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By David Bezio
Interior Art By Christian Conkle & Arthur Williams
Grey Area Games 2010, Creative Commons BY-NC-SA Some Rights Reserved


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Man had conquered the stars long ago. Distant colonies have developed into billions of independent
civilizations and governments. This story concerns two such peoples living far away in the lost
system of Zodia.

The twin suns, Akuma (blue) and Megami (white), are host to two planets, Aries and Scorpio which
rotate around the sun opposite each other but on the same orbital path. Aries is a lush world of
vegetation, clean water, and fertile soil. Scorpio is a less hospitable harsh world of desert, rock, and
volatile weather where only the toughest creatures can eek out a living.

Aries alone was designated to be colonized so many years ago. Tragedy struck when the three
colony ships destined for Aries passed through an unexpected radiation storm. All three ships were
terribly crippled and communications were lost. One ship managed a haphazard landing on Aries,
another staggered and crashed on Scorpio, while the third plunged relentlessly into the vast
emptiness of space.

Struggling to rebuild after the disaster, colonies grew over generations on both worlds, unbeknownst
of the survival of the other. By the time the new civilizations had become advanced enough to once
again explore space; they had all but forgotten another colony ship ever existed. When they
discovered each other they saw only an unknown enemy. War was inevitable!


Overview of the Game
Zodia Sunset is a game designed to facilitate anime mecha
role playing adventures. In essence, this includes two
components: The mecha themselves and the men and
women that pilot them.

The mecha are giant robot fighting machines usually
around 30 to 50 feet in height. They are plated with armor
and equipped with devastating weapons. Conventional
weapons of war (infantry, tanks, pair and space ships) are
generally all but useless against them. The only thing that
can stand against a mecha is another mecha!

Ironically, while the focus of this game might be perceived
as mecha combat, and half of your play time will involve
the combats of these giant robots, the real story and role
playing revolves around the people inside the machine.
While inside their fighting machine, the mecha pilot is
mainly concerned with battle. However, this is but a small
portion of their life (and the story). When outside their
mecha their life is full of other drama. Personal problems,
love interests (or disinterests), dark secrets, self doubt, and
all sorts of conflicts with friend, foe, and even oneself are
what make the story interesting.

Role Playing vs. Tactical Combat
Zodia Sunset tries to do something a little different than
most games that deal with mech. This will delight some
people, and really turn some people off. The difference
here is that mecha combat isnt about building a mecha
piece by piece and then using miniatures and a battle-mat
to fight out battles.
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The mecha battles in Zodia Sunset are certainly important,
but the outcome isnt determined as much by tactical
decisions as it is by dramatic decisions and role playing.
This game is an attempt to keep the role playing going
when the mecha combat starts, not to facilitate a shift from
role playing to miniature wargaming.

This game will involve the story interactive story that the
players and the game master create. The ultimate goal
here is to have an enjoyable experience that feels like a
unique anime series with the player characters as the
starts of the show. This story should be filled with drama,
large and small decisions, and conflicts.

The rules are very fast and loose. They are designed to
spend as little time as possible on game mechanics, and
as much time as possible on story telling, role playing, and
character personality development. In fact, the rules will
hardly be used at all if things go right, they are simply there
to use when some sort of conflict, that s outcome should
be random, needs to be worked out to determine the
direction of the story.

Equipment Needed
This rulebook contains all the rules you need to play the
game. In addition to this you will need the following:

An adventure
Before you can play, the Game Master (GM) will need to
create an adventure for the players. Each adventure
should take the form of an episode in an anime series. In
its simplest form each adventure should fill one 4 hour
game session and consist of an introduction and
conclusion while the bulk of the adventure consists of
about role playing outside the mecha and the time
inside the mecha, usually in that order. Thats a common
formula, but not a rule!




Record Sheets
Each player is going to need a character and a mecha to
play the game. The information for these needs to be
recorded on a record sheet. This sheet is located at the
back of these rules. Each player should have a record
sheet.

Dice
Zodia Sunset uses 6 sided dice (D6) to resolve all actions.
Each player should have 3D6 (3 six sided dice) handy
when playing the game. Of course, you could all
sharebut thats no fun!

Rolling Dice (The Core Game Mechanic)
When you resolve and action or some conflict you will roll
dice. You will always roll 1, 2, or 3 dice. When you do this
you ONLY read the highest die rolled (you do not add them
up).

For example, if you roll 2D and get a 3 and a 4, the result
of the roll is 4. If you roll 3D and get a 1, a 2, and a 5, the
result of the roll is a 5. Its that simple.


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Each player will need a character for the game. All the players will be playing mecha pilots. The
information in this section of the rules will tell you everything you need to create a character for Zodia
Sunset quickly and easily. A little later on in the rules you will find out how to create your characters
second half, his giant mecha.

Summary
There are 3 simple steps to character creation and these
will only take a few minutes. They are:

Step 1
Choose a character archetype

Step 2
Assign Attributes & Skilled Abilities

Step 3
Detail Character

Each mecha pilot character is defined by a number of
things, these are: The Archetype, Attributes, and Skilled
Abilities. The character is further defined by details you
and your game master determine, these are your
characters name, background, and probably any personal
equipment they have on them at any given time.

Archetypes
There are several classic mecha pilot archetypes that can
be found throughout the genre, pick the one you would
most like to play or simply create your own. These are
outlined below. The first step to creating your character is
to choose the one that you want to play the most. The
archetype simply gives you an outline of the behavior,
mentality, motivation, and personality of your character.
This is not meant to be restrictive, but rather to aid in role
playing the character and helping along the story.

Young Hero
The Young Hero is the staple of the mecha anime. He is
the charming young pilot just dying to do his best by his
people and really make a difference in the war. He
generally takes a natural leadership role, and is liked by
most, and respected by everyone. If the Young Hero has
one major flaw, it is that he remains the eternal optimist
believing there is always a way to make things right. This
often leads to self doubt or disappointment when he fails in
this goal.

Hot Shot
The Hot Shot is the skilled and confident hot mecha ace
who can make his machine do things others can only
dream of. The Hot Shot is good at what he does, and is
often cocky because he knows it. The one thing that really
ruffles a Hot Shots feathers is running into a pilot that is as
good as he is, or even worse, better than he is.

Lone Wolf
The Lone Wolf is a quiet inverted type sometimes filled
with angst and haunted by some dark secret. The Lone
Wolf tries very hard to come across like he doesnt care
about anything, but this is mainly because he is afraid to
get close to anyone, or let anyone get close to him. Oddly
enough, the Lone Wolf is usually the one that will risk his
life (and sometimes lose it) for his companions, outwardly
acting like it is no big deal, but inwardly selflessly caring
about the people that surround him.

Kid Genius
The Kid Genius is a super smart youngster whose brains
have made him a productive member of a mecha team,
despite his age. Even so, while he is very smart and able
to handle himself, he is still a kid and suffers from
immaturity and inexperience and not quite understanding
why. The Kid is usually befriended by a Lovable Bear, a
Innocent Teen, or even a Lone Wolf who feel the need to
protect him.
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Lovable Bear
The Lovable Bear is the big tough looking guy with a heart
of gold. Sometimes hes a little on the slow and naive side,
but that is why he usually gets along well with the Kid
Genius; they compliment each other. The Lovable Bear is
usually liked by all his companions, but looked upon with
disgust by his enemies (for being such a soft touch). Even
thought the Lovable Bear is sentimental and caring, he is
still a tough cookie, and when he is pushed to violence he
is very formidable and fearsome.

Professional
The Professional is the super cool mecha pilot who cares
little about anything but doing their job to the best of their
abilities. As a result, the best of their abilities is usually
very good. The Professional has very little to say most of
the time, and usually does all her talking with her eyes.
The professional is very often cold when it comes to
relationships and emotions. They have little time in their
life for such pursuits as it would take away from their
dedication to their job.

Innocent Teen
The Innocent Teen is a pretty and naive teen girl who
believes the entire world is filled with love and happiness.
The Innocent teen always manages to look cute and look
on the bright side of things and warms the hearts of her
companions. She giggles a lot and often rambles on about
herself or lessons that she learned from a wise old relative
about life. Her enemies find the Innocent Teen extremely
desirable, either sexually or as a symbol of the love and
affection they are missing in their life.

Man Hater
The Man Hater is the extremely proficient female mecha
jock with a chip on her shoulder. For one reason or
another she feels that she was wronged by a man, or men
in general. The Man Hater doesnt like men and is rude
and mean to them and looks for any chance to outdo or
belittle them. Sometimes the Man Hater goes the extra
step and is a lesbian, other times she harbors a secret love
for a man that she wont admit (usually that man must be
extremely heroic or above average in one way or another)..

