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I’ll start this review with a description of the layout and content, then finish up with my own commentary and opinions at the end.
Layout
RandomAnime is a softcover book with standard RPG book dimensions. The cover sports a montage of rather well done Anime scenes that really does draw the gaze. Every page has a simple non-decorative border around it, and the entire book is formatted on a two column layout style that really packs in as much writing into each page as is feasible. Illustrations are not lacking either. The artwork throughout the book is decidedly above average and does wonders to capture the mood of an Anime game. All tables in the game have alternating white and gray lines going through the different rows making them very easy to read. Finally the book has a comprehensive index in the back – something that all too many RPGs seem to lack. Every chapter begins with a piece of fiction describing the Tenku Knights playtest campaign, complete with credit and theme music cues, camera angle work and voiceovers. In the entire book I have found only one error (a missing word) and no spelling errors whatsoever.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
The first three pages of this chapter go into detail on what a RPG is, how one goes about playing a RPG, and where in the spectrum of RPGs RandomAnime lies. A very nicely written introduction to the game. The next four pages after that contain recommendations from the author as to essential Anime viewing, and the type of translation he recommends (original Japanese better than subtitled which is better than dubbed), as well as a three page glossary of Anime and roleplaying terms.
Finally, the first chapter concludes with a classification of Anime into three separate realms and seven separate levels. The realms include Shojen (targeted at girls), Shonen (targeted at boys) and Sentai (targeted at adults). The anime levels each encompass a different level of realism and each lists 10 bullet points as to general physical laws that apply at that level (eg. At this level characters can generally run along power lines).
Chapter 2 – Character Creation
This chapter goes through the character creation process step by step. This will be summarized below, but before doing so I’d like to comment on something that is evident throughout the book. This entire chapter provides no detailed information on the choices that must be made. Rather it is a summary of the entire character creation procedure. Individual steps are elaborated in subsequent chapters, thus keeping this entire chapter free of the fluff that might otherwise cause a player to flick endlessly through the book looking for a particular rule while generating a character. In later chapters the rules under the individual steps of character creation are often repeated for ease of reference. A useful feature to be sure. The same applies later during the mecha design chapter.
Back to character creation.
Players choose one of the 21 different Anime character templates and gain a number of Bonus Points and Luck points depending on the template chosen. These include stereotypical Anime archetypes such as the Idol, the Hearthrob, the Bad-Ass and the Natural. All templates are described in detail in chapter 3, together with examples of Anime characters that fall under those template types.
Next players must allocate a number of attribute points into their characteristics. There are 8 attributes, and the number of points to be spent is determined by the Anime realm selected for the campaign. Characteristics are divided into 4 physical and 4 mental attributes, and each ranges from 1 to 10. Three is average and 7 is the normal human maximum.
Step Four is the purchasing of skills. Thirty skills to purchase, again with a number of points determined by the Anime realm of the game. Each skill starts at a level equal to their parent attribute. One nice feature is that all characters start with the four essential combat skills (brawling, melee, firearms and dodge), and that each one of these may be linked to any normal skill for a small point cost. Linking a skill means that both skills become one single skill for all intensive purposes. So for example if your character hurts people by playing his violin, then you can link your music skill to your firearms skill thus melding them into ‘killer violin’ or whatever else you wish to call it. From there onwards both firearms and music skills would use the same skill for all checks.
Each combat skill derives a combat defense number from them. So each character will have a firearms defense, a brawling defense, a melee defense and a dodge defense.
After skills players purchase up backgrounds such as Cute Furry Pets or Giant Robots, and purchase some gimmicks for their character.
It is with the Gimmicks that the game mechanics finally take on a true Anime feel. The number of Gimmick points available to each character is dependant on the Anime realm of the game once more. These are special abilities or powers that allow your character or mecha to do pretty much anything you’ve seen in an Anime series. Examples include Animal Form, Anime Leap, Coup de Grace, Hell Murder, Modular Transformation, Nuclear Punch, Signature Weapon and You’re Already Dead. They truly allow for the spectacular in a game. For example, Nuclear Punch destroys everything in a 1 mile radius, including the attacking character. Each Gimmick has a Pool Point cost associated with it, which characters spend as they use their powers throughout the course of a game.
Finally character creation finishes with expenditure of bonus points, determination of the number of actions per round (depends on anime realm, anime level plus attribute levels), the final luck score, health points, pool points and resistance factor. Sounds complicated at a glance, but each one of these is a simple task to determine. For example resistance is simply the Endurance attribute plus the armor grade that the character is wearing.
Chapter Three
This chapter provides a detailed description of all the character templates available for characters to choose from, together with guidelines for the GM to design his own should the need arise.
Chapter Four - Attributes and Skills
A detailed description of all the attributes and skills in the game, together with suggestions on adding new skills or subdividing skills into tighter groups depending on the style of game being run. An optional skill specialization rule is also covered for the more realistic Anime games.
Chapter Five – Backgrounds
Covers all of the backgrounds in the game, descriptions of each purchased level and what it entails, and how backgrounds change over the course of the game.
Chapter Six – Gimmicks
Two pages on using Gimmicks and tailoring Gimmicks for specific games, followed by 43 pages of descriptions on all the different Gimmicks. Easily the largest chapter of the book. Each entry is subdivided into the cinematic description, the character mechanics and vehicle/mecha mechanics.
