Universe Man came about because I needed a Time Police. Also because of that song… you know the one. I made him insanely strong because I needed to put Thomas Drake in his place, so Universe Man is cooler than him, smarter than him, and more powerful than him. Because players LOVE it when NPCs pants them at the thing they’re good at, and also everything else. (Actually they don’t, players like to feel special.) Universe Man is usually kind to smaller men, I envisioned him as having that Anti-Bully Bully thing going on, like the newbie protection squad I saw in some MUDS. Universe Man isn’t anyones enemy, although sometimes it can feel like it, he just wants to make sure Time doesn’t rip itself a new anus. I keep the time rules vague, on purpose. The purpose of a game is to allow adventure, not deny it. I want the players and their characters asking “Why doesn’t he just…” or “Wouldn’t it be better to…” When the answer is No. No, and you don’t know why. Universe Man has the ability to brute force things back the way they are supposed to be, through Time itself he can calculate the effects of changes and make adjustments, like beating out a ding in the car, to get things ‘mostly right’ again. Traveling back and stopping the event itself is actually not a great solution, becaus eit caused “Paradox Strain” on Time, which could lead to another rip if done too often. Sometimes Not ever having existed weighs heavily on Universe Man, and it took him a long time to repress the urge to use his power to eliminate all evil.