Limitless MechaPossibilities!

Big Robots , Coo lStarships is the

m u l t i - g e n r emecha design

and combatsupp lement

for Big Eyes,Small Mouth and the Tri-

Stat SystemTM. The book containsthe necessary mechanics to run a

mecha-heavy campaign featuringthe exploits of angst-ridden robotpilots, sleek combat cyborgs, boldstarship captains, and a limitlessnumber of other anime mechaarchetypes. But it doesn’t stopthere! BRCS is sufficientlyflexible to allow players andGMs to design and stat-outnearly any robot, vehicle,structure, or giant monsterfrom any genre in a matter ofminutes — from motor bikesto space stations, mecha

dragons to pirate ships. Allthis from a flexible creation

system that minimizes overly-complex game mechanics and

maximizes your creative potential!

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Big Robots, Cool Starships

Written byDavid L. Pulver

Tri-Stat System Designed byMark C. MacKinnon

Edited byMark C. MacKinnon and Karen A. McLarney

Cover Illustrations byTheodore Serafica and David A. White

Interior Illustrations byLouis Frank, David Okum, Derek T. Stevens, David A. White

Playtesting byLon Braidwood, Steve Dickie, John C. Fiala, John Karakash, Karen A.

McLarney, George J. Nacke, John W. Nowak, Trey Palmer, Richard Spainhour.

Copyright © 2003 by Guardians Of Order. Big Robots, Cool Starships, Tri-Stat System,and Big Eyes, Small Mouth are Trademarks of Guardians of Order. All rights reserved.

Version 1.0

All rights reserved under international law. No part of this book may be reproduced inpart or whole in any form or by any means, without permission from the publisher,except for personal copies of the character sheet, or brief quotes for use in reviews.

GUARDIANS OF ORDER, INC.P.O. Box 25016370 Stone RoadGuelph, OntarioCANADA N1G 4T4Phone: (519) 821-7174Fax: (519) 821-7635info@guardiansorder.comhttp://www.guardiansorder.com

Dedicated to Timothy and Peggy Pulver, JohnNowak and Mark MacKinnon, for

your support, trust and friendship.

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Foreword

I am proud to present the first supplement for Big Eyes, Small Mouth!

Guardians Of Order would like to extend a sincere “thank you” to everyone who haspatiently waited for us to start supporting the BESM line. I hope you find that this bookwas worth the wait.

When I first published BESM in August 1997, I had only intended to commit myselfto the company part-time. In fact, I had hoped to sell the entire first print run of 1000copies over my lifetime. When the game premiered at GenCon 97, I discovered that I hada hit on my hands. We blew through 125 copies at the convention in three days, and therest of the print run in less than six months. During that time, BESM also received anomination for the Origins Award for “Best Role-Playing Game” of 1997 — an honourthat I will treasure forever. The game’s success prompted me to expand the company’soperations, and in January of 1998 we acquired the RPG rights to the popular animeseries, Sailor Moon. All throughout 1998, Karen (my VP) and I were forced to split ourtime between producing the The Sailor Moon Role-Playing Game and Resource Book andour university degrees. Consequently, we could not start directly supporting the BESMline as soon as we would have liked. This is now changed.

In November 1998, acclaimed industry writer, David L. Pulver, began work for thecompany as Associate Line Editor and Senior Staff Writer. David has worked on manyGURPS books for Steve Jackson Games (including GURPS Biotech, GURPS Mecha, andGURPS Vehicles) as well as other game companies, including R. Talsorian Games andTSR. David’s first task at Guardians Of Order was to develop the best and most completemecha/vehicle/building multi-genre creation system the gaming industry has ever seen.David worked wonders with the Tri-Stat System, and Big Robots, Cool Starships was theresult. I think that this is simply one of the best game supplements ever created. Theflexible creation system allows players to design any organic or man-made structure thatthey can imagine — from the smallest robot to the largest planet-killer, from tenth-centurypirate ships to thirtieth-century spaceships. Motorcycles, giant monsters, helicopters,multi-legged walkers, powered armour, steam-punk mecha-dragons, transformingcyborgs, deadly laser weapons, slick sport cars...it is all possible with this single book!

Once again, thank you for your support. This company was built by dedicated animeand role-playing fans such as yourself, and we will continue to earn your patronage byproducing the best anime RPGs available. Next up: Hot Rods and Gun Bunnies in August1999 by Jim Crocker — a supplement for the “guys-with-cars and girls-with-guns” animeand Hong Kong cinema genre!