Chapter Seven – Style Points
This chapter deals with Style points – the experience system of RandomAnime. Style points are just normal experience points as per most other systems out there. You earn a number of points which you can spend boosting your character either in the middle of the game practicing under a waterfall (or other similar interludes), or at the end of the game. What differentiates the experience system of RandomAnime from most others is that Style points are only given out during a game. To earn a Style point the player must do something so amazing during the game, or so stylishly in character that it gives pause to all the other players at the table. Anybody can call for a Style point award immediately after a particularly stylish action, and if half the table plus the GM agree then a point is awarded to that player. A very nice mechanic that will most certainly serve to increase the Anime style dramatics in any game played using RandomAnime.
Chapter Eight - Mechanics
The actual mechanics of RandomAnime are simple and quick. Essentially when performing a task one simply rolls 2d6, adds the skill or attribute being tested and subtracts the difficulty. If the result is higher than 10 the action succeeds. Contested actions have both characters aiming for the highest score possible.
The Luck score works as follows. Every time the dice are rolled a d6 of a different color is rolled with them. If the task barely fails (ie. Your final result is a 9) then the luck dice is checked. If the luck die result is less than your luck score then you barely succeed. A simple way of representing partial successes.
Unfortunately things get a tad more complicated than that with regards to the Luck die. If the Luck die result ever comes up a six, and either of the other two dice also comes up a six, then an extra die is rolled and added to the final result of the roll. If a six is rolled in this extra die then another six is rolled and added on and so forth. Conversely if a one is rolled with the Luck die, then an extra d6 is rolled and subtracted from the final score. A six in the extra roll once again indicates that another die must be rolled and subtracted again from the final score. Alternatively spending a Luck point will let you re-roll all the dice and take the two highest values.
Fortunately this is one of those instances where things on the surface appear to be more complicated than they seem. Actual rolling of the dice lets you quickly get used to looking at the Luck die first, then adding up the other two rolling extra dice as needed. Actual impact on game speed should be minimal.
Chapter Nine – Combat
Combat uses the same system as skills. Roll 2d6 (plus the Luck die), add your skill, subtract any modifiers, and roll higher than the opponent’s respective defense score. Damage is equal to the attacker’s strength plus the damage rating of the weapon (or just the damage of the weapon if a firearm), plus the result rolled on the Luck die. The person or object who is hit subtracts their resistance attribute plus his/her armor rating from the final damage.
Chapter Ten – Mecha
This chapter contains detailed instructions on how to build and play mecha/vehicles. Everything from choosing the size class of the mecha, to choosing it’s attributes, skills (if any) and weapons. Finally it finishes up with specifics on how to use them during play.
Of particular note in this chapter is the way the author handles scaling of damage and attributes for these giant robots. Essentially mecha are divided into three different sizes – small, medium and large. Each size has a mecha multiplier associated with it. If one of the large robots strikes a human sized character, all damage is multiplied by the size multiplier. Conversely if a small character strikes a large vehicle all the damage is divided by the size modifier before subtracting the points for resistance and armor. Simple yet effective, this modifier applies to everything a mecha does that may need to be compared to a human level of ability. Need to know how much your robot can lift? Multiply it. Need to know how far he can throw it? Multiply it.
Lastly, this chapter provides nice and simple rules for positional combat. Used for handling who has the upper hand in a dogfight, or what happens exactly when one manages to maneuver around his opponent enough to gain the upper hand. Very simple guidelines that are applicable to just about any situation one can think of.
Chapter Eleven – Appendix
The final words of the author. Suggestions on how to run an Anime game, together with some suggested campaign ideas ready to run.
Final Opinions
This is a beautifully done game. Perfectly written and a pleasure to read, the author manages to convey a genuine Anime feel throughout the entire document. From the Anime examples he gives throughout the book, to the amusing Animesque anecdotes, to the simplicity of the system.
I guess it’s all in the little things. The way all weapons and armor are given simple ratings of 1 to 4 damage or protection respectively, and the way that initiative is based on either a characters wits or reflexes rather than just reflexes like most other games. The way all the Gimmicks ooze style, and the way the rules apply so well to both characters and mecha on a multitude of scales.
Finally, I also adore the way the author encourages cooperative storytelling in his game. Each player is encouraged to describe his action with as much detail as possible, complete with camera angles, sound effects and usage of scenery that may or may not have been originally described by the GM. They do this right up to the stage they roll the dice, then keep on describing the action to it’s conclusion if the dice come up a success (and it’s easy to tell at a glance whether it does or not). If the dice come up as a failure then the GM takes over the description.
Combine this cooperative narration with the experience system that hinges on players performing particularly stylish in-character acts, and you’ve got a recipe for success. If I have any criticism of the game at this preliminary stage it would be with relative crunchiness of the mecha creation rules. Whilst playing the mecha in a game seems as easy as the rest of the system, the expenditure of points to purchase up all the weapons, gimmicks and attributes for up to several facets of a transformable mecha do not draw my fancy. I acknowledge that it is a necessary aspect for games that have characters actually own their own mecha, but it definitely is not for me (I’d rather just give my own players mecha and screw the point buy system myself).
Overall a top game that definitely warrants taking a look at. I hope the upcoming supplements by Infernal Funhouse are of the same caliber as RandomAnime – a no small task to say the least.
