TABLE OF CONTENTS F O R T H E PLAYERS 01 INTRODUCTION 5 02 CHARACTER CREATION 13 03 MECHA ASSAULT FORCE 35 04 MECHA-RELATED RULES 47 for the gamemaster 05 GAMEMASTER’S SECTION 75 06 SECRET HISTORY OF JAPAN 1 0 9 07 CAMPAIGN SCENARIOS 131 11 INTRODUCTION CREATION CHARACTER MECHAMECHA ASSAULTASSAULT FORCEFORCE 44 34 3333 TIMELINE OF THE MECHA ASSAULT FORCE The Mecha Assault Force, of M.A.F., is the first line of defense for the Japanese islands from attacks by the giant monsters that threaten it. For as long as the island nation has had a self-defense force, there has been a dedicated core of soldiers who pit themselves against the most devastating natural force on Earth. What follows is a brief history of the M.A.F. and details on their current deployment of mecha. M.A.F. history uses the same “era names” as other calendars in Ja- pan, based on the life and reign of the current emperor. The first kaiju appeared during the reign of the Showa emperor Hirohito, and is thus MECHA ASSAULT FORCE called the Showa era, lasting from 1945 to 1983. The next great kaiju era was the Heisei, lasting from 1984 to 1999. Due to the radically dif- ferent nature of kaiju attacks in recent years, a third “Millennium” era began in 2000. || Showa Era (1945-1983) The creation of the Mecha Assault Force is directly tied to the closing events of WWII. Here is a brief timeline of the important mecha and kaiju related events of the modern era. 1945: The first kaiju, Kaibutsu, is created by a freak mutation of atomic radiation. The Japanese military believes it is a terror weapon of the United States. The Emperor orders the military to immediately surrender and beg the U.S. to stop “Its monster.” The Japanese army lures Kaibutsu to the sacred city of Nagasaki, where a second atomic bomb destroys it. 1945-48: US and Japanese scientists study the remains of the kaiju, but are unable to discern its origins. Dr. Surakowa and Prof. Rampo Kyari are lead Japanese researchers on the project. The government denies the existence of the kaiju, maintaining the cover story that it was only the bomb that caused the Japa- nese surrender. 1948: Kaiju research notes and samples of genetic material are stolen by communist agents and sent to the newly formed North Korea. 1950: During the Korean conflict a new incarnation of the kaiju Kaibutsu is unleashed upon American Marines in the battle of the Chosin reservoir. This leads to the Finland Accord that lim- its kaiju to defensive weapons used only within a nation’s own borders. 35 1950: The knowledge that kaiju truly exist has a chilling effect on MECHA ASSAULT FORCE the Japanese populous. Many turn to religion for solace, while others seek the protection of new military technology. Many be- gin calling for a military force that can protect the islands from these new threats. Prof. Rampo has a vision of the universe as a whole and spends weeks in hospital. He will spend years trying to put into words the image he saw in that one moment. 1953: Dr. Surakowa, working on his own, discovers a chemical means of destroying the kaiju. Unfortunately it would have an equally devastating effect on mankind. As a man of peace who fears the introduction of new terror weapons, he keeps this chemical process a secret. 1954: Kaibutsu returns, this time attacking the nation of Japan and devastating Tokyo. Surakowa is persuaded to use his chem- ical weapon on the creature, but only after first destroying his research, and then killing himself after killing the kaiju. The Japanese Self Defense Force is formed. Its first act is to create the Anti-Kaiju Force (A.K.F.), a group founded to devel- op technology and tactics to use against the great beasts. The military turns to Prof. Rampo Kyari to head Research and Devel- opment for the A.K.F. 36 1957: Senshueki, a flying reptilian kaiju, appears as the first radical monstrous mutation. It is a product of rapid evolution produced in a matter of years rather than eons. 1958: Yowai appears, born from a weaker strain of kaiju meant to emulate the great Kaibutsu, but failing miserably. They are pro- duced as “foot soldiers” that can be bred as quickly as they die. 1959: Kameyuu, a colossal sea turtle, terrorizes sea lanes. This marks the first attack by the Underwater Shogunate of Mu, a campaign which will last for nearly 20 years. 1960: Prof. Rampo discovers Zeta particles, a sub-atomic ele- ment that interacts with Gravitons. By stimulating Zeta parti- MECHA ASSAULT FORCE cles, he produces areas of intense gravity, which can be project- ed as weapons of devastating power with little to no dangerous by-products. He calls his weapons GAZERs (Gravity Amplifica- tion by Zeta Emission Recovery). Gazer technology requires vast amounts of power, so cannons must be trucked into a position and hooked into a city’s power grid directly. 