Writing and Design

Clay Gardner
Ricochet Mechanics
Clay Gardner
Cover
Niko Geyer
Interior Artwork
Svetlana Chmakova, Kathy Choi, Clay Gardner, Jade Gardner,
Niko Geyer, Kelly Hamilton, Min Kwon, Honoel Ibardolaza,
Lina, Chihiro Milley, Diane Michie Neill, George Panella,
Allie Strom, Elly Susanto, Hans Tseng, Randall Whiteis
Playtesting
Becky Epner, Brett Gardner, Jade Gardner, David Huber,
Chris Ruthenbeck, Pierre-Alexandre Sicart, Wes Smith, Ralf Wagner
Special Thanks
Brett Gardner, Robert Pool, Mo

Copyright 2005 Wise Turtle Publishing

All rights reserved under international law. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without expressed consent from the publisher, except for copies of the Character Record for personal use, or
quotes for use in reviews.

Wise Turtle Publishing

www.wiseturtle.com

 Our imagination
may be the most brilliant of all energy that humans
have ever possessed.
-OSAMU TEZUKA, FATHER OF JAPANESE ANIMATION

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

I: INTRODUCTION
To the Otaku
To the Gamer
To the Rest
What is Anime?
What is an RPG?
What You Need
Sample of Play

7 VI: COMBAT
7
7
7
8
9
11
11

II: CREATING A CHARACTER 15

Step by Step
Limiting the Character

III: SAMPLE CHARACTERS

Using the Characters
Raine
Karis & Arasuni
Miho
Braun
Ai
Fukiko & Azyrus
Auren
Daisuke
Natsuki
Shou

15
19

21
21
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40

V: TAKING ACTION
Actions
Difficulty
Drama Dice

43
57
70

75
75
77
77

79

Initiative
Taking Action
Attack!
Defend!
Damage
Health & Endurance
Other Combat Actions
Other Ways to Get Hurt
Recovering from Damage

79
80
80
80
81
82
82
83
86

VII:CHARACTER GROWTH

87

Gaining Experience
Spending Experience
Character Advancement
Retiring Characters

87
87
88
88

VIII:GMS SECTION

91

What Does a GM do?

Dos and Donts of GMing
Types of Games
Making an Adventure
Creating NPCs
After the Adventure
A Brave New World

IV: ABILITIES & WEAKNESSES 43 IX: SAMPLE NPCS

Abilities
Weaknesses
Power Perks and Flaws

OF

91
92
97
98
100
101
101

103

Acacia & Saspar

Shadowman & Zurkrieg
Nazo & Ancel
Dr. Tomori & Captain Jiro
Grunts, Bystanders, & Others

X: INDEX
Art Index

104
106
108
110
112

115

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

OF

OF

TABLE

TABLE
TABLE

119

INTRODUCT
INTRODUCTION

You hold in your hands the culmination of years of research, effort, and love. Within
these pages, OVA endeavors to provide everything you need to play your very own anime
inspired game. Its easy to learn, fun to play, and flexible enough for whatever your mind
comes up with. So whether youre a die-hard anime fan, an avid gamer, or maybe just getting into both, we hope you find a little something in this book thats just right for you. (And
hopefully your friends! We do want you to play, after all.)

Were you attracted by the anime artwork on the cover? Or did the pun in the
title catch your attention? For whatever reason this book called to you, rest assured you
did not pick it up in error. Within these
pages youll find a game that allows you to
fulfill some of your greatest dreams and fantasies: to become the characters you have
fallen in love with time and time again. The
rules are easy to pick up, so you can begin
creating and playing your perfect character
in minutes. OVA is also teeming with high
quality artwork from some of todays premier anime-style artists, so the game will
prove to be a joy to read as well as play.

TO THE GAMER
Like the otaku, you might have been
attracted by the cover. Or maybe the rules
highlights on the books back intrigued you
enough to take a further look. If so, OVA
wont fail to deliver. The Ricochet rules system is simple and concise. This is not to
cater to neophytes, but because it can, and
should be. Actions, skill conflicts, and combat all resolve quickly and without fuss, unified by a simple, unchanging mechanic. The
rules themselves are presented clearly with
numerous entertaining examples for all the
key concepts. And despite the heavy anime
influence, the Ricochet rules are versatile
enough to use with any campaign.

INTRODUCTION

TO THE OTAKU

TO THE REST
You may be confused by anime, by role-playing games, or even by both. Still, something
about this book caught your attention. A friend recommended it to you, or you just had an
impulse to take a look. In any case, you will find that there are many good times to be had
with this book. You might even enjoy it enough to expand, exploring the roots of the unique
fandoms that inspired OVA But for now, lets break you into what it all means.

WHAT

IS ANIME ?

The simplest definition of anime would

be Japanese animation. Yet this doesnt
seem to explain much at all. It is not the fact
that anime is Japanese, or even that its animated, that gives it such an enduring worldwide appeal. To better define anime, lets
start with a short history.

HISTORY
It is largely agreed that anime began
when Osamu Tezuka, inspired by the work
of Walt Disney, created a comic book and
cartoon series called Tetsuwan Atom (Astro
Boy) in the early 1960s. Since that time,
while Western animation leaned towards
black and white stories geared to children,
anime grew more complex and diversified.
Eschewing the episodic structure of Western
cartoons, anime was able to tell larger, more

INTRODUCTION
8

intricate stories over the course of many

episodes. They also took advantage of the
medium to create big effects for comparatively small budgets.
Numerous genre-defining anime were
produced throughout the 70s and 80s,
including Mobile Suit Gundam (1979), Rose of
Versailles (1979), and Uresei Yatsura (1981),
but very few made it overseas in this time
period. Those that did were often edited
beyond recognition, removing the more
complex elements that made them unique to
begin with. Among a few notable exceptions
was Robotech (1985). Despite being the combination of three separate series, Super
Dimension Fortress Macross (1982), Super
Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross (1984), and
Genesis Climber Mospeada (1984), the TV
series largely kept the stories intact.
Robotech, and shows like it, developed a
great fan base that would foster a more open

Robotech was popular enough to inspire

American game makers to produce several
giant robot tabletop games and RPGs.
In the late 80s and early 90s, American
companies began to produce direct-to-video
anime releases. These found wide-spread
popularity among anime fans, contributing
to an already fast-growing niche in North
America. Such series as Bubblegum Crisis
(1987), Record of Lodoss War (1990), and Neon
Genesis Evangelion (1995) are still popular
today. The feature length films Akira (1988)
and Ghost in the Shell (1995) even found limited theatrical release.
But when anime like Dragon Ball Z
(1989) and Sailor Moon (1992) began airing
on TV in the mid 90s, it spun into something
much bigger. Anime had reached a larger
audience than ever before, and people liked
it. As time progressed, more and more
anime found its way onto American airwaves. Shows like The Big O (1999), Card
Captor Sakura (1998), Cowboy Bebop (1998),
Gundam Wing (1995), .hack//sign (2002), and
Pokmon (1997) became run-away successes.
More than ever, kids, adults, and longterm fans alike are discovering the world of
anime. In addition to the influx of anime on
television, DVD sales often top charts.
Animes influence can be seen in all matters
of American pop culture, from advertisements, to music videos, and even to T-shirts.
The Japanese culture invasion is definitely in
full-force.
But what is it that makes these anime so
captivating?

THEMES
A lot of animes popularity can be attributed to its flashy disregard for expectations
and sheer diversity. Japanese animation has
the unparalleled capacity to combine dis-

parate genres into a unique new form of

entertainment. Slapstick comedy in the vein
of Silly Symphonies plays out side-by-side
with tear-jerking drama; over-the-top guntoting action meshes with artistic flair; and
the line between fantasy and science-fiction
ceases to exist. Using this versatility, anime
crafts stories unlike anything else in the
world.
Anime is also famous for its trademark
visual style. Though large, expressive eyes
and wild multicolor hair are immediately
obvious, Japanese animation is also famous
for its detailed and complex designs. These
artistic creations often take center-stage,
helping fuel an intense fanbase around not
only the show, but the art itself.
There is really a little something, somewhere, for everyone. Anime tells stories that
appeal to men, women, adults, children, art
enthusiasts, action buffs, thinkers, escapists,
and everything in between. Now with OVA,
you can tell your story!

WHAT IS AN RPG?
A role-playing game is much like the
make-believe games of our childhood.
Popularized in the 1970s by Gary Gygax and
Dave Arnesons Dungeons and Dragons, roleplaying games take the simple concept of
lets pretend and updates it for a more
mature audience. By adding rules and
impartial randomizers (like cards and dice),
role-playing games make it possible to
answer problematic questions without bias.
Did the cop really shoot the robber? Could
the robber really have robbed the bank to
begin with?
When you play a role-playing game,
you and your friends take part in creating a
fictional world together. Unlike other
games, there is no competition, no winners,
and no losers. The point is simply to have a
good time.
Everyone participates in one of two
groups. Most of you will become Players,
while one person becomes the Game
Master.

INTRODUCTION

view on Japanese animation in America.

Fan-subs (fan-subtitled videos) of the original anime became common, and led to the
formation of many anime trading clubs.

PLAYERS
As a Player, you get to make your own
unique persona to play in the Game Masters
world. With the rules in this book as a
guide, you craft the characters past, personality, and talents. These statistics will aid
you in portraying your character in the
game. By describing actions, imitating
speech, and doing whatever else comes to
mind, the character can really come alive.
Depending on the chosen setting, you
could be a fierce warrior, a geeky gadgeteer,
a brooding ex-soldier, or even a high-school
student. The possibilities are boundless.
After creating your fictional characters,
you and your friends form a party to take
on the challenges that the Game Master sets
forth. But like any story, the characters are
apt to disagree on how to handle them.
What happens next is up to all of you!

INTRODUCTION
10

GAME MASTERS
The Game Masters role is a little more
complex than that of the Players.
Somewhere between storyteller and referee,
the Game Master (or GM) creates the
world the Player Characters (PCs) live in.
Besides describing the world itself, it is a
GMs job to portray all of the people the
Players may meet, so-called Non-Player
Characters (NPCs). He or she controls the
flow of the story, dictates encounters and
challenges, and creates the drama. The
Game Master also serves as arbiter of the
rules, determining the difficulty of tasks, the
result of conflicts, and the answer to any
rules quandaries.
More information on Game Mastering can
be found in the Game Masters Section

PLAYING

THE

GAME

Together, the Players and the Game

Master take part in an adventure. The
term represents a cohesive segment, or
episode, of the characters lives. Adventures
are played in one or more sessions of several
hours. Gaming groups often make a point of
continuing the same plot over an extended
campaign made up of many adventures.
No way to play is better than another. You
should find a balance that suits you.

WHAT YOU NEED

Obviously, youll need a few friends (at
least one) and a copy of this rulebook. But
heres a quick rundown of the other things
you need for the OVA Role-Playing Game.

Pencil or Pen or anything that writes,

really. Besides using this to write down
your characters statistics before the
game, it will also come in handy for
jotting notes during the action.
Paper and optionally a copy of the
the Character Record found in the back
of this book.
Six-Sided Dice that you can probably
find in any old board game. The more
the better. We recommend the cool
dice blocks from www.chessex.com.

Though a modest list, your gaming

group might very well spice it up with their
own additions. Music, character miniatures,
snacks and drinks, or even *gasp* costumes
can all be staples of a gaming group.

SAMPLE OF PLAY

We join Alexis, Dahlia, Oreo, and the Game Master, Brett, in a session currently in progress.
Their characters are in hot pursuit of a mysterious man in black across the rooftops of Tokyo.
Brett (GM): As the chilly night wind blows ever stronger, pounding you with the otherwise
gentle snowdrift, the man in black escapes through the roof access.
Dahlia (as Karis): Come on! We have to go down after him before he gets away!
Alexis (as Raine): Right. Let us go!
GM: You all hasten down the roof access stairs. The frantic, haphazard footfalls of the man
echo up towards you, but before you reach the bottom, a door slams. The landing reveals a
long sterile hallway lined with identical doors.

INTRODUCTION

What follows is a sample of how a real gaming session might run. It is not a definitive
guide to be followed to the letter, but rather, an example that will give you an idea of how
role-playing games work. It may even give you a few ideas for what you want to do in your
own game.

Karis: Great, what now?

Oreo (as Shou): Lets just knock on all the doors and see which one answers?
Raine: Ugh. Why are you even here anyway? Youre such a child!
Shou: Yeah? Youre such a woman!

11

Raine: And whats that supposed to mean, you-

Dahlia (to the GM): While theyre bickering, I want Karis to look around for clues.
(The Game Master sets a secret difficulty for the task)
GM: Okay Dahlia. Because of your +1 Perceptive Bonus, you get to roll three dice for this.
Dahlia (rolling dice): A four, a two...and another four! I add the doubles...Thats eight,
right?
GM: After looking around the hall, Karis easily spots small puddles of water in front of the
second left door. Melted snow.
Oreo (to the GM): Shou bursts through the door in an attempt to surprise whoevers
behind it!
Alexis: Oh, thats subtle, Oreo.
Oreo: Hey, Im just playing the part.
GM: The rapid entry reveals a blank, dark room. Whoever came in here made sure to turn
the lights off. Even the light from the hallway fails to reveal much.
Oreo: Doh!

INTRODUCTION

Karis: Wheres Arasuni when you need him?

Alexis: Theres probably a simple solution to this. (to the GM) Brett, Raine feels by the
door for a light switch.
GM: After a moment of fumbling around, the florescent office lights flicker to life.
(Dahlia and Oreo slap their heads.)
GM: However, the resulting view is less than bright. The back of the room remains partially dark, the overhead light there either broken or burned out. A desk lies on its side, and
the man you have been chasing holds a female office worker at gunpoint. D...Dont do anything! Ill shoot! His voice is shaky, but the black muzzle of his gun emphasizes his intent.
Oreo: Doh!
Alexis: Stop saying that!
Karis: What are we going to do?
Raine (in a hushed tone): Maybe you can try to disarm him with your boomerang?

12

Dahlia: Hey, thats a good idea. Ill go for it!

GM: This is going to be really risky. Even with his obviously unstable state, it doesnt take
much time to pull a trigger. Ill set the difficulty at 12. With all your bonuses...you can roll
5 dice, Dahlia.
(Dahlia rolls 5 dice): 1...4...2...5...and 5! Drat, only 10! But I cant afford to miss this...I want
to use some Drama Dice!
GM: Well, you have plenty of Endurance. Go for it.
(Dahlia keeps rolling additional dice until she gets another five.): Yes!!

GM (to the Players): The boomerang sails across the room, efficiently disarming the man in
seconds. He clutches his hand as his hostage pushes past you and escapes into the hallway.
The man shakes his head. Okay, I give up! Just dont hurt me! Ill tell you anything you
want! I- Suddenly he stops speaking. As his eyes roll back in his head you realize a shining yellow light pierces his chest. The light
withdraws, and he falls limp to the floor. An
immense figure appears from the shadows.
Shrouded in a cape as black as night itself,
only a sword made of pure yellow light and
a single glowing red eye seem to give him
any form at all. A deep voice booms, How
predictably useless.
Karis: Shadowman!
Shou: Shadow-who?
Shadowman: I shouldve expected you, girl.
I see you have some friends...but its no matter. You should know I am far more dangerous than a simple man with a gun.

INTRODUCTION

GM (counting up the additional dice rolled): Okay, dont forget to mark off 5 Endurance for
each of those. 15 total.

GM: As if to exemplify his point, he lifts a

single heavy gloved hand. Groaning noises
grind against your ears before the entire roof
shatters to pieces. Harsh wind sends flurries
of snow spiralling around the room, along
with the remaining pieces of shrapnel.
Shadowman: Come! Let us play in the
snow!

13

CREATING
CREATING

CHARACTER

Charged by your favorite anime and a little imagination, youre probably more than
ready to start your own adventure. But before you can jump into the action of the OVA
Role-Playing Game, you need to write down a few things. So grab a pencil and a sheet of
paper, and lets get cracking.

Brett, a Game Master with a long-running

gaming group, invites Jade to join in his
latest OVA campaign. He tells her that its
a fairly light-hearted game, and he is open
to any kind of character. Jade has never
played the OVA Role-Playing Game
before, so she asks the Game Master for
assistance making her character. Brett is
more than happy to oblige.

Before you delve into the rules, you will

have to make some decisions on who your
character might be. You dont have to make
a complete detailed biography right now,
but a general idea before you start will be
helpful as you go through the process. Keep
in mind that your character can be anyone
you want. Dont feel restricted to certain
archetypes or building a combat-effective
character. The important thing is making the
character you want to play.

STEP 1: THE CONCEPT

After some thought, Jade decides to play a
character similar to the heroines from her
favorite magical girl anime. Fukiko, with
the help of her flying feline companion,
Azyrus, emulates her favorite shoujo
comics and fights evil while trying to have
a normal life. Although she only has the
basics of a character idea, Brett assures her
this is plenty to start the process.

CREATING

Although you are probably eager to get

started, it would be a good idea to talk with
the Game Master (and perhaps the other
Players) before going on to the first step.
You can find out the rules the Game Master
is using and get a general feel for the kind of
game being played. The Game Master can
also help you throughout the process, assisting you with understanding the rules and
any problems you might have.

CHARACTER

STEP 0: DISCUSSION

15

STEP 2: THE ABILITIES

Likely among the most important
decisions you will have, choosing Abilities
decide what your character can and cant do.
For now, ask yourself about what he or she
can do. What is the character good at? What
special attribute or power does he or she
have? Run through the list and make a note
of the Abilities that you think apply to your
character. For each Ability you write down,
jot a number 1 to 5 next to it. This number is
your rank, representing your level of skill
in that area. 1 means the character is competent or above average, while a 5 makes the
character almighty in that area. Keep in
mind most Abilities should be 1 (Good) or 2
(Excellent). Level 3 is considered a masterful
rank, and characters should have very few of
these. Level 4 is incredible, a rank obtained
only by a select few people in the world.
This Level is very rare, and only characters
who exhibit the extremes of a talent should
have it. Level 5 is extraordinarily rare, a
rank reserved for completely awing, supernatural abilities. Almost no character should
start with an Ability at this level.

CREATING
A

CHARACTER
16

Since Fukiko has the ability to transform,

Brett suggests that Jade try to list some of
her natural abilities first. Keeping this
in mind, Jade gives Fukiko Hobby:
Shoujo Manga and Quick at +2, both
fairly good rankings. Since Fukiko is
young, Jade decides she has little other
skills.
She scribbles in Animal
Companion: Azyrus which the Game
Master helps her assign as +2. They can
create his exact statistics later. Now its
time to handle her Transformation Ability.
Jade gives her Transformation at +4, an
astounding level to help make up for her
shortcomings. Scanning the Abilities list,
she gives Fukiko Barrier +3, Combat
Skill +2, and Heal +2. She also gives
her Power Move at +2, and with Bretts
help, devises a suite of special combat
moves.
Jade notices that her
Transformation Abilities are one point too
many (9) for her Level in Transformation.
Brett assures her this is fine and to wait for
the next step.

STEP 3: THE WEAKNESSES

Nobodys perfect, and that includes
your character! All good characters have
one or more flaws that make them unique,
endearing, and believable. Theoretically,
you could make a character without any
Weaknesses at all, but she would be a very
boring character indeed. Take a look at the
Weaknesses list and write down any that
apply to your character. Next to it, write a
number ranging from -1 to -3. -1 is
Moderate, -2 is Bad, and -3 is Awful!

Jade helps to define Fukikos character by

giving her various personality flaws fitting a young girl. Besides Ageism at -2,
Fukiko gets Crybaby at -1 (only mildly
annoying), and Easily Distracted, Frail
and Naive at -2, all fairly significant flaws.
Jade decides that Fukiko needs something
to transform and gives her Focus: Neko
Transformation Locket at -2. Jade realizes
on her own that she can also give a flaw to
her Transformation to make up the extra
points. She writes down Bizarre
Appearance: Cat Features at -1.

STEP 4: HEALTH & ENDURANCE

In all likelihood, your character is going
to be (willingly or not) dragged into some
kind of physical conflict. For these fights, it
is important to know both your characters
Health and Endurance. Health represents
your characters toughness, the ability to
take hard knocks and keep going.
Endurance is your vitality, health, and energy, representing your ability to not tire or
give up despite severe injury. Unless you
take certain Abilities or Weaknesses that
affect these, both Health and Endurance are
assigned the number 40. Various actions and
attacks can drain from both of these totals.
(See Combat for more information)

Because of her Frail Weakness, Jade

reduces Fukikos Health to 20. Without
any other Abilities and Weaknesses to
modify it, her Endurance remains the
default 40.

Background: Who is your character? Where does he come from? What is the story behind her?
What does your character hope to obtain?
Appearance: What does your character dress like? What is her build, hairstyle, and eye color?
Personality: What does your character act like? How does he react to different situations? Does she
have any particular quirks or habits that make her distinctive?
Possessions: Does the character have any item that she holds particularly dear? Are there any
important weapons or gadgets that are part of his profession?
Powers: Does your character have any special talents? A distinct fighting style? Can he do some
thing most people cannot?

Jade spends some time and creates a

detailed biography for her character,
including her origin, goals, and personality traits. She also adds a Shape Change
Ability and applies attributes to her companion, Azyrus. Now she is completely
ready for a game of OVA. What adventures await for Lovely Savior Myu Myu?

CREATING

Okay, now that you have gotten all the

basics down for your character, hes completely playable. You could join a session
right now. However, you can (and should)
go further with your character. Give him an
appearance.
Make a background that
explains why he is who he is. Tell exactly
what he is like to be around. In the long run,
this information will make your character
deeper, and possibly open up new avenues
for you to role-play with. To organize this
information, you might want to use the following form.

CHARACTER

STEP 5: FINISHING TOUCHES

Schticks: Are there any habits that set your character apart from everyone else? Does her hair always
blow dramatically in the wind, or does he always adhere to strict military code?

17

FLUFFING
If you have trouble creating or describing your character, or if you just want to go a
step further, you may want to try filling out
the following list. Of course, not all of the
entries may apply to your character, and you
may want to add some of your own. Filling
out forms like this is known as fluffing.
All of the Sample Characters use this
method.

Concept: A few words that describe your

character
Age: How old your character is
Sex: Male or Female
Association: Factions or organizations the
character is a a part of
Height: How tall your character is
Weight: How much your character weighs

CREATING

Hair Color: Color of your characters hair

Eye Color: Color of your characters eyes
Occupation: How your character makes a
living
Hobbies: What your character likes to do

CHARACTER

Favorite Food: Your characters favorite

food
Allies: Your characters best friends
Rival(s): Other characters you have a bone
to pick with (or vise versa)
Love interest(s): Who the character loves
Loved by: Who the character is loved by

18

This rule is based on keeping your characters total of Abilities and Weaknesses as
close to zero as possible. Just add all Ability
bonuses and subtract all Weakness penalties
to see your Character Total. At most, your
character should not be above or below zero
by more than five points (or another number, at the Game Masters discretion).
Most of the sample characters in the OVA
Role-Playing Game favor the Ground Zero
rule.

POWER CEILING
With this rule, every character starts
with a default number of points to spend on
Abilities but may gain more equivalent to
the total level of Weaknesses they take.
However, the points spent on Abilities can
never exceed a Power Ceiling set by the GM.
For example, if the Game Master gave each
character 5 default points and a Power
Ceiling of 20, you could spend 5 points on
Abilities and increase this with up to 15
points of Weaknesses. Even if you take more
Weaknesses, you cannot have more than 20
points of Abilities.

It is usually appropriate to apply the

following limitation on starting characters,
regardless of what other rules that might be
used: A characters basic Abilities should
never give a total of more than +5 to any of
the following: Attack Roll, Defense Roll, or
Basic Damage (Not including Power Moves
and similar Abilities.)

CHARACTER

GROUND ZERO

COMBAT EFFECTIVENESS

This system is meant to be extremely

flexible. You can create any character you
would ever want to play without any restrictions or hassles. Sometimes though, you
might want to limit yourself to keep from
making a character too good, or your
Game Master may want all the Players to
have similar levels of power. To do this, you
and your Game Master must first decide on
one of the following rules. Even if the Game
Master has not mentioned it, make sure to
ask him if he plans to use any of these rules
before making your character.

rather than the extremes by applying prohibitive point costs to high levels in Abilities.
A Level 1 Abilities costs one, 2 costs two, 3
costs four, 4 costs eight, and 5 costs an
incredible fifteen points! Weaknesses apply
the same costs as listed above, only they are
subtracted from the total. The Game Master
can either set a ceiling to the number of
points that can be spent, like the Power
Ceiling rule, or combine Point Scale with the
Ground Zero rule.

CREATING

LIMITING THE CHARACTER

POINT SCALE
This third rule encourages Players to
keep their characters in the middle ground

19

SAMPLE CH
SAMPLE CHARACTERS

If youre still daunted by the character creation process, or you just want to see some of
the many possibilities available, the following chapter contains ten completely detailed
Sample Characters ready for use, study, and modification.

USING

THE

CHARACTERS

From interstellar bounty hunters and

magical girls to man-hating megamillionaires and ninja assassins, theres plenty to
choose from here. But how will you use
them?

AS-IIS
The characters described in this chapter
are ready for use in your campaign. Players
can pick and choose their favorites in the
stead of generating their own, or the Game
Master can use them as ready-made NPCs.
Besides being varied enough to placate
almost any taste, many are predisposed to
coordinate with each other. Could Fukiko
see Auren as her Guardian Prince? What
will happen when friends-turned-rivals
Raine and Shou must work together? Can
Ais good spirit and uncanny psychic ability
soften the shallow Daisuke?

AS EXAMPLE
Because the characters are so diverse,
they work great as examples for OVAs many
Abilities and Weaknesses. Not only do they
clarify how the rules work, but also give
insight to possible applications of the rules.
If your understanding of a particular
rule isnt clear, try browsing the Sample
Characters.

AS A STARTING POINT
Complete as they may be, theres nothing stopping you from taking these characters and ripping only the parts that interest
you. Steal tidbits of background, lift an
Ability you like, or simply tweak a character
to better suit your needs.
If youre strapped for ideas, the Sample
Characters can be just the spark you need to
get on track. The only limit is your own
imagination!

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

For the sake of simplicity and ease of use, all of the Sample Characters assume a modern or
near-modern day setting. However, many of the characters can be easily applied to other more
exotic settings with limited tinkering. Most also adhere to the Ground Zero rules.

21

RAINE
RAINE

BACKGROUND:
The Warrior of the Mist, the Storm, the Sword Who Can Cut the Wind...Raine has been
known by all these names and more. His skill with his sword, like his beauty, is nearly
unmatched. But for all his positive attributes, Raine's mind is ill at ease...riddled with the
misdeeds of his past.
Raine was once a member of the infamous Clan Cave Fox, a group of skilled assassins
for hire. His legendary ability was well-suited for the task, and he was content to supply it.
That is, until his job hit too close to home. It was a simple job; kill a man who owed the Clan
lots of money. It was an easy job, too. In the dark, the man never saw it coming. To Raine's
ultimate regret, he never saw the man until it was too late. Clutching his wound, the man
clasped onto Raine's clothes. The eyes that looked into his were not that of yet another job
completed...but of his own father.
For the first time Raine truly questioned his life of killing. He realized life was more
than just a thing you could take, that every life meant something to someone. Disgusted with
himself, he wordlessly left the Clan, instead adopting the life of a wandering ronin. But no
one, no one, left the Clan and lived. Cave Fox dispatched another skilled assassin, Raine's old
comrade Shou, to hunt him down.
Now Raine wanders, doing good when he can in hopes of repenting for his life of sin.
He looks for the day when he can finally escape Clan Cave Fox...and the shadows of his past.

