The People of the Titanic

While gamemasters and players will no doubt want to create some characters of their own to sail aboard the wandering liner, they should not neglect the many real life heroes and heroines of the ship in order to add flavor and verisimilitude to their adventures. Below you'll find brief character sketches of three of the most prominent ones; your local library should have many books on the Titanic to help you flesh out others. Following each sketch is a section in italics that explains that person's role on the now dimension hopping ship.

Captain Edward Smith

Having begun his career as a lad in the days of the clipper ships, Captain Smith had a long and distinguished history before taking command of the Titanic for his final voyage. Known as the "Millionaire's Captain" due to his popularity with the social elite who travelled aboard his ships, he made a salary well over twice that of any other liner Captain of the time. With his white beard, constant cheerfulness, and easy smile, he was equally popular with both passengers and crew, and would often be seen walking the decks of his ship.

With the Titanic now lost amongst a countless number of realities, Smith has found himself in the position of a reluctant Noah, overseeing an ark full of discordant personalities he must somehow unify if they are all to survive. His efforts are hampered by his die-hard adherence to the class distinctions of his age, and his distrust of those the ship has picked up in her travels -- people with the knowledge that might help the ship get home. Lately, Smith has been delegating his responsibilities to subordinates, as he increasingly spends more time in his quarters. Rumor has it that he is ill or suffering some sort of breakdown caused by the stress of his new situation.

Bruce Ismay

Managing director of the shipping line founded by his father, Ismay loved his ships, especially his newest creation, the Titanic. No detail of their operation or upkeep was beneath his attention, and his wife and children were often neglected in favor of his beloved fleet. He was obsessed with beating the line's chief rival, Cunard, and setting a new record for crossing the Atlantic -- to the extent that he ordered Captain Smith to maintain top speed, even when the ship was in dangerous ice filled waters. He survived the liner's sinking, despite most of the ship's men going down, which gave rise to charges of cowardice and rumors that he disguised himself as a woman to get into one of the last lifeboats. Further disgrace came when an investigation revealed that Ismay had paid several key witnesses to "disappear," thus covering his incompetence. In any case, the death of the Titanic also spelled the death of Ismay's career, and he spent the rest of his days a broken man.

Ismay was out on deck when the Titanic was sucked into the dimensional portal and like many of his fellow passengers, was driven insane by the sight. He now sees the ship as a living breathing entity, and is fiercely protective of her, considering any damage she takes as wounds that must be healed. He sees those who want to modify the ship as ghouls performing fiendish experiments, even if those experiments might bring her home to her proper place in time. Ismay has been locked up several times for his own good, but always seems to escape, and with his extensive knowledge of the ship, is very difficult to recapture. He can appear perfectly sane if it suits his purpose, but will erupt into a murderous rage if crossed.

Margaret "Molly" Brown

A former dance hall girl who crashed into high society when her husband struck gold, Molly was one of the most colorful personages ever to grace the early part of this century. She became known as the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown when she took command of a lifeboat during the disaster, and her heroism brought her the class acceptance that she had been denied. Molly loved nothing more than to romp with the "boys", drinking and gambling with the best of them. When the Titanic struck the iceberg, Molly was playing poker in the first class lounge with John Astor and several other captains of industry. "You should have enough ice for your drinks now," was her legendary comment.

Molly has appointed herself the official Hostess of the Titanic when the ship encounters inhabitants of other worlds. She takes a very positive attitude towards visitors: "It don't matter if they got two eyes or ten, everyone's just good folks at heart!" The fact that she'd nearly been eaten or dissected by several of these "good folks", has done little to dissuade her in this belief. She is also acting in the capacity of matchmaker for a Miss Regina Qwendelbrook, a fellow passenger, and Captain Donald O'Donahue. "He may talk and dress a tad funny, but ya gotta admit, he sure is one prime piece of manhood." she once remarked.

Important Fictitious Characters From Timeship: TITANIC!

While gamemasters may choose from history or their own imaginations to people the Titanic with interesting characters, there are some non-historical personages that are vital to the basic storyline and should be included either as player characters or prominent NPCs.