Grizzled Veteran
The Grizzled Vet has been around battle a long time and is
filled with battle and life wisdom. He isnt shaken by
intense combat situations that rattle younger mecha pilots
and is always a calming factor for his companions. The
Grizzled Vet is rarely in a position of command. Despite
his experience the Grizzled Vet is usually pretty low in rank
because he harbors some past secret. Sometimes this is a
deep trama or regret such as loosing a loved one, more
often it stems from a combat situation where he did the
wrong thing and caused lives to be lost, or he did the right
thing against his superiors orders.

Kamikaze
The Kamikaze is a touched mecha pilot who goes a little
crazy in battle. The more deadly and tense the situation,
the more he likes itand the nuttier he goes. Outside of
combat the Kamikaze usually acts fairly normal, although a
little cold, sarcastic, and sadistic at times. The Kamikaze is
almost always at odds with his superiors, especially those
immediately above him. The Kamikaze especially hates
bleeding hearts like the Young Hero, Lovable Bear, and
Innocent Teen and takes every effort possible to insult
them and show them up.

Mercenary
The Mercenary is the mecha pilot that is just in it for his own
profit, glory, and a chance to cause destruction and grief to
others. He is self centered and cares little about anyone
else, including his companions. The Mercenary will be loyal
and follow orders only when he feels he has to and when it
is beneficial to himself. The Mercenary has very little
conscience and has no problem performing evil deeds,
especially if there is some sort of profit in it for him or if it
gives him a chance to irritate others (again, even his
companions) or teach somebody a lesson..

Blunderer
Often the comedy relief in an anime, the Blunderer is the
mecha pilot who seems to always do the wrong thing,
usually with funny consequences. The Blunderer often
thinks he is doing something smart that is so obviously
dumb to anyone else, but when he realizes the error of his
ways, it is too late. The Blunderer often tends to be a little
cowardly. He is not an outright coward, but he does
usually crack under extremely stressful situations and
either run, lose his cool, or do something extremely
unpredictable (which usually has either extremely heroic or
direly stupid consequences).

Cat Girl
Yes, this game has Cat Girl mecha pilots, although they
are fairly rare. Cat girls are notorious schizoids, going
thought a ridiculous range of emotions in the blink of an
eye. One minute they are sweet and innocent, the next,
sexy and seductive, and the next an aloof bitch. There is
one constant, however, and that is that they all have an
extremely hot and uncontrollable temper!

Attributes
Statistics define the character both physically and mentally.
They represent the innate natural talent and traits the
character possesses. There are 4 statistics; they are
Agility, Brains, Body, and Mien.

Agility
Agility is a measure of the characters dexterity, hand eye
coordination, balance, quickness, reaction speed, and
ability to manipulate their body while maintaining control.
You will use agility when trying to perform acrobatic
movements, catch or grab items, or get out of somethings
way.

Mind
Mind is a measure of the characters intelligence,
knowledge, education, common sense, perception of his
surroundings, and ability to learn. You will use Mind to
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comprehend complex ideas, notice obscure or out of place
things, or to recall something you may have learned in your
past.

Body
Body is a measure of physical power and the ability to use
that power. It is also the characters constitution, health,
stamina, and overall general physical fitness. You will use
Body when trying to move or lift heavy objects, trying to
break or force things, fighting off the effects of disease or
poison, facing adverse physical conditions, or when
performing extended actions that take a lot of endurance.

Mien
Mien is a measure of the characters presence, charisma,
leadership, personality, inner strength, willpower, bravery,
and to an extent his good looks. Mien is the characters
outer and inner soul, if you will. It is important when trying to
negotiate with someone or impress them (intentionally or
otherwise). It is also important to actions such as
persuasion, gaining information, and trying to get oneself
out of a sticky situation.

Attribute Rank
Each of the 4 statistics is ranked as a Student, Teacher, or
Master. This rank is a descriptor of how adept you are in
that stat. In mechanical game terms, it also dictates the
number of D6 you roll when attempting to successfully
complete a test. Tests are described a bit later.

Each of the 4 attributes starts at Teacher rank (2D). You
man choose to raise an Attribute to Master rank if you
lower another to Student rank. You may do this once or
twice, or not at all, its your choice. Consider your
Archetype and vision of your character before you assign
your Attribute ranks.

Student (1D)
Student rank means that you area mere pup in the use of
this statistic. You are a beginner either because of lack of
training or genetics. You are not inept, but you have much
to learn grasshopper.

Teacher (2D)
You have come a long way in the development of this
statistic. Through training or natural aptitude you have
achieved a level of expertise that makes you stick out
among your peers.

Master (3D)
You have achieved true greatness in this area. You jump
higher, think faster, and love with more passion. You have
trained hard or are naturally blessed and have surpassed
the average man.

Abilities & Trained Abilities
Linked to each Attribute are 5 Abilities. These Abilities
cover very broad areas of expertise and training. Game
Masters and players are advised to use the Abilities to
cover a number of circumstances without becoming
bogged down in detail and specific rules. Sometimes you
will have to bend the definitions of an Ability to fit
circumstances.

The initial rank of each Ability is the same as the linked
Attribute it is listed under. When you create your character
you can choose 2 Abilities under each Attribute to be
Trained Abilities (simply check the box next to the Ability to
show that it is a Trained Ability).

Trained Abilities are those things that your character has
worked hard at to hone his skills and become more
proficient than his natural talent would otherwise allow him
to be. Each Trained Ability adds +1 to the highest D6
rolled when attempting to make a Test (see Taking the
Test below).

Agility Abilities
-Athletics (all body manipulation stuff, climbing, jumping)
-Pilot (all driving, riding, flying vehicles and mounts)
-Reaction (all speed and reflex related stuff)
-Shoot/Throw (all ranged weapons or thrown items)
-Stealth (all sneaky stuff, sleight of hand, ect.)

Mind Abilities
-Education (all book knowledge and know-how type stuff)
-Engineering (all mechanical, repair, build, type stuff)
-Streetwise (street smarts and perception)
-Technology (computers, electronics, science)
-Trickery (lie, bluff, fool people type with wit)

Body Abilities
-Brawl (fist fighting, martial arts, pushing, ect.)
-Endurance (stamina, sustained physical actions)
-Health (resist sickness, poison, ect.)
-Melee (close combat weapon fighting)
-Strength (raw physical power, lifting)

Mien Abilities
-Flirt (love, romance, and seduction)
-Intimidate (intimidating people to do what you want)
-Looks (natural good looks and poise).
-Social (etiquette, dancing, art appreciation, ect.)
-Willpower (resisting torture, stress, fear, inner strength)

Equipment
There is no shopping list of equipment. Characters are
members of the ADF and are usually dressed in their
mecha pilot jumpsuit (which is equipped for any
atmosphere including space and under water) with a small
laser pistol strapped at their side and a wallet with an ID
and a few Aries Yen. Inside their mecha cockpit is a
survival pack (satchel) with a first aid kit, a tool pouch, a bit
of twine or wire, a pocket knife, some matches, a few days
of emergency rations and water, and a thin all-weather
blanket).

This game is about role playing and mecha combat, not
about always having the right tool for the right job in a
bulging backpack. If the characters are sent on a mission
and they require extra gear, that gear will usually be
provided by the ADF.
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When characters try to do things that might fail, and there may be a dramatic story changing turn of
events if they do, they must make a Test to see if they fail or succeed. A test is made by rolling a the
appropriate number of D6 according to the rank of the appropriate Attribute or Ability, and reading the
highest die (adding a +1 to that result if the Ability is a Trained Ability). This number must equal or
exceed the difficulty number chosen by the GM (a 5 or a 6) or the result of an opposed roll made by
another character.

Action Difficulties
Before the test is rolled the GM must determine the
difficulty of the action. There are 4 types of actions a
character might try to attempt, as determined by the GMs
critique. They are: Automatic, Standard, Difficult, and
Impossible. Only Standard and Difficult Tests require the
players to roll dice. (The number in parenthesis is the
number a player must roll, or better, to succeed at the Test.
See Taking the Test below)

Automatic (no roll)
Automatic actions are just that, automatic. They may be
taken freely with no penalty or dice rolling. This
encompasses the majority of actions a character will take.
Socializing, opening doors, running to your girlfriends
house or jumping into the cockpit of your giant mecha are
all examples of automatic actions.

Standard (5+)
Standard actions are those things that are a bit more
complex. These things are usually actions that might or
might not work, and failure usually means something bad,
while success means something good. Winning a hand of
battle-poker, sneaking past some Scorpio guards, picking
the lock to the Captains room, or charming the local
superstar with your wit are all examples of standard
actions.