SAMPLE CHARACTERS
22

PERSONALITY:
Raine is a quiet person, usually only speaking when something significant must be said,
or in reply to someone else. Even though he is skilled and a solid thinker, Raine's mind tends
to wander. He often loses track of what a person is saying to him, a trait that may cause people to underestimate his intelligence. In his spare time, Raine can usually be found practicing his swordsmanship or quietly thinking, but he also has a passion for origami, the
Japanese art of folding paper. He sometimes uses the paper to focus his thoughts.
NIGHTMARES:
Raine is regularly haunted by nightmares, usually containing his past victims, his father,
and excessive amounts of blood. He rarely sleeps through the night, and his sudden wakenings may startle companions.
SWORD TECHNIQUES:
With his sword Kaze Satsujinsha (Wind Killer), Raine is capable of a variety of special
sword techniques. Electrical Storm requires much preparation and leaves Raine vulnerable,
but once unleashed a storm of electrical energy ravages effectively through large groups of
opponents. Raging Thunder Strike is a quick, devastating sword blow charged with electrical power. Mist Touch is a strange technique where Raine focuses his mental self into an
attack directly to his opponent's mind. Targets will often see a quick flash of a misty, translucent warrior before being overcome with an intense drain of energy and subdual pain.

Airhead
-1
Code of Conduct -2
(Will not fight unarmed or surprised opponents)
Focus
-2 (Power Moves require Kaze Satsujinsha)
Guardian
-2 (Those in Need)
Ineptitude
-3 (Home Economics)
Pacifist
-1
Rival
-2 (Shou)
Secret
-1 (Past as an Assassin)
Sensitivity
-1 (Sexual Misidentification)
Special Weakness -1 (Nightmares)
Wanted
-3 (Clan Cave Fox)

Basic Statistics
Concept: Ambiguously Sexed Sword Master
Age:
22
Gender:
Male
Association: Ex-member of Clan Cave Fox
Height:
5'9"
Weight:
146 lbs.
Hair:
Brown
Eyes:
Brown
Occupation: Wandering Swordsman
Hobbies: Origami
Fav. Food: Miso Soup
Allies:
None
Enemies: Shou, Clan Cave Fox

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

Attributes
Agile
+1
Beautiful
+4
Combat Skill
+4
Defense
+2
Hobby
+2 (Origami)
Power Move
+2
Electrical Storm (Extra Damage, Area Affect x 2, Stun,
Charge , Requirement (Must Be Outside),
Affinity: Lightning; 20 Endurance)
Raging Thunder Slash (Extra Damage x 2, Affinity:
Lightning; 20 Endurance)
Mist Touch (Armor Piercing x 2,
Continued Damage, Will Attack,
Endurance Drain, Decreased Damage x 2,
Affinity: Spirit; 20 Endurance)
Quick
+2
Sixth Sense
+1
Tough
+1
Vitality
+2
Weapon
+3
(Katana Kaze Satsujinsha; Armor Piercing x 2)

23

KARIS
KARIS

BACKGROUND:
Though largely unproven on the planet Earth, life outside of the solar system does
exist...Far more than easily imagined. Galactic trade and diplomacy has existed between
alien races for millennia. Karis is from one of these races on the distant planet of Andaros. As
a child, she enjoyed an easy life as the daughter of Dromar d'Ori, a successful and celebrated
Bounty Hunter in the employ of the Galactic Peace Legion. Money was never short, and
Karis was well spoiled. That is, until Shadowman came.
A criminal of insane proportions, the mysterious Shadowman has defied all means of
identification and capture. Murderer, plunderer, mass destroyer, a sadistic fiend with power
unmatched by even the greatest assets of GPL. Though Dromar had successfully cornered
Shadowman, the resulting battle ended with the bounty hunter's death and Shadowman's
escape.
In the years since, Karis has transformed from an innocent little girl into a hardened
(and somewhat) respected bounty hunter. She is determined to follow in her fathers footsteps and end the reign of terror of Shadowman forever. Partnered with GPL's proprietary
ARrest ASsist UNIt (Or Arasuni), Karis has followed Shadowman to a distant undeveloped
world...
Earth.

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

PERSONALITY:
Karis is quick on her feet and sharp-witted. However, her strong-willed personality
often leads her to act without thinking. The new and strange world of Earth can also confuse
her, and she sticks out like a sore thumb in many otherwise typical situations. Karis can be
prone to anger when annoyed, confused, or taunted about her less than ample bust size, an
anger she sometimes exhibits with more than words.
BOOMERANG:
Karis's boomerang is a diverse weapon. Not only can it strike enemies at a distance, but
in an altered configuration it can release a Liquid Steel cable to entangle opponents.
Although it does not inflict any damage, this cable lives up to its name and is extremely difficult to neutralize. Those with sufficient strength or escape skills may be able to neutralize
it versus a DN of 12, and can also be dissolved with a special solution carried by GPL personnel. When using this altered function, Karis has a -2 penalty. This liquid steel cable can also
be engineered to use the boomerang as a grappling hook. Though not an intended function,
it works quite well. It is also possible for Karis to use her boomerang to strike multiple targets in a single throw. For each addition target, Karis receives a -1 penalty to her attack. The
boomerang is stored in, and automatically returns to, a device on her arm.
ARASUNI:
Arasuni is Karis's assistant supplied by the GPL. In addition to being able search any
databases for information, he has a tendency to grab Earthian analects, sayings, quotes, and
other words of wisdom and apply them to the task at hand. Despite his use of such human
phrases, Arasuni has little, if any, real emotional capabilities.

24

Attributes
Acrobatics
+2
Agile
+1
Barrier
+2
Combat Skill
+2
Cute
+1
Defense
+2
Perceptive
+1
Quick
+2
Servant
+2
Weapon
+3
(Boomerang; Ranged, Special Perk: Steel Cable, Special
Perk: Sweep Attack)
Bizarre Appearance -1
Focus
-1
Impulsive
-1
Obsession
-2
Obsession
-3
Sensitivity
-2
Short Temper
-1
Special Weakness -2

Basic Statistics
Concept: Hotheaded Intergalactic Bounty Hunter
Age:
18
Gender:
Female
Association: Galactic Peace Legion
Height:
5'1"
Weight:
103 lbs.
Hair:
Red
Eyes:
Green
Occupation: Bounty Hunter
Hobbies: Collecting Stuffed Animals
Fav. Food: Zegan Sea Snails (Tastes like Chicken!)
Allies:
Arasuni, GPL
Enemies: Shadowman

(Strange Ears)
(Flash Shield: Barrier)
(Being strong like her Father)
(Kill Shadowman)
(Chest)
(Stranger in a Strange Land)

Armor
Combat Skill
Life Support
Special Ability
Special Ability
Strong
Tough

+2
+2
+4
+2 (Computer Link)
+1 (Thermal Scan)
+4
+3

Bizarre Appearance -2
Emotionless
-2
Guardian
-2
Servitude
-3
Size
-1
Slow
-1
Unnatural Weakness-2

(Robot)
(Karis)
(Karis, GPL)
(Large)
(Electricity)

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

Arasuni

25

MIHO
MIHO

BACKGROUND:
Since man's earliest ventures in technology, people have strived to build a more powerful weapon of war. But they have all fallen prey to the limitations of humans themselves.
Until now. Malicron Corp., a powerful producer of the latest military tech, was determined
to create a better war machine, a machine that was completely self sufficient, a machine built
to be the deadliest weapon of all: A human android. Capable not only of unmatched skill and
power, the android would also be able to adapt to the world around it. The perfect mass-producible warrior.
Though openly ridiculed by the scientific community, Project MIHO (Military
Intelligent Humanoid Operative) was a success. However, Miho exhibited qualities not
intended by her creators, the ability to think for herself. Malicron intended their precious
Miho to be highly adaptable, but factors like a conscience, emotions, and personal thoughts
were not supposed to exist in her programming. One of the primary engineers of the MIHO
project, Dr. Heiji Tomori, realized these special, very human, qualities. Unwilling to allow
something so human be thrust into lifeless military servitude, he arranged for her escape.
Unfortunately, Malicron quickly mobilized their in-house military personnel to reprocure
their prize product. The fate of Dr. Tomori, and the exact circumstances of the events to follow, remain unknown. Malicron failed to apprehend Miho, but she was badly damaged.
Finally, she simply collapsed into a dumpster many miles away.

SAMPLE CHARACTERS
26

By luck (or maybe fate), a young inventor named Braun decided to rummage through
that trash. Though initially shocked and unsure what to do with his find, he hauled her battered remains to his downtown apartment. It took time, but Miho was restored to near prime
condition. Ever since, Miho has dedicated herself to three things: A) Protecting and helping
her young savior, B) Learning more about this strange world around her, and C) Discovering
her origins and the fate of the man who helped her escape. Well, that, avoiding Malicron
Corporation pursuers, and destroying half of Tokyo with her well, but disastrous, intentions.
PERSONALITY:
Despite her vast military knowledge, Miho is an innocent, very kind-hearted spirit. She
desires to learn as much as possible about her world, making reading (at inhuman speeds)
one of her favorite pastimes. She also loves to cook, though her success is erratic at best. She
also tries to help wherever she can, though her inherently destructive build is often more of
a hindrance than an aid. Above all, Miho is hopelessly naive and trustful, and even if it might
lead to her detriment, it is a part of her genuine good nature.
ROBOT CHARACTERISTICS:
Although Miho does not need to eat, breathe, or drink, she still requires something to
continue operations. She is designed to get her energy from the sun, either in one hour sunbaths where her systems shut down, or gathered gradually over the course of the day. If
deprived of sunlight for more than 48 hours, Miho's systems switch to an alternate, but much
less effective power supply, resulting in a substantial penalty to actions. Her excessive density often poses a problem as well, straining weak floors, inhibiting attempts to swim, and
making her very difficult to carry. Miho has a variety of lines, markings, ports, and other telltale signs of her robot origins.

Attributes

Basic Statistics

Agile
+3
Armor
+2
Combat Skill
+2
Defense
+2
Heightened Sense +3 (Sight)
Human Arsenal +3 (Military Weaponry)
Machine Guns (Rapid Strikes, Ranged)
Missile Launcher (Area of Effect, Extra Knockback,
Ranged, Inaccurate x 2)
Sniper Rifle (Accurate x 2, Armor Piercing x 2,
Ranged, Activation: Aiming)
Life Support
+4
Martial Arts
+1
Quick
+1
Special Ability
+2 (Computer Link)
Strong
+3
Super Speed
+2
Transformation
+2 (Self-Preservation Mode)
Combat Skill
+2
Defense
+2
Endurance Reserve +2
Power Move
+3
Miho Explosion (Area Effect x 3, Extra Knockback,
Extra Damage, Slow; 40 Endurance)

Concept: Missile Powered Mechanical Maiden

Age:
1 (Appears 19)
Gender:
Female
Association: None
Height:
5'5"
Weight:
275 lbs.
Hair:
Blue
Eyes:
Yellow
Occupation: Ex-Military Operative
Hobbies: Reading Reference Books
Fav. Food: N/A
Allies:
Braun
Enemies: Malicron Corp.

Bizarre Appearance -1
Dependency
-3
Guardian
-2
Ineptitude
-2
Naive
-1
Obsession
-2
Special Weakness -1
Special Weakness -2
Unnatural Weakness-3
Trigger
-3
Wanted
-3

(Robot Features)
(Sun)
(Braun)
(Cooking)
(Learning About the World)
(Excessive Density)
(Ignorant of Non-Military Life)
(Electricity)
(Transformation Activated if Critical)
(Malicron Corporation)

SELF-P
PRESERVATION PROGRAM:
If Miho is reduced to a combined total of 10
from either Health or Endurance, a special selfpreservation program activates. Miho's consciousness shuts down, instead focusing on
eliminating the source of her danger, as well as
anything that gets in the way, friend or foe.
When the threat has been nullified, Miho returns
to her normal self with no memory of any incidents during the self-preservation program.

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

Special Weakness -3 (Loss of Control)

Special Weakness -2 (Short-term Amnesia)
Weapon
+3 (Lock Gun; Accurate, Ranged)

27

BRAUN
BRAUN

BACKGROUND:
There's one in every school. The incredibly smart, socially inept, and most teased kid in
the student body. Now on his own, Braun has changed very little from his school days. Still
incredibly brilliant and driven by a fascination with technology, Braun opted out of a formal
higher education to better pursue his passion for inventing. He lives alone in a downtown
apartment, a maze of reference, parts, and inventions in various stages of completion.
Though income was sporadic, he made enough money to feed his mouth and his habits. But
Braun craved for something more...to create a truly astounding innovation, something that
would be heralded for generations to come.
But he never expected to find it in a dumpster.
Scrounging trash for parts, as he was prone to do, Braun was shocked to find a battered,
but definitely humanoid, shape. Thinking he had found an injured, or even dead, woman,
Braun was paralyzed with uncertainty. But upon closer inspection, the person's wounds
revealed mechanical origins. But was this really possible? With much time, effort, and muscle strain, Braun managed to return to his apartment with the strange girl. Using his mechanical know-how, he restored the robot to near perfect working order. Immediately, the odd
android felt an incredible debt of gratitude to him, swearing to remain by his side.

Ever since, he has had a dedicated and spirited companion, but Brauns reclusive nature
had not prepared him for life with a female, even one of a mechanical nature. He also knew
that Miho was running away from something, and he worried that something might want
Miho back. His life would never be the same; he was sure of it...but maybe that wasnt such
a bad thing after all.

SAMPLE CHARACTERS
28

PERSONALITY:
Braun is a mostly introverted individual, content to keep to himself. Despite his antisocial tendencies, he is genuinely good natured. Braun is naturally honest and a hopelessly
bad liar, so it is difficult for him to hide his feelings and intentions. His unpopular childhood
and his equally socially uneventful adulthood has left him ill-at-ease around women, as well
as easy to bully. He is often embarrassed around Miho, but tries to curb his anxieties as best
as he can. Despite his well-meaning attitude, Braun is a tad forgetful and can overlook things
he should (or at least promised to) be doing.
INVENTIONS:
Although Braun is constantly scrapping and rebuilding his mish-mash of inventions,
there are a few he keeps handy. He has a specially outfitted laptop computer with the processing power of a much larger unit, as well as built in hacking aids that provide a +3 bonus
for such endeavors. Unless you count his haphazard kitchen appliances (that have a habit of
not working as intended) and simple-tasked small robots, his only other kept invention is a
pair of large glasses that fit over his own. This curious device is capable of numerous extrasensory purposes, like heat vision, x-ray vision, and zoom. Detecting nerve impulses from
the side of his head, Braun mustn't take any action to activate these functions. He is usually
able to find these and other inventions on his person via his Hammerspace Ability.

Attributes
Hammerspace
Hobby
Invention
Pilot
Smart
Special Ability
Weapon

+2
+4 (Computers)
+3
+1
+3
+1 (Contact with Black Market)
+2 (Handgun; Ranged)

Absent Minded
Clumsy
Compulsion
Nosebleeder
Shy
Weak
Weak-willed

-1
-2
-2 (Honesty)
-1
-1
-1
-1

Basic Statistics
Concept: Hopelessly Honest Inventor
Age:
19
Gender:
Male
Association: None
Height:
5'8"
Weight:
126 lbs.
Hair:
Brown
Eyes:
Blue
Occupation: Eclectic Inventor
Hobbies: Video Games
Fav. Food: Any Salty/Crunchy Snack Food
Allies:
Miho
Enemies: Malicron Corporation

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

CONNECTIONS:
As honest as he is, Braun has dabbled in the
black market for rare parts not available to the
average consumer. Though he has very little
weight, with enough money, he can gain access
to many illegal items. As proof, he has a small
caliber handgun, an item not available to
Japanese citizens. Unfortunately, he has little to
no skill using it.

29

AI
AI

BACKGROUND:
Reflective men and women throughout history have sometimes wished to begin
anew...to be able to wash the canvas clean and start fresh. But rarely do they consider what
a blessing it is to remember things, to know who you are, flaws and all. Ai awoke cold and
alone in a dark alley without any recollection of herself. Not knowing where she was, who
she was, or even how she got into this place, Ai was completely lost. With little other option,
she roamed the streets of Tokyo, making a living by stealing what she could.
But that was just the beginning of her troubles.
Ai began to realize she felt things from people. Vague feelings and emotions seemed
to bombard her in the busy Tokyo streets. Sometimes there was more. She would look at a
man and know he was having marital troubles at home, see a boy and know he was skipping
school to catch a concert in town with friends. The more she focused, the more she got from
these strangers.
Even more frightening, she realized that sometimes her own thoughts became theirs,
that she could in fact alter their perception. Even more, she could alter the world about her
with her mind, move things from afar, perhaps even break things.
But even these strange powers were not the root of her anxiety. It turned out that she
was being doggedly pursued by strange horrifying men. Men in black suits. They weren't
normal. When they were around, all she could feel was void from them. So far she has eluded them, but what if it was only a matter of time before they got her? What did they want
from her?

SAMPLE CHARACTERS
30

She hoped she would never find out.

PERSONALITY:
Ai is hopelessly shy, overwhelmed by a feeling of isolation, and even fear. She is slow
to make friends, and has trouble articulating her feelings in words. She is also afraid of her
own femineity, and tends to obscure it with heavy clothing, sometimes leading to the misdrawn conclusion she is, in fact, a boy. Ai would rather avoid adversity than to overcome it,
and spends most of her life running away from her problems. The real problem lies in that
she does not know where she can run to.
MEN IN BLACK:
The Men in Black are a mysterious and unknown people. Though at first glance, they
seem little different from normal people, Ai can sense they are different somehow. Even so,
she is often scared by any person in a black suit, which leads to more than a few social complications in the briefcase-tugging world of Japan.

+2
+3
+3
+3
+4
+3

Amnesia
Fear
Frail
Shy
Wanted
Weak

-2
-2 (Men in Black Suits)
-1
-3
-3 (Men in Black)
-1

Basic Statistics
Concept: Amnesiatic ESPer
Age:
17
Gender:
Female
Association: None
Height:
5'4"
Weight:
109 lbs.
Hair:
Dark Brown
Eyes:
Lavender
Occupation: Unknown
Hobbies: Reading
Fav. Food: Noodles
Allies:
None
Enemies: Men in Black

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

Attributes
Art of Invisibility
Barrier
Incorporeal Form
Psychic
Sixth Sense
Telekinesis

31

FUKIKO
FUKIKO

BACKGROUND:
All little children dream of being like their most cherished heroes. Fukiko was no different. Every day, (except when there was schoolwork or chores to be done) she would throw
herself into the fantastic imaginary worlds of her shoujo manga. Fighting Evil! Making
Friends! And maybe catching the attention of a handsome male comrade...But that's all they
were: imaginary two-dimensional illustrations trapped forever in the pages of her comicbooks.
But sometimes, dreams come true. One night while looking out her window, as she was
prone to do to see the stars, Fukiko was shocked to encounter a strange cat. Not just a cat,
but a white cat with feathery wings. Though, finding a creature like this on her window sill
was more than a little unusual, Fukiko's curiosity overcame her apprehension. She opened
her window. The feline's curious avian nature was only the beginning of a slew of strange
surprises. The cat spoke to her, revealing himself to be Azyrus. As if this wasn't enough,
Azyrus continued to explain that her mother, who died when she was too young to remember well, was a magical crime fighter. The stories were so remarkably similar to her comic
books that Fukiko could hardly believe her ears. Despite being overwhelmed, she listened
attentively to Azyrus as he continued his explanations. Her locket, a keepsake from her
mother, was also the key to her mother's power. Though Azyrus, as well as Fukiko's mother, had hoped this power would never be need again, that would not be the case. And so the
young hero Lovely Savior Myu Myu was born. But the story had just begun...

SAMPLE CHARACTERS
32

PERSONALITY:
Fukiko is a rather typical girl of her age. She is strong-willed and naive, expecting the
world to play by her definition of the rules. This blind faith is also her strength, giving her
the ability to see the good in bad and to persevere against all odds. Even so, her childish
nature can lead to a bit of whining from time to time.
LOVELY SAVIOR MYU MYU:
When Fukiko grabs her locket and shouts Lovely Savior Transformation, she is able
to become her super-hero crime fighting form. Her locket transforms into a collar with a bell,
and the rest of her attire also changes into her Myu Myu uniform. Of course, even villains
will wait through the lengthy and flashy transformation sequence to continue any battle.
Must be the catchy music and pretty lights. She can also use this power to simply change her
appearance. She cannot use this Shape Change Ability and the Transformation power simultaneously.
AZYRUS:
Azyrus acts as Fukikos guide and advisor. He can often be exasperated by Fukikos
childlike naivety, but his heart is in the right placeeven when his mouth isnt. Despite his
knowledge and good sense, he has few abilities of his own.
Attributes: Flight +3, Quick +1, Smart +2, Frail -2, Short Temper -1, and Size: (Small) -1.

Attributes
Animal Companion+2 (Azyrus)
Hobby
+2 (Shoujo Manga)
Quick
+2
Shape Change
+2
Transformation
+4 (Lovely Savior Myu Myu)
Barrier
+3
Combat Skill
+2
Heal
+2
Power Move
+2
Neko Neko Gatling (Extra Damage x 2,
Rapid Strikes, Inaccurate x 2; 20 Endurance)
Neko Neko Wave (Extra Damage; 15 Endurance)
Neko Neko Yarn Entangle (Entangle,
Decreased Damage x 2; 10 Endurance)

Basic Statistics
Concept: Magical Meow Meow Girl
Age:
12
Gender:
Female
Association: None
Height:
4'5"
Weight:
78 lbs.
Hair:
Blonde
Eyes:
Blue
Occupation: Elementary School Student
Hobbies: Shoujo Manga
Fav. Food: Chocolate Bars
Allies:
Azyrus
Enemies: Sinister Folk and their Minions

Bizarre Appearance -1 (Cat Features)

-2 (Neko Transformation Locket)
-2
-1
-2
-2
-2

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

Focus
Ageism
Crybaby
Easily Distracted
Frail
Naive

33

AUREN
AUREN

BACKGROUND:
In an ancient time, when marvelous magics and malicious monsters ruled the earth, the
power of sorcerers reigned supreme. And among them were the elite, the greatly respected
Order of the Fallen Star. This small, reclusive order of wizards ruled the lands as a council,
and managed the affairs of the world from afar in their secluded secret chambers. Auren was
the youngest of the Order, but his skill as a sorcerer was among the greatest.
But something was wrong. Tierus, the Great Seer of the Order, felt a dark portent coming from another time. It was a deep felt omen of impending doom...a danger for the very
existence of Earth!
It was unclear what this vision meant, but Auren was not willing to take any chances.
He offered to use his magical powers to scout out the future himself. Time Magic was an esoteric school, one largely forbidden and never talked about. But the words of Tierus hung
heavy, and the Order could find little recourse. They could not simply sit idly by with knowledge of such danger. Permission was granted, breaking an unwritten rule that had lasted
centuries. Auren was travelling into unfamiliar territory, with little knowledge of the craft
and no knowledge of the place he was going. But he would do it. After heartfelt farewells,
Auren cast the appropriate incantations and was thrown into a magical vortex through time...
Into Twenty-First Century Japan.

SAMPLE CHARACTERS
34

Besides the completely new and bewildering world around him, Auren also had another small problem. His travel through time seemed to adversely affect his age. His body now
had now the appearance of a teenager. He also had another problem. No matter how hard
he tried, the incantations to return him to his proper epoch failed. Stuck in a strange land
with little direction, Auren had no choice but to pursue the unknown evil this time held...and
defeat it himself, if necessary.
...that and explore the mysterious world of zit medication.
PERSONALITY:
Auren is a very serious, almost drab sort of character. Known for his stubbornness and
strong will, he can be difficult to deal with in any conflict of opinions. He is both perplexed
and constantly frustrated by his lack of authority in the world as a teenager. Despite this, he
often acts as if in the position to order others around. His old fashioned background contributes to a obligation to protect women, much to his chagrin. Auren also has a curious distaste for animals, no matter how cute and cuddly.
ORION:
Auren's specially crafted blade is ornate and beautiful, but also deadly. It is able to cut
many materials that would break any normal weapon. In fact, Orion is unbreakable.

Ageism
-1
Arrogant
-1
Bizarre Appearance -1
Code of Conduct -1
Easily Distracted -2
Hatred
-1
Ineptitude
-3
Special Weakness -1
Special Weakness -2
Stubborn
-2
Strange Personal
Habit
-1

(Esoteric Clothes and Tattoos)

(Protecting Women...Begrudgingly)
(Animals)
(Modern Technology)
(Not Used to Body)
(Stranger in a Strange Land)

(Antiquated Language)

Basic Statistics
Concept: Time-Skipping Teen Sorcerer
Age:
43 (Appears 16)
Gender:
Male
Association: Order of the Fallen Star
Height:
5'6"
Weight:
135 lbs.
Hair:
Grey-Blue
Eyes:
Grey
Occupation: Sorcerer
Hobbies: Meditating
Fav. Food: Mutton
Allies:
None
Enemies: None

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

Attributes
Armor
+1 (Medieval Armor)
Combat Skill
+2
Defense
+2
Hobby
+4 (Magic Knowledge)
Magic, Arcane
+3
Stone Skin (Armor +2; 5 Endurance)
Mana Shield (Barrier +2; 10+ Endurance)
Wings of Dezantis (Flight +3; 10 Endurance)
Feeblemind (Intimidate +3; 10 Endurance)
Breath
(Life Support +2; 5 Endurance)
Atlas Arm (Strong +4; 20 Endurance)
Hasten
(Quick +3; 10 Endurance)
Power Move
+3
Fire Ball (Continued Damage, Ranged, Redirectable,
Decreased Damage, Affinity: Fire; 25 Endurance)
Ice Spire Array (Area Effect, Armor Piercing, Ranged,
Rapid Strikes, No Knockback; 35 Endurance)
Thunder Godspell (Accurate x 2, Ranged, Stun, Slow;
30 Endurance)
Smart
+2
Vitality
+2
Weapon
+3
(Sword Orion; Armor Piercing x 2, Special Perk:
Unbreakable)

35

DAISUKE
DAISUKE

BACKGROUND:
Possibly never has a man so shallow and spoiled as Daisuke ever existed. Already from
a well-to-do family, his rise into superstardom only increased his spoiled rich-boy attitude to
the world. More so than his fondness for things expensive, Daisuke is a hopeless pervert
whose mind is usually on girls and nothing but. And as one of the most popular male idol
singers, fangirls are far from being in shortage.
His ideal, girl chasing existence was soon to be turned around. At one of his concerts,
an elderly lady requested his autograph. Daisuke not only ignored the request, but told the
lady off with a variety of insults. He had sexier girls to attend to, after all! Displeased at
Daisuke's shallowness, the old woman started chanting a curse: May no woman touch you
until you discover the true meaning of love and compassion! Of course, Daisuke didn't pay
any attention to the mad ravings of the woman at the time. It wasn't until a crowd of fangirls
tackled him that he realized his mistake.
The curse was no mere babble of a mad woman. Any time a woman touched him in a
remotely amorous way, he would turn...
Into a black bunny rabbit.
Thusly, the easy, shallow, girl-filled life of Daisuke took a most unfortunate turn...leaving him with little choice but to seek out the old woman and get rid of this awful curse!

SAMPLE CHARACTERS
36

PERSONALITY:
Daisuke has three major problems: He's lecherous, he's rudely eccentric, and too popular to care about either. Besides being a helpless woman-chaser, Daisuke is known for his
oddball food demands and spoiled rich-boy attitude when he can't get them.
BLACK BUNNY!:
As previously mentioned, when touched by the opposite sex in a remotely amorous
way, Daisuke turns into a black bunny rabbit. This form reverts when he escapes sight from
the afflicting women. Unfortunately, his clothes are left behind.
MOTORCYCLES:
Among other luxuries, Daisuke has used his fame and wealth to fund an interest in
motorcycles. He shies away from the typical limousine rides in favor of his top-of-the-line
green and black Kawasaki Ninja sportbike. With its devilish speed and maneuverability, it
has recently become useful for quick get-aways from adoring female mobs.

