I am a sorta-kinda fan of d20, and a ho-hum disliker of BESM. Both systems have flaws, and their combination had the potential to fix both systems. However, the product that was shipped did not live up to the potential they could have had together, and it is marginally different from the potential they have singly.
Anime d20 (or A20 for brevity) is used throughout this review of this document to refer to the BESM d20 SRD. This is
I will write this review by chapter (excluding chapter 1, the OGL), then I will explain some miscellany and write the final conclusion. This is a review of the SRD; owners of the full game are welcome to explain what was not included or to point out holes that the commercial release patched.
Chapter 2: Character Creation
Chapter 2, as well as giving such trite but useful advice as "have a clear concept in mind when you create your character" and "consult with your GM about what is appropriate in his game," tells a player how many Discretionary Character Points they begin with. Characters that begin higher than level 1, as well as combining all the bonuses for their various classes, get 'bonus experience points' to buy more abilities. Methods for static-point-buy (a la d20) and semi-random point-buy (BESM) are provided.
Caveat #1: Too little variance in Discretionary Character Points. A level 1 character has 40 Discretionary Character Points... but level 20 heros with the capacity to save entire planets have 48 Discretionary Points. Either making it a static number or having greater variance would have been preferrable.
Caveat #2: The chart which explains level-dependent benefits is in chapter 5, which covers classes. This will cause a lot of alt-tabbing.
Chapter 3: Attributes
The six attributes are the same six no-nonsense attributes of d20: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma. No problems here.
These attributes are generated in the usual d20 way... but then you assign a Discretionary Character Point value to them, and can modify their values with character points. In effect, GoO has worked around the stipend of the d20 OGL that says only WoTC may define how to derive attribute values
Caveat #1: The A20 SRD doesn't describe the difference between odd and even attribute scores.
Chapter 4: Races
This section has given the D&D races a point-value, as well as created a 'race' for Constructs (such as golems and soulmechs). These races are point-valued based on their traits, as in GURPS.
Caveat #1: They made the 'construct' an A20 race, but didn't bother to write up any of the other 'races' of the d20 monster system (dragon, elemental, fey, etc.) in A20 statistics. Although it's possible to build them with some elbow grease, it would have made cross-campaign A20 campaigns easier to have 'official' stats written up.
Caveat #2: The human race, which the system is based off of, costs 6 points, not 0. This makes games using multiple races a bit confusing, as you normally subtract 6 from all racial point values to determine the 'actual' point value.
Caveat #3: The races include a point value for not having multiclass XP penalties. Which is all well and good ... but A20 doesn't have multiclass XP penalties.
Chapter 5: Classes
A20 has fourteen player classes, plus one 'class' that is used to construct vehicles (as in Hero, A20 the character creation system is used to build vehicles). The character classes include a mix of types of anime (Pet Monster Trainer, Magical Girl, Sentai Member) and anime archetypes (Student, Tech Genius, Ninja); this juxtaposition seems to work well.
At the end of the chapter, conversions for all the basic classes of D&D and d20 Modern are given. To compensate for not getting a special power every level, A20 gives D&D classes 'character points' to spend on new powers for every level they do not receive a special bonus.
Almost A Caveat: A20 gives the characters advantages at certain levels, much like D&D. In this reviewer's eyes, a talent system (such as used by d20M) would have been better; no longer would we be able to hear 'Level 7 Mecha' and automatically know that it has two levels of armor, one level of Flight, two Special Features, and one level of Massive Damage. However, with the bad there is good; this simplifies character creation, where d20M takes longer to complete for its versatility. Your mileage will vary.
Drool Point #1: These classes rather accurately and tersely describe most anime characters.
Caveat #1: Sometimes, there are multiple versions of an advantage, but which version is to be taken is not noted. For example, Flight comes in Gliding, Flying, and Hovering versions, each with its own point cost. The Giant Robot class says 'Flight' is gained at levels 4, 9, 11, and 18; but which one is not indicated.
Caveat #2: No Pet Monster class. C'mon, guys, you had to have known someone would want to play as Pikachu! *whimper*
Caveat #3: Intelligence bonuses still give bonus skill points and hit points are still rolled. These were points I had hoped A20 would address. Also, while attack bonuses are retained, defense bonuses (Star Wars d20, d20 modern) were not -- even the 20th level samurai has trouble defending against the guy with the +4 sword.
Caveat #4: The conversion of d20 Modern's classes were half-hearted, not to mention incorrect (hint, GoO: You needed to read page 18 of d20 Modern a few more times). As I have no interest in D&D but plenty in d20 Modern, this just irked me.
Chapter 6: Advantages
Note: A20 actually refers to advantages and powers as 'attributes', a Tri-Stat holdover that is in direct conflict with nearly every other published RPG. For sanity's sake, I will refer to them as advantages.
Advantages in A20 are point-purchased, as in Tri-Stat. Some powers are lists of feats, nothing more. (An example is 'Train a Cute Monster', with such pseudofeats as 'Instill Discipline' and 'Stat Master.') Some powers work like Storyteller, where A dots gives you X effect, B dots give you Y effect, and C dots give you Z effect. All powers can be purchased in multiple ranks; there are no on/off advantages.
Drool Point #1: Most advantages have a 'relevant ability', as in Alternity's FX system. This just makes me tingle.
Caveat #1: The 'Unique Attribute' advantage was retained from Tri-Stat. It's a telling underestimation when believe you have to tell us to provide a reasonable point cost to any attribute not listed.