Difficult (6+)
Difficult actions arent much different than standard actions
except that they are either more challenging or they are
standard actions being taken under extreme or stressful
circumstances. Sneaking past that Scorpio guard is a
standard action, but if that guard is specifically looking for
you, or is joined by 4 other guards the action might be
difficult. Picking the lock to the Captains room was a
standard action, but picking the electro-lock to the top
secret experimental weapons locker is a difficult action.
Likewise, performing what might normally be a standard
action while being shot at, chased, or under a time crunch
might elevate it to a difficult action.

Impossible (no roll)
Lots of crazy things can happen in an anime, but there is
still some grip on reality, and the GM may determine that
any action is impossible. A character (outside of their
mecha) can not jump over 100 ft. chasms! Likewise,
charming a diabolical dictator bent on galactic conquest
into letting you go probably isnt going to happen (unless
the GM thinks it will help the story). If a character wants to
try something and the GM says its impossible, thats the
end of it, stop asking.



Taking the Test
Tests are made using Abilities, and where no particular
Ability is applicable, the most appropriate Attribute.

To make a Test, simply roll the appropriate number of D6
according to the rank of the appropriate Attribute or Ability,
and reading the highest die (adding a +1 to that result if the
Ability is a Trained Ability). This number must equal or
exceed the difficulty number chosen by the GM (a 5 for a
Standard Test or a 6 for a Difficult Test) or the result of an
opposed roll made by another character (see Opposed
Tests below).

For example Yimbo, shy mecha pilot, has run into (literally)
Suki, the girl of his dreams. She has been knocked to the
ground, and he has been trying to say something charming
[8]
so she doesnt notice what a dork he is. After a bit of role
playing the GM asks the Yimbos player for a Social Test.
The social Ability falls under the Mien Attribute. Yimbo is
ranked as a Student in Mien, and thus rolls 2D6, taking the
highest result of the 2 dice. If he had chosen to train in the
Social Ability, he would add +1 to the die result.

The target number to be successful at a Test depends on if
the task is Standard or Difficult. If the test is Standard, you
need to roll a 5+; if the Test is difficult you need to roll a 6+.
Its as simple as that! The situation above sounds like a
Standard Test, so Yimbo would need a 5+.

Opposed Tests
Sometimes a character will be attempting to perform a task
that is directly opposed by another character. In this case
those characters involved arent rolling against a Test
Difficulty, but rather against each other. This is done a bit
differently. To make an opposed roll, each character
involved rolls the appropriate number of D6, as normal,
and adds +1 for any appropriate Trained Attribute. The
highest roll is the winner.

For example, remember poor Yimbo? Well, lets say that
when he runs into Suki, she is with Seth, the movie star.
As Yimbo tries to save face with his Social Ability, Seth
decides to belittle him so Suki will stay focused on him.
Yimbo rolls as he did before, but this time instead of trying
to beat the Difficulty set by the GM, he must beat Seths
roll based on his Intimidate Ability (2D+1 in this case). The
character who rolls highest wins the confrontation.

Note: Defending in combat, while technically could be
considered an opposed test, is handled a bit differently.
See Character Combat below.

Character Combat
Sometimes characters get in a fight of one sort or another.
Combat is simply a string of Tests as described above.
However, since combat is generally a dangerous (and
sometimes deadly) affair, it requires just a bit more
clarification. Still, combat is fairly abstract, fast, and
dramatic. Personal combat is still fairly abstract; resist
getting bogged down in details and specifics and
concentrate on narrating a dramatic conflict.

The Round
When combat takes place, time is broken down into
abstract 3 second periods of time called rounds. During
each round all the combatants roll for Initiative to see who
goes first, and then they can choose to take one action,
either moving, attacking, or defending.

Initiative
To see who gets to go first in a combat situation everyone
involved should make an Opposed Reaction Ability Test.
The character with the highest result goes first, the
character with the second highest goes next, and keep
going until everyone has had a turn to act. If the GM
desires, he can roll just one die for all his characters (Non-
player characters) and take all their actions at the same
time.

Moving
Characters may choose to move for their action. This is
usually to close with an opponent for melee combat, to run
away, to seek cover, to dodge an attack (see Defending
below), or for some other reason. A character can usually
cover about 10 to 30 feet a round, depending on
circumstance and the exact action. The GM will let you
know if you can make it to where you desire or if it will take
more than one round. In some instances, the GM may ask
you to make an Athletics Test to perform some move
actions if he deems it is appropriate.

Attacking
Attacking is the most common offensive action a character
will take. This is usually a Brawl, Melee, or Shoot/Throw
Test. The difficulty for the test is dependant on the
situation as determined by the GM. For example, if the
target of a shooting attack is far away, or there is fog or
poor lighting, or the target has taken cover, (or any of the
above combined) it might be a Difficult Test. If the shot is
close and the target is standing there firing back himself
this round, the difficulty might be Standard. Standard is the
default difficulty for an attack.

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Defending
Whenever a character is successfully attacked, they get
the chance to defend themselves using his Athletics Ability
(if dodging ranged or thrown attacks), his Brawl Ability (if
fist fighting), or his Melee Ability (if using melee weapons).
This is always a Standard Test.

Getting Hurt
During the course of the game characters are going to get
hurt. Getting punched or shot are going to be common, but
the will be other things that cause the characters pain.
Failing a Reaction Test and taking a fall into a pit, ingesting
some poisoned wine and failing a Health Test, or being
ejected into space without a space suit are all examples of
events that will hurt or kill the characters.

Every time a character is hurt, there is a chance (although
slim) of him dying. This in itself can be a dramatic story
changing event and GMs should not be afraid of using this
to advance the story in a new and exciting direction.
However, characters dont die like flies in most anime, so
most damage is going to roll off the characters like water
on duck feathers, or simply put them in a bad way for a
little while.

Each and every time a character gets hurt, simply take a
Health Ability Test. Take the roll total and reference the
chart below for the effect.

Personal Damage Table

Health Test Result
5+ Superficial Wound
3-4 Incapacitated
1-2 Dramatic Death!

Superficial Wound
This means the damage is simply a scratch or a bad bruise
and has no real effect on the character. This might mean a
laser gun hits but, just grazes the character leaving a burn
mark or that a punch has landed but, simply skimmed the
players jaw. Maybe this means that a dose of poison isnt
lethal enough to do anything but make the character a little
nauseous or that a falling character catches himself on a
jutting tree limb or the edge of a pit trap.

Incapacitated
An incapacitated character is wounded badly enough that
he is out of the action for this scene or longer (determined
by the GM). This might mean he is knocked unconscious,
sprained a limb, or has a bad wound. The character has
succumbed to the pain and can not be productive in any
real way (except to maybe avoid more pain).

Dramatic Death
The character has been wounded fatally and will soon die.
The character should have just enough energy to fill out one
last dying wish, complete his last battle, or give a dramatic
speech. The next episode of the series should include the
arrival of a new member to the ADF squad.

Character Rewards
Zodia Sunset is really a game about telling a good story
and having some giant robot battles. Characters start out
fairly capable and dont really become more and more
powerful as the story continues. Still, there is a reward for
good role playing and participation in the form of Bonus
Dice.

Bonus Dice are simply that, an extra die you can roll when
you have failed a Test. You may use as many Bonus Dice
as you have available on any roll if you like. Bonus Dice
can be used for character role playing Tests or during
mecha combat. Its the players choice how to use his
Bonus Dice.

Each character starts with 5 Bonus Dice at the beginning of
a game session. In addition, the GM will award additional
Bonus Dice to any character for good role playing. Good
role playing consists of acting in character, doing dramatic,
witty, intelligent, or creative things, and generally helping to
make the story more exciting and the game session more
fun for everyone.

GMs should feel free to award any number of Bonus Dice
per game session, but 1-5 should be the norm.

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So now you have a mecha pilot character and know how he does stuffbut thats only the half of it!
What good is a mecha pilot without a mecha to pilot? This section of the rules helps to fill out that
other half of the character sheet and create your mecha. This is as simple as creating a character
and should only take a few minutes. Remember, this game isnt about building the mecha piece by
piece for tactical battles, its about telling a story. Your mecha is simply another character in that tale.


Mecha in the Zodia System
The players are playing ADF mecha pilots, thus they are
piloting ADF mecha. These are humanoid shaped mecha
in classic anime tradition. They arent shaped like animals,
they dont transform, and they dont have tentacles or
biological partsof course, there is nothing stopping the
GM from creating these types of mecha to attack you!

