitting on the roll of a 20-sided die.

- A Punch or Kick (only at close range) successfully hits on a roll of 11 or better and does damage equal to attacker Strength.

- Melee Weapons such as Electro-Blades and Vibro-Maces (only at close range) successfully hit on a roll of 11 or better and do damage generated by one 6-sided die.

- Machine Guns successfully hit on a roll of 8 or better and do damage generated by one 4-sided die.

- Energy Blasters successfully hit on a roll of 11 or better and do damage generated by one 8-sided die.

- Explosive Projectiles successfully hit on a roll of 14 or better and do damage generated by one 12-sided die. They also inflict half damage to any characters standing next to the character hit.

Any weapon incorporated into a Camo-Mode (such as explosive projectiles of military vehicles) does half the damage that an equivalent weapon would wielded in robot mode. Remember to add Strength or Firepower bonuses. With these and other rolls round up or down in whichever way benefits the player characters the most.

Despite these rudimentary game mechanics (or possibly because of them) the role-play game managed to survive and is still played as a novelty now-and-then. Complete boxed sets are very rare but the basic Titans Of Titan rules have been preserved online so anybody can play them. And if you are very lucky you may crack the code of its alleged esoteric lessons.