Ashen Stars vs TimeWatch
Compare Ashen Stars and TimeWatch side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Ashen Stars | TimeWatch | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Sci-Fi | Sci-Fi, Historical |
| Tags | Investigation, Mystery, Mission-Based, Ship-Based, Space Opera, Resource Management, Character-Driven, Strong GM Support, Skill-Based, Crunchy | Investigation, Mystery, Mission-Based, Cinematic, Narrative, Resource Management, Tactical, Gonzo, Hackable, Strong GM Support |
| Core Mechanic | Ordinary tests roll a d6 plus ability-pool points spent before rolling, succeeding by meeting or beating the difficulty. Investigative abilities work differently: a core clue is simply given when the right ability is used, no roll needed, with point spends buying extra benefits. | A relevant Investigative ability reveals necessary clues without a roll or point spend. For General ability tests, roll a d6 and add points spent from that ability's pool before rolling to meet or exceed the difficulty. |
| Dice | d6 | d6 |
| Complexity | High | High |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Paid |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | All Rights Reserved | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | Commercial publishing allowed — GUMSHOE Community on DriveThruRPG | Commercial publishing allowed — Community content program |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Pelgrane Press | Pelgrane Press |
| Year | 2011 | 2016 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | Groups who want episodic space mysteries with a shared ship and recurring personal subplots. Cases put the crew's pursuit of justice in tension with its need to earn a living. | Groups who want investigative missions across historical eras with action-movie combat and opportunities to solve problems through time travel. |
| Highlights | Automatic core clues keep missed information rolls from blocking a case. Reputation changes the wait between contracts, connecting ethical choices to the crew's upkeep bill. Ship combat assigns different attack modes to crew stations, spreading decisive actions across specialists. | Investigative abilities guarantee necessary clues, keeping mysteries focused on interpreting evidence rather than failed searches. Paradox Prevention spends let agents arrange helpful circumstances through time travel, including assistance from their future selves. Campaign frames change the premise and rules for alternatives such as body-hopping missions or time-traveling heists. |
| Considerations | Investigative pools normally refresh only when a case ends, making extra benefits a case-long budget. The rules assume a working Laser crew; fugitive campaigns require changes to that framework. Ship battles use abstract goal-point races rather than positional movement on a tactical map. | Spending General ability points commits limited resources before the die result is known. Paradox can reduce Chronal Stability far enough to rewrite an agent's identity or erase them from existence. The GM can refuse time-travel tactics that contradict established events or make the game less workable. |