Mecha Quick Start Guide

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Introduction

Welcome to the Mecha Quickstart Guide! Mecha is a role-playing game oaction-packed mecha anime. This quickstart guide gives you everything you

need (except riends and dice) to play out the rst episode o your own mecha

anime series. The ull Mecha rulebook includes many more rules, options, and

settings, but by the time you play through the episode in this booklet you

should have a pretty good taste o what the ull game is like.

What are Mecha?

Beore we go any urther, lets dene what were dealing with when we say

mecha.

For the purposes o this quickstart guide, mecha are 20 oot tall, humanoid

robots that are the primary ghting vehicle in an inter-planetary conict

between rival actions. Like tanks, but walkier. They also possess boosters that

allow them to manuever in zero gravity situations such as the one presented

in this booklet.

Also, please note that we use the term mecha as both the singular and plural

orm o the noun.

Mecha Quickstart Guide

2009 by Red Moon Medicine Show

Written by Chris Perrin and Clint Krause

Cover Illustration by Rick Hershey

Interior Illustrations by Beny Maulana

Layout by Clint Krause

Special thanks to Aaron Harmric,

Josh Chewning, Mike Silva, and

Robert Carson.

www.redmoonmedicineshow.com

Permission is granted to photocopy any

portion of this booklet for personal use.


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What Youll Need

Youll need a bunch o standard, six-sided dice. 8 or so per person.

Youll need some sort o tokens (glass counters or loose change work

ne) to use or Overdrive.

Youll need one player who will serve as the Gamemaster. Its the Game

Masters job to guide the other players through their rst episode.

Mainly, he describes the game world to the players, sets up conicts,

and plays the bad guys. The Gamemaster is also the de acto reeree o

the game (though everyone, including the Gamemaster, is expectedto play by the rules).

Youll need up to our other players to take on the roles o Mecha

pilots. These pilots are the protagonists o the episode that youre

going to play through. The players are responsible or describing their

characters actions in reaction to the Gamemasters descriptions.

Youll need photocopies o the character proles at the back o thisbooklet (or you can just tear out the pages).

Youll need a piece o paper to sketch the Bullseye Battle Map, which

is shown on page 8.

Youll need to photocopy the counters at the end o this booklet and

cut them out. You could also use your avorite variety o giant robot

miniatures i youve got them handy.

Playing With Fewer Than Four Characters

It is perectly acceptable to play through this quickstart guide without the ull

our characters. Simply assume that the characters who are not present are

back at headquarters (this is just a routine patrol mission ater all). All o the

reerences to the other characters on the character proles are still relevant and

can be used as odder or role-playing.


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Making a RollHey there, rookie! Im Hangar Chie Suki Yamato, here to whip you

into shape or your rst patrol mission. At a number o points inthe text, youll see that we reer to making a roll. A roll is used to

determine whether or not an important action attempted by the

pilot succeeds or ails. To make a roll, roll a number o dice equal to whichever

stat is relevant to the situation. During the pilots personal scenes, use the

pilots relevant stat. During combat, when the pilot is operating his mecha, use

the relevant linkedstat.

For example, i a pilot were trying to solve a mental puzzle, you would use hisIntelligence stat. When a pilot is operating his mecha and makes and attack,

you would use theAttacklinked stat.

Any dice that come up equal to or lower than the level o the pilots relevant

skill are considered successes. The more successes you roll, the better the

outcome o your pilots action.

Ones ExplodeAny die that come up as 1 counts as a success and is then re-rolled (possibly

generating more successes). Keep re-rolling ones until a diferent number

turns up on the die. In this way, a lucky roll might give you many successes

even i youre only using a ew dice.

Great Success!

Whenever a player rolls ve or more successes on a roll (beore spending

Overdrive), he gains a point o Overdrive. This represents a particularly lucky

or skillul perormance by the pilot. The Gamemaster also collects a point o

Overdrive whenever he rolls a Great Success or one o his NPCs.