Attributes

Accidental
Transformation
Boorish
Girl Magnet
Lecherous
Overconfident
Strange Personal
Habit
Weak-Willed

+2
+2
+1
+2
+2 (Motorcycles)
+3 (Guitar)
+3 (Music)
+4 (Singing)
+1 (Brawling)
+2 (Fame)
+2

Basic Statistics
Concept: Cursed, Lecherous Idol Singer
Age:
18
Gender:
Male
Association: Soh-nii Records
Height:
5'8"
Weight:
146 lbs.
Hair:
Black
Eyes:
Red
Occupation: Singer
Hobbies: Chasing Girls
Fav. Food: Strawberries and Cheddar Sauce
Allies:
He, Himself, and Him
Enemies: One Mean Ol Bag

-3 (Black Bunny)
-1
-3
-2
-1
-1 (Odd Food Combos)
-1

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

Agile
Beautiful
Combat Skill
Filthy Rich
Hobby
Hobby
Hobby
Hobby
Martial Arts
Special Ability
Vitality

37

NATSUKI
NATSUKI

BACKGROUND:
Natsuki was once a simple woman. Hardworking and determined, she entered the
often man-dominated business world of Japan. The success she found there was welcomed...Natsuki was on top of the world. That is, until one of her superiors made a pass at
her. It soon became clear that Natsuki was considered a trophy piece and not a valued
employee. The situation only got worse, resulting in years of abuse. But she'd be damned if
she would give up now.
Although her commitment to appeasing her superiors got her to the top, her mind suffered permanently as result. Her life became dedicated to being better than all men, no matter who they were. After gaining control of the corporation through various quick deals, the
entire male personnel was eradicated. Armed with a new all female staff, Natsukis sharp
business skills turned Malicron Corporation into one of the hottest properties in the Japanese
business scene. And she liked it that way.
In addition to being mentally and moneterarily superior, Natsuki has spent time honing
her body as well. She is a dangerous fighter in her own right, ready to defend her position
mentally and physically.
PERSONALITY:
Natsuki is a demanding woman with an air of intense intimidation about her. Both
charismatic and frightening in her speech, Natsuki seemed born to command. She has no
interest in dealing with men, and treats them with little civility, if any at all.

SAMPLE CHARACTERS
38

MALICRON CORPORATION:
Natsuki is the head of Malicron, a successful organization dedicated to new technology,
especially in the military sector. In addition to having possible access to a variety of military
vehicles, Natsuki also has the ability to summon trained flunkies to her side. These
flunkies have Weapon: Gun (Ranged, Inaccurate) +1. Recently, Malicron has also delved into
the experimental field of sentient android robotics...
MALICRON GARDENS:
On top of the flagship building of the Malicron Corporate Empire, Natsuki keeps a
secret flower garden that covers the entire rooftop. A beautiful place indeed, it serves as her
sanctuary from the working world. Very few people know of the garden's existence, a situation unlikely to ever change.

Attributes
Acrobatics
Beautiful
Combat Skill
Defense
Filthy Rich
Flunkies
Hobby
Hobby
Intimidation
Martial Arts
Position of Power
Quick

+2
+2
+2
+2
+5
+2
+4 (Business Management)
+2 (Flowers)
+1
+2
+3 (President of Malicron)
+1

Arrogant
Bad Reputation
Fear
Compulsion
Hatred
Obsession
Overconfident
Short Temper
Soft Spot
Stubborn
Strange Personal
Habit

-2
-2 (Ruthless Manhater)
-2 (Being Held Against Will)
-2 (Exercising Power)
-2 (Men)
-2 (Being Better Than Men at Everything)
-2
-2
-2 (Flowers)
-1

Basic Statistics
Concept: Manipulative Manhating Millionaire
Age:
27
Gender:
Female
Association:Malicron Corporation
Height:
5'10"
Weight:
122 lbs.
Hair:
Blonde
Eyes:
Grey-Blue
Occupation: CEO
Hobbies: Working, Flowers
Fav. Food: Filet Au Poivre
Allies:
None
Enemies: Men

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

-1 (Obnoxious Laugh)

39

SHOU
SHOU

BACKGROUND:
Shou was orphaned at a young age by unknown circumstances. Soon after, he was
adopted by Clan Cave Fox, an assassin organization that proceeded to train him in the ways
of their kind. Despite, or maybe because of, his rigorous training, Shou never learned how
to grow up. His incredible skill made him able to get what he wanted, and the freelance
nature of the group left him to do as he pleased.
Deviously playful, Shou is well known for inventing games to play with his targets. The
fairness of the rules vary with his moods. Sometimes the odds would be in his favor, others
his opponent's favor, and sometimes roughly equal. It didn't really matter to him, as long as
it was fun. After all, he never lost.
Shou spent most of his later years as a companion to Raine, a serious, but still fun,
friend. Raine was a fighter worthy of being a truly challenging opponent, no equalizers
needed. They'd often talk together for hours, hidden away in the high places of the world.
But when Raine left Clan Cave Fox, Shou was not very happy about it. Neither, it seemed,
was Clan Cave Fox. They wanted him found. Shou was more than glad to oblige.
This may be the best game of them all.

SAMPLE CHARACTERS
40

PERSONALITY:
Shou is in ways a truly frightening individual. Despite his life as an assassin, he is passionate and lively. Without any true father figure or role model, he acts much as he acted as
child. His youthful nature makes a startling contrast to his occupation, and often makes him
even more imposing. Shou also loves to eat, and can be easily swayed with food.
Temporarily anyway.
DARK WORLD:
For a short time before his death several years ago, Shou was often found in the company of a strange elder member of Clan Cave Fox. From him he learned to contact the demon
world. Shou is capable of summoning spirits to aid him in battle, but he is more likely to use
them to instill fear or distract than to actually combat his opponents. Despite being a chronic risk taker, Shou is not stupid. He rarely attempts to summon truly powerful creatures. To
do so with his limited training would be asking for trouble. However, the ability to connect
to this world comes at a price...Shou's soul is permanently imbued with darkness, and is susceptible to damage of holy and good nature.

Attributes
Acrobatics
+3
Art of Invisibility +3
Combat Skill
+3
Defense
+2
Martial Arts
+2
Occult Knowledge +2
Perceptive
+2
Quick
+3
Weapon
+2 (Tonfas)
(Assassin)

(Those Who Ruin His Fun)

(Raine)
(Clan Cave Fox)
(Food)
(Playfulness)
(Holy)

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

Bad Reputation -2
Boorish
-1
Easily Distracted -1
Hatred
-2
Impulsive
-2
Overconfident
-2
Rival
-2
Servitude
-1
Soft Spot
-2
Strange Personal
Habit
-2
Unnatural Weakness-2

Basic Statistics
Concept: Scarily Playful Ninja Hitman
Age:
22
Gender:
Male
Association:Clan Cave Fox
Height:
6'1"
Weight:
159 lbs.
Hair:
White
Eyes:
Indigo
Occupation: Assassin
Hobbies: Eating
Fav. Food: Bento Boxes
Allies:
Clan Cave Fox
Enemies: Numerous

41

It has been said that a person is defined by what he or she does. If this is true, it might
help to know what you can (and cant) do. What follows is a list of the many attributes, both
good and bad, that you can assign your character. Under Abilities, youll find skills, talents,
areas of physical prowess, and even supernatural powers. Under Weaknesses, youll find
disabilities, undesirable mental characteristics, and responsibilities, among other things that
can foul up your day.
But keep in mind that Weaknesses are not horrible things you never want to assign your
character. These Weaknesses may make things more difficult (They are called weaknesses for
a reason), but they will make your character much more interestingand real.
Even a Superman needs his Kryptonite.

ABILITIES
Acrobatics - You are well practiced in a variety of physical maneuvers. You can add
your Acrobatics bonus to gymnastic feats,
balancing, and attempts to tumble to avoid
falling damage. It may also be added to
Defense rolls in difficult or cluttered terrain.
Agile - You are naturally adept at moving
skillfully. You can add your Agile bonus to
attack rolls, gymnastics, dancing, sleight of
hand, or other activities that test your coordination and manual dexterity.
Animal Companion - You have a loyal animal friend. When creating the animal, you
may give it as many Abilities or Weaknesses
as you want, as long as its positive total does
not exceed your Animal Companion Level.
Such companions often have the ability to

think and speak, but this has no extra cost.

Armor - You have managed to obtain some
useful protective gear. The exact form of this
is up to you. It could be anything from a
combat suit, to an electric force shield, to a
really thick hide. For every point of Armor
you have, you may subtract the following
amount of damage from attacks.

Armor Level

Damage Reduction

10

20

A
WEAKNESSES

WEAKNESSES

AND

AND

ABILITIES

ABILITIES
ABILITIES

43

Art of Invisibility - You have the remarkable

ability to move silently and blend into the
shadows.
You can add your Art of
Invisibility bonus when hiding, sneaking,
shadowing others, or at any time when
remaining unnoticed is desirable.
Barrier - You have the ability to protect yourself with a barrier of some kind. This could
be a magical shield, an electronic device, or
anything else that can protect you from
harm. Instead of rolling a normal defense in
combat, you may spend five Endurance and
roll your Barrier Ability instead. In addition,
if your opponents attack still connects, you
may burn endurance to buy off damage
on a one for one basis. With enough
Endurance, you can theoretically nullify any
attack! If you do not wish to spend the activation cost with each use, you may also keep
the barrier up. You only roll once, and this

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
44

total is used as long as the barrier remains

up. While the barrier is up, you can still
spend Endurance to cover any extra damage,
but you may not perform any other action,
not even moving. You may also choose from
the Power Perks and Flaws to individualize
your power. However, you may not take any
attack-specific perks or flaws. (See Power
Move and Power Perks and Flaws). The
altered Endurance cost only affects the activation cost. Additional Endurance spent to
negate damage remains one for one.
Barrier, Offensive - This is similar to the
ability above, but you may use it offensively.
In addition to blocking damage from other
attacks, your Barrier causes damage to opponents who try to attack you without the
Ranged Perk. The Damage Total is equal to
the Abilitys Level, and is always compared
to a defense of zero. You may also take
Ability Perks and Flaws that normally only
apply to attacks. The Endurance cost for an
Offensive Barrier is 10 instead of five, but
extra endurance used to block damage is still
one for one.
Beautiful - Youve got the look that others
would kill for. Your general appearance is
remarkable enough to draw the attention of
others, especially at higher Levels. Through
your good looks, you may be able to achieve
things not available to normal people, have
an easier time convincing persons of the
opposite sex to do what you want, and be
sufficiently distracting when you want to be.
Whenever using your appearance to help
you in the task at hand, roll your Beautiful
dice.
Charisma - You are incredibly influential.
Your manner, attitude, and appearance
make people acknowledge you and listen to
what you have to say. You are also especially good at making people see it your way.
You may roll your Charisma dice when trying to convince others, make others listen to
you, distract, bribe, or in any other scenario
where your charm comes into play.

Combat Skill - You have trained yourself to

be particularly skilled in offensive tactics.
With this Ability, you have the capability to
strike your opponent where it will be most
accurate and damaging. When making an
attack roll, add your Combat Skill dice.

Endurance Reserve cannot be used for damage taken in combat. If the characters normal Health and Endurance is reduced to
zero, he or she still falls unconscious, regardless of the amount of Endurance remaining
in Endurance Reserve.

This Ability covers the method of attack in

general, rather than skill in any weapon or
fighting style. To specialize in a specific
weapon, martial art, or power move, choose
it as a hobby. Unless your Game Master
says otherwise, this Hobby and the Combat
Skill Ability are not cumulative. You can
only use the highest one.

It is typical for Endurance Reserve to be

linked to another Ability through the Focus
Weakness. For example, a Power Move
that uses Endurance Reserve and has a
Focus of Magic Staff or Blaster Rifle.
Essentially, only this Power Move uses the
Endurance Reserve, and not other Abilities.

Endurance Reserve - Through some item,

you have an extra store of Endurance for use
with your powers. It could be an ancient
magical amulet, an electronic power pack, or
any object capable of storing energy.
Although having this extra Endurance is
useful, unlike real Endurance, it cannot be
regained during combat, nor is it automatically restored between high-tension situations. Endurance for this item can only be
restored over a period of time, through rest
or recharging over a 24 hour period. Also,

Endurance

20

40

60

100

200

Filthy Rich - Your wallet is the envy of all

that gaze upon it. At Level 1, you are mildly
wealthy and can afford to be extravagant
with fancy clothes and expensive dinners;
Level 2, you can afford buying expensive
items on a regular basis, including state-ofthe-art electronic set ups, computers, and
designer suits or gowns; Level 3, you can
afford expensive cars, personal servants, and
other such luxuries; Level 4, you live in a
mansion, drive in limousines, own a vast collection of cars and personal aircraft, and are
easily the richest person in the area; Level 5,
You can buy anything. Anything.
Flight - Whether by wings, super powers, or
machine, you have the miraculous ability to
fly. When attempting to fly, roll your Flight
dice and any appropriate Abilities (like Pilot,
for vehicles, or Quick) against a target DN.

WEAKNESSES

Endurance Reserve

AND

Defense - You have learned that getting out

of the way of danger is a useful skill indeed.
You may add your Defense bonus whenever
trying to outmaneuver or block punches,
stabs, energy blasts, pillars of flame, massive
explosions, heat seeking missiles, or anything else intent on doing you bodily harm.

To determine the Endurance granted, refer

to the following chart:

ABILITIES

Cute! - You are every grandparents dream

come true. In addition to being an easy target for cheek pinches, many find it hard to be
angry, mean, or in any way aggressive
towards you. However, some may not take
you seriously either. You may add your
Cute dice whenever you wish to abuse your
cuteness to get something you want, or to
calm an angered person to keep him or her
from taking their aggression out on you (or
anyone else).

45

Trying to...

DN

Slow Descent or Fall

Hover off Ground, Keep Altitude

Gain Altitude, Fly in bad weather

Fly Through Strong Turbulence

Perform Difficult Aerial Stunt

10

Performing Stunts while injured

12

Fly through a Hurricane

15

Flunkies - Whether by charisma or fear, you

have the ability to call upon a sizable troupe
of allies. Each of these allies have 10 Health
and Endurance and, when the total of their
Abilities and Weaknesses are combined, cannot have a sum of levels greater than +1.

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
46

Flunkies Level

# of Flunkies

12

20

At the Players option, flunkies may be

combined in order to have more powerful
flunkies. For instance, a character with +2
in Flunkies could instead summon 2
flunkies with 20 base Health and
Endurance, and +2 in Abilities.
Hammerspace - A strange fluke in the anime
universe, hammerspace is a curious dimension where items of any size can be placed
and recalled at will. It is so named for the
tendency of females to put away hammers
and mallets for use with their Angry Female
Strikes. (All females automatically have the
Hammerspace ability for this purpose, and
do not need to make any rolls to do so. See
Other Ways to Get Hurt in the Combat
chapter for more information). Only items
that are relatively common and of liftable

weight can be pulled from hammerspace.

You could pull a rose, a canvas and easel, or
maybe even a gun, but you could not
retrieve one of the legendary swords of
Masamune, a magic cure for any disease, or
a 1985 Chevrolet Camaro (unless you also
had the Strength Ability at Level 3). When
you wish to pull an item, roll your
Hammerspace dice and compare it to the
appropriate difficulty. If you succeed, you
now have the desired item in your possession. If you fail, you cannot find the object,
it wont work, or you pull a completely different (and usually quite useless) item altogether. For example, if you were being
attacked by an irate Natsuki

Trying to Pull Something...

DN

Not Very Useful (Rubber Ducky)

Theoretically Useful(Dinner Plate)

Sort of Useful (Letter Opener)

Useful (Bamboo Practice Sword)

Very Useful (Saber)

10

Incredibly Useful (Auto Rifle)

12

Amazing (Missile Launcher)

15

Heal - You have the remarkable skill to heal

others from the worst injuries. You may
have some special power, divine influence,
or just a really big box of Band-Aids. For
every 2 points of Endurance you spend, you
may heal up to your Level in Heal the Health
of yourself or another. This takes a full
round to perform while in combat, and you
cannot make any other rolls. If you are
required to perform a defense roll or action,
your attempt at healing is aborted, and you
must try again. If a full round passes without intervention, you succeed and the appropriate Health is regained. If appropriate to
your Ability, you may also spread your
healed Health across multiple targets.
Heightened Sense - You have a certain sense
beyond what is normal. You can add your
Heightened Sense bonus whenever you are

using that sense to notice, differentiate, or

scrutinize something.

Incorporeal Level

Endurance

30

Hobby - You have an interest or training in a

particular area. This could range anywhere
from Programming and Cooking to Japanese
Literature and Italian Opera. When you are
performing an action that applies to your
Hobby, add your Hobby Skill Bonus.

20

10

Incorporeal Form - You can phase out of

the physical world and can pass through
solid objects as if they were air. While you
are incorporeal, no one can touch or attack
you, but likewise, you cannot do the same to
them. All belongings of the character are
assumed to become incorporeal as well. For
every round in combat (or about every 5 seconds) that you are in an Incorporeal Form,
you must burn Endurance. The amount of
Endurance you must burn is decided by
your Level in Incorporeal Form.

Some characters may have other Abilities

or Weaknesses that will add to
Intimidation rolls.
Abilities like
Strength and Weaknesses like Size
and Bizarre Appearance may be appropriate. Likewise, some Abilities and
Weaknesses could result in penalties, such
as Cute, Size (Again), and Weak.
This is one of the rare cases Weaknesses
may add to a roll and Abilities subtract!
Invention - You have a natural talent with
creating machines and gadgets. You can use
this ability to create inventions to serve your
purposes. However, attempts to build are
not automatically successful. You must roll
your Invention Dice (as well as any other
Abilities that apply, like Smart) and compare
it to the difficulty listed below that is appro-

WEAKNESSES

Intimidation - You know how to scare, bully,

and overpower others through sheer presence. You may add your Intimidation dice
whenever trying to force someone to do
something you want or to cause fear.

AND

Human Arsenal - You are a walking warehouse. Your enthusiasm for a certain kind of
item (usually kinds of weapons or vehicles)
is so great that you own nearly every specimen of it. With the Human Arsenal Ability,
you must pick another appropriate Ability
as its focus (such as Weapon: Gun or
Vehicle: Military Ground). You may now
alter its attributes at will (essentially, draw
another gun; get another vehicle from the
hangar). You may not retrieve an item of an
Ability Level greater than your Human
Arsenal Ability or the focused Ability, nor
can you retrieve an item that is substantially
different from the focus of your Human
Arsenal Ability. (You could not retrieve a
sword if your focus is gun-like
weaponsunless, of course, it is a bayonet)

You may also do an instant phase that

allows you to use your incorporeal form as if
Defending to make any attack automatically
miss. Although it does not cost an action, the
full Endurance cost is still spent, and the
effect only lasts a moment. (Consequently, it
would not work for other attacks made in
the same round). During combat, it is possible to quickly pass through walls, desks, etc.
without spending any Endurance at all.
When not in combat or other high-tension
situations, no expenditure of Endurance is
required.

ABILITIES

If Players and the Game Master are using

the Ground Zero, Power Ceiling, or Point
Scale rules, they are advised to make
Hobbies cost half normal. If this leaves you
with a fraction total, round up.

47

priate to the usefulness of your invention.

Some inventions may also require special
parts and long periods of time to build, at
the Game Masters Discretion.

Trying to Build Something...

DN

Not Very Useful(Turbo Toothbrush)

Theoretically Useful (Miracle Glue)

Sort of Useful (Parachute,+1)

Useful (Land Vehicle,+2)

Very Useful (Air Ship,+3)

10

Incredibly Useful(Super Weapon,+4)

12

Amazing (Dimensional Portal,+5)

15

These inventions may also mimic other

Abilities and Weaknesses. Compare the
total (Abilities minus Weaknesses) to the
table to discover their usefulness. Failed
attempts produce nothing useful, or something that will break (or explode) later on.
New characters may start play with one
invention of usefulness equal to their Ability
in Invention. For example, a character with
+3 in Invention may have a Very Useful
invention to start.

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
48

Although characters can theoretically have

as many inventions as they want, it is
unlikely that they will be able to keep up
with more than one or two.
Excess
Inventions are probably stored away in
garages, or maybe scrapped for parts. It is
possible however that some characters
might
couple
this Ability
with
Hammerspace
Invention, Focused - Focused Invention is
identical to its basic counterpart, except that
you specialize in a specific kind of invention.
Within this small range, you can create items
with double your Invention bonus.
However, everything else limits Invention
by half, rounded down. You may take multiple Focused Inventions, or even basic
Invention, to help eliminate the penalty.

Invisibility - Now you see you, now you

dont. You have the ability to make yourself
literally disappear at will. No one can see
you, but you may still be felt, heard, or
sensed by any other means besides sight.
For every round of combat (or about five seconds) you remain invisible, you must burn
Endurance. The amount of Endurance you
must burn is decided by your Level in
Invisibility.

Invisibility Level

Endurance

30

20

10

Level
of Caster

Level of Ability
1
2
3
4
5

10

20

40

80

120

10

20

40

80

10

20

40

10

20

10

You must also make a Casting roll to successfully cast the spell. This is against a difficulty equal to 2 + double the Level of the
spell. Abilities like Arcane Magic, Hobby
(Magic Knowledge), and Smart will act as a
bonus for this roll. If failed, the spell does
not work, or does not work as intended.
Endurance is lost regardless (although only
for casting. Any Endurance required by the
mimicked Ability are not spent). Casting
spells also requires you to both speak and
perform elaborate gestures, so if you cannot

WEAKNESSES

Magic, Arcane - You have been gifted with

the confounding ability to use magic. You
can harness little understood Mana to
reproduce the affect of any other Ability for
yourself or others. (Within reason, of course.
Game Master has final say on the plausibility of a spell.) However, in order to do so,
you must spend Endurance. The exact
amount varies according to your Level in
Arcane Magic and that of the Ability you
wish to mimic. Keep in mind this is in addition to any costs the Ability possesses.

AND

Life Support - You can survive in an environment that is normally uninhabitable. At

Level 1, you can hold you breath or withstand other hazards for an extended time.
At Level 2, you can live in another environment that humans normally cannot, such as
underwater or in extreme heat or cold. You
are also not affected by environmental
changes, like pressure, in this environment.
At Level 3, you can live in multiple environments, even space. However, certain environments may remain harmful to you at the
Game Masters discretion. At Level 4, you
are completely independent from your surroundings and unaffected by almost all environmental conditions. At Level 5, you require
nothing to live. No energy source, no air, no
rest. You are completely self-sufficient.

Lucky - Lady Luck is on your side. Good

things continually happen to you, and somehow even the worst of situations have a
good side to them. (For example, if your
house were blown up, you would discover a
natural oil well under it.) The higher your
Level in Lucky, the more often it has an effect
and to greater results. In addition to your
natural luckiness, you also get a number of
free Drama Dice equal to your Level in
Lucky. These free dice are replenished only
between adventures or at the Game Masters
discretion.

ABILITIES

When not in combat or other high-tension

situations, no Endurance loss is necessary.

49

do one or the other, double the difficulty. If

you cannot do either, quadruple. All effects
take place immediately, no additional actions
needed, and last one round, but may be kept
in effect, where appropriate, by spending
half the casting cost for each extra round.
(However, some Abilities, like Barrier, can
have longer effects with just one casting, and
instead follow those rules.) It requires an
available action to cast a spell, but, unless
otherwise noted, does not to keep it in effect.
Players may wish to list their favorite spells
before the game to keep from halting play.
Abilities like Power Move are cast on ones
self, and then the power is used on another.
If you tried to cast Power Move itself on
another person, you would be giving them
the Ability, not targeting them with it!

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
50

Magic, Witchcraft - You have dabbled into

the mysterious realm of witchcraft. You can
harness Mana to bewitch objects and others, or in other words, cast Weaknesses on
others equal to your Level in Witchcraft.
This magic follows the same rules as Arcane
Magic except as follows: All effects last one
round, but the duration may be made longer
by spending half the Endurance again for
each extra round at the time of casting. It may
also be made permanent by tripling the
casting cost. Although Weaknesses still may
not exceed -3, additional levels in Witchcraft
affect the strength of the curse, requiring a
witch with Witchcraft equal in Level to that
of the curse to remove it. Only witches may
remove curses. Arcane Wizards cannot alter
the affects of Witches spells except by temporarily boosting affected areas. At the
Game Masters discretion, items may be
required to add or remove certain curses.
Unlike Arcane Magic, it is very likely that
targets will want to resist your curse.
Abilities like Willpower and Unnatural
Resistance can modify resist rolls, but so
can the appropriate Weaknesses.

Martial Arts - You have the incredible skill

necessary to make strikes do maximum
damage. You may add your Martial Arts
bonus to your damage total when attacking
barehanded, regardless of exact style. This
Ability does not apply to accuracy; you must
obtain Combat Skill or Hobby: Martial Arts
to become more accurate.
Occult Knowledge - You have a deep
knowledge of the spirit world and how to
interact with it. You can talk with various
spirits (with or without extravagant ceremonies, if you prefer), as well as summon,
banish, and control them. When attempting
to banish a spirit, You must make an
opposed roll with their highest Ability
(regardless of what it is) with your Occult
Knowledge dice. If you win, the spirit is
banished to its realm, and if you fail, the
spirit may become angry, among other
things. You may also try to control a spirit,
but you receive a -2 Penalty to do so. To
summon a spirit is a little bit trickier. You
receive the same -2 Penalty, and if you succeed, it is summoned and under your control. However, if you fail, the spirit may be
summoned anyway (Game Masters discretion), but will not be under your control.
Beware, some spirits may feign servitude to
get the upper hand on their would-be masters.
Passion - There is a particular thing in life
that drives you, so much that you feel yourself become more competent and powerful
when in its presence. This can be a particular thing (Race cars, classical music) or an
emotion (Love, cowardice). When in a situation that applies to your passion, you may
add your Passion bonus to all actions.
Perceptive - You spot things that most people fail to notice. You can add your
Perceptive bonus to any attempts to notice
things out of the ordinary, to sense your surroundings, or to search an area for an item.
It should be noted the Perceptive Ability is
not necessarily limited to sight.

your control is unquestioned, your power is

incredible, and you hold influence over
almost everyone.

To determine the base Damage Total of your

Power Move Suite, refer to this table:

Power Level

Damage Total

10

15

AND

Position of Power - You are in a respected

position that grants you power and influence. At Level 1, your power is limited and
you only hold influence over a small group
of people; Level 2, you control a small group
and have minor influence over others; Level
3, you control an important group whose
influence is felt by many; Level 4, you are in
control of a major organization and have
many resources at your disposal, as well as a
significant amount of influence; Level 5,

By default, Power Moves are melee attacks

and not ranged. They also require some
kind of gesture.. If you want a ranged
attack, buy the Ranged perk; if you dont
wish to have the need for attack gestures,
buy the No Attack Gesture perk.

ABILITIES

Pilot - You have a knack for piloting any

kind of machinery, no matter how strange or
complicated. You may add your Pilot bonus
when attempting drive cars, pilot planes,
steer boats, or even control space ships. If
you want your character to be able to pilot a
single kind of vehicle, get the appropriate
Hobby Ability.

WEAKNESSES

Power Move - This is your most powerful

attack, a concentration of your inner-energies into an overt force. Such an attack is
usually very flashy and dynamic, making it
a trademark for the fighter who uses it.
Though much more powerful than Abilities
like Weapon and Martial Arts, using your
Power Move requires an expenditure of 10
Endurance. Power Move itself is not actually a single move, but a general power level
for a possible variety of attacks. You may
devise your own suite of powers, or stick to
a single move. To create your powers, consider their appearance and what you want
them to do. Use this general idea to pick
perks and flaws from the list at the end
of the chapter. Each perk will make the
Power Move more useful, but will also
increase the amount of Endurance drained.
Likewise, flaws will lessen the expenditure.
Regardless of flaws taken, the Endurance
cost may not be reduced below 5. Each
attack may also have an Affinity (see the
Perks and Flaws section).