ADF mecha arent clunky, they are sleek streamlined
machines. For the most part they should be thought of as
giant technologically advanced armor and weaponry.
Ultimately they are an extension of the pilot and their
abilities. The ADFs core color is white, with the pilot
choosing a highlight color.

Scorpio Empire mecha are very similar, except slightly
larger and less refined looking. Green with a few red
highlights are standard.

The mecha of the Zone Confederation are often salvaged
ADF or Scorpio Empire mecha. The Zone Confederation
often modifies these mecha, or builds them piecemeal,
then slaps their signature blue and red paint on them.

Mecha Attributes
Just like characters, mecha have Attributes. There are 3:
Attack, Defend and Control.

Just like in the character creation section, these Attributes
are ranked as Student, Teacher, or Master. They all start
as Teacher. You can choose to lower one to Student in
order to raise one to Master if you like.

Attack
Attack covers all the attacks that a mecha can make from
simple punches to a salvo of heat seeking missiles. It
represents the pilots skill with each weapon.

Defend
Defend covers the pilots ability to defend his machine
against the various incoming attacks. Pilots are more adept
at avoiding certain attacks.

Control
Control covers the pilots ability to control his mecha and
perform all his own functions in the cockpit.

Mecha Abilities
Just like character Attributes, each mecha Attribute has
several Abilities listed under it.

The Abilities starting Rank is equal to the linked Attribute it
falls under. You can choose 2 Abilities under each
Attribute to be Trained Abilities (put a check to them as you
did during character creation).

Attack
-Punch/Kick
-Melee
-Beam
-Projectile
-Missile
Defense
-Punch/Kick
-Melee
-Beam
-Projectile
-Missile
Control
-Boost
-Feint
-Maneuver
-Recover
-Repair

Mecha Weights
There are three different basic categories of mecha used
by the ADF, and they are categorized by weight: Light,
Medium, and Heavy. The weight you choose will
determine how much expendable Energy your mecha
produces each round and what damage tables you will
use. Choose a mecha weight and note it on your character
sheet along with its Energy. Cross off any extra boxes on
the Energy.

[11]
Light Mecha (6 Energy)
Light Mecha are fast and agile. They are lightly armored,
so dont burn as much Energy, but they are fragile.

ADF Stiletto: The Stiletto is a sleek mecha suited for
recon and missions that require stealth and speed. It has
accurate targeting equipment and more than makes up for
this lack of damage dealing firepower by being able to
attack more often. The Stiletto is lightly armored but
moves quickly and is a hard target to hit.

Medium Mecha (5 Energy)
Medium Mecha are the happy medium between the Light
mecha and the Heavy Mecha.

ADF Rapier: The Rapier has always been the ADFs prime
mecha. It is formidable and competent in all of its combat
functions. The Rapier forms the bulk of most ADF
squadrons. The Rapier balances its maneuverability with
its armor, and its weapons with its attack rate.

Heavy Mecha (4 Energy)
Heavy Mecha are plated with thick armor unfortunately all
this bulk makes them slow and cumbersome as it takes a
lot of Energy to keep them moving.

ADF Battleaxe: The Battleaxe is slow and ponderous, but
it can withstand a lot of damage and hits particularly hard.
While not as glamorous as the Rapier or clean cut as the
Stiletto, the Battleaxe is often the deciding factor in any
battle.

Choose Your Weapons
There are 3 slots for weapons on your character sheet.
Choose one weapon for each slot from the list below. You
may choose the same weapon multiple times if you like.
All mecha have fists and feet that can be used for
punch/kick attacks.

Melee
Hand held melee weapons, including force clubs, swords,
ball and chains, Axes, ect. You cant place a melee weapon
in your torso.

Beam
All energy type weapons, including lasers, photon
devastators, pulse rifles, ect.

Projectile
All slug throwing type weapons, including machine guns,
rocket cannons, harpoons, ect.

Missile
Missile salvos, used for both offense and defense.

Signature Moves
Signature Moves are special moves that can only be used
once per battle. You can pick two of these for your mecha.

Assault!
You can attempt to Boost an attack or damage roll 2 times
instead of one. This still costs 1 Energy for each Boost.
Barrage
You must be equipped with a functional Projectile Weapon
(a machine gun) to use Barrage. You can spread your
attack over 3 targets (the GM must determine if the targets
are eligible) by spraying a multitude of bullets. You make a
separate Projectile Attack Test for each target, and they can
Defend as normal.

Blinding Fists
You must be in melee combat with an opponent and spend
1 Energy to use Blinding Fists. You immediately make 3
punch attacks. Your opponent can attempt to Defend
against each attack, if he has the Energy to do so.

Brass Monkey Balls
By expending 1 Energy, you instantly Recover. You can do
this immediately after being Knocked Down if you have the
Energy, otherwise you must wait till the beginning of your
Turn, as normal.

Death Blow
Whenever you make an attack using a Trained Ability at
Master rank and all 3 dice come up 6s, your opponent is
instantly destroyed!

Death From Above
You must expend 1 Energy to launch your mecha into a
huge leap and place a whirlwind kick. If you hit, your
opponent can not Defend against the attack, and is
automatically Knocked Down in addition to normal damage.

Evade
At the cost of 1 Energy, you can automatically Defend
against one attack.

Final Revenge
When you are forced to eject, you can attempt a Repair
Test to cross a few wires causing a self destruct explosion!
Any mecha in melee range is caught in the explosion and
instantly destroyed.

Gear Head
At the cost of 1 Energy, you can automatically repair any
damaged part.

Power Punch
At the cost of 1 Energy you can power punch your
opponent. If you hit, you can choose your hit location and
the damage roll is made at a +1 bonus.

Resilience
When your Torso is destroyed, and you are forced to eject,
you can manage to hold your mecha together for 1D6 more
rounds. However, if your Torso is hit again during that time,
it explodes and your character is instantly killed.

Wax On!
At a cost of 1 Energy, you can attempt a Defend roll
against each and every attack made against you this
round
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This section of the rules is dedicated to mecha actionmostly mecha combat. Much like in the role
playing section of the rules, mecha combat is an abstract combination of role playing, narration, and
dice rolling. Mecha combat is much more structured and detailed that role playing combat. This is
simply due to the fact that mecha combat is more dramatic, deadly, and climactic. Further tips for
integrating the mecha combat with the role playing aspect so the games are found in the Game
Master Tips section that follows this one.

Setting Up the Fight
Whenever mecha are going to face off the GM should take
some time to describe the battle set-up. Things both the
GM and the players will want to know is the lay of the land
(or space), the location and general distance of opponents,
and any features that may play a role in the battle (things
that can be used for cover, areas players might want to
avoid, civilians that might get in the way, ect.).

Round and Turn
Just like in the role playing game section, combat takes
place in a series of rounds. During mecha combat the
length of a round is a bit more abstract. You can assume
each round is about 5 10 seconds in length. In every
single round, each mecha involved in the combat will get a
chance to take a turn. During a turn, the Mecha can take
some sort of action. The standard actions are going to be
moving, attacking (melee or ranged weapons), and then
defending.

Mecha Action Tests
Tests for mecha or pilot actions during mecha combat use
the same procedure as described in the Character Action
section of the rules. Combat is a bit more detailed and
structures, but the core rules and mechanics are the same.

Boost
The mecha pilot has an ability called Boost under his
Control attribute. Boosting means that the pilot is using his
skill to increase the mechas performance for the next
action it attempts. Boosting is a Standard Test, requires 1
Energy, and can be used as many times on a characters
turn as he likes (providing he has expendable Energy to
use Boosting). A successful Boost Test gives the
character a +2 bonus to the next Test or roll (it can be used
for Hit Location and Damage rolls) attempted.

Initiative
At the beginning of each round everyone must roll for
initiative to determine initiative order. Everyone then takes
their turn in the round in the initiative order from highest to
lowest. To make the initiative roll, each player involved in
the combat should make an opposed maneuver test.

Since there is a good chance the GM will be controlling
several mecha during the combat, so he simply rolls 2D6
(taking the highest die) once for his entire group. If the GM
is also controlling a special mecha (usually an important
NPC) then he can also roll an opposed maneuver test for
this mecha.

Surprise
Sometimes one side will get the drop on the other and take
them by surprise. In this case the side that the GM
determines has surprised the other gets to take a round of
action while the opponents do not get their turns. The
opponents may defend as normal, but can not take any
other actions until the next round. At the beginning of the
next round, initiative is rolled as normal.

Turn Summary
During your turn in a round you will do many things. The
following is a quick summary of a turn sequence. This will
make more sense after you finish reading the entire section
on mecha action.

