This is the v2 beta of Battle Century G. The ‘beta’ means that it is an unfinished product and anything you can see here could get rewritten later. It also means there is no art, the layout work is not quite right yet, and it generally looks unfinished. Which is exactly what it is. You may distribute this document freely as long as you do not alter it. For updates to the game check out my blog at www.gimmicklabs.blogspot.com, updated (usually) weekly. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are ei- ther the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Above all, just have fun and enjoy the game. © 2014 Juan Herrera All Rights Reserved 1 1 1 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introducing the Manual 5 Chapter 2: Playing the Game 15 Roleplaying Game? 6 Episodes in a Nutshell 16 Mecha Genre? 7 Scenes 16 The Rules of the Game 8 Character Attributes 17 What it Plays Like 9 Mecha Attributes 18 Using This Manual 10 Advancement 19 What you Should Know 10 Genre Themes and Genre Points 20 An Example Scene of Play 11 Power Levels 20 Glossary 12 Tests 21 Setting Terminology 12 Damage and Defenses 21 System Terminology 13 Advantages and Disadvantages 22 Intermission Rules 22 General Tests 22 Matches 25 Intermission Scene Example 28 Operation Rules 29 Zones and Ranges 30 Offensive Actions 31 Utility Actions 32 Damaging Mecha 33 Terrain 34 Characters vs Mecha 35 End of Operation 35 Operation Turn Example 36 2 22 Table of Contents Chapter 3: Writing the Character 39 Chapter 4: Building the Mecha 77 Character Creation Outline 40 Mecha Construction Summary 78 Character Concept 40 Mecha for Everyone 78 Character Points 42 Mecha Points 79 Attributes 43 Attributes 80 Skills 44 Areas 81 General 45 Upgrades 82 Miracles 49 General 83 Traits 54 Active Defenses 85 General 54 Restoration 86 Equipment 57 Mobility 86 Deathblows 59 Support 87 Anomalies 60 Extra Areas 88 Choosing Genre Themes 62 Alternate Forms 88 Genre Reason 63 Combination 89 Genre Typecast 64 Features 90 Genre Bane 65 Weapons 92 Choosing Genre Powers 66 Default Weapons 93 Default Powers 67 Melee Weapons 94 Champion Powers 68 Shooting Weapons 95 Trickster Powers 69 Beam Weapons 96 Tactician Powers 70 Power Level Adjustments 98 Power Level Adjustments 72 The Personal Touch 98 Roleplaying Details 72 The Mecha Sheet 98 The Character Sheet 72 Example of Mecha Construction 99 Example of Character Creation 73 3 33 Table of Contents Chapter 5: Running the Show 104 Chapter 6: Discovering the World 133 The Genre Master 105 The World of Battle Century G 134 Taking it Easy 106 A History Lesson 134 The Course of Episodes 107 Brave New World 141 Sandboxing 108 Sonne, Mond and Sterne 142 The Big Bad Evil Guy (or Girl) 109 The Game’s Three Scenarios 144 Arc Plot Structure 109 The Soaring Dragon Fortress 145 Using Themes 110 The Mobile Battleship Wagner 150 Episode Flow 111 The Clarke Foundation 155 Scene Pacing 112 The Rogues’ Gallery 160 Scene Changes 112 Non-Pilot Grunts 1160 Tests and Narrative Control 113 Allies 160 Planning Operations 114 Enemy Grunts 170 Terrain 114 Enemy Rivals 173 Objectives and Circumstances 114 Enemy Bosses 179 Difficulty and Rewards 115 Running a Hiryu Game 184 The Supporting Cast 116 Running a Wagner Game 186 NPC Tiers 116 Running a Clarke Game 188 Squad Power Ratings 116 Endgame Ideas 190 Grunts, Rivals and Bosses 116 Do it Yourself 191 Enemy Features 118 Enemy Mine 191 Boss Traits 119 Ambience and Tone 192 Boss Powers 120 Inspiration 193 Boss Upgrades 122 Boss Weapons 124 Boss Capstones 125 Attribute Templates by Power Level 126 Using Enemies 127 Allied Reinforcements 129 Troubleshooting 130 Houseruling 131 4 44 CHAPTER 0 Introducing the Manual 5 55 Battle Century G is an RPG or Roleplaying Game of the anime Mecha Genre. In the following pages you will find the rules to the game, tips to get the most out of it, examples of the game in action and, hopefully, an entertaining read. Maybe you already know what you’re in for being already an avid roleplayer or mecha fanatic, maybe you have something of an idea of what those two are like. Or maybe all this is new to you and you’re free of preconceptions or aren’t even sure if you’re going to like where this is going to take you. I’d like to think that you will. Roleplaying Game? You might have the impression that “Roleplaying” requires you to dress up in outlandish costumes and speak in silly ac- cents. To put it in as few words