51

Uses of Psychic ability with a bonus may be

done casually and do not require the use of
an action in combat or a significant amount
of concentration. Psychic abilities without a
bonus or penalty require the use of an action
and a good deal of concentration. All uses of
Psychic ability with a penalty require undivided attention. Contact (and control) is lost
with the target if you are distracted or focus
your attention elsewhere. You may make no
other actions while performing these powers. In addition to the uses above, you may
also talk to others telepathically. This does
not require a roll or significant concentration
unless the target wants to resist your communication.
Quick - You are particularly fast and have
quick reflexes. You can add your Quick
bonus to dodge attempts, running, driving,
Initiative rolls, or anything else that challenges your speed and reflexes.
Servant - You have complete command over
another individual. This person is willing to
do almost any task you request. He or she
has a total of Abilities and Weaknesses
equivalent to double your level in Servant.

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
52

Psychic - You have the mysterious ability to

enter others minds and read their thoughts,
or even change those thoughts and implant
your own. Roll with your Psychic (And
Willpower, if you have it) Bonus versus your
targets Default Dice and Willpower Bonus.
You will also get a bonus or penalty, pending
on how you try to affect your targets mind.

Usefulness

Modifier

Read Surface Thoughts;

Implant an Idea

+1

Read Deep Thoughts;

Force an Action

Read Memories;
Force Continued Action/Emotion

-1

Read Suppressed Memories;

Control Mind

-2

Shape Change - You can change your

appearance in various ways. Each Level in
this Ability grants ways you can change
yourself, but also includes changes possible
in each Level below it. At Level 1, you may
change your clothes. At Level 2, you may
alter your age by up to ten years, as well as
make slight changes to eye, hair, and skin
color. At Level 3, you may change your
physical appearance to a moderate extent,
and can make drastic changes to eye, hair,
and skin color. You can even assume the
appearance of the opposite sex, although
you remain looking very girlish for a boy
or boyish for a girl. You can also mimic
the appearance of those who already look
somewhat similar to you. If you were a girl,
you could mimic another girl, but you could
not mimic a big black male boxer. At Level
4, you can change your appearance

Special Ability - If you cannot find an

Ability in the rules to cover the power you
wish to have, discuss it with your Game
Master. Together, you can give your character a Special Ability appropriate to what
you want. The Game Master will help you
decide the actual rules behind your Ability,
as well as the appropriate Level.
Strong - You have a lot of raw physical
power at your disposal. You can add your
Strength bonus to lifting, breaking, climbing,
or any other action that tests your natural
strength. Strength also adds to the damage
you can do bare-handed, with melee
weapons, and Martial Arts.
What follows is a list of various heavy
objects and the difficulty to lift them.
Objects with a difficulty of 10, 12, and 15
require a Strength Level of 3, 4, and 5 respectively. The character may make a lift roll as
many times as he wishes, but each time will
count as an action if in combat. Note that

DN

A Small Appliance

A Cumbersome Crate

Another Person

Refrigerator

A 4-Door Sedan

10

Uproot a Telephone Pole

12

An Eighteen-Wheeler, Bus

15

After picking up an item, the character may

attack with it. The Damage Total is equivalent one-third the DN required to lift it,
rounded to the nearest whole number, plus
your Strength bonus. The item may also be
thrown. Thrown items halve the damage
necessary to cause knockback.
It should be noted that many heavy items
are awkward at best when used as
weapons. The Game Master may apply a
penalty to attack rolls, depending on the
size and overall awkwardness of the
weapon. This goes for throwing these
things as well.
Super Speed - You can run. You can run
fast. You can run really, really fast. With the
Super Speed Ability, you can exceed speeds
that are impossible for most. For each Level
of Super Speed, add a +2 bonus to any
actions that require you to travel. While in
this state, others will have little time to react
to your presence. Only if they are prepared
for you can they try to stop or attack you, but
even then it requires an opposed Speed
check. (You include your Super Speed
bonus). As a downfall, you are unable to
perform any other actions while in Super
Speed state.

WEAKNESSES

Smart - You have a significant helping in the

brains department. You can add your Smart
bonus to knowledge based Hobbies,
Invention creation, passing that midterm, or
anything that challenges your IQ.

Trying to Lift...

AND

Sixth Sense - You have a peculiar sense that

few have, an ability to see and know things
that others do not. Just a kind of feeling that
you cant explain that warns when you, or
someone important to you, is in danger. You
may add your Sixth Sense bonus when trying to notice something fishy or out of
place in addition to attempts to notice
ambushes, traps and other possible unforeseen dangers.

these Difficulty Numbers are based on actually lifting and carrying the object around. If
the intention is to just lift the object a few
inches off the ground for a short period of
time, the difficulty might be a little lower.

ABILITIES

drastically, able to assume the appearance of

nearly anyone, as long as they share the
same basic biological characteristics. (i.e. If
you were human, you could mimic the
appearance of other at least human-like life
forms). At Level 5, you can assume the
appearance of anyone or anything.

53

Teleport - Need to get somewhere? In a

blink of an eye, youre there. Of course, you
may have more difficulty teleporting long
distances. Below is a quick table of difficulty numbers for different distances. You must
roll your Teleport dice versus this number. If
you fail, you may not teleport at all or teleport completely somewhere else than you
intended (possibly ten feet in the air or
another country entirely).

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
54

Trying to Teleport..

DN

Within Sight

Out of Sight

Across the City

Across the Country

Across the Continent

10

Around the World

12

Out of This World

15

You may also use Teleport as a defense in

combat. Instead of dodging or parrying, roll
your Teleport dice. If you roll higher than
your opponents attack roll, you teleport far
enough away to avoid his blow. If you fail,
you do not teleport far enough away or not
soon enough, and are subject to damage as if
you made a normal Defense roll.
Telekinesis - You have the curious ability to
move objects with your mind. You can use
this power to lift items, push buttons, throw
things, and more. Although no roll is
required for small objects, you are required
to make a Telekinesis roll for manipulating
heavier objects, much like as if you were
using the Strong Ability. You should even
use the same difficulty table. You can also
use Telekinesis as an attack, where the
Ability acts as a bonus to your Damage
Total, just like Strong.
Time Freeze - Time is constantor was until
you came along. You have the ability to
freeze the flow of time, while allowing yourself to move freely in a halted world.

Every time you use this Ability, you gain an

extra action in addition to your normal
action. You can use this Ability multiple
times in one round, and it can also be used as
an automatically successful Defense roll.
For each use, you must spend Endurance.
The amount of Endurance you must burn is
decided by your Level in Time Freeze.

Time-F
Freeze Level

Endurance

30

20

10

Outside of combat and other high-tension

situations, no expenditure of Endurance is
necessary.

10

20

40

80

160

Transformation - You have the incredible

ability to change into a more powerful form.
You change your appearance as well, even
though it may be as little as a costume
change. Often, unless you have revealed
your other identity, or someone sees you
transform, no one will recognize you,
regardless of any similarities. For each Level
in Transformation, you may spend 2 points
on Abilities. You may also get Weaknesses
to raise the amount of points you can spend.
The exact length of the transformation
depends on your character, and should be
discussed this with your Game Master.
If you take an Ability you have normally,
add the Levels you gain from the transformation to your normal Level. Likewise if
you have two of the same Weakness. If you
have an Ability and Weakness that contradict one another (Like Quick and Slow)
subtract the Weakness from the Ability to
get your final Level. If it is 0, you have neither an Ability nor Weakness. Through
this, it is possible to get higher than a + 5
Bonus or less than -3 Penalty. You may
want to consider lowering your gained
Abilities or Weaknesses, or at least discuss
the affects of these with your Game Master.
Unnatural Resistance - Your body is especially resilient to a specific kind of damage,
such as fire, electricity, or chi, or an attack to
a specific area of your body. At Level 1, for
every five points of damage you receive,

Vehicle (Mecha) - Give your feet a break a

while and go cruising in your very own vehicle. This can be anything from a motorcycle
to a fighter spacecraft. Your Level in Vehicle
may be an abstract representation of its overall usefulness, or it can be used to create a
vehicle with specific Abilities. For every
Level that you have in Vehicle, you may
spend double that number of points to
build it from other Abilities. You may also
choose Weaknesses to increase the number
of points available to craft your machine.
Abilities and Weaknesses are not cumulative
with your characters natural advantages
and faults. Your vehicle also has a separate
Health and Endurance total, which its damage received and Endurance draining
Abilities (should it have any) draw from.
The same rules apply to both as normal with
a few exceptions: That it may be destroyed
when only Health is depleted, and that it can
become incapacitated and unusable when
Endurance is depleted. Like a normal character, both totals default to 40. Depending
on the design of the vehicle, it may be difficult or impossible to attack the pilot without
first incapacitating the vehicle. Modifiers to
strike the pilot (if this is indeed possible at
all) are left up to the Game Masters discretion.
Most characters are assumed to own or
have access to vehicles within their own
income. Students would have bicycles;
working adults, cars; and very rich folk,
personal jets. If the vehicle in question is
nothing special for the character, then it
probably should not be bought. Consult
with your Game Master if you have a question regarding this.

WEAKNESSES

Health Bonus

AND

Toughness

ignore one point. For each successive Level,

reduce the damage taken by one. (Level 2
would be four points of damage, ignore
one.) Level 5 would be 1 for 1, essentially
invulnerable to that kind of damage.

ABILITIES

Tough - Simply put, youre made of tougher

stuff. You gain a bonus to Health equivalent
to the following table:

55

Vitality - You have an abundance of energy.

You receive a bonus to Endurance equivalent
to the following table:

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
56

Vitality Level

Endurance Bonus

10

20

40

80

160

Weapon - When words arent enough, sometimes it pays to carry a big stick. Or a big
sword, a big gun, or anything else that really, really smarts. For each Level in Weapon,
you may add 1 to your Damage Total when
attacking with this weapon. This only
applies to one weapon, and you must buy
the Ability again for multiple weapons. You
may also apply Perks and Flaws to your
weapon, as detailed in the Perks and Flaws
section. You may only spend as much
Endurance for Perks and Flaws as 5 times
your Level in your Weapon. You may not
use Perks to increase the damage of your
weapon. Regardless of what Perks or Flaws
you apply, you will never spend Endurance
to use this Ability
Willpower - You have a will of iron. You can
add your Willpower bonus to resisting mind
control, ESP, fear, or anything that tests your
conviction and mental stamina.

WEAKNESSES

Players who want their characters to

become stronger through Accidental
Transformation may want to buy appropriate Abilities (or the Transformation Ability
itself) and give them a Trigger of whatever
causes the Accidental Transformation.
Ageism - You are easily dismissed by others
as useless or a bother because of your apparent age. This may or may not be your actual

WEAKNESSES

Characters with Reputation Abilities and

Weaknesses, Position of Power, and other
attributes may not be applicable for this
Weakness. For example, a respected elder
of a community may not have to deal with
the same hardships as others of that age.

AND

Accidental Transformation - You have a

condition that forces you to transform when
you come into contact with a certain substance or event. This transformation is detrimental to you in some way or another. At
Level 1, you gain one or two points of
Weaknesses, or are otherwise inconvenienced. At Level 2, you gain 3-5 points of
Weaknesses, or are otherwise majorly inconvenienced. At Level 3, you gain 6 points or
more of Weaknesses, or are otherwise terribly inconvenienced. Even complete loss of
control of your character is a possibility! In
this case, the Game Master controls your
character until he or she is reverted. You can
always suggest things to the Game Master
as a sort of inner voice but your character
may not listen. You can also gain Abilities
through this Weakness, but your total gained
Weaknesses must exceed the gained Abilities
by at least as many ranks dictated by your
Level in Accidental Transformation.

age. At Level 1, you appear to be around 1216 years old or over 50. You are not completely ignored, but you are often forgotten
or unwanted. At Level 2, you look 7-11 years
of age or elderly. No one takes you seriously, and you find it hard to gain respect from
anyone. At Level 3, you appear to be under
7 years old or ancient. You are completely
unrespected, and the thought of having you
around is immediately thought of as
babysitting even if youre the old variety.

ABILITIES

Absent Minded - You have the darnedest

tendency to forget things. At Level 1, you
tend to forget to do things youre supposed
to, such as attend important meetings or do
your homework. At Level 2, you forget
things you were just recently told, or have
trouble recalling recent conversations. At
Level 3, your world is a blank past 5 minutes
ago. You usually dont remember anything
very long, and sometimes get lost while
youre speaking or forget what you are
doing while youre doing it.

57

Airhead - Anybody home? The answer to

this question is quite debatable in your case.
You may not be stupid or naive, but come off
as both through your sheer ability at not
understanding, misinterpreting, and forgetting anything you are told. You are likely the
first person to go huh? in any situation,
and may find it hard to follow all but the
simplest instructions correctly. The Level in
Airhead decides the seriousness of the
Weakness. At Level 1, when people get long
winded you tend to lose track, but can be
quickly brought back to attention by a quick
reminder. At Level 2 you have a short attention span that gives you a tendency to ignore
and even wander away from things that bore
you. At Level 3 you have the attention span
of a 3 year old, but without the patience to
sort building blocks by color.

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
58

Amnesia - Due to a freak accident, strange

illness, or simply some kind of foul play, you
have lost your memory. At Level 1, the
beginning of your illness was long ago, and
you have many more recent memories.
However, you may still long to know your
forgotten beginnings. At Level 2, your
amnesia is fairly recent. You have had time
to readjust to where you are, but much of
your life is a blank slate. At Level 3, your
amnesia is very recent, and you have almost
no memories at all. You may be completely
lost and confused by your surroundings,
and filled with a dire need to know who you
are.
Arrogant - You are the most important person ever to livein your mind anyway. You
believe in your own superiority to a fault,
and may offend others with your haughtiness, not to mention get into dangerous situations. At Level 1, you think you are superior to most around you, but respect a select
few, and those below you are treated with
at least mild civility. At Level 2, you are
above almost everyone, and only a few are
worthy equals. You often treat those who
are unworthy with hostility or a cold
pompous attitude. At Level 3, you are the

sole reason for the world to be, and you are

quite annoyed by the fact others do not see
this. You treat everyone, regardless of who
they are, as if they were little better than the
bubble gum stuck to your shoe. This is not
to say you cannot hold your tongue, but in
your mind the distasteful feeling is always
there.
Bad Reputation - Your reputation precedes
youin a very bad way. People may distrust you or even hate you, regardless of
whether your reputation is deserved. At
Level 1, your reputation is more gossip than
a true stigma, though some people may still
keep their distance from you. At Level 2,
your reputation is more renown, and may
cause fear, mistrust, or even disgust in those
who know about you. However, you might
be able to overcome their convictions
through your actions. At Level 3, your repu-

Clumsy - You, put simply, are a klutz. You

are known to easily lose your balance, drop
various items, wield melee weapons poorly,
and be all-around inaccurate in any coordination based activity. When attempting
these activities, you must subtract your
Clumsy penalty.
Code of Conduct - You have restricted your
manner and actions by a strict code. At

Coward - He who fights and runs away lives

to fight another day. With just a little tweaking to simply run away, this is your
mantra. You are usually the first to jet at the
sign of trouble. At Level 1, you can hold your
own for a while, but as soon as the tide of
any situation turns against you, you are likely to make a convenient exit. At Level 2, you
are frightened by danger, and try to avoid it
whenever possible, including hiding from
time to time. If forced to confront this danger, you will usually run away at the first
opportunity. Depending on your character,
you may even use others as a means for your
escape. At Level 3, self-preservation is the

WEAKNESSES

Boorish - You do not really see the point in

good manners or being particularly wellbehaved in general. At Level 1, you may be
seen as rude, and you often are discourteous
to others. At Level 2, you are seen as rude
and unmannered to the point of being blatantly offensive. Some of your actions may
be considered crude or disgusting. At Level
3, you have no sense of behaving whatsoever. You do whatever pleases you and say
whatever you feel like, regardless of any
social repercussions. Also, subtract your
Boorish Penalty when making any rolls
involving charisma, charm, or manners.

Compulsion - You have an intense need to

perform or do something, even when doing
so could jeopardize your well being. At
Level 1, you have a deep desire for something, but you can manage to resist it, and it
isn't that major a problem. You may always
want to grab the last piece of sushi or have to
make a conscious effort to resist stopping for
a few hands when you pass a card game. At
Level 2, your problem is a difficulty for you
and adversely affects your life. You can
resist it, but only with extreme difficulty.
Some examples would be an uncontrollable
urge to hit on every girl you meet or to gamble your paycheck on a few rolls. At Level 3,
You can't resist it and you probably resent
anyone even telling you that you have a
problem. You may be a hopeless drunk, a
kleptomaniac, or otherwise have a compulsion so bad that it can seriously harm your
well-being.

AND

Bizarre Appearance - You have an appearance that is completely different from those
around you. At Level 1, you have a few
noticeable distinguishing features that,
though odd, do not cause alarm or hatred in
most people. You may be able to hide these
features as well. At Level 2, you have many
traits that single you out. You may not be
hideous, but your appearance could cause
alarm or distrust in those around you. You
could never blend in as a normal human
being. At Level 3, you are a monster.
Children get scared and run from you, and
others are greatly alarmed and try to avoid
your company.

Level 1, this code is simple, usually with one

major facet, such as honesty, gentlemanship,
or a sense of fairness. At Level 2, your code
may have many rules, such as the rules of a
major organization or a series of established
traditions. On the other hand, your code
may be simplistic but highly inhibiting. At
Level 3, your Code of Conduct dictates every
detail of your life, like an organization sworn
to secrecy, a secluded temple with a strict
moral code and rituals, or even the Yakuza.

ABILITIES

tation is known by nearly everyone, and

nearly everyone keeps their distance out of
fear or hatred. Although it might be possible
to overcome your reputation through your
actions, most will simply ignore what you
do good and only remember what you have
(or at least, said to have) done.

59

word, and you avoid any kind of danger, no

matter how slight, with all your being. If
forced into a sticky situation, you will escape
by any means possible. It is not beyond you
to divert attention to anyone around to help
your flight, even as far as to cause him or her
serious harm. If by some bizarre chance you
stick around, you are usually not very useful
at all, since youre instead finding some shallow place to hide under.
Crybaby - You are quite easily upset and
have the annoying tendency to whine when
things dont go your way. At Level 1, you are
a little more sensitive than the average person, and people dont have a hard time
upsetting you. Luckily, it does take some
probing to set you off, but you may still be
seen as annoying. At Level 2, you tend to cry
a lot when others talk meanly to you, as well
as when things dont go your way. You also
tend to whine when told to do something
you dont want to do. At Level 3, even the
lightest provocation will send you into a crying fit, and you refuse to do anything that
doesnt directly benefit you without whining
a lot first. Even when they do, you usually
whine anyway.

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
60

Damage Magnet - Is it in any way dangerous and could cause bodily harm? If so, you
have found what you come in contact with
on a daily basis. Through some incredible
bad karma (or just bad luck), you have an
amazing tendency to be in the wrong place
at the wrong time and get hurt because of it.
If in a crowd of a million people, one person
was stuck by lightning, that person, my
friend, would be you. The Level in this
Weakness determines the seriousness. At
Level 1, you may be seen as accident-prone
or something similar, and though you get
hurt occasionally, its never too serious.
While at Level 2, you get hurt often enough
that it is exceptional, and you are often used
as a guinea pig, trap tester, human shield, or
other potentially dangerous occupation. At
Level 3, you are constantly getting injured,
participate unwillingly in the previous occu-

pations on a chronic basis, and are a primary

target in combat for no plausible reason.
Dependency - You have a deeply ingrained
need for something, whether it is a true
addiction, like alcoholism, or something
more psychological, like a lucky rabbits foot.
If you are without the object of your dependency for too long (or at all, perhaps), you
receive a penalty to all actions until you can
again have it. You may also become
depressed or unwilling to take action in certain situations.
Dumb - You are not known for your sharp
wit or book smarts. When trying to perform
any academic or reasoning actions, subtract
your Dumb penalty.
Easily Distracted - If someone told you,
Hey, look that way! you would indeed
look that way. Youre not necessarily
gullible, but you are very easily distracted by
just about darned near anything. At Level 1,
sounds, bright lights, voices, fakes used to
distract you, and other attention getters easily attract your notice. You may be taken by
these quick diversions of interest, but will
quickly refocus on the task at hand, especially if you were taken by a fake. At Level 2,
you will not only divert your attention, but
you may spend significant time studying the
object of distraction. At Level 3, not only
will you divert from your current course of
action, you will focus your efforts on studying this distraction. Even obvious fakes like
Theres a dragon behind you! would keep
you looking for quite some time.
Emotionless - You have somehow deadened
emotions, whether by forcefully suppressing
them or never having them to begin with. At
Level 1, you do have feelings, but you rarely
express them, and when you do, to a very
limited extent. At Level 2, your emotions are
buried so deeply that you may not have
recalled ever feeling anything, and only the
most dramatic stimuli will elicit anger, fear,
sadness or any other emotion from you. At

other useless state. If you can actually manage to perform any actions, you receive a -3
Penalty.
Focus - One or more of your Abilities require
a special item to use. The Ability may need
the item as a focusing point of sorts, or the
item itself may actually generate the power.
If the item is taken away from you or lost,
you can no longer use the Ability. At Level
1, you lose a single Ability without your
focus. At Level 2, you may lose multiple
Abilities, or lose one or two of your core
strengths. With Level 3, nearly all of your
Abilities are lost, or you lose powers and
skills that are vital to your existence.

AND

Fear - You have an unnatural fear of an

everyday object or situation, such as spiders
or heights. At Level 1, you are uncomfortable in the presence of your Fear and will try
to get away from it as soon as possible. You
receive a -1 Penalty to all actions while in
fear. At Level 2, your phobia is more severe,
and you receive a -2 Penalty to all actions.
You are quite scared and will do everything
possible to get away. At Level 3, you are so
terrified by the object of your fear that if you
cannot run away from it immediately, you
will freeze, curl up in a ball, or assume some

ABILITIES

Level 3, you not only have no emotions, but

you also lack other human mental characteristics, such as the concept of right and
wrong, selflessness and selfishness, good
and bad, and anything else beyond straight
comprehension and reaction to your surroundings.

Fussy - You are very particular about everything. You are neat and tidy, and are quite
perturbed when things are out of place or
something is amiss. As a result of your need
for order, you worry about anything you
can. At Level 1, you are very concerned for
your own tidiness of yourself and your
belongings, but can forgive the sloppiness of
those you know. Though you may worry
quite a bit, it does not dominate your actions.
At Level 2, you want everything around you
to be well-kept and organized. If unable to
convince others to do such, you will often
take it upon yourself to remedy the situation. You are also constantly worried about
something, and will take every precaution
against these worries. At Level 3, you are
obsessive. Everything has its place, and it
must be in it. If anything is out of order or
wrong, you are drawn to remedy it immediately, without any thought of repercussions
for your timing. Your obsession causes you
to worry about everything all the time. Your
life is dominated by trying to fix these problems while inventing more.

WEAKNESSES

Frail - You are easily injured and possibly

unhealthy. For each Level in Frail, subtract
10 from your Health.

Girl/Guy Magnet - Whether you like it or

not, you are one of the most eligible guys or

61

girls around. At Level 1, Many are attracted

to you, and may hit on you from time to
time, but few are interested in a serious relationship. At Level 2, you often have a number of groupies who fawn over you, as
well as several other more serious (yet possibly unwanted) relationships that pop up regularly. At Level 3, you are a literal love magnet, and cannot go anywhere without being
swarmed by a variety of paramours, many of
whom have vowed their undying love for
you. New serious love interests may pop up
regularly!

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
62

Guardian - You have someone that you must

protect from harm as best you can. This
could be for personal reasons (because you
love your sister dearly) or a specific duty
(because you are a bodyguard). At Level 1,
the person you must protect is rarely in danger and certainly doesnt have anyone in specific to be defended from. At Level 2, the
person is moderately well known and may
get into trouble because of it, or they may
have deep disagreements or rivalries with
another party, causing possible action or violence towards them. It is also possible that
they just manage to get themselves into the
darnedest of bad situations and require your
intervention. At Level 3, the person is a
major celebrity who may be in constant danger, is actively sought after by some large
organization, or may be a common outlet to
get to you. On the other hand, they could be
inherently self-destructive, constantly getting themselves into highly dangerous situations that require you to rescue them.
Hatred - You have a completely irrational
hate of something. This thing may cause
you to become angry or even invoke violence. At Level 1, you can curb your hatred.
However, you will avoid the object in question, or if a person, might act cold or mean.
At Level 2, you can hardly keep your distaste
in check. You will want to harm or dispose
of the object in question, or if a person, be
extremely harsh or even violent towards
them. At Level 3, you become engulfed in

rage. You must destroy or kill the thing of

your hatred, and will risk everything to do
so. Little, if anything at all, will keep you
from carrying out your anger.
Impulsive - The old saying, Look before
you leap never really penetrated your
thoughts very far. To put it simply, you tend
to jump into situations without thinking
through the possible consequencesor really thinking that much at all. At Level 1, even
though you are impulsive, you can be somewhat rational, especially if others are trying
to talk you out of whatever crazy stunt you
are considering. At Level 2, you do not think
about any course of action for long. You easily get yourself into a mess, and only the
direst of situations have a remote possibility
of making you think twice. At Level 3, you
think it, you do it. That simple.

Lecherous - Although most of us have some

sort of desire for companionship, we can
also keep our urges in check. Unfortunately
for you, you cant. At Level 1, you are a sucker for naughty things and will make
attempts to get a hold of them, as well as
sneak revealing peeks at attractive members
of the opposite sex when possible. At Level
2, you are obsessed with the other sex, and
regularly buy various naughty articles, take
considerable risks to get revealing looks, and
take the opportunity to glomp, goose, or otherwise handle the opposite sex. At Level 3,
your sex hormones are completely out of
control, and you will glomp, stare at, or otherwise harass anyone of the opposite sex.
You spend most of your free time patrolling
girl/boy places in hopes of getting a looksee, and you often raid them for personal
articles.
At the GMs discretion, ugly or otherwise sexually unattractive characters may
be exempt from a lechers attention.
Love Interest - Ah, the beauty of love.
Whether you like it or not, there is someone
you hold a special place for in your heart, or
perhaps vise versa. At Level 1, you have a
caring, mutual relationship with someone.
Although there are no special complications,
such a relation still requires a substantial

WEAKNESSES

Jittery - Although not necessarily a coward,

you are easily startled or frightened by sudden or unexpected occurrences. At Level 1,
unexpected sights, sounds, and feelings easily surprise you. You may flinch or make
other sudden movements, but the consequences are generally more embarrassing

Languorous - You lack the energy and pep of

most other people. You are easily tired, and
try to avoid strenuous activity. For each
Level in Languorous, subtract 10 from your
Endurance.

AND

Like the Hobby Ability, those who use the

Ground Zero rule and others similar to it
may wish to make Ineptitudes worth half.
If this leaves your characters total points
as a fraction, round up.

than dangerous. At Level 2, if you dont see

or hear it coming, it is likely to startle you
quite badly. You may jump and yell in
fright, but you generally recover once you
discover what startled you. At Level 3, your
world is a world of dangers lurking just out
of sight. When startled, you may scream and
run away or blindly attack the source of your
fright.

ABILITIES

Ineptitude - No matter how hard you try or

how much you practice, you are just really
bad at a certain skill or craft. When attempting to perform the object of your ineptitude,
subtract your Ineptitude Penalty.