Mark C. MacKinnonJune 1999

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5The Origins of Mecha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Using Big Robots, Cool Starships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Chapter 2: Mecha Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Mecha-Related Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Mecha-Related Character Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Creating Mecha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Mecha Creation Flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Step 5A: GM Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Step 5B: Mecha Outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Step 5C: Mecha Sub-Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Structural Sub-Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Mobility Sub-Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Other Mecha Sub-Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Weapon Sub-Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Step 5D: Mecha Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Step 5E: Mecha Derived Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Step 5F: Mecha Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56Sample Mecha Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Chapter 3: Mecha Combat and Other Actions . . . . . . . . . . . .65Combat Ideology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Movement in Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Dramatic Manoeuvres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66Flying, Jumping, Diving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Combat Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Mecha Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Delivering Damage in Mecha Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Effects of Damage to a Mecha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Occupant Injuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73Major Systems Damage (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73Crashing and Falling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Raming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76Throwing Heavy Things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77Fighting Inside a Mecha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Destroying Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Escaping a Destroyed Mecha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79Mass Mecha Destruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80Mecha with Multiple Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80Game Mastering Big Battles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

Travelling In Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81Space Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

Mecha Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Chapter 4: Mecha Campaigns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85Mecha Campaign Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85Game Seeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Chapter 5: Sample Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91Red Planet, Blue Helmets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104Personality Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Mecha Design Character Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

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5Big Robots, Cool Starships

The Origins of Mecha“Mecha” is the term used by animators and fans to refer to the mechanical designs

that appear in Japanese anime and manga. A mecha often invokes images of giant robots,but it can actually refer to any mechanical device, including spaceships, normalautomobiles, jet planes, or even motorcycles. This book provides a means to describe anddesign mecha within Big Eyes, Small Mouth’sTri-Stat System, with simple, playablemechanics for using them in anime-style role-playing adventures.

The use of mecha in anime can be traced back to 1963. Mushi Production’sTetsuwan Atom, (dubbed into English as Astro Boy), featured the adventures of a super-powered android boy. This series was not only the first robot-mecha, but also the very firstJapanese animated television series. Tetsuwan Atomwas followed by many other showsthat featured high-tech vehicles and robots, including the famous Mach Go Go Go!(1967;dubbed into English as Speed Racer) with its super-powered race car, and Iron Man 28(1966; dubbed into English as Gigantor), whose boy hero operated a giant remote-control robot.

When people think of Japanese anime today, one of the most enduring images is thegiant humanoid robot, inside which rides the heroic pilot. This idea originated with acecreator Go Nagai and his pioneering mecha television show Mazinger Z(1972; dubbedinto English as TranZor Z). With a human in the cockpit, action could now take place ontwo levels: dynamic mecha battles, and dramatic soap operas involving their ordinaryhuman pilots. Later series introduced combining and transforming robots that could shiftforms, merge together, or do both. An entire anime genre was born — teams of agentsusing super-powered robots — which soon began a craze that even spread to NorthAmerica with shows such as Transformers (1984). Space Cruiser Yamato(1974) wasanother seminal work. Dubbed into English as Star Blazers, it was a sprawling spaceopera in which a spacefaring battleship (and its fighter squadron) was sent on an epicquest to save a dying Earth from a hostile space empire. The series won dedicated fansfor its complex continuing story arc and changing characters, a feature that has alsogarnered critical acclaim for American television shows such as Babylon 5.

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6Big Robots, Cool Starships

Mobile Suit Gundam(1979) was a different kind of big robot show: a realisticscience fiction war story. Instead of robots that were unique inventions run by secretagencies, they were mass-produced combat machines, fighting in battle alongside tanksand jet fighters. While retaining the trappings of 20-metre tall robots and dramatic spacebattles, its core was a hard-edged SF story focusing on character development in thecrucible of war. Although slow to find an audience, Gundam (like the original Star Trekseries) became wildly popular once it was released in syndication; this created a surge inthe popularity of mecha shows, including the very successful Super-Dimensional FortressMacross(1982; dubbed into English as Robotech). More importantly, it opened up anuntapped market for anime aimed at an older teenage audience, paving the way for thewide variety of action and drama series seen today, not to mention the many RPGs,novels, and computer games.

Of course, mecha anime need not focus on fantastic robots and science fictionvehicles. Anime shows such as Area 88(1985; mercenary fighter pilots in the MiddleEast), 801 TTS Airbats(1994; more pilots, in the Japanese air force), Riding Bean(1989;cops, crooks, and car chases in modern-day Chicago), Silent Service(1995; Tom Clancy-esque submarine duels), and Porco Rosso(1992; the adventures of a flying boat pilot in1920’s Italy) demonstrate that anime offerings are not lacking in mecha action.

Using Big Robots, Cool StarshipsBig Robots, Cool Starships (BRCS) is a multi-genre anime supplement that adds

mecha design and combat rules to the Big Eyes, Small Mouthrole-playing game (BESM)and Guardians Of Order’s Tri-Stat System. With these rules, the GM has more detailedmechanics to run a mecha-heavy campaign, featuring the exploits of angst-ridden robotpilots, sleek combat cyborgs, bold starship captains, and many other anime mechaarchetypes. This supplement is not just for mecha battle campaigns, however. Nearly allanime settings include some form of vehicle action. BRCS is designed to be flexible enoughto give the GM the freedom to create almost any vehicle’s game Stats in a few minutes, andthen help resolve car chases, starship crashes, or pirate attacks quickly and cinematically.

While BRCS adds some extra detail to BESM, it avoids complex war-gamemechanics or formula-heavy mecha design rules. Instead, the system addition is a simplebut very flexible mechanic that allows players and GMs to create just about any kind ofmecha without sacrificing imagination in favour of realism or play balance. After all, nomatter how awe-inspiring the mecha, it really only has one goal: to propel the characterinto the adventure, and make the action that much more dramatic!

Chapter 1

Introduction

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