Captain Donald E. O'Donahue VI

Owner and Captain of the 60-foot motor yacht Princess Alice III, O'Donahue is the latest generation of an old and established Maine family dating back to the days of the pilgrims. In love with the sea since childhood, O'Donahue owns a charter company, the Midwest Marine, which operates a classic two masted schooner, the Millicent Anderson, that operates out of Chicago's Belmont harbor.

It was on the night of April 14, 1997 while returning from a charter for a film company in Detroit, that O'Donahue and his partner, Francis Lebeau encountered the Titanic. She emerged from the portal that had brought her from the year 1912 in a parallel universe, and almost collided with the Princess Alice III. The two men managed to make contact with the liner's crew and went aboard where they found themselves face to face with persons they had only before known from historical accounts.

After lengthy discussions with the Captain, O'Donahue made arrangements to have the ship dock at Navy pier, and the following morning he escorted the liner in where it was greeted by a flotilla of boats packed with the curious. The ship's arrival also touched off a media frenzy that frightened and confused the passanagers that suddenly found themselves in a world beyond their comprehension. O'Donahue used some of his family's political influence to insure the passengers' safety, and made arrangements for the ship to journey to the family's privately owned island off Maine's coast.

Acting as a liaison between the public and the ship's complement during the day it was docked at Navy Pier, O'Donahue was caught aboard the Titanic when the ship once again dimension shifted.

O'Donahue is thirty seven with thinning brown hair. For this reason he is almost never without a cap of some kind, the usual one being from the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. He is quite proud of his Irish heritage, which makes him popular with some of the immigrants aboard. He is also popular with much of the crew and regularly helps out in repair details or leads expeditions ashore. In addition, many of the ladies on board find this "man of the future" alluring. Lately he has struck up a relationship with Miss Regina Qwendelbrook, and the two have become very close.

He has a fondness for sixties era Rock and Roll, and classic automobiles. He has extensive knowledge of the Titanic thanks to his fascination with the story of the ship, and the fact that a female ancestor of his survived the sinking, enthralling the Captain as a boy with her tales of the ill fated voyage.

Dr. Thomas Barton

Dr. Barton was a physics Professor at the University of Chicago, working on the study of superconducting electrical fields, his speciality, when he was contacted by his former student, Donald O'Donahue with astonishing news; the younger man had encountered the legendary Titanic on Lake Michigan, and was escorting the ship to dock at Navy pier. Like his student, Barton was also a great Titanic scholar, having several artifacts in his personal collection. His office at the University of Chicago is decorated with a deck chair, a life vest, a large detailed model, and a champagne bottle; all brought up from the wreck.

After hearing the news, Barton arrived at the pier quickly, along with thousands of others to greet the ship when she came in. From talking with the passengers and crew, Barton learned of the energy field now enveloping the ship, and formulated the theory that it was this field that initiated the ship's random jumps. Barton then set about trying to discover a way to control the field, and was in the midst of testing a theory towards this end when he accidentally triggered another jump, taking both he and O'Donahue along for the ride. Since then, he has continued his work, and is also the first person to examine any new technology the crew discovers.

Next to O'Donahue or her builders, no one knows the Titanic better than Dr. Barton, who has been fascinated by the famed ship since boyhood. Barton has been constructing an experimental Temporal Field generator with the help of O'Donahue and Miss Qwendelbrook using technologies from some of the futuristic worlds they've visited.

Barton is about sixty years old with salt and pepper hair and pince-nez glasses. His suite in the first class section on A Deck serves both as his living quarters and his laboratory, and is located across the corridor from O'Donahue's and Qwendelbrook's rooms. He has been known to wake the pair in the middle of the night to assist in testing out some new theory he has come up with. Often, he can be found repairing or tinkering with the ship, when he's not in the smoking room emptying the pockets of a millionaire at poker. On shore parties, he is invaluable when it comes to understanding some alien device (although he can't resist taking that same technological gizmo apart, often while it's still in operation).

Regina Qwendelbrook

Regina was travelling aboard the Titanic as a second class passenger en route to join relatives in Canada when the ship encountered the dimensional portal. Very opinionated and more forward thinking than most women of her age, she was an ardent suffragist in England and was jailed several times for taking part in demonstrations. Her activities proved an embarrassment to her father (a rising Conservative member of Parliament), and he eventually ordered her shipped off to an aunt with the hope that she could somehow be tamed.