Note: Either the attacker or the target can use any
signature moves at any appropriate time as detailed in their
descriptions.

Regain Energy
-The power generators replenish your
expendable energy supply.
Recover
-If you have been knocked down you may
attempt to recover now.
Repair
-If you have damaged systems you can
attempt to repair them now.
Action
-You can now take any other actions,
including moving, attacking, or any other
miscellaneous role playing action.
Attack
-You may attack at any time during your
turn.
Defend (Target Action)
-If you are attacked and hit you can
choose to defend against the incoming
attack.
Hit Location
-If you hit with an attack determine hit
location.
Damage
-If youve hit the target, you can now roll to
determine damage.
[13]
Doing Things on Your Turn
On your turn you can do anything that is going to take
about 5-10 seconds to complete. This can be things that
your mecha pilot is doing inside, or outside, of his mecha,
or things the mecha is doing, or a combination of both.
When it comes to things the pilot is doing, the GM should
use a combination of common sense and the role playing
rules.

Unlike a character, a mecha is limited by what it can do by
how much available energy it has to expend on actions.
Almost everything a mecha attempts to do is going to
require energy expenditure, and once its gone for the turn,
the mecha has been pushed to its maximum speed and
agility capabilities.

Its worth mentioning upfront that it costs Energy to defend,
so you might want to keep some of your energy in reserve
if you think you are going to be attacked. Then again, you
dont have to play it safeand your enemy might miss
anyway! The choice is yours.

Energy
Energy, created in the power generators located in the
torso, is the single most important resource of your mecha.
The mecha constantly requires a large amount of energy
just for its basic functions, and the rest must be managed
wisely or a pilot will find himself helpless at the worst time.

Maximum Energy
Each mecha has a listed Energy on the character sheet
that can be expended each turn for mecha action. The
maximum amount of Energy you can have is dictated by
the mecha type you have chosen.

Mecha Energy Table

Mecha Weight Energy
Light 6
Medium 5
Heavy 4

Replenishing Energy
At the start of each of your turns (not the round, your
individual initiative turn) your mecha will replenish all of its
expendable energy.

Energy Usage
You use Energy to move, to operate your mechas systems.
Energy is a sort of combination of actual generated power
and the time it takes for a mecha (or pilot I, in some cases)
to employ that power. Below is a list of things that you will
expend Energy on. Each of these will require the
expenditure of 1 Energy.

-Attack (Each weapon attack)
-Defend (Each attack you defend against)
-Action (usually movement)
-Boost (Pilot pumping extra Energy into a function)
-Repair (Pilot doing diagnostics and auto-repairs)
-Recovery (Pilot and mecha back on its feet)
-Some Signature Moves
Energy Track
The Energy Track on the character sheet is simply used to
keep track of how much Energy you use in a round. Use a
small coin or gaming stone and move it along the track. At
the beginning of the turn take the coin off until you spend
some Energy.

Miscellaneous and Movement Actions
The first thing we need to cover is the plethora of
miscellaneous things a mecha pilot can command his
machine to do that arent directly about combat.

Movement is the most important, and is going to require
the most interpretation and judgment on the part of the
GM. Movement during combat is usually going to cost 1
Energy and covers flying, running, moving to a tactical
position (like taking cover to make a shot difficult), closing
in for melee combat, ect. The GM may determine a certain
movement action may take 2 Energy (if its a particularly
long distance).

There are two pilot Abilities that usually fall directly under
this category, Feint and Maneuver.

Feint
You will make a Feint Test when you are trying to trick your
opponent. Sometimes this will be used to make you harder
to hit (make the attack Difficult), but usually it will be for a
more devious effect. For example: flying and dropping
between two enemies with the plan of flying away again
the second they shoot at youinstead hitting each other.
Or perhaps, taunting an enemy to attack you instead of
another, more vulnerable opponent. This is generally a
[14]
Standard difficulty Test (since the mooks running the
enemies mecha are generally pretty dim), but it could be
an Opposed Test against more important NPCs.

Maneuver
A Maneuver Test is called for whenever the mecha is trying
to do something particularly complicated, daring, or fancy.
Closing in on an opponent, or stepping behind a
skyscraper for cover are examples of things that wouldnt
require a Maneuver Test. Getting out of the way of that
skyscraper when your enemy blows it to bits and it is falling
on your mecha would require a Test (hope you have some
expendable Energy left to make that movement action!).

Mecha Attacks & Defenses
When all is said and done, the actual attacking and
defending during mecha combat is almost identical to that
of character combat. There are three major differences
though.

The first difference is the Abilities being used to attack and
defend. The mecha uses the specific Ability for each
weapon it has when making an attack. For example, a
mecha equipped with a Photon Devistator uses his Beam
Ability (under his Attack Attribute) to make his Test.
Likewise, the mecha defending against this attack uses his
Beam Ability (under his Defense Attribute) to defend from
the attack.

The second big difference is the number of attacks a
mecha can make. In character combat, each character
only gets one attack, while in mecha combat a mecha can
make as many attacks as the pilot likesas long as they
have enough expendable Energy to do so. Each weapon
can only fire once per round, however.

The last big difference is the way damage is dealt with.
This is detailed below.

Hit Location
When a mecha is successfully hit in combat (the attack roll
was a success, and any defense rolls are failed) you must
roll 1D6 to find out where the mecha was hit. This roll can
be increased with a Boost Test, if the attacker desires.

Before rolling its important to understand the makeup of
your mecha. Each mechas core anatomy is composed of
4 basic parts, the Head, Torso, Legs, and Arms. Each one
of these parts houses various systems and allows the
mecha to do various things. When these are damaged or
destroyed in battle the mecha is considerably crippled and
weakened.

Head
The head houses the control, sensors, targeting, and
communications systems. Most importantly it houses the
pilots cockpit.

Torso
The torso houses the power generators. Once the torso is
inoperable, the mecha is scrap. The torso also houses an
additional weapon.
Arms
The arms end in hands that can he used to manipulate
things or punch other mecha. The arms also house one
weapon each.

Legs
The legs are used for ground locomotion. They also house
the mechas propulsion jets that are used for flight.

Mecha Hit Location Table

1D6 Hit Location
1 Body
2 Right Leg
3 Left Leg
4 Right Arm
5 Left Arm
6+ Head

Mecha Damage
Once you determine where the target was hit, you must roll
for damage. This is simply a 1D6 and read the result
based on the weight (Light / Medium / Heavy) of the
damaged mecha.

This roll can be Boosted if the attacker desires and has
expendable Energy to Boost with.

If a damaged condition exists on subsequent rolls, then the
result is automatically bumped up to the next, more severe,
damage. For example: A mecha is hit in the left arm and
only takes Armor Damage. The next round the mecha is
hit in the left arm again and Armor Damage is rolled, but
since the armor has already been damaged the roll
becomes Location Damaged instead.

Mecha Damage Table

1D6 Roll
L M H Result
1 1-2 1-3 Armor Damage
2-3 3-4 4-5 Location Damaged
4+ 5+ 6+ Location Destroyed

Armor Damage
The mecha takes a fearsome blast to the area that burns
and tears at the armor, sometimes knocking entire
protective armor plates from the mecha. This damage can
be repaired in the field, but not during battle (it takes too
much time).

Body Damage

Damaged: The body takes a massive hit! The
body mounted weapon is destroyed until repaired.
The power generators are leaking spark and can
only produce 2 Energy until repaired.

Destroyed: The body takes a critical hit! The
power generator shuts down and the mecha falls
to its knees. The mecha is useless until extensive
repairs are performed. On a roll of 6 on 1D6 the
[15]
mecha explodes in a few minutes. The pilot can
eject with no penalties.

Leg Damage

Damaged: The leg takes a massive hit! All
movement type actions (including flying) cost 2
Energy, and all Maneuver Ability Tests are
automatically difficult until repaired.

Destroyed: The leg takes a critical hit and is
blown off! The mecha is immediately knocked
down and all movement type actions (including
flying) cost 2 Energy, and all Maneuver Ability
Tests are automatically difficult. If both legs are
destroyed, the mecha is immobile, although it can
get itself to a sitting position with a Difficult
Menuver Test.

Arm Damage

Damaged: The arm takes a massive hit! The arm
cannot be used (including its weapon) until
repaired.

Destroyed: The arm takes a critical hit, blowing it
clean off the mecha. Needless to say, the weapon
mounted on that arm can no longer be used. The
pilot must make a Difficult Maneuver Test or the
mecha is knocked Down.