as possible; Roleplaying Games are improvised theater with an element of chance and de- fined rules. You can have roleplaying and games separate, but roleplaying games by definition combine both these traits. I make it sound simple but you must be still wondering what the heck is up with all those funny looking dice and the sheets with the numbers. Alright, let’s be more specific. Roleplaying games are much like videogames in that you have a character, called a Player Character or PC, and you will be controlling their actions to make their story. The main treat here is that there is no limit other to what a PC can do other than your imagination. In most stories you’re something of a spectator watching the characters go through a script. In a roleplaying game you are in control of every- thing your character does, and there is no script. You don’t need much to play a roleplaying game, just a pen and paper to take notes with, plus some dice for an element of excitement. You are not going to need to dress up the part of the characters you will impersonate, and you don’t even need a board and pieces. The action takes place in your imagination and you are in charge of narrating it, adding and taking away details much like in any conversation. As long as you have something to write with, paper to write on, at least one die, and a means of com- munication you can play a roleplaying game. One of the players will take a special role, that of the GM or Genre Master, and will coordinate the game in a more gen- eral sense. Think of the GM’s role like a triple combination between the banker in Monopoly, the referee of a sports match, and the director of an improvised theater session. The GM is in charge of everything that the other players aren’t directing themselves. That means they set the stage and control the actions of the rest of the world. The Genre Master is also the authority that is in charge of making sure the spirit of the rules is being followed and that everyone plays fair. But even they don’t get to dictate how the story progresses. All Players, including the Genre Master, use the rules of the game to steer how it will progress. Roleplaying Games generally employ dice to add an element of chance and make things more exciting. Battle Century G uses ten-sided dice, so make sure you own a handful of ten sided dice. You can get them at any Friendly Local Gaming Store. Just Google for one in your area. Speaking of dice, from now on in the book you’ll see that ten-sided dice will be referred to as a ‘d10,’ or ‘1d10’ to specifi- cally refer to a single die. Multiple die are referred to as ‘2d10’ (that means two ten sided dice) or ‘3d10’ (three of them) and so on. 6 66 Mecha Genre? There are many types of Roleplaying Games out there, and they all do different things. Some are for adventuring within dungeons and fighting dragons, others put you in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Battle Century G is about imitating your favorite Mecha anime and manga. The real thing that makes Battle Century G stand out is that it is about Mecha or giant robots. You must have seen at least one show with Mecha elements for this book to truly speak to you. What the heck is Mecha, you ask? Well, Wikipedia defines Mecha as the Japanese term for fictional robots and vehicles, typically combat oriented. And that’s the short story. The long story is that Mecha are humanoid giant robots, piloted by one or more people. Mecha can be weapons of war between humans, ancient mechanical gods that sleep beneath the soil, or marvels of technology created to do battle with giant monsters. But why the use of the Japanese ‘Mecha’ instead of the more common localized term ‘Mech’? Because despite their superficial similarities, Mecha are different from Mechs! Mecha generally emphasize drama over realism, while Mechs are slightly more realistic. Duels between Mecha slowly build up to a climax of super attacks and dramatic speeches, while Mech combat is short and brutal That is not to say Mecha fiction can’t be realistic. It just generally doesn’t bother too much with realism. There are Mecha shows out there that are surprisingly down to earth, instead of bordering on melodramatic. But for every utilitarian bodysuit of armor, there is a galaxy sized robot. Mecha can do whatever you want, you just need to know what that is. Battle Century G gives you the robots and lets you use them as you wish.