Shipboard, she kept to herself, and tried to fend off the advances of several would be suitors in the Second Class section, who were attracted by her beauty rather than her mind. When the Titanic encountered the Dimensional Portal, Regina was in the second class stairwell on B deck, headed for the Second class Promenade. An energy arc blew the door in knocking her senseless, and throwing her the width of the deck. When she came to, it was to choking fumes from the fire the arc had started.

Stumbling outside, she was one of the first to spot the Princess Alice III running alongside, and hear Captain O'Donahue's announcement that the ship was now sailing on Lake Michigan in the year 1997. Instead of being terrified like many of her fellow passengers at this news, Regina was enthralled at the prospect of being in the future, and once the ship docked at Navy pier, she persuaded Captain O'Donahue to take her ashore and show her the city. When they returned that evening, the Captain promised to show her more, but the Titanic's abrupt transit to yet another world put those plans on hold. She and O'Donahue have formed a bond through the trials of their adventures that followed; a bond that has blossomed into love.

Regina is twenty-four years of age, and is considered quite lovely by the crew. With soft auburn hair, a stylish figure, and emerald green eyes that flash with anger when she feels someone is not taking her seriously, Regina is the perfect object of beauty. She often works beside O'Donahue on repair jobs, or assists Dr. Barton in his research into the dimensional portals. Since she and Captain O'Donahue have met, he has taught her how to pilot the Princess Alice III, and the fundamentals of navigation, so that she now often serves beside him on bridge duty.

Dahlia Cashton

Dahlia, a first class passenger with a cabin on A deck, knows all the right people (or so she says). With more money than any decent person should have, her whole life has been one of dilettante living and travel. She booked passage on the Titanic because it was the largest, newest passenger liner in the world, and the cream of the social world would also be aboard for the maiden voyage. During the voyage, Dahlia made it a point to be seen with only the best people, and also to be a pain in the neck by cajoling acquaintances into performing favors for her. In our timeline when the ship struck the iceberg, Dahlia probably thought it was a jolly lark and no doubt went down with the ship as she would never have dreamed of getting into a lifeboat with persons of a lower social station than herself. On the alternate Titanic, this social snobbery still holds sway, and Dahlia can be quite vocal concerning "those immigrants" and the fact that they're now allowed free access to areas formally off limits.

Dahlia is in her mid thirties with blonde hair set in the latest style (for 1912), and capped off by one ridiculous looking hat or another. She'll walk right up to anyone she perceives as belonging to the "right" set, and launch right into conversation whether she knows them or not. She knows all the latest shipboard gossip, something that could prove useful. On landing parties, she'll act like a tourist on holiday, and blissfully walk right into potentially dangerous situations. In combat, however, she'll run shrieking for cover.

Daisy

Daisy was a child walking along the boat deck with her parents when the Titanic struck the dimensional portal in 1912. All three were killed and their bodies incinerated by an energy arc, but for some reason, Daisy's spirit became anchored to the ship and she now roams its decks searching for her mother and father. Unable to speak to those she encounters, she communicates through writing, or by animating some object, her favorite being her huge teddy bear Dudley. She is able to pass through walls like a ghost, and also generates an electrical field that can prove potentially deadly to anyone who comes in contact with it. This field can also mess up any electrical equipment in the vicinity of Daisy manifesting herself, not to mention throwing off the ship's compass.

Although non-malevolent, Daisy can prove a threat with her childish curiosity. She sometimes plays with things a normal child should not; such as the helm, steam valves, electrical panels, etc. She is also quite prankish and loves nothing more than to sneak up on someone while invisible and "zap" them on the behind. Like any petulant child who sometimes does not get her way, Daisy can throw one whopper of a tantrum if it suits her. When manifesting herself, Daisy appears as a brown haired little girl about eight years of age, and will be bathed in a pale blue aura similar to the one that envelopes the ship.