Head Damage

Damaged: The head takes a massive hit! The
cockpit blacks out, the sensors are all down and
the mecha is knocked down. The mecha lies there
and can do nothing until the systems are repaired.

Destroyed: The head takes a critical hit! The pilot
is automatically ejected and the head explodes,
quickly followed by the torso. In addition, the pilot
must roll on the Personal Damage Table (reprinted
below for ease of reference).

Pilot Personal Damage Table

Health Test Result
5+ Superficial Wound
3-4 Incapacitated
1-2 Dramatic Death!


Repair
While the Repair Ability is normally used for maintenance
and more extensive repairs, during battle it is used to
quickly bring systems and equipment back online.

A Standard Repair Test is required to fix most of the
mechas un-functioning equipment during battle. This is all
done by computer in the mechas cockpit, and involves
rerouting power and using repair programs. It is only a
quick temporary jury-rig, and often does the mecha more
harm than good in the long runbut it keeps it going when
its important.

Recovery
Whenever the mecha is knocked down the pilot is shaken
and the mechas systems go bezerk. The pilot must make
a Standard Recovery Test to get himself and his machine
together again.

If the pilot fails the Recovery Test, he does nothing this
turn except lay there and breath heavy and sweat. Often
times he talks to himself about his stresses, failures, and
fears.

A mecha that is knocked down with a pilot that hasnt
recovered is a sitting duck. If an enemy chooses to attack
the downed mecha the attacker gains a +1 bonus to his roll
(a Standard Test, so 4+ hits). The pilot is unable to defend
himself at all.

[16]
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This game assumes that both the GM and players are familiar with role playing games. Still, there
are a few tips here for GMs who plan to run this particular game. Some of this might seem to be
common sense, but its worth mentioning.

Tests
A GM should be careful to only call for a Test when it is
important. Calling for one every time a character tries to
do some mundane task will not only slow the game, but it
will become dull for everyone. This will also ruin the drama
when the players roll the dice for something that is really
important. Tests should be called for when the outcome is
going to have game or story effects or is suitably
challenging.

Secret GM Rolls
Occasionally, the GM will roll in secret for a character. There
are times when even a failed roll would give the player
knowledge he wouldnt otherwise have. For example, if the
GM asks the player to make a Streetwise Test to notice the
lurking Scorpio spy, and the player fails, the character
doesnt see anything out of the ordinary. But the player now
knows that there is something out of the ordinary that his
character didnt notice. Its sometimes better for the referee
to make the roll in secret, and only mention it on a
successful result.

Standard or Difficult?
It is the GMs job to determine if a Test is going to be
Standard or Difficult. It isnt as hard as you would think.
The best determining factor is your gut instinct (its usually
right). Choose a difficulty and go with it.

Many times something that will be a Standard Test is made
into a Difficult Test by circumstance or the desire for some
dramatic effect. Circumstance is some external element
that makes the Test harder, such as an enemy shooting at
you while attempting to pick a lock or climb a chain linked
fence. Sometimes the player asks for some special
dramatic effect that makes a difficulty harder. For example,
kicking a Scorpio agent off a motor bike might be a
Standard Test, but doing a flying kick , knocking the agent
off the bike, and landing in the seat ready to take off would
be difficult.

Keeping the Anime in the Mecha Battles
Once the action switches from the role playing of the
mecha pilots outside the cockpit to role playing giant
robots, the game certainly changes. Still, the game
remains an anime style story. Here are some tips on
keeping the role playing alive when the mecha start battling
it out.

Role Playing Inside Your Mecha
When it comes to the mecha battling it out the game
generally switches to fight mode! That doesnt mean that
the role playing has to stop. In fact, the GM should
encourage continued role playing. Anyone who has
watched mecha based anime will notice that a lot of the
banter, both between friends and enemies, goes on while
in the cockpit of their mecha. This is a fundamental part of
the genre and it should definitely take place. This is
nothing more than talking for the most part. For some
strange reason, mecha pilots can always seem to hear
what someone else is saying to them if they like, while
other times they cant (for example, when sneaking up on
an enemy encampment). Dont worry too much about the
details, just have fun with it.

In addition to banter, there will be scenarios and situations
that will call for players to spend their turn doing more role
playing type things with their mecha than fighting. For
example, the PCs might be infiltrating a base where one of
their squadron (Gigi) is being held captive. The battlefield
scene is set up and the battle is going on. Suddenly during
his turn the GM says, Gigi suddenly runs out from one of
the buildings, she is screaming and waving her arms
around. On one of the players turn, it would be totally
appropriate for him to say, Im going to spend my turn
picking up Gigi and putting her in my cockpit.

Some of the times (like in the example above) the GM
should just allow a reasonable action in place of the
players turn. Other times, a Test or two might be in order.
For example, a mecha jumping over a chasm or trying to
scale a cliff face. In these cases, use the Mechas
Attributes, or if applicable simply use the characters
Attributes or Abilities for the test, and assume the mecha
acts accordingly under their trained guidance

Role Playing outside Your Mecha During a Battle
Sometimes, role playing episodes outside of the mecha are
going to take place at the same exact time as a mecha
battle. For example, in the scenario described before,
maybe Gigi didnt get out of the building. Once one of the
mecha moves next to the building that player is going to
have to get out of his mecha and go inside the building
searching for Gigi.

Getting out of the mecha and breaking down the door (a
Strength Test) might be his turn this round. Then the
mecha battle goes on as normal for the rest of the players
and enemies. The next turn, the player spends searching
the building. Maybe he finds Gigi in a room with a guard.
Again, the rest of the battle goes on as normal around him.
On his next turn, he punches the guard (an opposed Brawl
Test, in this case) and knocks him out. On his next turn,
he carries Gigi out to his mecha and loads her into the
[17]
cockpit. Then on his next turn he can rejoin the mecha
combat.

Again, GM and players should remember that the primary
purpose of the game is to create a good anime story. GMs
should use common sense in pacing the action and making
off the cuff decisions. The important rules and guidelines
are covered in the rules, the rest should be easy enough to
wing when needed. Dont waste too much time worrying
about rules (or even reality), just think about keeping the
story going forward and the players excited.

Tactical Battle Missions
By now you are getting the idea that every battle isnt
simply going to be a fight to the death with your opponent
(although hat can be a lot of fun as well). There are going
to be a lot of times when the players have a special
mission or goal to accomplish. Sometimes finishing the
mission or reaching the goal will trigger the end of the
battle or cause the enemy to retreat. For example, if a
crew of Scorpio mecha are guarding a secret lab, and the
PCs are sent to destroy the lab, once the lab is destroyed
the enemy may realize they lost and leave the battlefield.

The GM should do his best to try and keep coming up with
new and exciting scenarios to keep the players on their
toes.

The GM vs. the Players?
In a nutshell, the primary mission of the GM is to entertain
the players. This is done by coming up with good stories,
throwing challenging situations at them, and encouraging
them to role play their characters dramatically. However,
dont pull your punches when it comes to role playing your
own non-player characters. Do what you think they would
do, and make decisions you think are wise and
competitive. Trust me; this will make the game more
exciting, because the players will really feel like they are in
a life or death battlebecause they are!

Now this isnt to say the GM is always playing against the
characters. It would be too easy for the GM to win all the
time, since he sets up the game and has all the behind the
scenes information. The GM should give players
challenges of all different levels, sometimes fair and
sometimes in the favor of one side or another as the
scenario calls for. This is done when the GM is designing
the adventure or mecha battle. But, once the mecha battle
starts, the GM is playing the enemy and wants to win just
as much as the players.

No matter who wins, the GM is going to have to continue
running and guiding the anime story. The unknown
element is going to help to make things exciting and the
story unpredictable.

The good guys might win the war, but its more dramatic
and profound if they dont win every battle on the way to
that grand victory.

Important Non Player Characters
Important NPCs are friends or foes that will directly interact
with the player characters. You can give these NPCs as
little or as much detail as you like. It is advised that you
work out their background and personality and at least stat
out their 4 Attributes, to give them a little individuality.

Important NPC mecha pilots should have fully detailed
mecha for mecha combat and be treated exactly like player
characters during combat.

GMs do not need to follow the procedure for player
characters when writing up NPCs. Just give them what
you think they should have to fit their personality and role
in the story.





Scorpio Mecha Ace Karu
Karu is very aggressive and believes in actions over words.
He is totally loyal to the Scorpio Empire, but respects his
Aries opponents and always fights with honor. When
outside of his mecha he prefers face to face battle with
bladed weapons.

Agility: T Body: M Mind: T Mien: M



[18]
Mooks
Mooks are unimportant, faceless, cardboard NPCs that are
simply window dressing. Most of these dont even need
statistics.