63

Naive - Most people are well aware of the

fact that the moon is made of rock, but you
are among the small number of people that
still believe it is made out of cheese. To put
it simply, you are rather unknowledgeable
about the nature of the world in general, and
you often believe things that rational people
would know as false. At Level 1, you may
fall for relatively small tugs on the truth and
gossip, like The Malicron Corp. plans on
buying out a small business, or Daisuke
likes Karis. At Level 2, you may fall for
some outrageous stories and flat lies, like
The Malicron Corp. owns Soh-nii
Electronics, or Daisuke likes Natsuki. At
Level 3, you are so gullible and naive that
you may very well believe anything! For
example, The Malicron Corp. owns you, or
Daisuke likes Braun.

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
64

commitment. On the other hand, you may

have an unwanted love interest that simply
cant take a hint, insisting on being a constant annoyance. At Level 2, you might have
a strong love for someone else, but sadly it is
unreturned. You may devote much of your
energy and time to this pointless chase. If
this is not the case, your love life is at least
somewhat complicated. At Level 3, you may
have any of the above relationships, but the
romance is forbidden or otherwise socially
unacceptable. Your respective families may
refuse to allow you to be together, or you
might be of incompatible backgrounds. In
any case, your relationship is complicated
and difficult, if not impossible.
If you have three or more unwanted love
interests, you are required to take Girl/Guy
Magnet at Level 2 or higher instead.

Nosebleeder - Due to bizarre anime medical

law, your nose has the tendency to bleed
whenever you catch sight of the nude form
of the opposite sex (or at least a revealing
glimpse), as well as when you have particularly naughty thoughts. At Level 1, you
spawn a small trickle, which really causes no
harm but to reveal yourself to others. At
Level 2, the nosebleed is more serious, but
easily stopped if you follow the correct medical procedure. If in combat, you will have to
sit out the rest of the fight before you can
recover. If you choose to ignore it, you
receive a -2 Penalty to all actions. At Level 3,
you spout a near waterfall of blood and soon
lose consciousness. The time for you to
regain your consciousness is left to the Game
Masters discretion.
Obsession - You have an intense desire to
have or achieve something. You often base
your life around this desire, and will go out
of your way to succeed in getting it. At Level
1, you feel the urge often, but your obsession
does not monopolize your life. You may
even turn down achieving or obtaining your
obsession if much bigger things are at stake.
At Level 2, the obsession is terribly important to you, and you often push aside other

Pariah - For whatever reason, you have been

branded an outcast by some group or organization. You may be a threat or annoyance to
the group, or were kicked out due to your

Rival - You have someone you feel the need

to bestor they feel the need to best youor
both. This could be anything from a simple
skill rivalry, competing for a girls love, or
even combat! At Level 1, your rival is less
skillful than you or has a significant disadvantage, at Level 2, he is just as skilled as
you, and at Level 3, he is more skilled or has
a significant advantage.
Room for Two - They say twos company,
but you might disagree. Due to some bizarre
happening or mishap, you have another
voice in your head that isnt yours. Perhaps
it is a mischievous spirit, or maybe youre
just plain crazy. At Level 1, this voice is supportive, maybe sometimes helpful.
However, you will probably be coaxed into a
conversation with it, which will get more
than a few odd looks. At Level 2, the voice
isnt particularly helpful, but its not exactly
a hindrance either. The voice may be rude

WEAKNESSES

Pacifist - A deep part of you does not believe

in the necessity of violence, and you try to
avoid it when possible. At Level 1, you try to
avoid confrontations, but will fight if it really is the most logical option. At Level 2, you
will never attack anyone except in selfdefense, to keep someone you care about
from coming to great harm, or your very life
is on the line. At Level 3, you will never raise
a hand to anyone, no matter what happens.

Poor - Some people have all the money they

could ever want, and there are others who
have to fight tooth and nail to make ends
meet. Unfortunately, you are of the latter. At
Level 1, you live in a small, crowded house
and rarely have money to spend on anything
beyond the basic needs (food, bus money,
etc). At Level 2, you live in a run-down
apartment building or other cheap accommodation and have to maintain multiple
jobs in order to support you and your family
(if any). At Level 3, you are dead broke and
homeless.

AND

Overconfident - Although a good helping of

self-confidence can be a good thing, you
went back for seconds. You have a bloated
sense of what you can accomplish and of
your importance in general. At Level 1, you
still have a (relatively) level head, but you
overstate your abilities enough to get into
situations you truly arent well equipped for.
You dont like to give up, but you will eventually figure out when you are outmatched.
At Level 2, only the largest obstacles are considered too big for you to take on. You often
jump into situations way out of your league
and find it hard to reconsider your course of
action, even when its apparent you cannot
handle it. At Level 3, you think you can take
on the worldwith one arm tied behind
your back. You will never concede that any
situation is too tough for you to handle, and
will be hard pressed to ever give up, whatever the circumstances may be.

actions. Members of this group may be hostile towards you, and you cannot participate
with the group. At Level 1, you are discriminated against by a small group, such as a
minor club or clique of friends in high
School. At Level 2, you are an outsider to a
large group or organization, such as a major
faction, company, or organization. At Level
3, your presence is largely questioned by
almost everyone around you. A huge group
or organization, such as the entirety of a district or small city, thinks of you as an outcast.

ABILITIES

interests to better pursue it. You may even

choose it over things that would logically be
much more important. It would be a moral
crisis to choose between your obsession and
a friend, or maybe even your own life. At
Level 3, your obsession is your sole reason
for existence. Nothing is comparable, and
nothing can stand in your way. You may
even choose your obsession over things
incredibly important to you, like friends and
family, or your personal well being.

65

and sarcastic, but usually doesnt attack you

personally unless you really botch something up. At Level 3, the voice is harmful to
your well-being, whether by being constantly abusive or coaxing you into performing
wrong or evil acts. The voice may be
extremely persuasive, and you might do
things youll regret later, especially things
that fill inner desires.

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
66

Secret - There is something that you wish to

keep secret. You could be a crime fighter by
night and want to remain anonymous to
keep friends and family from harm. On the
other hand, you may have a dark past that
would destroy your life as you know it if
revealed. At Level 1, you protect your secret,
but there are few serious consequences
should it be discovered, possibly mild
embarrassment, an unwanted celebrity status, or other social complications. At Level
2, you try to conceal your secret as best as
you can, but should it be unmasked, the
secret could cause many complications, such
as the endangerment of yourself and others,
the loss of your livelihood, or perhaps even
incarceration. At Level 3, your secret must
be kept at all costs. Your feeling of this may
be so strong that you would choose death or
severe loss over its discovery. The revelation
of your secret would completely wreck your
life.
Sensitivity - Everyone gets at least a little
annoyed when theyre jeered at, but you take
it to a whole new level. You have a particular facet (hair, clothes, muscle tone, chest
size) that you are incredibly sensitive about.
At Level 1, any insults or jeers to your sensitive area will immediately cause you to be
very angry and hostile to the offender. At
Level 2, any jeers will be met not only with
hostility, but you will make all attempts possible to physically maim or at least get back
at the offender as soon as possible. At Level
3, you will hold a grudge against the offender until the day you die, or failing that, hate
his or her guts until something happens to
change your mind. Oh, and you will proba-

bly attempt to cause serious harm to this person at every available opportunity too.
Servitude - You are in the service of a person
or organization. You are required to perform tasks for and take orders from this person or group. It might be because of your
occupation, your lifestyle, or may even be
self-imposed. At Level 1, your servitude is
mostly voluntary, and although you feel
obligated to perform your duties, you can
weasel out of them when need be. At Level
2, you are devoted to your service and do
your work generally as best as you can. You
may sacrifice your duties if something very
important to you comes up, but you may
have to face repercussions for falling out of
line or feel strong pangs of guilt. At Level
3, your servitude is your life, and little, if
anything, comes between you and your
duties. You comply with your tasks and
orders without question, and not doing so
could result in terrible consequences, or you
may never forgive yourself for your disobedience.
Short Temper - If you were dynamite, you
would have a frighteningly short fuse. It
doesnt take much at all to get you angry,
and you may lash out even when nothing
negative was really said or done to you. At
Level 1, you tend to be irritable and easily
annoyed. You may grumble and yell at others, but you rarely get downright angry
unless youre justifiably ticked off. At Level
2, you are prone to anger, and it doesnt take
much provocation to set you off on a yelling
tangent. You may even resort to violence, if
anyone is dumb enough to keep antagonizing you. At Level 3, you are angered by the
slightest discretion against you, even if they
were accidents. You may even view things
that arent negative to you at all as if they
were, and react accordingly with loud
tantrums and brutal attacks.
Shy - You are uncomfortable dealing with
other people. You are slow to make friends,
and generally make few of them. You are

Slow - You are exceptionally slow in both

speed and reflexes. You tend to react to
something after it has happened, and the
Turtle could take naps in a race with you.
When trying to do anything that requires a
sizable helping of speed, like running, dodging, or Initiative, subtract your Slow penalty.
Soft Spot - There is something in this world
that you cant help but enjoy far too much.
This could be anything: a good steak, motorcycles, liquor, or even stuffed animals. At
Level 1, you may be influenced by your Soft
Spot, but you wont intentionally put yourself into harms way for it. At Level 2, you
are heavily influenced by your Soft Spot, and
may be bribed into poor decisions or coaxed
into dangerous situations with it. At Level 3,
you cannot resist the object of your obsession, and it is horribly easy to take advantage of you. You will often be completely

WEAKNESSES

Although not included within the Size

Weakness itself, Players should consider
other possible effects of this trait. Unusual
sizes may impact the ease in which a character is hit or the strength a character has.

AND

Size - You are of curious stature. You are

either much smaller than normal, or much
larger. At Level 1, you sometimes find it
hard to use items and be in places meant for
normal people, but you can still function in

society. At Level 2, you cannot use many

items meant for normal people. You may be
so large that you can only fit in the very
largest of buildings, and even then, you
could not get through the door. If you are
small, you are around a foot tall, and you
may have problems making it around due to
things being built higher and larger than you
are. Many normal obstacles may become
significant challenges. At Level 3, you may
be simply huge, and cannot use anything
meant for normal sized people, nor can you
really function in any normal sized environment without destroying pieces of it regularly (like knocking over trees while walking
through a park.) On the other hand, you can
be extremely small, four or five inches tall,
and cannot get around this big world easily at all. Every day items become mountains and other insurmountable things.

ABILITIES

also easily embarrassed, and find it hard to

act in public. At Level 1, you are a bit reclusive, preferring the company of a select few
friends. Though not exactly anti-social, you
tend to be quiet to those outside your circle.
At Level 2, You have a reputation for being
shy. You are probably a social misfit or a
reclusive bookworm, more comfortable in
your own company than that of others. You
only attend parties or other social gatherings
if forced, and have one or two close friends
at best. At Level 3, any interactions with
people are like Hell for you. You avoid contact whenever possible, just barely interacting enough to get by with your life.

67

absorbed with your Soft Spot, and will

ignore obvious dangers. You will also not
allow it to go to waste or come to harm in
any way.
Special Weakness - If you cannot find a
Weakness in the rules to cover the disadvantage you wish to have, discuss it with your
Game Master. Together, you can give your
character a Special Weakness appropriate
to what you want. The Game Master will
help you decide the actual rules behind your
Weakness, as well as the appropriate Level.

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
68

Split Personality - They say two heads are

better than one. Unfortunately for you, it
doesnt say anything about two minds. Or
three, or fouror ten. Either through illness, some traumatizing incident, or some
other means, you have developed another
distinct personality (or personalities!)
besides your own. You may switch personalities when stressed, or confronted with a
certain trigger that sets off the other you.
At Level 1, you have another personality, but
it is not particularly harmful, and may possibly be even good. At Level 2, you have
another personality that is particularly
annoying or embarrassing but isnt capable
of too permanent of harm. At Level 3, however, your other self is particularly dangerous, maybe even evil. You may turn on
friends, become deceitful, or do other particularly nasty things. You unfortunately have
no control of this persona, so you must take
the consequences in full whenever you
revert to your normal self.
Strange Personal Habit - You have a curious
habit or quirk that may affect how others
think about you or treat you. At Level 1, the
habit is odd, but would more likely be
thought of as strange or eccentric than offensive. At Level 2, the habit may offend some
people, but would be unlikely to incur violence or hatred. At Level 3, the habit is terribly offensive, and may cause others to have
a deep hatred for you, or even cause them to
attack you.

Unnatural Weakness - Your body is especially vulnerable to a specific attack, be it a

certain kind (fire, electricity, chi), or one
directed at a weak point. At Level 1, for
every two points of damage you receive, add
an additional point. At Level 2, you receive
an additional point for every point of damage, and at Level 3, you receive 2 additional
points for each point of damage.

Weak - You have the muscle tone of a cabbage leaf. You find it hard to lift heavy
objects, create significant pressure, or do
anything that involves feats of strength.
Weak also subtracts from the damage you
can do bare-handed, with melee weapons,
and Martial Arts. If this reduces your
Damage Total below 1, you will use a fraction. If your Damage Total is 0, you do one
point of damage for every two points you hit
by. At -1, one for every three, -2, one for
every four, and so on.
Weak-Willed - You find it hard to resist
temptation or withstand pain. You are easily influenced and commanded, as well as
unreliable under fire. Whenever the fortitude of your will is at stake, subtract your
Weak-Willed penalty.

WEAKNESSES

Trigger - One or more of your Abilities

require a special trigger to become functional. This trigger might be an emotion, a specific event, a potion, or even a can of vegetables. Once this trigger has been set off, you
may use your Ability until the trigger is gone
or until the effect wears off, whichever is
appropriate. The Level in this Weakness
affects the rarity of the trigger, Level 1 being
easily accessible, to Level 3, being exceedingly rare.

Wanted - Wanted alive, or maybe even dead!

You have acquired the ire (or at least interest) of another person or organization. They
are actively hunting you, and you are actively avoiding them, for whatever reason. At
Level 1, your hunter doesnt intend to do you
any harm, isnt very persistent in the search,
or isnt powerful enough to carry out their
threats when they find you. At Level 2, the
hunter wants to give you a little payback for
something, take something from you, or is
very capable of getting what they want. At
Level 3, the hunter wants you severely punished, possibly even killed, or wants to take
something of incredible significance to you
and will do anything, even kill you, to get it.
They may not only be very capable of doing
so, but they could be much more powerful
than you are!

AND

Suppressed Power - One or more of your

Abilities does not normally work at full
power. To work properly, the power
requires a special item, emotion, or event
that you normally do not have access to.
Unless you are in the presence of this special
thing, subtract your Level in Suppressed
Power from your Ability.

Unperceptive - If the sky were falling, youd

be the last to notice. Sometimes even the
most obvious things seem to escape you.
When making attempts to notice things out
of the ordinary, or notice anything period,
subtract your Unperceptive penalty.

ABILITIES

Stubborn - Youre not an unreasonable person. At least, not until anyone disagrees
with you in the slightest fashion. You hold
steadfast to your ideals and take offense to
anyone trying to convince you that these
ideals, or your course of action based on
them, is wrong. At Level 1, you are not
beyond the realm of reason. If someone can
provide a sufficient argument, you may be
willing to back down. With Level 2, you are
very stubborn, and will keep to your mindset unless provided with an incredibly blunt
and forceful reason to change your mind.
However, at Level 3, almost nothing will
change your mind. If you believe something, you will likely believe it to the day
you die, even if your stubbornness will cause
harm to yourself and others.

69

POWER PERKS

AND

FLAWS

There are several Abilities that can be individualized through Perks and Flaws. Simply
assign those that fit your mental image of the power. Remember to add or subtract the number in parenthesis to the Endurance cost. Many Perks and Flaws may be purchased multiple
times to increase their effect.

PERK (ENDURANCE)
Accurate (+5) - Your attack can hit opponents
with more ease than normal. This can be
represented by a homing function or just
higher accuracy when attacking. This Perk
can be taken multiple times; for each time it
is taken, add one die to your attack roll.
Area Effect (+10) - Your Ability can affect
multiple targets by spreading itself over a
wide area. This can be represented as a cone
blast, a circular explosion, or simply a multi-

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
70

target effect. For each time you purchase

Area Effect, you can attack three relatively
close combatants, as deemed by the Game
Master. If an attack, those caught in the trajectory receive a -1 Penalty to their defense
for each Level of Area Effect. This represents
the difficulty to avoid an attack of such magnitude. This can affect both allies and enemies, so be careful when applying this Perk!
Armor Piercing (+5) - Your attack has the
ability to bypass your opponents armor.
Perhaps it is extremely sharp, hits with
incredible impact, does damage through
non-physical means, or has some other way
of negating protection. Each time you purchase Armor Piercing, you may act as if your
opponents Armor Ability were a Level less.
Blinding (+10) - Your Ability has the ability
to hinder the vision of others. It might be a
dark, blinding substance over the eyes, a
brilliant flash, or some kind of effect on the
mind. Characters who are blinded have a -3
Penalty to all vision-reliant actions until the
effect wears off or is otherwise neutralized.
The blindness wears off naturally in twice
the Level of your Ability rounds.
Continued Damage (+10) - Your Ability has
a continued effect after it hits. This can be
represented as burning, freezing, poisoning,
or any other effect that can last after the initial Ability is performed. Until the effect is
somehow neutralized, or a number of
rounds equal to twice the Ability level pass,
this attack will continue dealing a fourth of
the damage each round (rounded up). If this
perk is taken twice, increase the afflicted
damage to half.

Extra Damage (+5) - Your attack does more

damage than other Power Moves of the same
level. This perk can be taken multiple times,
and for each time it is taken, add one to your
Damage Total.
Extra Knockback (+10) - Your attack has
such force behind it that it only needs to do
half as much damage as normal to knockback your opponent.

Ranged (+5) - Your attack can hit targets at a

range, allowing you to take down opponent
from great distances or heights.
Rapid Strikes (+10) - Your attack is actually
not one strike, but many in the span of a second. These attacks come so fast that your
opponent must spend his action to even be
eligible for a defense roll. If he has already
acted this round, he loses his next action.
Redirectable (+5) - You may only have this
perk if you also have the Ranged perk. Even
if your attack misses, it can still have a
chance to hit the target. Should an attack
miss, you may redirect your attack next
round by simply rolling your attack dice
again. No further expenditure of Endurance
is required. If you ever take another action
(besides free defense actions) you lose control of your attack and no more redirecting
can be made. You will also lose control if you
are hit, injured, or otherwise severely distracted in combat.
Special Perk (+?) - If you do not see a Perk
here that reflects the one you want for your
Ability, get with your Game Master.
Together, you can create a new Perk with the
appropriate Endurance cost.

WEAKNESSES

Creative Players may find other ways to

disable an entangle. Possibly, another character can make an attack roll versus the
opponents Entangle Ability. The entangle
may also be broken if the attacker is ever
knocked back. The effectiveness of these
and other attempts depend on the exact
method of entanglement. Players and
Game Masters should use common sense
in any scenario.

No Attack Gesture (+5) - Normally, attacks

require some kind of gesture, whether it is
just pointing your hand or actually dealing
some physical blow. With this perk, you
need to make no movements at all to perform the attack.

AND

Entangle (+10) - You can use your Ability to

entangle opponents. To do so, you must
state your intent at the beginning of your
combat turn. Any successful attack entangles, but no damage is dealt. However, if
during a normal attack you cause knockback, your opponent is entangled instead, in
addition to any damage. When entangled,
an opponent cannot make any actions or
defense rolls. To break free of an entangle,
the opponent must roll any appropriate dice
(Agile, Hobby: Escape Artist, Strength, etc.)
against the dice in your entangling Ability,
including related dice (like Strength), and
succeed. Otherwise, they remain entangled.
This attempt counts as an action. Future
attacks with this weapon or Ability while the
opponent is entangled are compared to a
Defense of zero.

Multiple Targets (+10) - Your Ability may

affect multiple targets by splitting apart,
selectively affecting certain targets, or by
other means. For each time you purchase
Multiple Targets, you may select up to one
additional target. Unlike Area affect, the targets do not have to be in a close area to each
other, nor do you have to worry about affecting unintended targets. If an attack is being
made, an Attack roll must be made for each
target individually.

ABILITIES

Endurance Drain (+0) - Your attack works as

normal, but instead of dealing damage to
Health, it takes away directly from your
opponents Endurance. If their Endurance is
zero, this attack will begin to take from
Health.

71

Stun (+10) - Your attack can temporarily paralyze opponents through some means, such
as shock. If the character receives knockback
through this attack, he is stunned instead. In
addition to losing his or her next action, the
opponent cannot make any defense rolls
until he or she can act again. Stun is affected
by the Extra Knockback perk.

Will Attack (+0) - Your attack is inherently

different from others in that it is not physical
in form. The attack affects your opponents
mind directly. Your attack roll now consists
of your Power Move (or Weapon) dice and
Abilities like Willpower. Your opponent can
only use Willpower and related Abilities to
defend. Weak-willed creates a penalty.

FLAW (ENDURANCE)
Activation (-10) - Your Ability requires an
action to activate it before each use. This
could be cocking, reloading, recharging, or
one of many other reasons. You must spend
one round to activate your Ability, but are
still entitled to defense rolls and other free
actions. Next round (or any round thereafter), you may use your ability as normal.
Once the ability is used, time must be spent
to activate it again.

ABILITIES
AND

WEAKNESSES
72

Cancel (-0 to -20) - Your Ability does not

work on some targets. If the target is fairly
rare (Really, really short guys), you receive
-5 Endurance, while if its incredibly common (humans) you can get up to -20. If the
Cancel is something that is ridiculously
uncommon as a target (hippopotamus), you
get no subtraction to Endurance.
Charge (-20) - This Ability requires a round
of preparation and concentration to use.
You must give up your action and all defense
rolls until your next combat turn. If injured
or severely distracted, the Ability does not
work and endurance is expended.
Otherwise, at the beginning of your next
combat turn, you may make your roll as normal.
Decreased Damage (-5) - This attack does
less damage than other Power Moves of the
same level. For each time you take this flaw,
reduce your Damage Total by 1. You may
reduce your damage to zero with this flaw,
but not below zero. (That wouldnt make
sense, now would it?)

Empty Hands (-5) - In order to use this

Ability, both hands must be completely free.
You cannot be holding items, pulling things,
or otherwise occupying either hand.
Inaccurate (-5) - Your attack is particularly
inaccurate. Maybe you have little control of
it, or it is simply inaccurate by nature.
Regardless of the cause, you receive a -1
Penalty to your attack for each time you purchase Inaccurate.
Low Penetration (-5) - Your attack is unusually susceptible to armor. For each time you
take Low Penetration, treat your opponents
Armor as if it were a Level higher. If Armor
is +5, the attack is nullified completely. If the
opponent has no Armor, no change is made.
No Knockback (-5) - Your attack is of such a
nature that it cannot be used to knockback
the target. There is no additional effect if the
target loses more than half his or her health.
Open to Attack (-15) - After completing your
Ability, you may not make any defense rolls
until your next combat turn.
Requirement (-5 to -20) - Your Ability may
only be used if a certain condition is met. If
the requirement is easily accessible (Must be
Outside), it is worth -5 Endurance, while an
extremely rare and specific requirement
(Must be the 12th day of the 4th month of the
ancient Galbelzan calendar and a full blue
moon) can be worth up to -20. Well, okay,
maybe not that precise, but you get the idea.

Affinity - All Power Moves have one or

more affinities. These affinities describe the
source of the Power Moves damaging
strength. Affinities are in general a cosmetic
decision. However, some targets, like

WEAKNESSES
AND

Slow (-5) - Regardless of your initiative, this

Ability takes place last in the combat round.
If the character receives knockback or is
stunned, entangled, or otherwise compromised before the end of the round, the
Ability does not work, and Endurance is
lost. Making defense rolls, or even being hit,
will not affect this Ability.

characters with Unnatural Resistance or

Unnatural Weakness, might be affected differently. Affinities can range from Fire and
Ice to Energy and Chi. By default, most
Power Moves default to Chi, or ones natural
spirit energy. You may also have affinities
for fighting certain kinds of targets. Such an
affinity should be discussed with your Game
Master to ensure fairness and balance.
(Mecha Mashing might be a good affinity,
while Against All Human Targets would
not).

ABILITIES

Special Flaw (-?) - If you do not see a Flaw

here that reflects the one you want for your
Ability, get with your Game Master.
Together, you can create a new Flaw with the
appropriate Endurance cost.

73

TAKING AC
TAKING ACTION

Okay, now you have a living, breathing human (or some other kind of) being. Although
he might do tons of mundane things every day, sometimes the character is going to do something special, something that has genuine consequences if he fails, or something where the
outcome is uncertain. Such things are decided with the rolling of dice. The dice provide a
random element that no amount of role-playing expertise or complexity of rules can mimic.

So how do you take an action? All you

have to do is roll two dice and take the highest. If the dice come up as the same number,
add them together. The Game Master then
compares your roll to either another PCs, an
NPCs, or a difficulty number he sets for the
task.
Daisuke is in a jam. Caught off guard by
a pack of very determined female fans, he
attempted to escape without much idea
where he was going. Now he is stuck in a
dead-end with a tall chain link fence. If he
doesnt try to go over it, the fan girls are
going to catch up. Daisuke takes a deep
breath and attempts to scale the fence. His
Player rolls two dice, both coming up
fives! They are added together for a total
of 10, which exceeds the difficulty of 6 the
Game Master set for the task. Daisuke
gets over the fence without a hitch.

MODIFIERS
But what if your character is particularly good at what she is trying to do, or if the
odds are stacked against his favor? These
things are represented by modifiers.
Modifiers are added or subtracted from the
number of dice you roll.
Add to your dice when
o You have an Ability that affects what
you are trying to do. Add the number
of dice equal to your Ability Level.
o You have something working in your
favor. Bonus is decided by the Game
Master.

TAKING ACTION

ACTIONS

Subtract from your dice when

o You have a Weakness that affects what
you are trying to do. Subtract the
number of dice equal to your Weakness
Level.
o You have something working to your
disfavor. Penalty is decided by the
Game Master.

Simple enough, right?

75

The mechanics remain the same for any

positive number of dice rolled. Roll them
and take the highest. If doubles are rolled,
add them together and compare to any other
number rolled. If the added dice are highest,
use them. If they are not, use the other highest die. Triples, Quadruples, and so on are
all added together.

TAKING ACTION

Determined to discover the truth behind

Miho's origins, Braun is attempting to
hack the Malicron Corporation main computer network. As home to top secret
strategies of one of Japan's wealthiest
companies, the system is protected with
top of the line security measures. (The
Game Master understandably assigns the
task as Nigh Impossible with a DN of
15). Not deterred, Braun gets cracking.
With bonuses from his intelligence (Smart
+3) his computer know-how (Hobby:
Computers +4) and his super-computer
powered laptop (+3), Braun gets a whopping 12 dice to roll, resulting in two 1s,
two 2s (4), three 3s (9), a four, three 5s (15),
and two 6s (12). Ignoring all but the fives,
15, Braun manages to crack the system.
Page after page of secure data flashes in
front of his eyes. What secrets await?

Remember that no matter what you are

trying to do, you will always add to or subtract from your two dice default. Even
Abilities that normal characters cannot
attempt at all (such as Teleport) are added
to the two dice default.

NEGATIVE DICE
Going by the rules above, you may soon
realize it is quite possible to have fewer than
one die. Dont panic; all is not lost for your
character. When dice are reduced to 0 or
lower, you roll Negative Dice. At 0, roll
two dice and take the lowest. For each number below 0, roll an additional die and again
take the lowest. Dice are never added.

76

Japans rainy season is in full force. The

sun hasnt shown in Tokyo for days, and
Miho is feeling the repercussions because
of her Dependency: Sunlight -3 Weakness.
Though weary, Miho decides to try out a
new recipe she saw in a magazine.
Coupled with her Ineptitude: Cooking -2,
Miho ends up with a -5 Penalty. Her
Player rolls five dice (a 1, two 3s, a 5, and
a 6.) and takes the lowest (1). Her new
recipe goes up in flames...quite literally.

ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER

The number one has several special
characteristics. No matter how many ones
are rolled, they are never added. A roll of all
ones fails without exception. In addition,
this failure may be particularly embarrassing or endangering. With Negative Dice,
any roll of one may count as all ones.

DIFFICULTY
So now you know how to roll dice: how
many to roll and how to determine the
result. But how do you know if you succeed? There are two ways to determine to
the outcome.

When making an action against or in

competition with another character, the
Players make opposed rolls. This means that
both Players roll dice appropriate to their
characters Abilities, then compare them to
determine the highest result. Of course, the
greatest roll wins.
Get out of my way! Karis yells as she
struggles against Arasuni, her robot assistant, but his firm grip on her fails to slacken. The course of action Karis is trying to
take is reckless and above-all dangerous,
and as much as it pains Arasuni to disobey her, Kariss continued well-being is a
priority. To determine who gets the upper
hand, Kariss Player and Arasuni make
opposing strength rolls. Karis has no
bonuses, so she rolls the two-dice default
(a 2 and a 5). Arasunis immense strength
gives him a +4 bonus for 6 dice (resulting
in 1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 6). Karis finally submits,
realizing that there is little use in fighting
against him. His level head usually
knows best, anyway.

DIFFICULTY NUMBER
Sometimes, you are not trying to best
another character but the world itself. It
could be a door, a difficult to remember fact,
or just a video game. Since these things logically make no effort against the character,
the Game Master assigns them a Difficulty
Number. This number is based on how hard
the task is to perform, and Players must meet
or exceed this number to successfully complete the task To aid the Game Master in this
decision, what follows is a list of difficulties
and the appropriate number for each.

DN

Easy

Moderate

Challenging

Difficult

Very Difficult

10

Extremely Difficult

12

Nigh Impossible

15

As a final note to potential Game Masters,

you should be careful not to make certain
factors count twice. If you give one
party a bonus for hiding in the dark, or
raise the DN, you should not also give
another party a penalty for searching in it.

DRAMA DICE
Oh no! You just botched that roll, and
now you are in one heck of a mess.
Or are you? If you are really in a jam,
you may spend Endurance to help improve
your roll. For every 5 points of Endurance
you spend, you may roll one additional die.
Drama Dice can be gained even after you
have made your action roll. Characters with
the Lucky Ability also get free Drama Dice
to use. (See Abilities and Weaknesses).

MIRACLES
In especially dramatic situations, where
the line between success and failure can
change the characters' lives, it is possible to
have a Miracle.
By expending 30
Endurance, a character may guarantee the
success of a single action. The Game Master
may refuse this use of Endurance if the scenario is not appropriate.

TAKING ACTION

OPPOSED ROLLS

Difficulty

Endurance used for Drama Dice and

Miracles cannot be recovered as described
in the Combat chapter. Spent points are
not restored until the end of the adventure
or at the Game Masters discretion.

77

COMBAT!

COMBAT! (AND OTHER DANGEROUS THINGS)

INITIATIVE
At the beginning of the first combat
round, everyone involved rolls their
Initiative. Initiative is two dice, plus any
bonuses or penalties from Abilities (Quick)
and Weaknesses (Slow). Players and NPCs
act from highest to lowest Initiative. Should
two Initiatives tie, the next highest die determines who goes first. In case of further ties,
refer to the next highest die. If one side has
no more dice to compare, success defaults to
the character with the most dice. In the rare
scenario of complete ties, have the two sides
roll one die until a Player has a winning
number.
Finally we get to play, again, Warrior
of the Mist!
Raine looked up from his partially complete origami crane to see Shou perched
on a nearby awning. Oh, its you.

With an eerie silence to be expected

from an assassin, Shou dropped down to
the ground below. Are you ready?
Raine immediately drew his sword,
simultaneously slicing the crane in half.
Always.
Then lets go!
They both roll their initiative. Raine gets 4
dice from his Quick Bonus and rolls a 1,
two 2s, and a 6.
Even though Shou has more dice (five) his
result fails to beat Raines initiative. Raine
gets to go first.

REFOOTING
At the beginning of every future round,
any character may reroll their initiative in an
attempt to improve it. However, they must
keep the new result, regardless if it was
higher or lower than before. This is known
as refooting.

COMBAT! (AND OTHER DANGEROUS THINGS)

To the dismay of many Japanese citizens, fights are all too common in anime campaigns.
Whether you are looking for a fight or not, you are likely to find one. Various gangs and corporations are always at each others throats, not to mention the many personal vendettas and
rivalries. When you add in volatile inventions, rips in time and space, and demons running
amuck, you have a perpetual battleground. Whenever a battle breaks out, time begins to
matter and gameplay is separated into Rounds. Every character may attack or make an
equivalent action once a round, but the order is decided by Initiative.

79

Unhappy with the tide of the battle, Shou

is determined to get the upper hand on his
opponent. Taking the opportunity next
round to refoot, he rerolls his initiative.
Much to his dismay, however, the results
are even worse. Two 1s, a 2, a 3, and a 4
give him a total of only 4. Shou is still
stuck going last every round.

TAKING ACTION
Finally! Your initiative has come up,
and its time to make a move. At this point
you may wonder what exactly you can do.
You may make one action every round,
whether it is attacking, running away, helping a fallen comrade, or making emergency
repairs on your mecha. Defense rolls, as
described later, do not count as actions, and
are instead considered free actions.

COMBAT! (AND OTHER DANGEROUS THINGS)

80

ATTACK!
Youve got your wits about you, your
fists (or weapon) up, and your feet in an
imposing battle stance. Now what? After
picking a target, let loose with an attack roll.
Normally, this is 2 dice, but keep in mind
certain Abilities (like Agile and Combat
Skill) and certain Weaknesses (Clumsy) may
alter this number. The defender then rolls 2
dice as well, along with any modifiers. If the
attacker rolls higher, he hits. If the attacker
rolls less than or ties the defender, he misses.

RANGE
Exact distances are not important in the
OVA Role-Playing Game. It is assumed that
any character can close the gap enough to hit
any opponent within a combat round.
However, there will be cases where this simply does not work, Characters in flying vehicles, on tops of buildings, or in other far
away places are simply not in range. Unless
the character has a convenient way of getting
to them, such distant opponents can only be
hit with ranged attacks and Power Moves.
Tired of fooling around with Shou, Raine
clasps his sword near him. Whispering, the
words Raging Thunder across the blade,
then shouting Slash! he strikes forward
with his sword, sending forth a beam of
crackling energy. Raines overwhelming
skill with a sword gives him seven dice to
roll. He easily rolls two 6s, giving him a
total of twelve. But is it enough?

DEFEND!
As you saw above, Attacks are done
against an opposed Defense roll. But what is
defense? What applies to it?

DEFENDING
Most often, you will be evading or
blocking your opponents attacks. When
rolling defense rolls, Abilities like Quick and
Defense apply. Defending covers any action
that avoids or blocks an incoming attack. Be

as flashy or boring as you like. Keep in mind

certain maneuvers will affect how well you
can defend yourself. (See Other Combat
Actions below)

several factors: the kind of attack made,

bonuses from Abilities like Strength and
Martial Arts, and the weapon used. This is
subtracted from your opponents Health.

Shou quickly rolls his defense dice.

Though Raine is definitely skilled, Shous
pure speed gives him an equal edge.
Rolling seven dice, he gets a miraculous
three 5s. Through an impressive series of
backwards summersaults, Shou evades
the wave of electric energy completely.
Shou waves his finger Nuh uh. Much too
slow, Raine-chan. But now its my turn!

Remember that some combatants have the

Armor Ability, which subtracts points
from damage dealt.

COUNTERING
If the old saying The best defense is a
good offense reflects your combat style,
you may consider Countering instead of
Defending. Countering is a tricky business,
with both great possible risk and reward.
When you Counter, you actually make a new
attack of your own. The highest attack roll is
the only attack to have any effect, and it is
compared to a Defense roll of zero!
Countering allows you to make an extremely
effective attack, but it can also get you seriously injured. Appearance wise, this can be
represented by overpowering the other
attack, redirecting it, dodging it and striking,
or simply managing to attack before the
opponent can. In addition to the previous
risks, countering characters also lose their
next action.

DAMAGE
Once a successful hit is landed on an
opponent, damage is calculated. For every
point you exceed your opponents, you deal
your Damage Total. This total depends on

Without any Abilities or Weaknesses, all

characters have a Damage Total of one.
Abilities like Strength or Weapon will add to
this, not replace it. This default does not
apply to Power Moves. Power Moves have a
set Damage Total, rather than being a bonus
to the characters default damage.
Now his turn, Shou plans to deliver on his
promise and retaliates with a strong result
of 8. Though competent with his sword,
Raine does not quite have the defensive
prowess of the ninja, and only shows a 6.
Shous DT with his tonfas is 3 (+2 is added
to the Default of 1). Since the difference
between the rolls is 2, Raine takes 6 points
from his Health (2 x 3). Raine grunts with
annoyance, but raises Kaze Satsujinsha to
the ready for the next round.

KNOCKBACK
If characters should take more than half
their maximum Health in damage, they are
knocked back. This can be represented as
being knocked down, sent flying through
the air, or even flung into the wall of a nearby building. Regardless of the exact scenario, knocked back characters are stunned
and lose their next action. If a character is
already losing his or her next turn through
another knockback, Ability, or condition
there is no effect.
Some attacks and Abilities have the Extra
Knockback perk, which only requires 1/4
of the characters Health to be drained.

COMBAT! (AND OTHER DANGEROUS THINGS)

Unless stated elsewhere or rendered impossible, all characters may defend against an
attack, whether they have already attacked,
moved, fallen down, or performed some
other action this round.

DEFAULT DAMAGE

81

RECOVERING

COLLATERAL DAMAGE
Put simply, most things on or near a battleground will be either severely damaged or
destroyed completely. Missed attacks will
often hit something, and characters knocked
back can also destroy the scenery. What follows is a list of every day structures and how
much damage it takes to destroy them.
(Compare the attack to a Defense of 0).
Characters knocked back use the damage
they received to determine collateral damage. Even if the characters do not exceed the
threshold to destroy their surroundings,
obvious physical damage will probably be
apparent.

COMBAT! (AND OTHER DANGEROUS THINGS)

82

Structure

Damage

Sign, Small Furniture, Dustbin

Standard Door, Flimsy Wall

10

Reinforced Door, Sturdy Wall

20

Thick Stone Wall, Small Cliffside

30

Typical Car, Knock Down a Tree

40

Heavyweight Truck

60

Steel Wall, Armored Military

80

HEALTH
The battle is not over once Health is
depleted. Although you receive a -1 modifier to all actions, you can keep fighting until
your Endurance is used up as well. Further
damage you take in the battle is subtracted
from Endurance instead of Health. Once
both are used up, you will fall to the ground
unconscious.

ENDURANCE
Some actions, especially certain attacks,
will drain your Endurance.
If your
Endurance reaches 0, you receive a -1 modifier to all actions. Further Endurance drains
are then subtracted from Health. As
described under Health, if both Health and
Endurance reach 0, you fall unconscious.

On your turn, you may choose to let

your character recover instead of taking
an action. This maneuver replenishes five
Endurance every time it is used, not exceeding the characters maximum. The actual
action the character performs is up to you,
whether its simply resting, quoting lines
from a favorite book, or popping an energy
pill. After combat (or another tense situation) has ended, all Endurance is regained.
Those unconscious do not regain Endurance
until they have been sufficiently revived.

OTHER COMBAT ACTIONS

What follows is a short list of other
actions that are potentially useful in combat.

MULTIPLE ACTIONS
Normally, you are limited to making
one action in a combat round. You can, however, take a penalty to your rolls to make two
(or more!) actions. A Penalty equivalent to
the total number of actions being made is
applied to all actions. Although Defense
rolls do not count, since they are free actions,
they are subject to the same penalties. If you
have lost an action to a reason other than
knockback, and consequently Stun, you may
act twice to act once, incurring the previous penalties.

KAMIKAZE STRIKE
By forgoing all defense rolls until your
next turn, you may double your attack dice.
Although a very powerful maneuver indeed,
it is also very dangerous. Without a defense
roll, all attacks directed at the character will
be compared to 0.

MARK
Any successful strike in combat that
would ordinarily damage an opponent may
be turned into a Mark, a non-damaging
but potentially embarrassing attack. At the
attacker's discretion, a mark can represent a
taunting slap, a shot-off hat, or even a carved

letter in clothing. This technique is useful

when you do not want to harm the opponent
or, adversely, want to enrage the foe into a
state of carelessness.

SUBMISSION ATTACK
If any attack deals enough damage to
reduce both Health and Endurance to zero,
the striking character may instead opt to
make a Submission Attack. This move
puts the opponent in a very undesirable
position, such as a choke hold, a sharp blade
to the throat, or anything else that guarantees a measure of obedience. This technique
is useful to gain information out of an opponent, use him as a hostage, or just as a taunting game for less savory combatants.
However, it may be possible for characters
held by a Submission Attack to turn the
tables, pending on circumstances and ultimately the Game Master's discretion.

Cover

Bonus/Penalty

Half Characters Size

+1/-1

3/4 Characters Size

+2/-2

Characterss Size

+4/-3

Bigger than Character

Cant Hit/Be Hit

Of course, enemies may simply destroy

the cover. (See Collateral Damage)

OTHER WAYS TO GET HURT

Like in real life, there are many other
ways to get hurt than being party to outright
combat. This is especially true in many
anime settings, where potential harm can
lurk around every street corneror at the
street corneror right before the street
corner

DONT HURT ME!

You may forfeit your action to increase
your ability to avoid injury. Until your next
turn, double your Defense dice.

Sometimes, the well-being of another is

more important to you than your own.
Risking life and limb, you can help a character who has failed his or her Defense roll. By
forfeiting your next action, you may make a
Defense roll against the attack as if it were
made against you (and take any damage
received as well.)

RUN FOR COVER

Characters under fire may use their
action to duck for cover. This, of course, can
only be used when there is cover to duck
behind. While behind cover, you get a bonus
to your Defense rolls, but also a penalty to
your Attack Rolls. Melee attacks are also
rendered impossible from the opposite side
of this cover. (Though under many circumstances, melee combatants can simply walk
around) The amount of bonus/penalties
acquired depends on the covers size.

COMBAT! (AND OTHER DANGEROUS THINGS)

PROTECT

83

COMBAT! (AND OTHER DANGEROUS THINGS)

84

GAG DAMAGE
Often in the anime genre, the characters
have the remarkable ability to survive the
most dreadful of injuries for the sake of
humor. In cases where characters are seriously maimed in very funny ways, they usually take gag damage instead of normal
damage. For all intents and purposes, gag
damage works normally, but the effects wear
off in a very short amount of time (often two
or three rounds, at the Game Masters discretion). Gag damage can also be used to represent any short-lived damage, humorous or
not. However, if a character receives enough
gag damage, or enough normal damage in
addition to gag damage, to reduce Health
and Endurance to zero, the character falls
unconscious.

ANGRY FEMALE STRIKE

Known all too well by many unfortunate males, the Angry Female Strike is a very
dangerous feat indeed. When sufficiently
angered by another male, especially
boyfriends and potential ones thereof, those
of the feminine persuasion may perform the
Angry Female Strike. Targets can usually
see this coming by looking for such signs as
bulging blood vessels, heavy breathing,
glowing auras, and rising walls of flame.
Any attack may be used for the Angry
Female Strike, but it is now completely and
utterly impossible to dodge. It also deals an
incredible five times the damage that it
would normally inflict. Luckily, this is all
gag damage, but even so, it will still smart
for sure!

Falling from great heights is a danger

all too real for adventurous (and even not so
adventurous) characters, often following
being blown several stories in the air by a
random mishap. Luckily, many cases of
falling are gag damage. For whatever reason, even the worst falls are easily survived
in light-hearted anime. To decide damage,
compare a roll of the characters Agile and
Acrobatics (or other applicable Abilities)
Bonus to the DN listed on the table below.
Use the degree of failure as if you were
defending in combat to determine damage.
Falls have a Damage Total of 5.

Distance Fallen

DN

10 Feet

15 Feet

20 Feet

30 Feet

50 Feet

10

75 Feet

12

100 Feet +

15

Pursuing a bounty across the rooftops of

the city streets, Karis is momentarily at a
loss when he plunges into the alleyway
below. Determined not to lose him, she
takes the nearly 50 foot drop herself. With
a +3 bonus from her Agile and Acrobatics
Abilities, Karis rolls five dice. She manages to roll three 3s, but a 9 is not quite
enough to meet the DN of 10. Brushing
off the 5 damage to her Health (5 x 1), she
continues the pursuit unfazed.

CRASHING, COLLIDING, AND RAMMING

Often, characters are not hurt directly
but as a result of damage to surrounding
structures, like vehicles or buildings.
Should a vehicle come abruptly into
contact with another object (whether by accident or an intentional ramming maneuver),

it will receive damage based on a variety of

factors. Much like if attacked, the character
must make a defense roll versus the appropriate DN.

Speed of Impact

DN

10 mph

25 mph

50 mph

75 mph

100 mph

10

250 mph

12

500+ mph

15

If two vehicles collide head on, add their

combined speed to determine the DN.
Likewise, if they are going the same direction, subtract the smaller speed from the
larger for a result.
Characters in the crash must now make
a defense roll (including any bonuses for
piloting their current vehicle) against the
DN. However, even if the Player exceeds the
DN, crashes always act as if they better the
Player by one.
After this roll, the characters vehicle
then receives damage. The DT is decided by
a variety of factors. Compare to the following chart, adding bonuses and penalties to a
DT of one.

Collides With...

Bonus/Penalty

A Permanent Structure

+4

A Smaller/Weaker Object

-1

A Larger/Tougher Object

+1 to +3

Other Modifiers

-1 to +3

Because of the violent nature of

impacts, passengers receive half of this damage.

COMBAT! (AND OTHER DANGEROUS THINGS)

FALLING

85

Braun, while trying to lose a tailing black

vehicle (of unknown intent and origin),
fails his driving roll. In the dense and
often convoluted city streets, it is very
possible to collide into the surrounding
buildings. Going at a speedy (well, for his
car anyway) 75 mph, Braun has to beat a
DN of 8 to avoid the crash. With his Pilot
+1 Ability, he rolls three dice. Sadly, his
result of 5 is not enough.
The Game Master gives the Crash DT a +4
Bonus for being against a permanent
structure and another +1 Modifier because
Brauns car is so shoddy and cheap. With
a total DT of 6. Brauns car takes a mighty
wallop with 18 Damage (6 x3), but a quick
glance at the Collateral Damage table
reveals that a typical car can take 40 damage before being destroyed. Dazed for a
moment after hitting his head against the
steering wheel (half the total damage, 9, is
inflicted), Braun then puts the car in
reverse. Tires screech as he tries to
resume his getaway.

DROWNING AND SUFFOCATION

COMBAT! (AND OTHER DANGEROUS THINGS)

86

Normally, the fear of drowning would

be an unlikely thought in the urban jungle of
Japan, but like everything else in anime, the
unexpected is to be expected. Should you
find yourself trapped, forced, or stuck under
water, in a giant gelatinous mass, or another
airless space, you run the risk of drowning
(or suffocating). Your Endurance divided by
5 is the number of rounds you can function
without air. In a non-stressful/dangerous
situation (such as willingly taking a dive),
your Endurance divided by ten is the number of minutes you can last without air.
After this point, you will fall unconscious. In
general, characters never die from drowning
or suffocating but may be inconvenienced in
a major way. Washing ashore an isolated
place, being out of action for the rest of the
adventure, or catching a cold when you
eventually make it out of the mess are just a
few of the possibilities.

RECOVERING FROM INJURY

With so many things out there to cause
pain, one might lose hope surviving at all.
Luckily, there are many ways to recover
from the injuries and ills suffered during the
course of adventures.
o Hospital Stay - Probably the most
accessible way to get treatment, the local
medical facilities are skilled in making you
feel better and curing whatever traumas you
have. Pending on the severity of injuries,
this stay may last a few hours, several days,
or even whole story arcs.
o Wizards, Witches, and Others - In
many settings, there are other unorthodox
ways to get healed often for a price. You
should carefully weigh the benefits of such
encounters, since not everyone is incredibly
trustworthy
o A Good Nights Sleep - Due to the
amazing physics of the anime world, almost
all injuries can be cured with a full nights
rest. For particularly traumatic injuries, or in
more realistic campaigns, this may not be
applicable.
o Recovering Through the Day - If none
of these other methods are available to you,
you can still recover lost health. For every
hour of game time you will gain back health
equivalent to two plus your Vitality bonus.
Should you do nothing but rest during this
hour, you can regain five plus two times
your Vitality bonus.

CHARACTER
CHARACTER GROWTH

Over the course of time, your character and those around him will change. The adventures, confrontations, friendships, mistakes, and lessons the characterand the population at
largeencounter affect who they are, and how they act. Perhaps even more importantly, it
helps them grow and reach new potential.

This experience is represented in the

rules as Experience Points. The Game
Master may give characters Experience
Points after a few sessions, after a single
adventure, or even during the course of play.
These points are used to make your character grow, and there are several ways to
earn them:
o

Be There. By simply taking part in the

action, you will gain Experience Points.
The Game Master will give experience
points every few gaming sessions for
simply taking part in the adventure.
Be Inventive - Sometimes, you will
come up with a really great idea, a strategy, or even just a potentially good plan.
When it is apparent that extra effort has
been made, the Game Master will often
award a bonus Experience Point to
Players, even when their brilliant ideas
do not work.
Be Involved - Dont just play, role-play!
If your interaction with other Players,

characters, the Game Master, and even

the world itself really improve the quality of the game, the Game Master might
reward you with an Experience Point.
Game Masters can find more information
on Experience and running the game in the
Game Masters Section

SPENDING EXPERIENCE
So, what can you do with these
Experience Points? Why spend them! You
can use Experience Points to raise your current Abilities...or even to gain new ones!
To raise an Ability, you must spend as
many Experience Points as the Level you
wish to achieve. Keep in mind you have to
buy each Level individually! If your Ability
is currently at Level 2, you must purchase
Level 3 before buying 4. You can gain new
Abilities in the same manner.
Any limiting rules used during character creation no longer apply.

CHARACTER GROWTH

GAINING EXPERIENCE

87

CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT
As said before, characters will change
over time through their interactions with the
world. If a character should meet a skilled
teacher and train, she will either become
more skilled or gain a new Ability altogether. A once easily frightened character may
become brave through his adventures. Some
characters may just grow up, getting over
what once seemed important to them. Still
others will confront intense traumas that
may give new fears and doubts. When these
things happen, the characters Abilities and
Weaknesses will change and disappear.
There is no spending of Experience.

RETIRING CHARACTERS
As time passes, you may feel you need a
change of pace. Some characters, once they
have achieved all their major goals, seem to
lack purpose. Other characters may simply
become boring over continuous play. For
these, and other reasons, You may want to
retire your character.
This retirement can be handled in
several ways.

CHARACTER GROWTH
88

The character can simply retire from

their adventurous exploits. They may
go home or settle down and start a
family. Such characters can either
disappear from the story completely or
remain available as an advisor or other
non-active participant.
The character may die. Players can discuss with the Game Master on how to
make an appropriately heroic scenario
for such a death. This can even be done
without other Players being aware!
The character may become an NPC.
This is often best for characters that
have become intrinsic to the current
storyline. The character remains much
the same, only now under Game Master
control. This can also be appropriate for
Players who simply want a break and
will resume play of the character later.

GAME MAST
GAME MASTERS SECTION

PLAYERS TAKE NOTE!

Within this chapter, and the Sample NPCs section that follows, many secrets of the Game Master are
revealed. If you have plans to become the Game Master of your gaming group, or you intend to take
turns as the GM, then read onward. Otherwise, Players are discouraged from continuing any further.

WHAT DOES

GM DO?

The Game Master is a unique entity.

Unlike the Players, whose sole responsibility
is to play their characters, the GM has to juggle numerous roles at the same time.

THE GM IS A STORYTELLER
Arguably the most essential of all of a
Game Masters roles is that of a storyteller.
Not only must a GM be able to create gripping stories that enthrall the Players with
wonder, but he or she must also be able to
visualize this story in words, to describe the
Player Characters surroundings, and make
quick decisions based on the often unpredictable actions of the Player Characters.

Before each session, the Game Master

prepares an adventure for the Players to take
part in. This involves making a few notes.
What does the Game Master expect to happen? Who will the Player Characters (PCs)
meet? Where will they go? What will the
PCs goals be for the adventure? The Game
Master has to answer all these questions
while keeping the Players in mind.
Should the Players go astray from this
intended flow of events, the Game Master
must be able to gently guide them back
without resorting to blatant force. More
adventurous GMs may even wing it, taking
this new path to whatever places that it may
lead.

GAME MASTERS SECTION

So you want to be a Game Master? The job youve chosen for yourself is far from a simple one. The responsibility for the entire game rests on your shoulders. Handling the rules
and settling the results of the Players actions require a great deal of quick thinking. And
creating the world itself! Meticulously plotting out the adventures and personifying a
plethora of characters will take more than a little creativity. If it seems like a lot of work,
youre right. But therein lies the beauty of Game Mastering. Through all your toils, you have
an entire universe under your fingertips. The only limit is your imagination!

91

THE GM IS A PLAYER
Despite his other responsibilities, the
Game Master is still a Player who must roleplay as the many NPCs he introduces into
the story.
Because the Game Master knows everything about the games world, (even all the
PCs secrets) the ability to role-play honestly
can be difficult. But the Game Master can
use this knowledge as an advantage, molding NPCs to complement the Players and the
the plot.
And like the word Player suggests,
the Game Master is here for the same reason
as everyone else: to have a good time.

DOS AND DONTS OF GMING

There is no one way to Game Master,
nor is there a special rulebook for you to follow. Game Mastering is like an art form
unique to each who take on the task. That
said, there are a few guidelines that, if followed, will improve the quality of the game.

KNOW YOUR STUFF!

GAME MASTERS SECTION

92

THE GM IS A REFEREE
Like any game, the OVA Role-Playing
Game adheres to a set of rules. Similar to a
referee or judge, the Game Master is the final
say on how these rules are interpreted and
applied during the game.
Because the rules so often have to be
referenced, a good Game Master must
be familiar with the rules and all their uses.
An unprepared Game Master can bog down
the game as he or she thumbs through the
rulebook.
Many times, the Players will try to do
things not directly covered within the rules,
or they will find new uses for previously
mundane skills and abilities. It is up to the
Game Master to apply the rules not only sensibly and fairly, but also quickly. An indecisive Game Master can bring an otherwise
dynamic adventure to a halt.

It can hardly be stressed enough that

you be prepared for your game. While
knowledge of the rules is essential, it should
not mark the end of your preparation.
Make sure you are familiar with your
adventure. All your notes should not only
be handy, but organized.
Whenever
possible, try to account for different actions
the Player Characters might take. You will
never be able to foresee all the possibilities,
but looking for some of the most obvious
choices will provide a basic idea of what to
expect.
Major NPCs should have their statistics
written up ahead of time. Keep them together in a handy at-a-glance type list. If they
have any special abilities, make sure you
know how they work. (This goes for the
PCs too!) You should make notes of their
allegiances, personalities, and goals. This
will be useful for gauging their reaction to
the Player Characters later on.