Since making herself visible expends a great deal of energy, she usually isn't visible the majority of the time, and the players will only become aware of her presence by the hairs on the back of the neck standing up, or by an electrical device's operation being interrupted. Daisy will also manifest herself in ghost writing in an attempt to contact the players. To communicate with her, they merely have to speak.

Colonel Von Kreiger

The Colonel was traveling aboard the Titanic under the pretext of a diplomatic visit to the United States. In reality, his mission was to study and evaluate America's military capability as a possible ally of Britain in the war his superiors felt was coming. When the ship fell through the portal and wound up in present day Chicago, Von Kreiger recognized that knowledge of the technology of our era would give a great advantage to the Germany of his time period.

He managed to slip ashore and made his way to a nearby branch of the Chicago Public Library. There, he browsed through the history section, and he was soon brought up to speed on the events of both world wars, as well as the world of the past 85 years. Von Kreiger theorized that with his knowledge of such "future" events, he could rise to a position of power and help his homeland avoid the pitfalls that had befallen it in our timeline. Of course, Von Kreiger had no idea just how he was supposed to get back to his proper era to implement his plans, until he met Dr. Barton. When Barton theorized that he could find a way to control the Titanic's random dimensional jumps, and bring the ship to any era or location he chose, Von Kreiger decided to observe the Doctor and his activities very closely, while biding his time, awaiting the proper moment to strike.

Von Kreiger is in his late forties with ebony hair streaked with grey. On his right cheek he bears a dueling scar from his student days, and is usually dressed in a white tropical suit and panama hat, or safari type wear while on shore parties. He is a man not to be trifled with; already several people have mysteriously vanished when they came too close to discovering his plans, and he will not hesitate to kill in order to achieve his ends.

Dark Lurker

No one knows for certain who this poor unfortunate was before the night the Titanic fell through the dimensional portal. Perhaps he was a member of the stoker gang working in one of the boiler rooms, or maybe he had been a stowaway looking to find a better life in America. In any case, the passage through the portal caused him to mutate into a horrible creature that feeds upon the flesh of his former shipmates.

Shunning the lighted areas of the ship, he has been seen scuttling about in the shadows in the engineering areas, the steerage decks, and the cargo holds. In his wake have been left the mutilated bodies of his Victims, that is, those parts that have not been dragged off to stock his larder. His presence, and the trail of deaths, has lead to those inhabiting the lower decks to walk about armed at all times.

The Lurker is also adept at hiding from pursuers, managing to evade capture, even during the most intense deck by deck searches. He is also apparently immune to bullets; confronted once by the creature, Captain O'Donahue pumped 15 9mm rounds into its chest, with no noticeable effect.

Based upon several fragmented accounts, a general picture of the Lurker has started to come to light. He stands perhaps six feet in height with a hulking body stooped over so that he uses both his legs and arms to propel himself along like an ape. The head is described as being swollen and misshapen with yellow glowing eyes, and a mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. The Lurker is also said to be agile and capable of great bursts of speed. It is also quite muscular, able to rip its victims apart with its bare hands.

Freddie Parsons

Freddie was your typical Upper Class English twit. Born into a landed family, he squandered most of his inheritance on gambling and loose women, not to mention all the paternity suits brought by the families of the female servants he had gotten pregnant, to the point that unless something was done, the family's ancestral home would be auctioned off. Freddie was set up with a sizable trust fund, given a one way second class ticket, and told never to return. Once on board the Titanic, he immediately began chasing any comely young damsel that caught his fancy, with an emphasis on Regina Qwendlebrook, who went out of her way to try and avoid him.

When the ship hit the portal, Freddie was out on deck. Caught in the backwash of an energy strike, he suffered severe burns over 80% of his body, and would have died if not for the medical knowledge of our era. When the ship visited a futuristic realm, the inhabitants rebuilt him, but failed to make him better then he was. Now more machine then man, Freddie's mind was driven over the edge by his experiences, and he is going to get worse; while hooking up some of the cyberware to his neural synapses, the techs accidentally introduced a virus that is slowly eating away at his brain, making him more psychopathic as time goes on. The central target of his wrath seems to be Captain O'Donahue, whom Freddie believes stole Regina away from him.