1961: Senshuga first sighted over Korean air space, and identi- fied as the first insect kaiju. It is later learned that N.K. scientists worked for months to find a breed of moth amongst the thou- sands of varieties that would respond to kaiju mutation. 1962: Yamazaru, one of the great gargantua kaiju, appears in northern Japan. Tank mounted Gazer weapons harass and chase it across the big island of Honshu. They are too slow to deliver the killing blow before the creature’s regenerative powers return it to health. That same year Navy destroyers drive Kameyuu out of the Sea of Japan. Prof. Rampo suggests a faster, more maneu- verable weapons platform: a humanoid robot that could func- tion like a walking battleship. He calls his design a “mecha.” 1963: Ti-Lung, resembling a Chinese Dragon, attacks shipping in international waters. Though originally believed to be anoth- er Mu kaiju, Ti-lung is eventually tracked back to North Korea, a creation honoring their northern neighbor China. A formal protest is lodged and North Korean is ordered to operate the creature only within their territorial waters. It disappears after sinking the U.S. Naval vessel Pueblo. 1964: “Metaru Jaianto,” the first remote-controlled humanoid robot, is fielded. Designed as a special support weapon capable of following kaiju into regions inaccessible to Gazer tanks, Me- taru captures the imagination of the country. It is seen as a way 37 of fighting the kaiju on their own level, and becomes a beloved MECHA ASSAULT FORCE symbol of the technological prowess of the country. Iseijin appears, called the “Space Monster” by some due to its alien nature, and denied by the North Korean government as their creation. Kadouguera, a terrifying robot, repeatedly menaces cities in Japan, but is consistently defeated by Metaru. The only clue to the robot’s origin is the emblem of the Imperial Chrysanthe- mum on its chest, formerly reserved only for battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ADMIRAL KIMAGURA VS JAPAN Above the waves of WWII, the Imperial Japanese Navy ruled the seas. Under the command of Admiral Yamamoto, the island nation created an interconnected defense network designed to make Japan impregnable. Beneath the waves, however, was another story, where strange creatures and mysterious forces worked against the nation. The master submariner of the Imperial Navy was Admiral Kimagura, a driven man wholly devoted to the service of the Emperor: he did not fight for his nation, he fought for the incarnate god that ruled it. At the end of WWII Admiral Kima- gura and his crew disappeared, but strange shipping attacks and kidnappings of scientists began. In the 1960s the truth behind these events became clear. Admiral Kimagura returned, unleashing a personal menag- erie of technological terrors upon Japan, each emblazoned with the Chrysanthemum device of the Showa Emperor found at the prow of every Imperial Navy vessel. His battle against what he considered the “corrupted excrement” of a once- proud nation continued until a power arose that threatened to destroy, not just Japan but the Emperor himself. 1965: Sanshuseki, a flying, 2 headed “iseijin” kaiju, appears as the most powerful creature yet recorded. Rappagon, a burrowning kaiju with a fiery horn, appears around the mountains of Fuji. “Metaru Fever” grips the country, as the robot becomes a pop-culture phenomenon. With new kaiju appearing Metaru is used as a front-line weapon, and military planners begin to see 38 the potential of battlefield robots. Prof. Rampo sees the limita- tions of radio-controlled robots, however, and begins design- ing a piloted mecha. The A.K.F. creates a new arm: the Mecha Assault Force. Mysterious shipping accidents are rumored to be caused by a giant submarine. 1967: The first manned mecha is fielded, the “Senkanbuku” (battleship warrior). Because Gazer weapons still require vast amounts of power, the diesel-powered Senkanbuku is armed with 16-inch naval guns. A five-man crew operates the vehicle. Over the next 8 years advances in computer technology allow all MECHA ASSAULT FORCE non-combat tasks on board mecha to be handled through either on-board or remote computers, reducing the crew requirement to a single pilot or a pilot and navigator. 1969: A rash of new kaiju attack across the world, sparking ru- mors that the source of many of these creatures must be some place outside North Korea. Ebitenshu, a giant crustacean kaiju, patrols Korea’s shores after the mysterious disappearance of Ti- lung. Kamakira, a monstrous Praying Mantis, proves impossible to control, and begins a slow flight around the world.