Cut Scenes

During the combat sequence, i any character rolls 8 or more successes (beorespending Overdrive) on any roll, he receives a Cut Scene. The player who

made the roll should describe his mecha doing some particularly cool stunt

or maneuver. At that point, the player can immediately take an extra action

(Move or Attack). I this extra action is used to make an attack, optimal range

penalties do not apply to the roll (though weapon cool down still counts).


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Overdrive

Overdrive is the most important resource in the game. Characters earn

Overdrive through suceeding at social scenes and rolling Great Successes. A

point o Overdrive can be spent at any time to gain an extra success on a roll.

There is no limit to the number o Overdrive that can be spent on a given roll.

Even more importantly, all Congurations cost 1 Overdrive to activate (more

on that later).

Each player starts the game with one point o Overdrive. The Gamemaster

starts the game with a number o Overdrive equal to the number o players

minus one.

Use beads, tokens, or something else non-edible to represent Overdrive in the

game.


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Welcome to the

Separatist Guard!First, you need to decide whos going to be the Gamemaster and

whos going to play a pilot. Whoevers playing a pilot should

choose which o the our pilots in the back o the booklet that

theyre going to play. I youre the Gamemaster, ollow the

instructions that I give you and read the boxed text aloud or the players. As

soon as everyones chosen a character, read the ollowing:

You are a mecha pilot in the Seperatist Guard, an alliance o planets that are

ghting or their independence against the tyrannical Arbor Deense Force

(ADF).

Youre currently stationed aboard the patrol ship Odyssey, patrolling the

debris belt that surrounds the planet Abrax. The debris eld is the remnant

o a massive orbital battle that took place here at the onset o the war, but

since youve been deployed here this place has been colder than an ice

mine.

Its the start o another routine patrol and youre sitting in the Odysseys

hangar surrounded by your squadrons docile mecha. How are you passing

the time?

At this point, explain to the players that they can each have one o the ollowing

Personal Scenes:

A- social scene, in which you chat it up with your squadron-mates or

another member o the crew.

A- feld-ops scene, in which to attempt to attain some external goal

like research, intelligence, or stealing your buddys cigarette ration.

A-

repair scene, in which you attempt to repair a damaged mecha.

Starting with the player to the GMs let, each player chooses which type o

scene they would like to put their character into. Proceed clockwise around the

table until each player has had a personal scene.


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Players are ree to describe the setting o their scene and which characters are

around (i any). For example, Hawks player might decide that he is going to

have a social scene with the pilot o the patrol ship. He describes his character

entering the cockpit. The Gamemaster takes on the role o the pilot and thetwo role-play the scene.

Whats the Goal of a Personal Scene?

Each characters personal scene is meant to be an opportunity to develop the

character in more detail (much like a scene eaturing the character in an anime

series). Each type o scene also has a mechanical goal. The scenes mechanical

goal gives the player some benet that can be used in battle.

Ater a player chooses which type o scene hed like or his character. He

(with input rom the Gamemaster) describes the scene and role-plays any

conversations that take place (the Gamemaster takes on the role o any non-

player characters who are present).

Once the player and the Gamemaster are satised with the role-playing in a

scene, the player rolls dice to determine whether or not his character achievesthe mechanical goal o the scene.

Social scenes are used to earn Overdrive. Ater your character participates in

a social scene, roll a number o dice equal to your pilots Will stat. Ianyo the

dice come up equal to or lowerthan your characters Socialskill, you gain a point

o Overdrive.

Field Ops scenes are used to earn Tactical Points. Ater your characterparticipates in a eld ops scene, the GM chooses which o your pilots stats

best applies to the scene (based on the way you described your actions). Roll

a number o dice equal to your pilots relevant stat. Ianyo the dice come up

equal to or lowerthan your characters Field Ops skill, you gain a Tactical Point

(more on those later).

Repair scenes are used to repair damaged mecha. Ater your character

participates in a repair scene, roll a number o dice equal to your pilots

Intelligence stat. I any o the dice come up equal to or lowerthan your pilots

Repair skill you may repair one point o damage equal to the number o

successul dice.