GET IN CHARACTER
As you approach the front desk, you are
greeted by the attending clerk. She informs
you your wishes to see the President of the
Malicron Corporation are impossible and
advises you to leave.
Who was that? Why should we care? If
you dont make encounters like this compelling, the PCs wont care. This may be all
right for a one-time extra, but often you miss
out on the opportunity to add depth to the
setting, or even to other more important
NPCs. Try to give these extras personality,
quirks that not only make the NPC stick in
the Players mind but draw them into the
world youve crafted.
As you approach the front desk, the attending clerk glances at the male members of
your party with a distasteful glare. Your
presence is ignored until you tap the desk
to gain her attention, inquiring about seeing the President of the Malicron
Corporation.
She would have no business with the
crude likes of you. Think you can come in
and get what you want? Its just like you
men to be so pompous.
Any further interaction is quickly discouraged as two female guards see your way
out of the building.

Better, right? Not only is the entire

encounter more memorable, it gives the
Players insight into what kind of business
Malicron Corporation runs. Plus, you probably riled them into trying that much harder
to get what they want.

ENCOURAGE ROLE-PLAYING
Even with thrilling combat and suspenseful skill tests, role-playing games are
still role-playing games, not roll-playing
games. Be careful not to get in the habit of
treating OVA like a board game, simply
moving from one number to the next.
Playing your own NPCs to their fullest
certainly helps, but if the Players have no
reason to role-play, even the most enthusiastic Game Master may be left with a rather
dull party.
The easiest solution is to provide opportunities to role-play. Plan encounters that
can only be resolved through conversation.
Dont just let the dice do the talking! When
the Players want their characters to bribe,
fast-talk, interrogate, convince, or otherwise
interact with an NPC, make them actually do
it. Sometimes, this can eliminate die-rolling
altogether. (See Dont Sweat the Small Stuff
below).
As advised in Character Advancement,
good role-playing should be rewarded with
an Experience Point or two.

BE DESCRIPTIVE
Like playing NPCs with gusto (as recommended under Get in Character) it is
important for you to be enthusiastic about
the storytelling aspect of Game Mastering.
Without anything but your words, the
Players have to create a mental image of
their surroundings. If your description is
bland, their view of your world will also be
bland, regardless of how it really is.
After that burst of light, you mysteriously
find yourselves in a strange place.
Everythings metal; it looks like the inside
of a space ship of some sort.

GAME MASTERS SECTION

In a worst case scenario where preparation fails, improvise. Instead of wasting

valuable gaming time with your nose in a
bunch of papers, you can keep the game running smoothly. Dont remember how car
crashes work? Make up something. Lost the
stats to a major NPC? Assign numbers as
theyre needed. Your Players will probably
never notice the differenceunlike snorting
the rulebook.

93

Despite the potential interest of such a

wild setting, the deadpan factual description
gives the essential but none of the atmosphere. The feeling of awe you wanted to
share with your Players is nonexistent. Even
though all you have is words, try to appeal
to all of your Players senses. Give details.
Rich images will bring the Players into your
world.
As the blinding light fades, your bodies are
overcome with a chilly tingling sensation.
This feeling too fades away as the ability to
see your surroundings return. The glossy
shine of metal is everywhere, punctuated
by small points of light. Screens displaying incomprehensible data float near the
walls without support. The hum of countless mechanisms fill your ears and your
footsteps echo about the small room.
Wherever you are, it is not of this Earth!
If youre not comfortable making such
things on the fly, many Game Masters write
the descriptions for locations and events
before the game. Just be careful not to railroad your Players to ensure their usage.

GAME MASTERS SECTION

94

GIVE EVERYONE THEIR TIME TO SHINE

In any gaming group, certain PCs will
stand out more than the rest. Some will have
more dynamic personalities. Others will
simply be more effective, armed with a
plethora of useful Abilities. This can become
a problem when one or more Players opt to
play non-effective characters. If youre not
careful, they can easily be overlooked and
have little to do throughout your adventures. Bored Players quickly become unhappy Players, which isnt good for anyone.
It is your responsibility as Game Master
to take advantage of any attributes that a PC
possesses and involve them in your story.
Even if a character has no skills to contribute,
they can prove useful in other ways. An
immature kid among a group of powerful
martial artists may seem useless at first
blush, but what if the Players need someone

to navigate an extremely small place? A little creative thinking will give everyone their
time in the lime-light. More importantly,
everyone will have fun.

KEEP THE GAME GOING

It happens. Deep into the game, the
action suddenly slows to a crawl. The PCs
are unsure what to do next, or they take a
course of action that simply isnt that exciting. The result is a dangerous tedium that
can quickly kill even the best of games.
As a Game Master, it is up to you to
make sure this lagging is minimized. If the
Players are confused or lost, arrange for
something to push them in the right direction. Have a PC make a perception die-roll
to notice a useful clue. Make NPCs arrive to
force them along a course of action. This
might not be a good one either!
Whatever you do, dont let your Players
just sit there for very long. Have things
happen that force a decision, or if all else
fails, have the bad guys show up. Nothing
breaks up boredom like a good encounter,
even if the PCs run away.
Many Game Masters like to make certain
rolls for the PCs. Perception and other sensory rolls are an obvious choice. The Game
Master can make these rolls without alerting the Players that something is amiss,
and not waste valuable time asking for
individual die-rolls.
Adversely, less
scrupulous Game Masters may make a few
meaningless die-rolls to let the Players
sweat a little.

DONT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

Too often, Game Masters feel the need
to apply the rules to even the tiniest of situations. Instead, do your best to keep dierolling to a minimum. The dice are meant to
add drama and suspense to role-playing.
Abuse of this random element will only
result in prolonging the less interesting portions of your game and, worse, steal the
emphasis from more important conflicts.

Is it routine for the character? If the

character can complete the task easily,
theres no need for a die-roll. A worldclass weightlifter would have no trouble
moving televisions. The marginal
chance of failure provided by the dieroll makes it dull and even ludicrous,
not dramatic.
Is there any consequence for failure? A
die-roll is not necessary when failing
causes no repercussions or loss. Dont
make characters roll to jump a ditch.
Even if it may be difficult for less able
characters, there is no suspense or
drama without tangible risk. Now, if
the ditch were a 10 foot wide chasm, or
they were being chased by ninjas...

On the other hand, you should always

let the Players attempt a task, even if it seems
impossible. (Well, unless it truly is impossible, like suddenly taking flight without the
Flight Ability). The Nigh Impossible
Difficulty is there for a reason.

DONT RAILROAD THE CHARACTERS

Because of the strong narrative element
in Game Mastering, you can easily get
attached to an ideal course of events. You
have a great story to tell and assume the
Players will come along for the ride.
The problem lies in the fact that they
dont. Players have their own ideas of what
their characters will do. Even if you have the
good tendency to plot out several possible
outcomes for any situation, at some point the
Players will do something you never expected.
If you have not considered other possibilities at all, you may panic, rapidly closing
any opportunity that doesnt match up to
your preconceived plan. Doors will be mysteriously locked, paths will collapse, magic
barriers or ludicrously tough enemies
appear to bar the Players path.

This kind of You cant do that gameplay gets tiresome fast. Part of the enjoyment of role-playing games is (the illusion
of) free-will. By openly denying this ability
to make choices, you violate a basic premise
of role-playing.
This doesnt mean you should completely fall prostrate to the whims of your
Players. There are other ways to control the
flow of an adventure without blunt railroading.
If Players unexpectedly take a train to
get to a destination sooner than you
expected, have a problem arise. The train
breaks down or is even attacked by monsters
or criminals. Should PCs solve your great
puzzle by looking up the solution instead of
thinking it out, have them be misinformed.
If the Players shirk their commitments to
more easily complete a task, have this come
back to haunt them with angry NPCs.
Not only do you compromise the
Players plan, you add an entirely different
element to the adventure. The excitement is
maintained, and the great scheme actually
makes the situation more difficult.
Sometimes your on the fly tweaking will
seem more right than what you had in mind.
Good handling makes it appear like part of
your plan, not a half-hearted attempt to
thwart the PCs.
As a general rule, do not manipulate the
characters, manipulate their environment.
The Players may feel they are the masters of
their own fate, but they can have little claim
on the world itself. If a choice is truly integral to your adventure, make the right
choices more attractive, or give the Players
numerous opportunities to take the right
path.

DONT MAKE FLAT SUPER VILLAINS

With all the free rein a Game Master
has, its disturbingly easy to fall into a dull
trap: that of the Flat Super Villain. You try to
cram every cool Ability into him you can,
then throw him at your Players with little
reasoning or thought beyond he wants to
do something bad!

GAME MASTERS SECTION

Before you want to apply a die-roll to

the current situation, consider the following
criteria:

95

Sure, it works on some level. Most

Players will go along with the ride and trash
the baddie of the week. But why leave it at
that? Involve the PCs! Make them want to
trash the villain. Look at your Players characters and find reasons for them to care. The
villain should threaten their goals and
ideals. Maybe they want to take something
important from them, or to destroy something they care about.
Keep in mind that no one is evil for the
sake of being evil. They have some motivation for being who they are. Some of the best
villains are really not so evil at all. They may
even join the Players with the right persuasion. (Or if it suits their purpose. Theres
always time for betrayal later.)
Few villains are without weaknesses
either. Just because the villain is not the definition of moral does not mean the character
lacks...well...character. Something is important to this character, and something hurts
this character. Considering these weaknesses can provide openings for role-playing.
Violence and conflict are not always the
answer, even in the often action-packed
world of anime.

GAME MASTERS SECTION

96

For a few ideas, browse the Sample NPCs

section directly after this chapter.

DONT FORGET WHO THE HEROES ARE

Remember that you and your friends
are creating a story, and that this story is
about the heroes. You have to be careful to
not forget this while running your game.
After creating complex villains, you
may get the idea to create deep NPCs to fit
into any role so much so that they begin
to overshadow the PCs. Throwing the
Players into impossible scenarios just to save
them with your latest cool NPC not only
gets old fast but cheapens the experience.
This is little, if any, better than railroading.
On the flipside, you may not save the
PCs at all. It is a natural tendency to be competitive, and even the most basic of games
center around beating the other Players.

Its all too easy to forget while playing an

RPG that it is not a competitive game. You
are not against the Players, and you
shouldnt act that way. Intentionally annihilating the PCs may give you a buzz at first,
but your Players will quickly become unhappy with the situation. The Players are not
just the heroes but people that expect you to
show them a good time.
This leads into one final problem: When
the rules get in the way. The rules are great
for what theyre supposed to do, fairly and
impartially settle conflicts. What theyre not
terribly good at is story-telling.
Imagine the following scenario.
After an exhilarating chase and a grueling
long-fought battle, the Players are finally
getting the upper hand over Shadowmans
immense power. Refusing to make it so
easy, Shadowman unleashes a desperate
final attack. You thought this would make
this battle a little more interesting.
But you had no idea it would be so deadly.
The dice fall, one six after another. With
these numbers, the entire party will be decimated in a single blow.
What do you do? If you follow the dice,
the entire partys efforts will be nullified.
The resounding climax the adventure has
built to has been suddenly cut short and
meets a boring and undynamic end.
The solution?
Cheat.

THE ART OF CONSTRUCTIVE CHEATING

Yeah, you heard right. Though most
have adopted the term fudging for this
good-natured cheating, you are in fact bending the rules. Fudgings purpose is to repair
fatal flaws in the Game Masters adventure
or to prevent single die-rolls from affecting
the entire course of a game. Fudging can
even be done in the middle of combat to finetune a opponent thats a little too tough...or
too weak!

TYPES OF GAMES
Like so many other facets of roleplaying games, there is no one right way to
play and structure your adventures. Even
so, here are some of the more typical set-ups:
o

One-shots are an RPG at its most basic.

Adventures run their course in one or
two sessions. Plotlines are introduced
quickly and resolved by the adventures
end. Because there is so little time for
character development and plot
progression, One-Shots are best suited
for fast-paced, exciting games with
very little carrying over from adventure
to adventure. The episodic nature of
One-Shots make them ideal for gaming
groups that meet infrequently or are
constantly swapping participants.

GAME MASTERS SECTION

But fudging should not be done casually. Constructive cheating does not solely
benefit the Players or your own desired outcome for the adventure. If the game
becomes too easy, then the element of risk
that makes gaming so compelling is lost. If
you bend the rules to follow your ideal
gameplan, you come dangerously close to
railroading. Copious fudging will eventually become obvious to Players, who will be
sorely disappointed. Picture winning a
game, only to be told your opponent threw
the competition. Trivializing the Players triumphs is never a good thing.
The solution? Dont let the Players get
away scot-free. To balance the generous
good-fortune you are providing them, have
something else go wrong. Have parts of the
surroundings collapse, trapping a key fighter for the next few rounds. Be creative. You
make the entire encounter that much better.

97

GAME MASTERS SECTION

98

The Story-Arc is a group of adventures

united by a common goal or story element. With a less defined length, plots
can be slower and more deliberate.
Antagonists and dilemmas may appear
in any of these adventures, but most
will only find resolution at the StoryArcs end. The Players can take
advantage of the looser time frame for
role-playing, but characters will likely
change little during the Story-Arc. If
you and the Players continue to explore
their characters and the world they live
in, Story-Arcs may inadvertently evolve
into the type of game known as...

Campaigns are the most epic kind of

game. With a broader scope, the world
is very open to the actions of the
Players. Antagonists will come and go,
Story-Arcs will begin and draw to a
close, and as time passes, the characters
will grow and change as a result of their
adventures. Some campaigns may have
no defined ending at all, going in
directions the Players, and even you,
never expected. Because they can
stretch across many sessions and weave
so many intricate connections into the
world itself, campaigns are best for
groups that meet often and change very
little in their members.

MAKING AN ADVENTURE
Making an adventure is much like setting up a sort of play. Only by bringing the
stage, the actors, the script, and the cast
together can you create a well-conceived
adventure.

THE STAGE
First off, and potentially most importantly, you have to decide on what kind of
world (or worlds) your Players will become
a part of. A modern-day high school, a battle cruiser in the Galactic Empire, and Feudal
Japan all have very different implications
and expectations.

Maybe you already know. Sparked by a

favorite anime or idea, its easy to take off in
creating. But you probably should confer
with your Players before setting, well, a setting in stone. No matter how much work
you put into the world of Alivar and its feuding nations, if your Players are not interested, then little fun will be had.
The amount of detail needed very much
depends on what you want to accomplish.
Modern day settings usually require very little preparation beyond the typical locations
the PCs will visit day to day. Even more outlandish worlds of high technology or magic
may not require any extensive level of detail.
A brief description of the way things are and
again the typical destinations should suffice.
But many Game Masters thrive on this
stage of preparation. You have the ability to
devise a new world completely of your own
design. This effort will likely translate into

THE ACTORS
What is a stage with no actors on it?
Once you have created the world to your satisfaction, you should move on to assisting
the Players in creating their characters. After
all, this is their story you are telling.
Wouldnt it help to know their goals and
weaknesses?

THE SCRIPT
The script of your adventure is a basic
guideline of what you expect to happen,
what people will be met, and what problems
will arise and be resolved. Unlike a script,
though, your Players are not limited to simple lines on paper. They have the ability to
write their own lines. You will have to resort
to more creative means to encourage them to
go along with your adventure.
The key to any good story (especially an
adventure like yours) lies in conflict. By
upsetting the way things are, it is up to your
Players to take action and restore order. A
villain may be running amuck, a powerful
artifact stolen, or even a new pretty boy
enrolling in the PCs high school!
But why should they act? If they have
no reason to make a change, they probably
wont. You have to get them involved. Look
at your Players Characters and find what
they care about. By carefully considering
their motives, be it money, love, or their own
skins, you can make the Players act without
blatantly forcing them to do so.
Once you have decided the source of
conflict, you have to complicate its resolution. How exciting would it be if the Players
could simply knock on the villains door and
request to make sushi out of him? In every
adventure, there should be three or four
major complications. Some ideas could be:

Dont reveal the whereabouts or source

of the problem. Leave it up to the PCs
to discover where to find it. You can
even set up a complex trail of clues to
lengthen an adventure.
Misinform the PCs. Present several
false leads, only for them to point in
another direction.
Henchmen make instantly gratifying
roadblocks. Not only do they keep
the game exciting, but its a good excuse
to reveal more information about the
source of the problem.
He who fights and runs away, lives to
fight another day. Particularly useful
for story-arcs and campaigns, allowing
the problem a quick escape keeps a full
resolution from happening. Even if the
villains current plot is stopped, there
will be a next time!
Change the rules. Force the PCs to go
about resolving the problem in a different way. If a situation would normally
be resolved with fighting, put the
characters in a situation where they
cant engage their opponent. Appeal to
the PCs other talents.
Make a dilemma, and you put your
Players in an instant bind.
Its
especially fun to present a solution to
the conflict, but take advantage of the
Players moral (or at least selfpreserving) sensibilities and force them
to do something else.

All of the twists and turns lead to one

final point. This climax is the single most
exciting event of the story, and more often
than not, where the characters face a very
powerful foe. Many questions raised thus
far are answered, and the source of the problem is revealed. Now it's time for your
Players to do something about it! They may
put together clues to solve the problem or
simply destroy what stands in their way. But
even completing the adventure may not
resolve everything. Questions of who, why,
and how can persist. Use them to draw the
PCs into a Story-Arc, or even a Campaign!

GAME MASTERS SECTION

opportunities for games as well. Intricate

politics provide the background for intrigue
and strife, and locales may become the basis
for many an adventure. How far you take
the Stage is purely up to you and your
Players expectations for the adventure.

99

THE CAST
As you plot out your adventures, you
may come to the conclusion that the best
way to move your plot is by letting NPCs do
the work for you. After all, there are few
more direct and tangible ways to interact
with PCs than the words and actions of other
denizens in their world.
But how does one go about populating
an adventure with these Non-Player
Characters?

CREATING NPCS
Creating an NPC is not all that different
from creating a normal character. If youve
followed the advice already given in this
chapter, you are well on your way to creating
believable and interesting NPCs.
However, unlike the heroes, who are
meant to be dynamic and heroic, not all
NPCs are created equal. Based on their
capabilities, importance, and staying power,
NPCs fall under one of three categories.
o

GAME MASTERS SECTION

100

Extras - These are the most basic NPCs

you will use. They are the shop clerks,
the teachers, the security guards, and
the stock ninja. Many of these NPCs
will not even warrant applying
statistics. When you do however. you
should note a few important differences
from heroic PCs. Extras only have a
base 10 Health and Endurance, and if
using the Ground Zero rule, there
should only be a gap of 1 or 2 between
Abilities and Weaknesses.
Secondary - Unlike the extras, who the
PCs will likely never meet again,
secondary NPCs have some plot significance. Even if they do not appear
directly to the PCs, their actions still
have impact. They are the parents and
family, the political officials, the
well-ranked soldiers, and the established (if mad) scientists. Though not as
easily dealt with as extras, Secondary
NPCs only have a base 20 Health and

Endurance. If using the Ground Zero

rule, the gap should be 3 or so.
Heroic - These are the big boys. NPCs
of Heroic caliber are integral to your
story. These characters advance the
plot, are a large part of the PCs motives,
or are even the source of their troubles.
Such NPCs are not easily dealt with,
using the same creation rules as any
other Player Character. Heroic NPCs
can even exceed the PCs in power!

CREATING CONFLICT
An intrinsic part of any adventure, the
antagonists that test the skill and fortitude of
the characters are not to be constructed lightly. It is important to make them balanced
appropriately. But how is it done? When a
party of characters can vary so much, with so
many powers and strengths, it can be hard to
determine what is too hard and what is not
hard enough.
To help you on your way, the Threat
Value system can be used. By assigning this
Threat Value to characters, Game Masters
have an easier time creating appropriately
challenging villains.
Simply add the following: The highest
Damage Total the character can achieve, the
highest Defense Roll the character can make,
the highest Attack Roll, and any Bonuses or
Penalties to Health and Endurance. This
includes Power Moves, Abilities like
Teleport and Barrier, and even Weaknesses!
If there are multiple Players that are fighting
together, combine their TVs.
For Secondary NPCs, halve their threat
value. Quarter Extra type NPCs.
This total is not rocket science, really,
and should not be treated as a magic number. It's a very vague estimation of power at
best, and the Game Master may raise or
lower it if he feels certain Abilities or
Weaknesses warrant a change.
With this Threat Value handy, you can
now create an appropriate encounter.

PCs TV

Easy

.25

Moderate

.50

Challenging

.75

Deadlock

Unlikely Victory

1.5

Nigh Impossible

AFTER THE ADVENTURE

So the heroes have saved the day, put
the bad guys in their place, and somehow
brought things back to some sort of normality. For now, the adventure is over. It's time
to pick up the corn chips, papers, pens, and
dice and go home. Well, it could be. What
happens after an adventure is ultimately up
to you and your Players. You could spend
time discussing the adventures events and
the possible repercussions, reminisce over
particularly cool moments, or just chat a little before everyone heads out. Then
againyou might be daring enough to hop
right back into the action, ready for another
trip into this fanciful world. Just make sure
you have enough soda pop handy.

EXPERIENCE
There's one last responsibility for the
Game Master when the adventure is over:
determining experience gained through the
day's hijinks. What follows is an easy chart
to help you determine how to reward your
Players.

The Player...
Showed Up
Varies pending on length and
difficulty of adventure

Was Inventive
The Player came up with a great idea
(success is irrelevant)

Role-Played Well
The Player was involved
and entertaining

XP
0-2
1-2

Players should gain at least 1 or 2 experience points over the course of several gaming sessions. Conversely, giving more than 4
points in a single session would require one
incredible session and one incredible Player!
As mentioned in Character Growth,
characters can spontaneously gain Abilities
and Weaknesses through play. It is up to
you to decide exactly what they gain and
how much. You may want to discuss such
changes with the Player. As a general guideline, no character should ever gain more
than two levels through this method. Even if
the Magical Supreme Power of the Universe
had been bestowed upon them, they still
have to learn how to use it.

A BRAVE NEW WORLD

With the exception of the Sample NPCs
and indexes, this marks the end of your journey with the OVA Role-Playing Game. But
the end of this book is only the beginning for
the adventures that lie in wait! With these
rules and guidelines at your side, we hope
you have many great experiences in roleplaying.
So get going! These rules are no use if
you stop at reading them. Have fun.
And in traditional Japanese gamingstyle...

GAME MASTERS SECTION

Conflict Difficulty

1-2

101

SAMPLE NO
PLAYER CHARACTERS
SAMPLE NON-P

PLAYERS TAKE NOTE!

Within this chapter, and the Game Masters Section before it, many secrets of the Game Master are
revealed. If you have plans to become the Game Master of your gaming group, or you intend to take
turns as the GM, then read onward. Otherwise, Players are discouraged from continuing any further.

HOW

TO

USE NPCS

These Non-Player Characters can be

used in many of the same ways as the
Sample Characters. You can reference that
chapter for more ideas on employing the
NPCs. However, there are a few differences
you should keep in mind.

USING NPC TYPE

In the upper-right of each NPCs bio,
youll find a black box. The first part inside
is the NPCs type. This type not only
determines the NPCs Health and
Endurance but gives you an idea of how
important these characters should be to your
plot.

Heroic NPCs can easily become the

main antagonists of your story or even
strong allies. Secondary NPCs may appear
now and again, but will never compare to
the PCs in importance. Extras are to be used
once and never seen again.

SAMPLE NPCS

What is a hero without his foil? Where would the Players be without the guidance of
secondary characters? Who would they strive to protector to destroy? Without NPCs, a
role-playing game would be a rather boring sort of game!
Though youre probably quite capable of making these dastardly villains and whatnot
on your own...Just is case, this chapter provides all kinds of sample NPCs to sprinkle into your
campaign. Use them as-is, or modify them to fit your needs.

USING THREAT VALUE

The number beside the NPC type is the
Threat Value. This number can help you
gauge encounters so that they are not too
weak or too strong. But be careful! These
values are only estimates. You should thoroughly look over both the NPCs and your
Players Abilities and Weaknesses before
planning an encounter.

103

ACACIA
ACACIA

HEROIC | 13

SASPAR

HEROIC | 20

BACKGROUND:
Acacia is a member of the Order of Chaos, an organization dedicated to reviving the
ancient discipline of magic and witchcraft to bring forth a new epoch of chaos. Only through
this chaos can a true revolution begin. With her partner Saspar, Acacia carries out the commands of their leader, Carbon. Her specialty is witchcraft, wielding a diverse array of spells
and the ability to summon otherworldly creatures. Despite outward appearances, Acacia has
little care for the goals of Chaos. Her true allegiance lies with her partner Saspar. Her commitments to her tasks are only to appeal to him and his own dedication. So far, her efforts
have proved without merit, but still she longs for the day when they are more than just partners in work.
SAZZA, FRAZ, AND HIGH FRUCTO CEZAR:
In addition to her raw magical ability, Acacia can summon a variety of demons and spirits. Though the possibilities are quite vast, Acacia remains faithful to a small core-group of
demons. What they lack in power, they make up for in loyalty. No roll to summon required.
Sazza and Fraz, twin lesser demons of mischief, are never seen apart. Individually
weak, together they perform Twin Techniques that are surprisingly devastating. When not
pursuing one of Acacias tasks, they seek to cause as much fun (read havoc) as possible.
Attributes: Secondary; Power Move +3: Twin Strike (Ranged), Quick +3, Weak -2, Frail -1
High Fructo Cezar was once a powerful and important demon in the hierarchy of the
underworld. However, a moment of soft-heartedness resulted in the strip of his rank and the
sealing of much of his power. Though at times reflective and bitter, he seems content to lend
his still recognizable strength to Acacia.
Attributes: Secondary; Strength +4, Tough +2, Slow -2, Clumsy -1
If a demon is defeated in battle, they are simply sent back to the netherworld. They
may be summoned again after a length of time decided by the Game Master.

SAMPLE NPCS

SSASPAR

104

BACKGROUND:
On the surface, Saspar seems to be an emotionless man dedicated only to his work. But
at heart, he's just a man indifferent to his own existence. He does the only thing he knows
how to do: Follow Orders. Like Acacia, his power lies in magical ability, but with very different applications. He wields a strange magical gun, capable of firing bursts of spells, and
carries a strange pocket watch with the power to stop time. In secret, he longs for the day to
finally fail in his task and have his excuse for a life to end. Although it is unknown if Saspar
is truly blind, he always wears a sash over his eyes.
MAGIC GUN:
Saspars Magic Gun is a powerful, but slow weapon. Arming it requires Saspar to load
the proper bullet and speak the required incantations. After the gun is successfully activated (requires one rounds action), it may be fired at any time. However, the kind of shot fired
cannot be changed until the gun is either shot, or unloaded (also one rounds action).
CHARACTER HOOKS:
Because of their obviously sinister ends, Acacia and Saspar can be a foe for anyone who
wants to protect the common good. Characters like Fukiko and Auren are especially wellsuited candidates, because this Order of Chaos fits the ambiguous dark evil that must be
fought facet of their backgrounds. Acacia and Saspar also work as magical rivals in a pinch.

Acacia

Agile
+1
Barrier, Offensive +2
Beautiful
+2
Charisma
+1
Flight
+3
Hobby
+2 (Magic Knowledge)
Incorporeal Form +2
Magic, Witchcraft +3
Impede
(Slow -2; 5 Endurance)
Break
(Frail -2; 5 Endurance)
Wither
(Weak -3; 10 Endurance)
Occult Knowledge +3
Power Move
+2
Lock Heavens Door (Endurance Drain, Special Perk:
Prevents Healing & Recovering till Battle Ends,
Affinity: Dark; 20 Endurance)
Devils Breath (Blinding, No Knockback, Affinity: Dark;
15 Endurance)
Vitality
+1

Saspar
Art of Invisibility +3
Combat Skill
+2
Heightened Sense +3 (Hearing)
Hobby
+2 (Violin)
Power Move
+4
Brim Shot (Ranged, Redirectable, Activation,
Affinity: Fire; 10 Endurance)
Ise Shot (Armor Piercing x 2, Ranged, Activation
Affinity: Ice; 15 Endurance)
Lode Shot (Extra Knockback, Ranged, Activation
Affinity: Earth; 15 Endurance)
Quick
+4
Sixth Sense
+2
Time Freeze
+2
Emotionless
Focus
Focus
Hatred
Servitude
Special Weakness

-2
-2
-1
-2
-3
-2

SAMPLE NPCS

Arrogant
-1
Focus
-2 (Flight and Incorporeal Require Hat)
Impulsive
-1
Love Interest
-2 (Unrequited, Saspar)
Overconfident
-2
Servitude
-3 (Order of Chaos)
Short Temper
-1
Unnatural Weakness-2 (Light/Holy)

(Power Moves Require Magic Gun)

(Time Freeze Requires Watch)
(Excessive Noise or Din)
(Order of Chaos)
(Cannot Detect Things Present Only to
Sight, Like Colors, Words, etc.)