Mooks that have a slightly more important roll in the story
are usually simply ranked as Student, Teacher, or Master
and use these ranks for any die rolls that they need to
make during the game.

For example, a rank and file Scorpio soldier might be
Student Rank, while a power armored special security
guard might be Master Rank.

Mooks and Damage
Mooks are unimportant non-player characters in the story
that are run by the GM. Whenever they are hurt they are
automatically considered Incapacitated or Dead, whatever
is most appropriate to the story. Do not waste time rolling
on the Personal Damage Table for mooks.

Mook Mecha
The majority of mecha the characters fight are going to be
mook mecha. Just like mook NPCs, these arent going to
need near as much detail as player characters or important
NPCs.

The only details a mook mecha needs is its Rank (Student,
Teacher, or Master which is used for all Tests), Weight (and
corresponding Energy), and Weapons.

Mook Mecha Damage
The GM need not keep track of all the damage to each and
every unimportant mecha he has fighting on the battlefield
(although he should for important NPCs). The GM can
simply roll on the Mook Damage Table below (ignoring the
Hit Location Table altogether) when the PCs hit. Its up to
the GM to narrate exciting hits and results.

Just like regular damage, if a damaged condition already
exists on subsequent rolls, then the result is automatically
bumped up to the next, more severe, damage. So, in a
nutshell a mook mecha has 3 conditions, it is either in
perfect working condition, damaged, or destroyed.

Mook Mecha Damage Table

1D6 Roll
L M H Result
1 1-2 1-3 Armor Plates Blown off
2-3 3-4 4-5 Mook Mecha Damaged
4+ 5+ 6+ Mook Mecha Destroyed

Armor Plates Blown Off
Things go flying, burn, or explodebut no severe
damage is done.

Mook Mecha Damaged
The mecha takes a dramatic hit! Things blow up, it
has 2 less energy to spend each round, it makes
all its Tests at one rank lower for the rest of the
battle, and it is knocked down for 1 round.

Mook Mecha Destroyed
The mecha explodes in a flash of fire and smoke!

Support Units
In almost all mecha anime you will see more traditional
troops (Infantry, tanks or walkers, artillery, and air/space
ships) trying to fend off giant mecha. These support units
never do much besides get in the way (and get killed).
However, they can add a new level of excitement and
drama to a battle when used appropriately.

Keep in mind that a Support Unit is just that, an entire unit,
not just one or two tanks or infantry; its a dozen, or several
dozen individual people or vehicles.

Assigning Support Units to Players
The GM controls all the Support Units on his side and they
go on his initiative. If there are Support Units on the side of
the players, then the units should be split among the
players as evenly as possible. Support Units controlled by
a player take their Turn on the same initiative as the
controlling players mecha.

Support Unit Statistics (Quality)
Support Units dont need as much detail as mecha
because, lets be honest, they are going to be fairly
insignificant in the battle and die like flies. Support units
are considered Student (1D) for all die rolls on the
battlefield.

Support Units and Damage
Support units deal damage the same as mecha. Support
units, however, are simply destroyed when they take a hit
that they dont defend against.

Characters vs. Mecha
Sooner or later there is going to be a disgruntled character
running around on the battlefield after his mecha has been
destroyed who decides to take on a mecha.

Role Playing on the Battlefield
First off, the player is free to do any sort of role playing
actions they like on their turn. If its dramatic, and fitting to
the story and character itll just make the game that much
more fun anyway.

Allow the character to do dramatic things every now and
then when appropriate, but dont go overboard. Let the
players know when something truly special has happened.
If a player somehow manages to work out a way to do
something that takes out a mecha, he will often try to do it
again and again if you dont curb the action.

For example: lets say a character strings a rope between
two trees when an enemy mecha is bearing down on some
hapless villagers. The GM decides this is pretty cool, so
he doesnt even roll and simply says, The mecha stagers
[19]
and falls on his face, struggling to get up. This gives the
character time to usher the villagers into the safety of the
underground bomb shelters. This is a great story bitbut,
if every time a mecha battle takes place the character
jumps out of his cockpit to tie a rope between trees it is just
lame, so only reward actions like this when they are smart,
fun, and advance the story.

Characters Fighting Mecha
The GM should let the player know that this is a fairly futile
course of actionbut, since the player isnt going to listen,
you should know how to handle this.

A character must roll to hit as usual (one attack per round,
despite the fact that mecha combat rounds are longer, this
attack is assumed to be several actual shots). This is
always a Standard Test, due to the relative size of the
mecha. The mecha wont bother wasting Energy to defend
itself, since the chances of the characters puny weapon
harming it is pretty remote.

If the character scores a hit simply keep track of this.
When the character has scored 5 successful hits he can
roll on the appropriate damage table.

The Series
Your campaign should be considered to be an anime
series. This series can be as long as you like, but 4, 6, 12,
or 26 parts are popular choices.

The series itself should have an overarching storyline while
each game session should be a single episode with a start,
end, and be a fairly self contained story.

Your series can take any tone you like, from serious to
comedy. In addition, you can choose as simple or as
complex a story as you like. Here are some additional
considerations that you, as GM can consider using to make
the stories better and more exciting for the players.

Story Scope
Take at least a few moments to think about the scope of
your story. Is it going to be small and personal, or is it
going to be huge and shape the future of the Zodia
system?

Zodia Sunset is ultimately a story about war. Two cultures
are fighting, one as the aggressor (Scorpio) and one as the
defender (Aries). Much like the wars of our own history,
the battle is rather futile and pointless, but its the leaders
who play the game, and the characters are simply the
pawnsor are they?

The scope of your tale can be as large as you like. Your
series can climax with the ending of the war, if you like,
with the characters at the center of it all.




Back Story & Flashbacks
Encourage players to come up with interesting back stories
for their characters, and to give you plenty of plot hooks
you can use in the adventures you design.

In addition, you can add your own bits of back story to what
the players design, and expand upon the things that they
have already developed. Perhaps the player mentions that
his father has always been disappointed in him for going
into the ADF instead of staying on the farm. Give the
character a chance to go back to his village to impress his
father, maybe while there a battle takes place and the
character wins and expects his father to be
impressedbut all the father can do is point out how much
damage the battle did to the village and the crops.

Flashbacks are another tool you can use to advance the
story, give players a hint, or just to drive them crazy with
curiosity. Maybe a character was in a battle years ago
where he accidentally shot a small girl. This flashback
replays in his mind at the worst times, causing him to doubt
himself. Maybe he runs into a Scorpio mecha pilot with the
same colored hair, and he is hit with the flashback. Could
it be the same girl? Maybe he didnt kill her? What does
she want from him now?

Relationships & Love
It may seem odd in a story about war and giant robots that
the most important element of the story is going to be the
relationships developed between the characters (both
those run by the players and those run by the GM).
However, that is the case in most captivating anime series.

The overarching story of the series, and the individual plot
of the episode are important to the grand scheme of things,
but it is the individual relationships of the characters that is
going to give the game the feel of an anime series. Use
these relationships as much as you can, including internal
conflict (a characters relationship with himself).

Hopefully the players will help you along with this by
deciding who they like, dislike, hate, love, and are sexually
attracted to. Give them plenty of reasons to be jealous of
NPCs, or to be ridiculed, embarrassed, or shown up by
them.

Love triangles are a classic staple of anime, and can be a
lot of fun to use, especially if you can get the players on
board (although I would suggest skipping this if it makes
the players uncomfortable). Work things out so almost
everyone is in love with someone who is in love with
someone else. Frustration and confusion are the key to
role playing this.

Uncomfortable relationships with enemies or villains can be
lots of fun as well. A heterosexual character will be
unnerved by a homosexual villain who seems to respect
and be attracted to themyet still trying to kill them, or at
least humiliate them.


1c Zod: 1c Zod: 1c Zod: 1c Zod:| ,'c: | ,'c: | ,'c: | ,'c:

This section helps to flesh out the setting of the game a bit more, providing you with extra detail about
the important places and people involved in the story. This is just a starting point for you to create
your own anime series based on this information.

Aries
Aries is a lush world with several oceans and a plethora of
fertile islands and small continents. Beautiful mountains
and bountiful jungles are common. Civilized areas are
cultivated for crops of all types, some native to Aries and
some imported from the long forgotten Earth. Around Aries
orbit its four moons, two of which support small scale
colony projects.

Aries now boasts a population of about 1 billion, with
Capital-City (the original colonization site) being the largest
metropolis at over 1 million. From Capital-City, the council
of 6 (ancient and wise citizens) rules the democracy that is
Aries. There are many smaller cities, and thousands of
small villages and communities, each with a mayor or
leader. Most of these communities pledge some sort of
loyalty to Capital-City.