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Ater each o the players has played out a scene eaturing their character,

its time or the Gamemaster to introduce a conict. Read the ollowing text

aloud:

The monotony is suddenly interrupted by a buzz rom the patrol ships

intercom system. Its Manny, the pilot, and he sounds excited. Weve got

an anomalous scanner reading rom an object in the debris eld! Command

wants you guys to check it out. Mount-up boys and girls, its time to earn

your paychecks!

Once everyone has climbed into their mecha and run their power-up protocols,

the cargo door opens, allowing the pilots to exit the patrol ship. Manny pulls

up a waypoint on the pilots HUDs that marks the location o the anomalous

object. Describe the environment o the debris eld and let the players describe

their pilots actions. Once the pilots approach within visual range o the object,

read the ollowing:

You see a sleek looking mecha among the battle-debris. Hi-tech stuf.

Much more advanced than the patchwork rigs that youre piloting. Its

marked up with ADF insignias and serial numbers . . . probably some kind

o prototype.

As you get closer, the mecha seems to become translucent and orm into a

bizarre double image. It looks like youre looking at it through a kaleidoscope

thats bugging out. It begins to rapidly oscillate between solidity and

translucence.

Allow the players to describe their pilots actions. Add more strange details

to your description o the prototype. Build tension. No die rolls are needed

during the investigation scene, just narrate and allow the players to narrate. As

soon as the time eels right, read the ollowing:

Contact! Weve got contact! shouts Manny over your comms. Beore hes

even through shouting, your HUD blazes with the tell-tale blips o incoming

hostiles. Its an ADF strike team, and it looks like theyve come or theirprototype!


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The Strike Teams AssaultUse the ollowing procedure to resolve the ght with the ADF strike

team. Think oMechas combat mechanics as a tactical mini-gamethat will help to determine which direction the story will take next.

Both the players (as their pilots) and the Gamemaster (as the ADF

strike team) should play to win.

The ADF strike team consists o a number o ADF Grave Hounds equal to the

number o player-characters, plus a single ADF Howling Dragon.

Sketch out the Bullseye Battle Map (the crosshair outline shown below)on apiece o paper and place the game counters in the ollowing conguration:

Players

ADF ADF

Grave Hounds Howling Dragon

Objective

Marker


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Victory Conditions

Ater each character has had a single turn, i any character begins his turn in the

same sector as the objective marker, his side wins the battle and may narrate

the deeat o their opponents (which could involve capturing, killing, or routing

them). In this case, the objective marker represents the rough location o the

ADF prototype and by beginning a turn in that sector the character manages

to secure the prototype rom his opponents.

The other way to win the battle is by destroying all enemy mecha involved in

the ght.

Step One: Spend Tactical Points

I any o the players earned a Tactical Point during their personal scene, they can

now spend it to move their mecha, an enemy mecha, or the objective counter

one movement point rom its starting location. For more on Movement Points,

see Making a Move below.

Step Two: Roll InitiativeInitiative is used to determine what order the pilots act in during combat.

Acting beore your opponent can be crucial to victory.

Each player rolls a number o dice equal to his mechas Engineering

linked stat. Each die that comes up equal to or lower than his pilots

Mecha Combat skill adds one to his initiative. This is just like any

other roll in the game, so re-roll ones, and keep an eye out or Great

Successes and Cut Scenes.

The Gamemaster rolls once or the ADF Grave Hounds (which, because

theyre statistically identical, all act on the same initiative) and once or

the ADF Howling Dragon. Use the same procedure as the players used:

roll a number o dice equal to the mechas engineering stat and count

up successes based on the Mecha Combatskill o the ADF pilots.

Finally, the Gamemaster creates a list, putting all o the combatants in

order rom the highest initiative result to the lowest. I there are any

ties, the mecha with the highest Engineering stat goes rst. I theres

still a tie, the players o the tied mecha each roll a die and whoever

gets the higher result goes rst.