Caveat #2: This section could have used some better editing. For example, in once place Telekinesis was described as costing '1 or 2' points per level; in another paragraph, it was listed as costing '2 or 4' points per level.
Caveat #3: The Advantage section is about 135 degrees away from both the FX and the Special Qualities systems used by d20, with only minimal notes for how to convert them. This means that you'll be able to use BESM books but not d20 books readily with A20. A point was lost from Substance because of this.
Chapter 7: Skills
The skill system is the same no-nonsense system as used in d20; take your level of skill, add in your bonuses or penalties, roll and add the die, congrats if you met or exceeded the difficulty.
Drool Point #1: Specializations. All characters get one +1 specialization whenever they buy a skill; they may buy +2's worth of specializations for one skill point (or two if the skill is cross-class).
Caveat #1: Combat skills. Replacing the Base Attack Bonus with different skills for different weapons is a workable move. Supplementing the Base Attack Bonus with different skills for different weapons is an insane move, especially with Armor Class, not Defense, being used. Prepare to have your minmaxers squeal in glee.
Caveat #2: Cross-class skills. They're still here. Another chance to fix a legitimate d20 problem which was passed up.
Chapter 8: Feats
This is the second worst chapter in the book.
So much could have been done with this chapter. Instead, they cut out many of the descriptive feats and ruled out many of those feats that you would think would be considered 'anime-ish' (including Reknown, Spell Penetration, and if Bubblegum Crisis is any indication, Ride-By Attack).
What did we get in return? Portable Armory.
I agree, hammerspace is an important anime cliche... but out of all the pages you used up on feats, couldn't you have given us something besides sixteen pages of reprints?
Caveats: This entire chapter is a caveat.
Chapter 9: Defects
"Defects" is Tri-Stat's term for disadvantages. Although still limited, gone are the days where your character can have a crippling phobia and have it not even pay for his first-aid skill. The list is a GURPSesque list, covering many anime conventions (including Girl/Guy Magnet and Significant Other). Defects are not limited in intensity, but in number: no more than eight per character.
Caveat #1: Modifications to advantages (such as Limited Use) are mixed in with character modifications. Also, modifications which affect your character at all times are only worth up to -3 (with a single exception), whereas modifications that only affect your character in certain situations are worth up to -9 (almost an entire level's worth of free experience).
Chapter 10: Calculated Values
This chapter describes how to figure the various saving throws, such as armor class, hit points.
Drool Point #1: Characters can get extra character points here for writing a detailed character history.
Caveat #1: Characters have a new derived value, 'energy points,' which are used to power their special abilities. They get "1d2 energy points per level, plus the lowest of their Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifiers" (not a verbatim quote). Geez, wouldn't it have been easier to say "They get 1 energy point per level unless otherwise noted?"
Chapter 11: Equipment
This is the worst chapter in the book.
Weapons are described in a way that is completely out of left field: they are defined as effects. No, that's not a whip that your Sailor Slayer character is using. That's a 1d4 with Concealable, Flexible, Low-Penetration, Melee, and Muscle-Powered attributes attached. Why not use a clean statblock, I'll never know. Simply making numbers up will be more useful than referring to this chapter.
Also included in this chapter are the rules for breaking things: Reduce its hit points to zero. I would never have guessed.
Caveat #1: Again, they forgot the golden rule of d20 prerequisites: All prerequisites are odd.
Caveat #2: Only fantasy and modern weapons are included. Sorry, Leon, but that stomach railgun has to stay home.
Chapter 12: Combat
Although this chapter is called 'combat', it could actually be called 'operations', because it describes the most basic mechanics. Due to the format, I cannot compare the complexity of combat to D&D or d20 Modern, but it seems to be no more difficult than d20 Modern with all the options turned on (that is to say, not quite as complex as D&D).
Drool Point #1: Optional rules for gritty combat, including shock, critical injuries, and more involved medical treatment rules than '1 hit point per level per day.'
Drool Point #2: I like the new XP reward system. It's a sneaky way of saying 'One new level per 10 adventures', plus it makes fiating bonuses a lot easier.
Caveat #1: They use this quote when describing the new A20 rules: "It is recommended, when running a game of Anime d20, that GM’s use the modified, anime-specific mechanic over the traditional d20 mechanic." Then, two paragraphs later, they use this quote: "If you dislike a rule presented in the Anime d20 RPG, you are encouraged to modify it to suit your needs and those of the players." WTY?
Caveat #2: There are 'damage tiers' for characters in the combat section. These are not calculated beforehand. Seems rather sloppy to me.
Miscellany
The A20 SRD was written in a snobbish fashion. It simultaneously praises itself while insulting offhandedly those gamers who play non-A20 games (especially, but not limited to, players of other d20 systems), with constant suggestions that all your other games are 'fixed' by converting them to BESM d20. This is a failing of the author of the SRD, not the creators of the system, but it grates on you quickly. A point was lost from Style because of this.
Although bonus points are to be given for using .RTF, an universal text format, those points are lost by the fact that absolutely none of the advantages of the format are used. The text runs together, without so much as a emboldened line to mark sections or an italicized proper noun. Another point was lost from Style because of this.
The Final Verdict
This game could have been so much more. A flawed understanding on GoO's part of how the d20 system and d20 gamers work weighs this game down from the get-go. It's workable as is, but they should have offered a version of the Tri-Stat system that would appeal to d20 system players, or a version of the d20 system to suit Tri-Stat system players, not a version of BESM to suit Dungeons & Dragons players.
Review Summary