The reason why Freddie hasn't torn the Captain apart is that the future techs had the foresight to install a dampening circuit that shuts down his cyber functions if Freddie becomes enraged. This circuit can also be engaged remotely by devices carried by Dr. Barton, Captain O'Donahue, and Regina, as well as several of the ship's officers. Freddie stands about five feet, eight inches in height with dark colored hair. The right side of his face, his left arm, and everything from the waist down are cybernetic replacements for those parts of his body destroyed in the accident. Freddie dresses normally, and has the run of the ship, but keeps to himself mostly due to the fact that his appearance causes his fellow passengers to fear him.

Mr. Edgars, Ships Purser

Mr. Edgars was the Purser aboard the Titanic and as such, was responsible for storing passenger's valuables in his safe, overseeing the Cargo Manifests, and acting as a liaison between the passengers and crew. Edgars took his job very seriously, and strove to provide the utmost in service to those who visited his office on C Deck.

During a visit to a "cyberpunk" type world, the Titanic came under attack by forces sent by a Mega Corporation whose chairman desired the ship to add to his collection of antique technology. A missile strike on the port side blew a hole in the hull and touched off an inferno in the Pursers Office. When rescuers finally quelled the flames, they found Edgars alive, but horribly burned. Like Freddie Parsons, he was rebuilt, but in his case, his brain was installed in a gleaming cybernetic body with enhanced senses. Unlike Freddie, the experience did not drive Edgars insane, but rather pleased him immensely as his new abilities enable him to do his job all the more efficiently, since he now does not tire, or require food.

Edgars is humanoid in appearance, with a gleaming silver finish that he polishes in his free moments. The technicians who built him took care to give him the closest approximation of human features they could, but those who meet him for the first time find his glowing eyes and motionless mouth unsettling. Edgars still dresses in his White Star Line uniform, and his voice is a close match to the one he had when flesh and blood. His cyber body also grants him incredible strength and speed, something he has to pay attention to, lest he run down a passenger while on an errand, or crush something.

Adventuring the the World of Timeship: Titanic

While players may want to run characters from their favorite systems when the Titanic "pops" in for a visit to that world, they might also want to experience what it's like to be one of the ship's passengers. The key element to remember is that everything is going to be beyond their Edwardian-based comprehension. For example: airplanes in their era are rickety contraptions of wood and canvas; a modern jetliner or anti-grav vehicle is going to be beyond belief. In short, things we take for granted in our world are the stuff of science fiction in theirs.

On the other side of the coin, in more primitive worlds, the Titanic and her passengers and crew might be viewed as gods or powerful sorcerers.

To effectively play a passenger or crewmember aboard the Titanic, one should get into the proper mindset for the Edwardian Era. Your character's social position will determine how he or she should act around others, and how he or she will be treated by the same. GDWs Space: 1889 RPG has the proper handle on the class distinctions of the time. You might also consider studying magazines and books of the era as well as histories of the turn of the century.

Listed below are a series of templates designed to cover most of the people who would appear on the Titanic.

Stoker

It has been said that if a passenger dies, they'll go to heaven. If death should befall you or one of your fellows toiling in the bowels of the ship, you'll only make it as far as the upper deck. You work almost twelve hour shifts in the hellish heat of the boiler rooms, filling the hungry engines with fuel. The sweat runs down your back in rivulets, and your skin is constantly caked with coal dust.

The work is back breaking, and the pay a pittance. Several of your fellow stokers were killed or injured during the initial dimension shift, which meant more work for you and other survivors. There is a ray of hope. Some of the strange people who came aboard at your last stop are devising a new means of powering the ship, which will free you from your endless toil.

Skills: Strength, endurance, some minor mechanical knowledge

Engineer

You tend the mighty engines that drive the Titanic and keep them and the rest of the ship in good order. If there is anything mechanical aboard that needs repair, you're the man for the job. Lately however, your workload has increased dramatically, as each new passage through a dimensional portal brings more damage to be fixed. Parts, aren't always available which means y u must improvise with what you have at hand. You care little about the wonders of the worlds the ship visits, instead turning your attention to your great iron mistress.

