The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Tenchi Muyo fans, rejoice, the series *has* been done justice.

The Tenchi Muyo! RPG and Resource Book is just that. It seves very well as either as a guide to the series and as an RPG.

Physically, the book is very cool. The front cover features Ryoko, one of the characters of the series, in a close-up, holding a mask partially in front of her face, as if she is either putting the mask on or taking it off. The back cover features Tenchi Masaki (the title character of the series) being mobbed by the female cast of the series. Both covers are very well done, and look really nice.

Inside, the book is full-color on *every* page. Most pages feature at least one picture from the series, often two or three.

The first chapter of the book briefly describes the anime genre into which the Tenchi Muyo series fits-that of the "exotic girlfriend," one that is from outer space, a magical being of some sort, etc. Most of the chapter, however, is devoted to describing the events of the thirteen episodes of the Tenchi Muyo OAVs. Each episode is given at least one page, with more important episodes being given two. The chapter finishes with a couple of paragraphs on other Tenchi Muyo works, and notes that these *will* be covered by future books.

The next and largest section of the book is the character creation section. Relax, this isn't page after page of rules on how to make your character. Endless tables and charts have no place here. Instead, this section is done in the same Guardains of Order style, that is, the information for each step is contained in that step. Characters are created from a pool of points, from which are bought the three stats, and whatever extra abilities and skills the character may have. Everything from good looks to the mystic powers exhibited by the characters of the series are covered. Characters can have everything from energy blasts to hulking huge space battleships. There's no constraint to duplicate characters from the series, either. A wide variety of character types can be created. Believe me, I got a pretty mixed bunch when we made characters. Also included in this chapter are the stats for the characters and mecha of the series. The main characters get four-page spreads, with slightly less important characters getting two, and relatively minor characters getting a paragraph or two.

I must admit at this point that this chapter holds my only dislike about the book. First, the various mystic powers are lumped together in one section. While this makes sense becuase there are duplicates across the types of powers, it does make it a little confusing.

Next up is the actual rules section. This section covers skill checks, combat rolls, and healing and recovery. This section is rather brief because often, the rules for using an ability are with that ability. Makes sense, really. Mecha combat is covered here as well.

The next section is background information on the world of Tenchi Muyo! The area of Japan where the Earth events of the series occur is covered, including real-world equivalents to places in the series and nearby landmarks. Information is given on important organizations and planets of the series.

Next is the obligatory GM's section, mercifully brief in this instance. It contains advice on setting the scope of your adventures, working with the events of the series, and moving beyond the series.

Rounding out the book are two sample adventures. These are presented in a very loose format, to encourage the GM to flesh them out himself. The first deals with the characters of the original series, while the second involves a completely new cast of characters. Both adventures draw from unfinished plot hooks of the original series.

The game as it is played: Character creation went very well. The only snag I really hit was one player who didn't pay attention, missed the point, and made a character that didn't fit the theme of the campaign. Most of the players were able to create characters that fit very well into the campagn, and nobody got too lost in the process. Once we got into play, everybody caught on to the rules very quickly. Even though only a couple of the players had watched any episodes of the series, I was able to fill them in enough so that we could play very rapidly. So you don't need to know every little thing about the series to play. I had to improvise a couple of times, but it was really easy to do under these rules.

I would have to say that I am very satisfied with the book. Guardians of Order has done a fanstastic job of converting one of my favorite anime series to an RPG.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Tenchi Muyo! RPG and Resource Book
Author: David L. Pulver & Karen A. McLarney Category: game Company/Publisher: Guardians of Order Line: Tenchi Muyo/Tri-Stat Cost: $29.95 USD Page count: 200 ISBN: 1-894525-08-6 SKU: GOO07-001 Playtest Review by Hollis McCray on 07/09/00. Genre tags: Science fiction Modern day Space Comedy Anime	Tenchi Muyo fans, rejoice, the series has been done justice. The Tenchi Muyo! RPG and Resource Book is just that. It seves very well as either as a guide to the series and as an RPG. Physically, the book is very cool. The front cover features Ryoko, one of the characters of the series, in a close-up, holding a mask partially in front of her face, as if she is either putting the mask on or taking it off. The back cover features Tenchi Masaki (the title character of the series) being mobbed by the female cast of the series. Both covers are very well done, and look really nice. Inside, the book is full-color on every page. Most pages feature at least one picture from the series, often two or three. The first chapter of the book briefly describes the anime genre into which the Tenchi Muyo series fits-that of the "exotic girlfriend," one that is from outer space, a magical being of some sort, etc. Most of the chapter, however, is devoted to describing the events of the thirteen episodes of the Tenchi Muyo OAVs. Each episode is given at least one page, with more important episodes being given two. The chapter finishes with a couple of paragraphs on other Tenchi Muyo works, and notes that these will be covered by future books. The next and largest section of the book is the character creation section. Relax, this isn't page after page of rules on how to make your character. Endless tables and charts have no place here. Instead, this section is done in the same Guardains of Order style, that is, the information for each step is contained in that step. Characters are created from a pool of points, from which are bought the three stats, and whatever extra abilities and skills the character may have. Everything from good looks to the mystic powers exhibited by the characters of the series are covered. Characters can have everything from energy blasts to hulking huge space battleships. There's no constraint to duplicate characters from the series, either. A wide variety of character types can be created. Believe me, I got a pretty mixed bunch when we made characters. Also included in this chapter are the stats for the characters and mecha of the series. The main characters get four-page spreads, with slightly less important characters getting two, and relatively minor characters getting a paragraph or two. I must admit at this point that this chapter holds my only dislike about the book. First, the various mystic powers are lumped together in one section. While this makes sense becuase there are duplicates across the types of powers, it does make it a little confusing. Next up is the actual rules section. This section covers skill checks, combat rolls, and healing and recovery. This section is rather brief because often, the rules for using an ability are with that ability. Makes sense, really. Mecha combat is covered here as well. The next section is background information on the world of Tenchi Muyo! The area of Japan where the Earth events of the series occur is covered, including real-world equivalents to places in the series and nearby landmarks. Information is given on important organizations and planets of the series. Next is the obligatory GM's section, mercifully brief in this instance. It contains advice on setting the scope of your adventures, working with the events of the series, and moving beyond the series. Rounding out the book are two sample adventures. These are presented in a very loose format, to encourage the GM to flesh them out himself. The first deals with the characters of the original series, while the second involves a completely new cast of characters. Both adventures draw from unfinished plot hooks of the original series. The game as it is played: Character creation went very well. The only snag I really hit was one player who didn't pay attention, missed the point, and made a character that didn't fit the theme of the campaign. Most of the players were able to create characters that fit very well into the campagn, and nobody got too lost in the process. Once we got into play, everybody caught on to the rules very quickly. Even though only a couple of the players had watched any episodes of the series, I was able to fill them in enough so that we could play very rapidly. So you don't need to know every little thing about the series to play. I had to improvise a couple of times, but it was really easy to do under these rules. I would have to say that I am very satisfied with the book. Guardians of Order has done a fanstastic job of converting one of my favorite anime series to an RPG. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)