Stubborn
-1
Unnatural Weakness-3 (Light/Holy)

105

SHADOWMA
SHADOWMAN

HEROIC | 29

BACKGROUND:
His origins may be unknown, but his ambitions are clear. Shadowman seems to thrive
on destruction. His wave of fear spreads galaxies, and despite numerous attempts by the
Galactic Peace Legion, an organization dedicated to keeping the safety of the known universe, he remains at large. But perhaps the havoc of Shadowman is not as random as it
appears. He began his life as Har Grimoire. He was a scientist at the top of his field, famous
and celebrated. Though his wife had long since passed on, he retained a special kind of bond
with his daughter, Elle. That all changed when a drastic lab accident took his daughter's life
and nearly his own. Har Grimoire disappeared from the world, presumed dead by many. In
truth, he was rebuilding himself. Years before, research was being made to reconstruct a
human being from a single sample of DNA. The project, Ova, was abruptly halted and
banned by the government. But Grimoire knew better. He knew it still existed somewhere.
With his custom designed armor, built not only to sustain his ravaged body, but to improve
it beyond human capability, he set forth to find it, allowing nothing to get in his way.
Nothing.
CHARACTER HOOKS:
Although Karis is already involved, Shadowman can easily prove an adversary for anyone interested in protecting the common good. It should be noted that Shadowman is
absurdly powerful and would be too difficult for most characters to confront alone. An interesting footnote is that Karis and Elle bare a startling resemblance...

GRANT ZUR
GRANT ZURKRIEG

SAMPLE NPCS
106

HEROIC | 18

BACKGROUND:
A cold man, Grant Zurkrieg has been obsessed with power since his impoverished
childhood in Europe. Even then, he was plotting his rise in the financial world. With his brilliant grasp of economics, he became a self-made millionaire by his mid-twenties. But money
was not enough. He toned his body into a hulking, fighting machine. But that was not
enough either. He had to have more power, and to be able to measure his own. With his Men
in Black, he searches the world for the most powerful people...to make them join him...or to
destroy them.
CANE:
Zurkrieg's cane is not a particularly damaging weapon, but it is uniquely manufactured
to drastically increase its length. Among other applications, its increased accuracy combined
with his strength makes it deadly.
MEN IN BLACK:
The Men in Black are, in fact, cyborgs. Created from the bodies of the terminally ill, the
brain dead, and even from corpses, they are an unholy combination of man and machine.
Though slow, they are determined and strong, capable of fulfilling Zurkrieg's orders to the
letter.
Attributes: Extra, Strong +2, Tough +2, Dumb -3, Emotionless -3, Servitude -3, Slow -2
CHARACTER HOOKS:
It is fairly easy to incorporate Grant Zurkrieg into any campaign with characters of noteworthy skill or power. Ai is obviously well suited; it is even possible that she is the result of
Zurkrieg funding!

Shadowman
Armor
Barrier, Offensive
Combat Skill
Defense
Flight
Invention
Life Support
Pilot
Smart
Strong
Telekinesis
Tough
Vitality
Weapon

+2
+3
+3
+2
+3
+4
+3
+2
+3
+3
+4
+4
+2
+3 (Lightsword; Armor Piercing x 3)

Bad Reputation -3
Bizarre Appearance -2
Dependency
-3
Focus
-3
Obsession
-3
Secret
-2
Wanted
-3

(Ruthless Criminal)
(Mask and Clothing)
(Suit)
(Most Abilities Powered by Suit)
(Finding Ova)
(Identity as Har Grimoire)
(Galactic Peace Legion)

Willpower
Arrogant
Bad Reputation
Code of Conduct
Fear
Hatred
Obsession
Secret
Strange Personal
Habit
Stubborn

+3
+2
+5
+4 (Men in Black)
+3
+5 (Finances)
+2
+3
+2
+2 (Cane; Accurate, Special Perk:
Length Change, Decreased Damage)
+2
-2
-1
-1
-3
-3
-3
-3

SAMPLE NPCS

Grant Zurkrieg
Combat Skill
Defense
Filthy Rich
Flunkies
Intimidation
Hobby
Smart
Strong
Tough
Weapon

(Unfeeling Capitalist)
(Must Have Fair Duels to Test Power)
(Drowning, from Childhood Accident)
(Weakness of any Kind)
(Power)
(Illegal Research)

-1 (Lacks Pity or Compassion)

-3

107

NAZO
NAZO

HEROIC | 20

BACKGROUND:
Kitsune are infamous Japanese fox spirits known for their skillful chicanery. They often
prey on hapless mortals for their games of deceit and foolishness.
Nazo is one such kitsune. Constantly eschewing an unwritten law that one should
never reveal ones presence as a kitsune, Nazo spends most of her time estranged from her
family and elder spirits. Much of the reason Nazo is constantly in trouble is her unusual
interest in mankind. While most kitsune are content to trick and confuse, Nazo genuinely
wants to learn more about them. Some whisper that she is even envious of them. Whatever
the cause, simple peer pressure is not enough to curb Nazos lust for experiments. Using her
kinds ability to change shape, she concocts elaborate plans to test the fortitude and ideals of
the targets she chooses. Only when her curiosity is satiated will she leave them alone.
KITSUNE MAGIC:
Nazo is a three-tailed kitsune, making her a far cry from the terrifyingly powerful ninetailed elders. Even so, she is quite capable with kitsune magic. Among other less understood
skills, kitsune have the power to read and control thoughts or dreams, the ability to change
shape of themselves or their surroundings, and even place mild curses. Despite the ability to
take any shape at will, Nazo is most at home in the form of a three-tailed fox, a young girl
with fox tails, and a woman with similar tell-tale characteristics.
CHARACTER HOOKS:
Nazo could easily take interest in any of the PCs for any reason. Because of her extensive spiritual power, an entire adventure could be based around one of her carefully scripted plans. The old bag in Daisukes background could easily be one of Nazos tricks.

SAMPLE NPCS
108

ANCEL
ANCEL

HEROIC | 15

BACKGROUND:
At first blush, Ancel appears much like any other 12 year old boy. But more than a
momentary acquaintance reveals a hidden and mysterious depth. His collected demeanor,
intuition, and apparently self-supporting lifestyle as a piano-player all seem alien when compared to his youthful frame. But this is far from the most bizarre facet of his lifestyle. In reality, he only moonlights as a pianist; his true calling is that of a hitman. Armed with all matters of small-arms and gadgets, Ancel does the job, and he does it well. Those who hire him
never see him face-to-face, and those that are his target dont live to tell. His appearance
makes the perfect disguise. As for his past...no one may ever know.
CHARACTER HOOKS:
Obviously, anyone who has rubbed the wrong person the wrong way could end up
encountering Ancel. On the flipside, he may simply become a pleasant face at a local caf or
bar.

Nazo
Charisma
Flight
Hammer Space
Incorporeal Form
Invisibility
Life Support
Magic, Arcane
Fox Fire

+3
+3
+3
+4
+3
+5
+3
(Power Move +3; Continued, Ranged,
Empty Hands; 30 Endurance)
Magic, Witchcraft +3
Psychic
+3
Shape Change
+5
Special Ability
+5 (Illusions)
Teleport
+3
Telekinesis
+3
Unnatural Resistance+2 (Physical Attacks)
Vitality
+3
Code of Conduct
Compulsion
Impulsive
Obsession
Overconfident
Pariah
Soft Spot
Special Weakness

-2
-2
-1
-2
-1
-2
-1
-3

(Will Not Break a Promise)

(Curiosity)

Agile
Art of Invisibility
Combat Skill
Defense
Filthy Rich
Hammerspace
Hobby
Hobby
Hobby
Hobby
Martial Arts
Perceptive
Quick
Smart
Weapon

+3
+3
+3
+2
+2
+3
+2 (Disguise)
+2 (Forensics)
+4 (Piano)
+3 (Surveillance)
+1
+2
+1
+1
+3 (Silenced Pistol; Ranged)

Ageism
Emotionless
Ineptitude
Secret
Frail
Soft Spot
Strange Personal
Habit
Wanted
Weak

-1
-1
-2 (Speaking Face to Face)
-3 (Hired Gun)
-2
-2 (Beautiful Music)

(Human Nature)

Ancel

-1 (Fastidious Neatness)
-3 (Law)
-1

SAMPLE NPCS

(Other Kitsune)
(Green Tea)
(Priests/Holy Men see through Illusions)

109

DOCTOR TO
DOCTOR TOMORI

SECONDARY | 0

BACKGROUND:
A brilliant man and revolutionary scientist concerning all matters of artificial intelligence, Dr. Tomori was drafted to work for the previously female-only Malicron Corporation.
With his expertise, he was able to make the Malicron pipe-dream, Project MIHO, a reality.
Unfortunately, Tomori died in a fatal accident soon afterwards. Or so everyone thought.
Using his skill with artificial brains, he managed to upload a complete version of his own
mind into the Malicron Corporation network. Although his presence is unknown, he often
influences the work of the business behind the scenes and scouts the worldwide information
network in hopes of finding a trace of his beloved Miho.
CHARACTER HOOKS:
Although Tomori will most often appear in campaigns centering around Malicron (and
thus, PCs like Natsuki, Braun, and Miho), he could theoretically show up in any computer
system.

CAPTAIN JI
CAPTAIN JIRO

SAMPLE NPCS
110

SECONDARY | 5

BACKGROUND:
As captain of the local Police Force, Jiro is in charge of making sure all the peace-keeping goes as it should. This may lend to his constantly stressed demeanor. Jiro is jumpy, short
tempered, and constantly juggling at least three or four wholly separate tasks. Its not
uncommon to find him simultaneously answering the phone, giving orders, organizing files,
and filling out forms...with his feet. Despite constant encouragement from his colleagues to
take a holiday, Jiro has yet to miss a day of work. (Some even speculate he has vacation time
built up from the late 1970s.) Whether because of his ready-to-boil-over mental condition or
something much more psychotic, Captain Jiro has a bad habit of pointing his gun at any and
everything that he deems an unwelcome intrusion.
THE POLICE:
A common sight in almost every society, these keepers of the peace do their best to accomplish their job. Unfortunately, circumstances may put the Player Characters under their
scrutiny. (See Soldier for statistics)
CHARACTER HOOKS:
Despite (or maybe because of) Jiros borderline psychopathic work ethic, you can usually count on him to do a good job. However, this doesnt mean circumstances cant conspire
to put even the most good-hearted PCs under the watchful eye of the Police.

Dr. Tomori
Hobby
Hobby
Smart
Special Ability

+5 (Artificial Intelligence)
+4 (Robotics)
+4
+3 (Instant Computer Research)

Special Weakness -3 (No Physical Form)

Special Weakness -3 (Can Only Travel in Cyberspace)

+1
+2
+1
+3 (Police)
+2
+1
+3 (Police Captain)
+1
+1
+2 (Revolver, Armor Piercing, Ranged,
Special Weakness: Six Shots)

Boorish
Compulsion
Dependency
Jittery
Obsession
Servitude
Short Temper
Stubborn

-1
-2
-1
-2
-3
-2
-3
-1

(Pointing Gun Recklessly)

(Coffee)

SAMPLE NPCS

Captain Jiro
Armor
Combat Skill
Defense
Flunkies
Intimidation
Perceptive
Position of Power
Strong
Tough
Weapon

(Work)
(Police Force)

111

GRUNTS, BY
GRUNTS, BYSTANDERS, AND OTHERS

Besides some of the more fleshed out NPCs mentioned above, you may find a handful
of extras useful. Simple and generic as they are, its easy to grab a basic collection of statistics for quick encounters.

THUG:
Unscrupulous denizens of dark alleyways, thugs are the quintessential quick encounter.
Whether hired by someone else, as part of a gang, or simply out to snatch a wallet or two,
thugs make it difficult to watch your back too closely in the city.
Attributes: Combat Skill +1, Strong +1, Dumb -1
SOLDIER:
Employed by the government or other organizations, soldiers have both above average
equipment and loyalty to their superiors...and their superiors interests. Donning armor and
whatever weapon is appropriate for the task, soldiers can easily prove substantial foes alone
or in squads.
Attributes: Armor +1, Combat Skill +1, Weapon +2 (Gun; Ranged), Servitude -2
NINJA:
Without regard to time, setting, or practicality, there seems to be an inexhaustible supply of these nimble fighters ready to go toe-to-toe with the Player Characters. Although a
select few are incredible warriors that instill fear into peoples hearts, your average ninja is a
quick, dextrous, but easily disposable encounter.
Attributes: Acrobatics +1, Art of Invisibility +1, Combat Skill +1, Quick +1,
Weapon +1 (Katana), Code of Conduct -3 (Will die before revealing information)

SAMPLE NPCS

STUDENT:
Young and carefree, students are most typically found in schools or friendly hotspots.
They can be easily drawn into adventures because their classmates are often the PCs! What
students lack in skill, they make up for in their youthful vitality.
Attributes: 2 Hobbies (of Choice) +1, Quick +1, Ageism -1
BUSINESS PERSON:
A typical head of household in Japan, these busy hard workers can be found at desks
and offices throughout the day. Rarely having time for anything else, they are nonetheless
skilled at their profession, be it money, medicine, or management.
Attributes: Filthy Rich +1, Hobby (Job) +2, Languorous -1
PILOT:
Even when technology has advanced so far that massive machines of war dominate the
battlefield, it is up to brave men and women to actually control them. Whether on ground,
in the sea, or in the air, pilots are capable users of their machine and any armaments that go
on them.
Attributes: Combat Skill +1, Pilot +2, Servitude -2

112

113

SAMPLE NPCS

INDEX
Abilities

16, 43

absent minded
57
Acacia
104
accidental transformation
57
accuracy, extra
71
acrobatics
43
activation
72
actions
75
actions, other combat
82
actions, modifiers
75
actions, multiple
82
advancement, character
88
adventure
11
adventures, making
98
affinity
73
ageism
57
ageism and reputation
57
agile
43
Ai
30
airhead
58
all-out attack
(see kamikaze strike)
all-out defense
(see don't hurt me)
amnesia
58
Ancel
108
angry female strike
46, 84
animal companion
43
anime
8
anime, history
8
anime, themes
9
Arasuni
24
area effect
70

armor
armor piercing
arsenal, human
arrogant
art of invisibility
attack, open to
attack, submission
attack, will
attack gesture, no
attacking
Auren
Azyrus

Bad reputation
banish
barrier
barrier, offensive
beautiful
bizarre appearance
blinding
boorish
Braun
business person

Campaigns
cancel
character, creating
character, fluffing
character, limiting
character advancement
character growth
characters, sample

43
70
47
58
44
72
83
72
71
80
34
32
58

INDEX

INDEX

(see occult knowledge)

44
44
44
59
70
59
28
112
11, 98
72
15
18
19
88
87
21

115

charge
charisma
climax
clumsy
code of conduct
collateral damage
colliding
combat
combat actions, other
combat effectiveness
combat skill
compulsion
conflicts, creating
conflicts, difficulty
constructive cheating
continued damage
countering
cover
coward
cute!
crashing
crybaby

Daisuke

INDEX
116

damage
damage, collateral
damage, continued
damage, decreased
damage, default
damage, extra
damage, gag
damage magnet
damage total
decreased damage
default damage
default dice
defending
defense
dependency
dice, default
dice, negative
dice, ones
dice, rolling
difficulty
difficulty chart
difficulty number
don't hurt me
DN
drama dice
drama dice miracles
drowning
DT
dumb

72
44
99
59
59
82
85
79
82
19
45
59
100
101
96
70
81
83
59
45
85
60
36
81
82
70
72
81
71
84
60
81
72
81
75, 80
80
45
60
75, 80
76
76
75, 94
77
77
77
83
77
77
77
86
(see damage total)
60

Easily distracted
emotionless
empty hands
endurance
endurance, recovering
endurance drain
endurance reserve
entangle
experience
experience points
extra damage
extra knockback
extras

Falling
fear
female strike, angry
filthy rich
flaw, special
flaws
flight
fluffing
flunkies
focus
frail
Fraz
fudging
Fukiko
fussy

Gag damage

60
60
72
17, 82
82
70
45
71
87, 101
87
71
71
100, 103
85
61
46, 84
45
72
70. 72
45
18
46
61
61
104
96
32
61
84

game master
10
game mastering
91
game mastering, do's and don'ts of
92
games, types of
97
girl/guy magnet
61
GM
(See Game Master)
Grant Zurkrieg
106
ground zero
19
growth, character
87
guardian
62
gullible
(see naive)

Habit, strange personal

hammerspace
hand to hand
hatred
heal
health
health, recovering
heightened sense
heroic non player characters

68
46
(see martial arts)
62
46
17, 82
86
46
100, 103

Impulsive
incorporeal form
ineptitude
inaccurate
intimidation
initiative
initiative, refooting
injury, recovering
intimidation and modifiers
invention
invention, focused
invisibility

Jiro, Captain
jittery

104
47
47
47
83
62
47
63
72
47
79
79
86
47
47
48
48
110
63

Kamikaze strike

82

Karis
knockback
knockback, extra
knockback, no

24
81
71
72

Languorous
large
lecherous
life support
limiting the character
love interest
love interest, multiple
low penetration
lucky

Magic, arcane
magic, witchcraft
magic, witchcraft, resisting
mark
martial arts
mecha
Miho
mind reading
miracles
modifiers
multiple actions
multiple targets

Naive
Natsuki

63
(see size)
63
49
19
63
64
72
49
49
50
50
82
50
55
26
(see psychic)
77
75
82
71
64
38

Nazo
108
negative dice
76
ninja
112
no attack gesture
71
no knockback
72
non-player characters
10
non-player characters, creating
100
non-player characters, extras
100, 103
non-player characters, heroic
100, 103
non-player characters, role-playing
93
non-player characters, sample
103
non-player characters, secondary
100, 103
non-player characters, using
93, 96, 100, 103
nosebleeder
64
NPC
(see non-player characters)

Obsession
occult knowledge
old
one-shots
ones, rolling
open to attack
opposed rolls
other combat actions
other ways to get hurt
outcast
overconfident

Pacifist
pariah
passion
PC
perceptive
perk, special
perks
phobia
pilot
pilot, NPC
player
player characters
plot
plot twists
point scale
police
poor
position of power
power ceiling
power flaws
power perks
power move
protect
psychic

Quick

64
50
(see ageism)
97
76
72
77
82
83
(see pariah)
65
65
65
50
(see Player Character)
50
71
70
(see Fear)
50
112
10
10
99
99
19
110
65
51
19
70, 72
70
51
83
52

INDEX

High Fructo Cezar

hobby
hobby and character creation
human arsenal
hurt, other ways to get

52

117

Raine
ramming
range and attacking
ranged
rapid strikes
recovering endurance
recovering from injury
redirectable
refooting
requirement
resisting magic, witchcraft
retiring characters
rich, filthy
rival
RPG, what is an
role-playing
rolling dice
rolling ones
rolls, opposed
rounds
room for two
run for cover

Sample of play

INDEX
118

sample characters, using

Saspar
Sazza
script
secondary non-player characters
secret
sense, heightened
sensitivity
servant
servitude
session
setting
Shadowman
shape change
short temper
Shou
shy
sixth sense
size
skill
slow (weakness)
slow (flaw)
small
smart
soft spot
soldier
special ability
special perk
special weakness

22
85
80
71
71
82
96
71
79
72
50
88
45
65
9
93
75
76
77
79
65
83
11
21
104
104
99
100, 103
66
46
66
52
66
11
98
106
52
66
40
66
53
67
(see hobby)
67
73
(see size)
53
67
112
53
71
68

special flaw
split personality
story
story-arcs
strange personal habit
strong
stealth
stubborn
student
stun
stupid
submission attack
suffocation
summon
super speed
suppressed power

72
68
99
98
68
53
(see art of invisibility)
69
112
72
(see dumb)
83
86
(see occult knowledge)
53
69

Teleport
telekinesis
threat value
thug
time freeze
Tomori, Doctor
tough
transformation
transformation, accidental
trigger
twists
TV

54
54
100, 103
112
54
110
55
55
57
69
99
(see threat value)

Unnatural resistance

55

unnatural weakness
unperceptive

69
69

Vehicle
vitality
voices, hearing

Wanted
weaknesses
weak
weak-willed
wealth
weapon
weapons, improvised
will attack
willpower
world building

Young
Zegan sea snails
Zurkrieg, Grant

55
56
(see room for two)
69
16.43
69
69
(see filthy rich)
56
53
72
56
98
(see ageism)
24
106

ART INDEX
ART INDEX

CHOI, KATHY

ACACIA

NO WEBSITE

97, 103, 105a

56

DAISUKE

14, 21, 31, 52, 73, 98

ANCEL

14, 21, 37, 44, 57, 73, 75

FUKIKO

102, 109b

ARASUNI

18, 21, 33, 54, 64, 91

GAMERS

61, 62-63

AUREN
7, 21, 35, 42, 48-49, 64, 91

AZYRUS
18, 33, 91, 122

BRAUN
19, 20, 29, 84, 91

CHMAKOVA, SVETLANA
WWW .SVETLANIA .COM

37, 39, 43, 44, 48-49

GARDNER, CLAY

ART INDEX

AI

WWW .WISETURTLE .COM

84, 92

GARDNER, JADE

WWW .PRINCESS -JADE .COM

67, 88, 122

GEYER, NIKO

WWW .NIKOGEYER .COM

6, 13, 18, 25, 31, 41, 58, 98, 102, 107, 109b,
115

119

HAMILTON, KELLY
WWW .JUNGLESTUDIO .COM

2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 19, 27, 29, 33, 35, 54,

57, 64, 68, 76, 91, 103, 105a, 105b, 109a

IBARDOLAZA, HONOEL
WWW .HOMANGA .COM

107b

JIRO, CAPTAIN
92, 111b

KWON, MIN

WWW .COZYPAPER .COM

83

SASPAR
97, 102, 105b

SHADOWMAN
10, 13, 90, 107a

SHOU
6, 10, 41, 79, 83, 87, 119

STROM, ALLIE

SHIROTSUKI .DEVIANTART .COM

20, 62-63, 74, 75, 80, 97, 119

KARIS
2, 10, 13, 21, 25, 62-63, 67, 74, 80, 101, 115

LINA

WWW .CYBERFIREFLY .NET

SUSANTO, ELLY
ZEIVA .SITESLED .COM

21, 23, 70, 79

TSENG, HANS

WWW .SLIMEMANSION .COM

73

MIHO
4, 15, 20, 27, 51, 58, 68, 76, 91, 101, 115

MILLEY, CHIHIRO

ART INDEX

WWW .CHIHIROART .COM

42, 78

TOMORI, DR.
111a

WHITEIS, RANDALL
WWW .BROKENCOW .COM

52

NATSUKI
39, 43, 51, 78, 88

NAZO
6, 91, 109a, 122

NPCS, EXTRAS
113

NEILL, DIANE MICHIE

MUHOHO -SEIJIN .DEVIANTART .COM

87

PANELLA, GEORGE
WWW .GEORGEPANELLA .COM

51, 113

120

RAINE
6, 10, 23, 56, 70, 79, 87, 119

61, 90, 101, 111a, 111b

ZURKRIEG, GRANT
98, 107b

CHARACTER

GAME MASTER

PLAYER

DATE CREATED

LEVEL

WEAKNESSES

LEVEL

Characteristics

ABILITIES

ATTACK ROLL

DT

DESCRIPTION

DEFENSE ROLL

NOTES

Defense

Attack

DESCRIPTION

Character Notes

BACKGROUND

APPEARANCE
PERSONALITY
OTHER

HEALTH
ENDURANCE

AFTERWORD

122

AFTERWORD
One particularly boring afternoon during a childhood class, I scribbled into my threering Garfield binder notes for an RPG. It was little more than a bare-bones solo dungeon
crawl but a perfectly good little time-waster. The only goal was to get through the dungeon
with as much treasure as possible. Ive been writing RPGs in one form or another ever since.
This entire notion could be best attributed to my brothers influence. Besides introducing me to role-playing games, Brett was infamous for changing RPGs like his shirt. Whether
we were using the latest edition of Wastelands and Wyverns or a homebrew system of his
own machinations, my characters were counted as very lucky if they lasted more than a
single gaming session. But even if Cyrus the warrior never saw level 5, I was introduced to
more ways to play a role-playing game than you could find at the local comic shop.
Sometime in the latter half of the 90s, I fell into an online RPG called Battlemaster High.
BMH was a freeform (that means no rules) anime campaign centered around a very odd high
school. At the time my knowledge of anime was so non-existent that I thought sweat drop
referred to some sort of exercise. But BMH, with its clubs vying for control of the school and
random anime craziness, drew me in.
My time as an anime neophyte didnt last long. The DVD format was just coming into
its own, and my brother invested in a DVD player and the start of a sizable anime collection.
Outside of a handful of kids shows and one episode of Nuku Nuku, this was my first direct
encounter with anime. I quickly became addicted to the hijinks of Tenchi Muyo!, the sprawling epic fantasy of Lodoss War, and other anime greats. I began to understand what anime
was about.
Thats when BMHs creator, Robert Pool, decided to take the game to the next level.
Gold Rush Games wanted to publish Battlemaster High as a full-fledged RPG. However,
the many authors, iffy contracts, and general indecision caused the deal to break down.
So I had a crazy idea. I decided to create and publish the BMH RPG myself. I got to
work on a new system. Borrowing a dice mechanic I had created for another defunct game,
the rudiments of Ricochet were born.
Then in 2000, a role-playing game milestone appeared as Dungeons and Dragons Third
Edition. Despite skepticism from both my brother and me, the d20 system quickly grew
on us. In truth, it was a brilliantly revised game. But one new rule in particular struck a
chord with me The d20 system did something I had never seen an RPG do: substantially
revise the initiative mechanic. At first I was appalled, but then I realized how much simpler,
and better, it was.
It got me to thinking. What other things in RPGs have never changed, but should? I
looked at my game with its four main statistics, Strength, Mind, Speed, and Will. What made
these four statistics more important than others? Why should they apply to every game?
Why must I rate statistics that, in essence, have nothing to do with my character? It was a
daring move, but I promptly dropped hard-coded stats from the game.
Eventually, the built-in BMH setting was also dropped from the game, due both to computer problems and some second thoughts from the original creator. What was left evolved
into the book you hold in your hands. Is it perfect? Maybe not. But one thing I can say is it
is unique. Its an RPG aimed at a new breed of gamer. People young and old, veterans and
newbies alike. Playing a game side by side. And having fun.

AFTERWORD

AFTERWORD

123

Thank you for purchasing the OVA Role-Playing Game! Tell us what you think, and you
will be eligible for future special offers*, like free merchandise and discounts!
Where did you learn about OVA?
__ from a friend
__ from an ad ________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
For the following, please mark the box that most closely represents your opinion.
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OVA was easy to understand
[1][2][3][4][5]
OVA was fun to play
[1][2][3][4][5]
It was simple and fun to make a character
[1][2][3][4][5]
The combat rules are exciting and useful
[1][2][3][4][5]
I enjoyed the Sample Characters
[1][2][3][4][5]
The art was good
[1][2][3][4][5]
I will use Ricochet for other games
[1][2][3][4][5]
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