That Anime RPG

Created by Nekoturny

Core Rules
Basics: Any sufficiently meaningful action requires a roll to resolve.
Characters posses the base stats: intellect, charm, spirit, power, and talent, which describe their chances
of success. In addition to base stats, characters posses traits which describe what they can do outside
the norm and how.

Stats: Each stat has a number between 1 and 10 which represents its potency.
Intellect: how clever you are, your ability to craft complex plans and make sense of
convolution. If it has to do with sifting through vast amounts of data, plotting and scheming, doing
science or using advanced devices it’s intellect based.

Charm: how sociable and astute you are, your ability to lead and inspire as well as fast talk. If it
has to do with making convincing lies, leading great armies into battle, or fast talking your way out of
trouble it’s charm based.

Spirit: the force of your will, the ability to push through hard times and stand when all hope is
lost. If it has to do with standing up again and again after being beaten down, inspiring courage in
yourself and others, or piercing the heavens with the force of your soul, it’s spirit based.

Power: your physical prowess, how effective you are in combat and your ability to defy
physics. If it has to do with fighting, being especially quick, strong or resilient, or your body and
physical condition then its based off power.

Talent: how good you are at what you do, your affinity towards special skills and unusual
proficiencies. If it has to do with making something special or unusual happen, being creative, or doing
something that requires skill like ninja stealth or magic then it’s talent based.

Rolling: The GM decides what stat is best applicable and the player rolls that stat’s number in d6s,
they succeed if any of the dice come up 6. If circumstances are favorable, the gm may add up to 3
bonus dice.
Success: When players are successful they get to dictate what happens and what they
gain, provided it’s something attainable with that success. In combat or combat-like encounters the GM
will explain what the enemies attempt to do and the victorious player riffs off that and describes how
their character foils them.

Failure: When players fail they describe what their character attempts to do, and the
GM riffs off that and describes what complications, errors or consequences they face. If the characters
are in peril and fail, they may suffer damage. Depending on the circumstances (and the GM), the
players may still get what they wanted on a failure, but at an unexpected cost.

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Damage: There are no hitpoints in this game, instead damage is dealt to stats. Different sources of
damage affect different stats. Losing a fight or getting sick would inflict power damage, whereas
rejection or humiliating defeat would cause spirit damage. Keep in mind that damage is rarely the only
consequence of failure.
When a stat drops to zero the player is incapacitated, either by passing out, collapsing out of
hopelessness, or the like. If players take additional damage to a stat already at zero, then the damage is
delivered to one of the remaining stats, or they may be forced to make a death roll if death is part of
your game.
When players heal they must heal in a way that affects the damaged stat. A healing potion
would restore physical damage, but do nothing to charm. However if the charm damage was caused by
deep cuts to the face, then a healing potion would work.

NPCs and Enemies: NPCs lack defined stats and rolls. The GM or player will make up a
description of them and what they can do, in as much detail as their significance demands. Typically
it’s up to the gm to decide what they do and whether their actions succeed or fail. Its not necessary for
NPCs to roll ever. If there is enough uncertainty that the GM or players feel a roll is called for, then the
GM may roll as many dice as they feel are appropriate. For reference, 4d6 has about a 50% chance of
success.
Any NPC action can be contested by a player’s action before it lands. If the GM describes a
villain attacking, the player can chose to do something about it provided it makes sense within the
narrative. In this case the player must roll an appropriate stat. The GM should err on the side of mercy
when players choose not to interfere, and save the big consequences for when they take risks and fail.

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Game Start
Worldbuilding: Before you start your campaign, you should have an idea of what you want the
story to be like. Tell your players what the feel of the story will be and ask them what they want to add
or change. What will the power level be? Will there be a lot of action or will it be mostly social? Talk it
over and make sure everyone is on board and happy before you start.
Will it be an over the top mecha adventure? Maybe a medival drama with massive armies and
political intrigue. Will your characters be highschoolers coming of age? Or “highschoolers” fighting
evil with their imaginary friends. You could be magically transported to a new world, or pretend your
waifu is real. The only limit is your imagination.

Character Creation: To create a character, assign up to 22 points among your stats and Traits.
Traits cost one point each to start, and twice their current level to upgrade. Upgraded traits have
additional effects, or are on a higher power level than most of the campaign.

Traits: Traits are made up by the player and approved by the GM. They determine what special
actions the player can do and describe key features of the character. Traits can be anything from skill in
martial arts to a giant robot that you know how to use. Traits can be a thing, a skill, a racial quirk, a
special friend or noble title, anything that defines your character and gives them an ability that others
lack.
Trait rules: Traits must be specific enough not to cause confusion as to what their limits are, but
not so specific that they become boring. Traits should also stay within the story’s power level. A
character shouldn’t have the ability to blow up planets with their mind unless this is par for the course.

A complete trait should have a description of what it is, what it does, how it works, what actions
might it allow, and what are its limits if any. The GM and player will decide what stat best applies to
the trait.

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Progression
Leveling Up: Leveling up is based on completing quests and going through character development
rather than collecting exp. Quests are declared at the beginning of the story, but can change and be
added as the story develops. Additionally, significant events that have a large meaningful effect on the
players can cause them to level up on the spot. Whether an event triggers a level up is up to the GM’s
discretion.

When you level up: Choose a new trait, upgrade an existing trait, or add a point to a stat.

Adding traits: When you add a new trait, it should be believably acquirable. A highschooler
should not be able to take a new trait that allows them to read people’s minds, unless their highschool is
in hell.

Upgrading traits: When you upgrade a trait, you add a sentence, or change the wording of the
trait to widen it’s scope, increase its effect, or eliminate loopholes and weaknesses. Upgraded traits are
more powerful than new traits, but lack the variety.

Gains and Complications: As the story progresses the characters will no doubt come to acquire
powerful items, be gifted magical abilities, make friends, and a reputation. They might also be injured
or cursed, make enemies or fall into debt. These are represented as gains and complications.

Gains behave the same as a trait, but they are usually created by the GM. When players receive
a gain one or all of them can then use it like a trait. Gains can be lost and destroyed, they can also have
hidden secrets or unknown side effects. Gains can be as mundane as a gun which allows for ranged
attacks, or as special as an awakened telekinetic power.

Complications behave similarly to traits, but they describe something negative. Complications
can make things harder or prevent them outright. Blindness for example would prevent actions
requiring sight. A bad reputation with a faction would make negotiations difficult, or cause them to act
with hostility.

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Death and Defeat
While this game is more about the story than the challenge, death or unrecoverable loss is an important
part of making the stakes feel meaningful. Its up to you and your players to decide whether you want
your game to include lose conditions other than giving up.

Death: When a character is subjected to a sufficiently lethal source of damage they may make a
straight roll of 3d6 to survive, and be only incapacitated and injured, or they may accept death and get
one free successful action with the requirement being that they die at the end. A character’s death action
cannot defeat or destroy the threat, but it can save others or drive back the threat temporarily. The GM
has the final say, but should respect the character’s sacrifice.

Defeat: Death does not need to be the only way for players to lose. Failing to defend a city against
alien invaders, allowing a villain to collect all the macguffins, or losing a game to a rival team are all
examples of alternative ways for the players to lose. Lose conditions aside from death should involve
some source of suspense and tension, be it a time limit, or ever present threat.