Spirit of the Century

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
Gorrillas, Biplanes, and Derring-Do!

The deadly Doctor Methuselah seeks to unravel time itself with his solution to the Eternity Equations. Gorilla Khan stalks darkest Africa from conquered Atlantis. Mad scientists, strange sorcerors, and power-hungry dictators all seek to undo the fate of humanity. It's the final century of the second millennium and you are our last hope!

—The back cover of the SotC rulebook

Spirit of the Century is a role-playing game of pulp-era adventure, using the FATE system (a variant of the FUDGE system). Characters are described by their Skills, their Stunts (which are basically ways to legally break the rules) and their Aspects. The game is designed as a "pick up game", features open-ended character creation and is fairly rules light. It also allows a large degree of player involvement in shaping the story - both through creating Aspects which define the game background and spending their Fate Points to make declarations about the world around them.

The year is 1922. Aircraft are beginning to fill the skies. Electricity, radio, and the internal combustion engine are transforming the world. The War to End All Wars is in the past and the future is full of amazing possibilities. In the hidden corners of the world lie strange artifacts with astounding abilities; perhaps remnants of legendary Atlantis or Mu. Unfortunately there also lurk sinister forces who would use these scientific advances and strange antiquities to further their own destructive agendas. This is where the Centurions come in.

The Century Club is, on its surface, a social club whose charter is one of philanthropy and the promotion of arts and sciences. Its members are a cross section of humanity's most talented and influential people. Some of those among the Century Club are truly special however. These Centurions, each born on the first day of the first year of the new century, are individuals of extraordinary ability. These amazing people use their talents to guide the world away from darkness and to shape a brighter future.

Tropes used in Spirit of the Century include: