“The Martian day is a trifle over 24
hours, 37 minutes duration (Earth time). This the Martians divide into ten equal parts
commencing the day about 6 AM Earth time.
The zodes are divided into fifty shorter periods, each of which in turn
is comprised of 200 brief periods of time, about the equivalent of the earthly
second. The Barsoomian Table of Time as
here given is but a part of the full table appearing in Captain Carter’s
notes (GM, XVI):
Table 1.1
Table 1.1
200 tals = 1 xat
50 xats = 1 zode
10 zodes = 1 revolution.”
Game action is resolved in rounds (rd); each representing 20 tals
(17.7seconds) of simulated time. 10
rounds = 1 xat. In the course of a
round, most characters are presented an opportunity to attack, defend and/or
move. Other game actions such as
parleying, searching and complex tasks (traveling or skill usage) require
greater amounts of simulated time and are measured in
xats
(a little
less than 3 minutes),
zodes (a little less than 2 ½ hours),
days ( 24 hours, 37 minutes),
weeks ( 7 days = 1 week),
months ( 8 weeks = 1 month), or
years (12 months,
96 weeks or 672 days).
It is important for the game master (GM) to keep close
track of the passage of game time (simulated not actual) during an adventure or
action sequence. This prevents confusion
between the interrelation of the activities of the player characters (PCs) with
the f actions of important NPCs as well as time and history upon the Red
Planet.
Date Historical Event
-50000 Nation of Helium established
-7500 First great canal completed
0 Atmosphere Plant completed
1066 First Aerial Battleship constructed
1864 Tardos Mors becomes Jeddak
1987 John Carter Arrives upon Barsoom
2000 The death of Issus
2002 Heliumite fleet sacks Kadabra
2005 Improved
navigation compass invented
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