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I any character gets 8 or more successes on their initiative roll (a Cut Scene),

they can immediately take a Move or Attack action (as described below). This

action is resolved beore the normal initiative sequence begins.

Step Three: Take Turns

Using the Gamemasters initiative list as reerence, each player takes a turn in

descending order o initiative (the highest initiative acts rst, and so on . . .). In

this case, the Gamemaster will end up taking two turns (one or the ADF Grave

Hounds and one or the ADF Howling Dragon).

On a players turn, his pilot can Move and Attack(in either order).

Making a Move

To move his pilot, the player rolls a number o dice equal to his mechas

MovementLinked Stat. Each die that comes up equal to or lowerthan the pilots

Mecha Combatskill generates one Movement Point. The player may then spend

these Movement Points to move across the Bullseye Battlemap.

It costs 1 Movement Point to move rom sector-to-sector (across a curved line)

and 2 movement points to go rom one quadrant to another (across a straight

line). There is one caveat: a mecha cannot cross two quadrants in a row in the

same turn. So on turn one, i the player crosses a quadrant, she must then cross

a sector or wait until turn two to move across another quadrant.

As with all rolls in the game, keep an eye out or Great Successes and Cut

Scenes.

Making an Attack

To make an attack, the player chooses one o his mechas weapons to attack

with. When a weapon has been used to make an attack it must cool down

(spend a turn unused) beore it can be used again.

Each weapon has an Optimal Range (which is the number next to the weaponon the prole sheet) and a Damage Type (which is the word next to the weapon

on the prole sheet).


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Once the player has chosen which weapon to attack with, he chooses which

enemy mecha he will target.

Count the number o Movement Points that it takes to get rom the attacking

mechas sector to the target mechas sector using the most direct path. Thisnumber is the Range o the attack.

The attacking player then rolls a number o dice equal to his mechas Attack

linked stat, minus one die or each point o diference between the range o

the attack and the optimal range o the weapon being used. For example, i

Hawks player attacks an enemy mecha that is 2 Movement Points away with

his Arming Cannon (range 3), he will roll one less die on the attack.

Each die that comes up equal to or lowerthan the attackers Mecha Combatskill

counts as a success.

In response, the target o the attack always makes a Deense Roll. The player o

the targeted mecha rolls a number o dice equal to his mechas Deense linked

stat.

Each die that comes up equal to or lower than the deenders Mecha Combatskill counts as a success.

Once the attack and deense results have been determined, players can bid

Overdrive back and orth to modiy the results.

Successful Attack

I the attacking player rolls more successes than the deending player, theplayer o the targeted mecha checks one o the boxes on his mechas damage

track and must make a Stability Roll to remain in the battle (see below).

In addition, the attacking player can move the damaged mecha a number o

movement points equal to the diference between the attack and deense

results. For example, i Hawks player rolls 6 attack successes and his opponent

rolls 3 deense successes, Hawks player can move his opponent up to 3

movement points away rom his current location. This knockback efect is

very important or moving opponents out o the same sector as the objective

marker (and thus preventing them rom winning).


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The Stability Roll

Each time a player marks a box on his mechas damage track, he must attempt

a Stability Roll.

The player rolls a die. I the result is higher than the number o marked damaged

boxes, the mecha manages to hold together and stay in the ght.

I the result is lower than or equal to the number o marked damage boxes,

the mecha is destroyed and removed rom the ght. The mechas pilot is not

necessarily killed, but is unable to continue ghting. The GM is responsible or

describing what happens to a pilot and his mecha i a stability roll is ailed.

Narration

The mecha anime genre revolves around exciting visuals o the mecha running

across terrain, dodging missiles and laser blasts, and using a variety o amazing

weaponry to dispatch their oes.

As such, it is highly encouraged that instead o just rolling dice and comparing

numbers, players narrate how their mecha is moving and attacking. Is themecha blazing toward the enemy in a cyclone o speed lines? Does a pilot

maneuver behind a piece o oating debris to avoid an attack? All o these

details add immersion and excitement to the game.