The Aries Defense Force (ADF), whose main base is
located on the isle of Nova just to the north of Capital-City,
is the primary military organization in charge of keeping
planetary peace and the law throughout Aries. Their
primary mission in these later years is defending the planet
from the frequent attacks from the invading Scorpio
Empire. The player characters themselves are mecha
pilots serving in the ADF.


Admiral Banks
Admiral Banks is the no nonsense commander of the ADF
mecha detachment units. He is an intelligent, gruff,
stressed out, and crappy man. He is often torb between
his dedication to Aries and his concerne for each and every
mecha pilot under his command.

Agility: S Body: T Mind: M Mien: M


Alpha Commander Shea
Shea is the totally hot, totally aloof, but very professional
teen in charge of the elite ADF Alpha Squadron. She is
usually picked to lead the most dangerous and top secret
missions.

Shea claims not to have time for love in her life, but
chances are she will fall for (although she will deny it) a
brash young mecha pilot who can prove himself to be her
equal on the battlefield. Of course, this will be much to the
irritation of her second in command, Tara, who has been
secretly in love with her since flight school.

Agility: M Body: T Mind: T Mien: M

[21]
The Fela-fi Pride
To the delight of the Aries colonists, humans found that
they were not completely alone. On the moon of Leoni,
explorers found a race of sentient humanoid felines, the
Fela-Fi (Feelah-fee). When contact was initiated, the Fela-
Fi were living in an Amazonian feudal clan system. Things
havent changed much, but that just seems to be the
nature of the Fela-Fi and the way they like things. The
Fela-Fi Pride is the name collectively given to hundreds of
clans of Fela-Fi. An ironic name, since the Pride is in a
constant state of internal squabbles and wars, with each
clan leader claiming she is the one true Pride-Queen.

Despite their aggressive tendencies, the Fela-fi Pride
maintains a civil relationship with the humans. Trade and
relations between the two races is good. The Fela-fi have
taken to space travel very quickly and you can find small
numbers of Fila-Fi in most human moon colonies, and one
entire clan has relocated to Aries. While some hostilities
and prejudices between the two races do surface, these
incidents are fairly rare and usually contained to radical
groups.



Pride-Queen Leona
Pride-Queen Leona leads one of the largest Fela-fi prides
on Leoni (yes, she is Leona of Leoni!). She is ruthless,
aggressive, aloof, hostile, moody, andwella bitch!
Despite being Pride-Queen, this doesnt stop her from
getting right in the mix of things. She frequently goes on
solo missions that she thinks are important. Leoni admires
the strength and power of mecha and desires to own her
own legion of mecha warriors.

Agility: M Body: T Mind: S Mien: M
The Scorpio Empire
Scorpio is a barren and broken planet of hot dry air and
frequent wind storms. The skies of Scorpio are often in
shadow from its cluster of 12 dead moons orbiting
constantly over the major land masses. Early colonists
had to struggle simply to survive in this hostile world. Over
time they managed to adapt, and even thrive.

The people of Scorpio are lean, but muscular, with pale
skin and slightly glowing dark eyes accustom to seeing in
the dim Scorpio atmosphere. Their history and origin all
but forgotten, their society is a militaristic dictatorship, and
has proven to be the only way for their people to survive.
A Scorpio Emperor rules with an iron fistuntil he is
defeated by someone stronger. Political deceit and
betrayal are common practices, and even looked upon with
admiration.

The current Emperor is the ancient Vladimir, a brilliant, but
twisted, mind held in a decaying body that should have
died a hundred years ago. Vladimir is kept alive in his
throne room by machines, wires, and tubes.

The Emperor is the only member of the Scorpio Empire
who is aware of their distant Earth related past. Deep
below the Imperial palace, in a hidden chamber, can be
found the artifacts and data discs from the colony ship that
crashed on Scorpio 500 years ago.

The face of the Emperor are his twin children (the offspring
of an unknown concubine), Prince Kanji and Princess
Tamashi. These two lead the military invasion of Aries.
Most assume Prince Kanji will be the next Emperor as he
is ruthless, cruel, and strong. While Princess Tamashi is a
capable leader and warrior, she is sometimes swayed by a
foreign concept in the Scorpio political milieu, something
called a conscience.

The Scorpio Empire has shown no desire for peaceful
relations. After generations of pain and suffering on
Scorpio, they look longingly at the beautiful world of Aries
and want it for their own home. This perception is
something that has been pushed on the people of Scorpio
by imperial propaganda.

Princess Tamashi
Princess Tamahi is a
beautiful young woman
and brilliant mecha pilot.
While she tries to be a
ruthless military leader
for her father, she
secretly desires nothing
more than peace for
herself and the people of
Scorpio. Ironically, her
ideals may be the only
real hope for Scorpios
survival.



Agility: T Body: S Mind: M Mien: T
[22]

Prince Kanji
A true prodigy of his father, Prince Kanji is a ruthless,
heartless man who thinks only of military might and
aggression. Prince Kanji is very arrogant and has a hot
temper, which he takes out on both his enemies and his
subordinates.

Even as he leads the attack against Aries, Prince Kanji
schemes against the Emperor, plotting his
assassinationwhen the time is right.

He takes extreme personal pleasure in berating his sister,
Princess Tamashi, and thinks of her as weak.

Agility: T Body: M Mind: T Mien: T

The Zone Confederacy
An asteroid belt known as The Zone orbits in a path slightly
wider and perpendicular to that of Scorpio and Aries.
Twice a year, The Zone passes so close to the two worlds
that the asteroids can be seen in the sky, night and day.

The larger asteroids in The Zone are the home of many
independent colonies. These colonies are inhabited by
refugees from both Aries and Scorpio and want nothing to
do with either (although they do tend to favor Aries when
picking a side is necessary). Colonies of The Zone form a
loose confederation called the Zone Confederacy, and
support the Zone Militia, a small army of light mecha and
star fighters.

Confederate Commander Zeel
Commander Zeel is Admiral Banks
estranged son. At one time he led the
ADFs elite Alpha Squadron, but when he
fell in love with a Scorpio prisoner of war
and helped her to escape he was
relieved of duty.

Shortly thereafter he left for the sone,
where he reunited with his love. Now he
leads the Zone Militia, with his wife as his
second in command. He still longs
reconciliation with his father, but wont
admit it.

Agility: S Body: T Mind: M Mien: M



The Outsiders
The Outsiders are a race quiet of blue skinned humans.
Their thought process is completely incomprehensible and
no sort of contact or understanding has been achieved,
especially since they never seem to speak. They are the
great unknown element in this horrible war. Neither Aries
nor Scorpio know where the Outsiders come from or what
their purpose is. What they do know is that they are
unpredictable and dangerous.

Sometimes Outsiders are encountered unpredictably and
their space and land forces vary in size dramatically from a
single space fighter or infantry unit up to a fleet of ships
and mecha with full ground support. Sometimes they
engage Aries or Scorpio in combat and other times they
completely ignore them, or simply observe the two fighting.

Perhaps one day soon their true purpose will be revealed?

The Outsiders are actually the descendants of the third
colony ship headed for Zodia that disappeared so long
ago. That ship was headed for certain doom when it
passed through a dying space cloud. The cloud was
inhabited by an alien entity, and when it encountered the
humans it symbiotically attached its being into each of
them. The outsiders are now a hive minded space faring
race that wants to settle down on a home world. This may
necessitate the destruction of any hostiles, and they are
currently feeling out the abilities of both the population of
Aries and Scorpio.

ADF Forever!
[23]


Player:
Pilots Name:
Archetype:
Sex: Weight: Height: Age:
Background:___________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
___________________________

Agility:
Athletics
Pilot
Reaction
Shoot/Throw
Stealth

Mind:
Education
Engineering
Streetwise
Technology
Trickery

Body:
Brawl
Endurance
Health
Melee
Strength

Mien:
Flirt
Intimidate
Looks
Social
Willpower

Equipment:______________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________

Illustration















Character















Mecha
Mecha Name:
Weight:
Energy:

Energy Track





Attack:
Punch/Kick
Melee
Beam
Projectile
Missile

Defense:
Punch/Kick
Melee
Beam
Projectile
Missile

Control:
Boost
Feint
Maneuver
Recover
Repair


Body
Weapon:
Damage:

Right Leg
Damage:

Left Leg
Damage:

Right Arm
Weapon:
Damage:

Left Arm
Weapon:
Damage:

Head
Damage:

Signature Moves