You admit to some curiosity about the new people who came aboard in Chicago, especially Captain O'Donahue, whose boat, the Princess Alice III you'd love to examine. You found O'Donahue to be a friendly fun loving sort and the two of you have shared many a beer. One thing you can't understand however, is why he keeps referring to you as "Scotty".

Skills: Extensive knowledge of mechanical engineering, manual dexterity

Steward/Stewardess

Your main concern is the comfort and welfare of the passengers aboard the great liner. It is your task to see to their every need or request, be it a quick repair to a lady's dinner gown, or obtaining the proper flowers for their room. If you're fortunate to be assigned to the first class area, you can also enjoy generous tips from your "regulars".

When the Titanic was sucked through the portal and deposited off the American Midwest city of Chicago eighty five years in the future, you were as surprised and frightened as any one else on the ship (especially when you found out you were supposed to be "dead"). You never had a chance to explore the wonders of the city -- the ship shifted once again before you could go ashore -- so you continued on in your duties and tried to overlook the seemingly strange behavior of the people who now joined you in your endless voyaging.

But you have seen worlds and things that have challenged the ideas and class system you were brought up to believe in, and you know you'll never really be able to go back to the world you knew.

Skills: Social Interaction, basic domestic procedures

Ship's officer

You're a member of the command staff, the chain of command that filters the orders of the Captain down to the appropriate departments. Or perhaps you're a purser, acting as the liaison between the passengers and crew.

Lately however, your responsibilities have increased dramatically now that the ship jumps at random between realities. You might be overseeing a repair detail one day, and leading a party ashore in search of food and fuel the next. One thing is certain. You're finding more adventure than you ever dreamed.

Skills: Leadership, eloquence, diplomacy

Immigrant

You bought a third class ticket, stuffed your meager belongings into a satchel, said good-bye to your family, and set off for what you hoped would be a new life in the new world. Now that the ship jumps between realities, you find yourself with the choice of any number of worlds, some of them beyond your wildest dreams (or nightmares).

You're barely educated (perhaps you do not even speak English), having come from the slums of a middle European country (pick one). You try to keep with your own people, but it grows increasingly harder to segregate yourself when you are called upon to assist in the repair parties that keep the ship going, or in procurement expeditions ashore, where you rub shoulders with people of other classes. Lately, you've encounter other species and the thought of being different is a very distant concern.

Skills: Discretion of the player

Socially Elite

You were born into nobility with all the wealth and snobbery that goes with it. Perhaps your father or grandfather clawed his way up the social ladder from poverty, kicking down any who attempted to follow. You believe in your heart that it is God's will that you are blessed with such wealth and power, and look down upon those you consider inferior.

Now, your little one week dash across the Atlantic has turned into an endless voyage to strange and sometimes terrifying worlds. You've actually been asked to perform manual labor to repair damage to the ship after she jumped through a portal. You're forced to associate with members of the unwashed masses. The indignity of this situation leaves you breathless.

Skills: Languages, athletics, snobbery 

Person of Mystery

You put forth a persona designed to fool your fellow passengers aboard the Titanic. They see you as that persona, never suspecting who you really are and what your real reason for being aboard is. Perhaps you are a secret agent, on a vital mission for your government, or maybe a woman of wealth and privilege running off with your lower class lover. You may be escaping your criminal past, or perhaps plying your criminal trade amongst the glittering rich. Or maybe you're an anarchist, plotting to blow this gaudy symbol of the ruling classes to kingdom come' In any case, your plans went awry when the Titanic made its unscheduled trip.

Now, you struggle to keep your persona intact while applying your quieter skills towards helping the ship get home.

Skills: Stealth, theatrics, eloquence

Titanic Enthusiast

All your life you studied the saga of the Titanic and her tragic end, and daydreamed what it would have been like to walk her decks. When she mysteriously appeared off Chicago in 1997, you got your fondest wish fulfilled and then some; unfortunately you were still aboard when she vanished from Navy Pier and now there is little chance that you'll ever see home again. So you try to fit in as best as you can and help out with the maintenance of the ship, knowing her better than the men who built her!

Skills: Any, mostly scholarly fields of study

Adventure Aboard A Ship Lost in Time

Background
People of the Titanic
Running a Timeship Titanic Campaign