The GM is the primary person responsible or narrating what happens in the

battle, but the players should eel ree to add their input as the mood strikes

them.

Denouement

When one side has won the battle and described their victory, its time or the

Gamemaster to set up the situation or the next episode. The story should ork

here depending on who won. I the players won, theyve managed to secure

the ADF prototype. Ask them what they plan to do with it. The Separatist

Guard would surely benet rom such technology.

I the ADF won, the player characters might be captured, or simply driven of.

The ADF has managed to protect its secrets, or now . . . Perhaps Separatist

command will send the players on a clandestine mission to inltrate the ADF

and collect intelligence about the prototype. The possibilities are endless.


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The Story Continues . . .Now that youve played through your rst episode, you have an

idea or how the game is structured. I you want to keep goingrom here, just ollow the episode cycle as presented above. In

summary:

The Gamemaster sets up the initial setting/situation that the characters1.

are in.

Each player gets a personal scene.2.

The Gamemaster introduces a conict.3.

The Gamemasters conict eventually leads to a climactic combat4.scene.

The Gamemaster improvises a new direction or the story based on5.

the outcome o the combat.

Once you get used to the games pacing cycle, youll nd that its actually

very exible and allows or a wide variety o conicts and intrigue. The typical

episode only takes about 30 minutes to play, so a night o dedicated gaming

could result in 6 to 8 episodes.


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Whats Different in the Full Version?

This quickstart guide is intended to provide a quick demonstration oMecha

as a role-playing game. As such, its been simplied a bit rom the ull version.

Here are some o the things that are diferent in the ull version o the game.

Character Creation

Character creation is an important aspect o the game that is completely absent

rom this guide. Players build their pilot and mecha simultaneously and, just

like in the source material, a mecha is a reection o its pilot. Choosing your

mechas Congurations also determines the personality and disposition o your

pilot. All o this ties in to an intuitive character advancement system (which is

also omitted here) that rewards players or role-playing their characters traits.

Scenes and Goals

In the ull game, players can attempt role-playing goals during their characters

personal scenes (in addition to the mechanical goals that appear here). This

allows the players more control over the emerging story and provides the

Gamemaster a lot o odder or improvisation.

Setting

The ull version o the game is not setting specic. The material used in this

guide is based on Steel Gunner: Destiny Tomorrow, which is one o the three

settings included in the ull version. The other two settings included with the

book are Revolution Deity Godblind(The Big O meets Dark Citymeets 1984) andSpecial Research School(American Graftiwith mecha). There are also rules and

copious advice or how to create your own mecha settings and how to adapt

the setting o your avorite mecha anime series.

In summary, the material here is only the tip o the iceberg. I you like what you

see, youll denitely want to check out the ull version.


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Game CountersPhotocopy and cut out these counters to mark the positions o the various characters

during the battle. I you wanted to get real ancy, you could even mount them on card-

board. Feel ree to substitute cool looking mecha miniatures i youve got some handy.

Player Counters and Objective Marker

ADF Enemy Counters


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Mecha role-playing done right.If you like what youve seen here,

make sure to check out the full ver-sion ofMECHA, coming soon from

Red Moon Medicine Show.

The full version includes:

- Expanded rules, allowing you to

play any kind of mecha game thatyou can imagine.

- Three complete settings! Join the

Godblind Revolution in the Living

City, choose sides in an epic mecha

space opera, or ght for pink slips in

a mecha-obsessed high school.

- Unique turn-based mechanics that insure each player gets the spotlight

and each episode is well paced and action-packed.

- More mecha models, archetypes, congurations, weapons, and

vehicles.

- Detailed information about the mecha anime genre, including a massive

lmography.

- Rules and guidelines to help you translate your favorite mecha anime into

a game setting.

- Fantastic new artwork by Nick Bradshaw, Beny Maulana, and more!

- Full developer support. A forum community, supplementary material, and

one-on-one contact with the developers of the game.

See www.redmoonmedicineshow.com for details!


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Documents

Mecha Quick Start Guide