Kazei 5

[ghost-angel]

(finally! A bloody review of the book! took me long enough....)

 

Kazei 5, a setting and sourcebook for running Anime style Cyberpunk Gaming with the Sixth Edition Hero System.

 

The Upside:

 

The book titles itself as 'Animepunk' - even though it latches onto the overly used (prefix)punk naming scheme it manages to actually fit. One of the few usefully descriptive names. When Anime overlaid its own brand of style on the Cyberpunk subgenre it came away with some overall ideas. Kazei 5 takes those and brings them to the gaming table, quite nicely.

 

The book itself does have one downside, it is presented out of order. Kazei 5 is a setting taken from a long running series of games, and presented for general use. As is the way behind a number of published settings, it comes with a deep and well explored background, manages to present a good number of richly created characters for use in your own games, that feel like people and not character sheets. The first two sections talk about a lot of mechanical information on how the game uses and presents various types of characters - cyborgs, replicated humans, ESPers (an anime-centric look at telekinetic and supernatural types), genetic upgrades, professional templates, and gear. Everything you need to run a Cyberpunk style game. The section after that is the actual world background that everything operates in, the context of the whole book. Which is where I'm going to start, because the book made more sense and became more interesting when I skipped the first parts and moved onto the actual Setting first.

 

Section 1 - Introduction. Alright, I'm tackling the introduction first, because it is a good set up for the whole sub-genre that this presents. The author talks about some basic concepts to help new players along. Discussing Anime, Manga, Cyberpunk, and how all three elements fit together to create Animepunk.

 

Section 4 - The World Of Kazei 5. This should have been Section 2, it sets up the whole setting, and presents why this is different from every other Cyberpunk setting you've ever seen. Kazei 5 is a world of extremes, with a slightly altered recent-history. ESPers appeared in the early twentieth century in force, making the psychic, building crushing mentalists of anime a real force. From the slick ultramodern and hyper-advanced towers of Neo York (a renamed and resurfaced New York), Mega-Tokyo, and Hong-Kong to the desperate burned out slums of the Zero Zones and third world Africa. Some of them in start juxtaposition to each other - the Neo York Zero Zone (Zero Law-Enforcement Zone) sits just across the way from the shining towers of Manhattan in Queens and Brooklyn.

 

This kind of set up allows for both the super-slick modern Cyberculture promised to the citizens, and the actual reality of the near-post-apocalyptic living conditions. A true Have vs Have-Not situation. Middle classes sit trapped in vast arcologies working their lives away for the elite - with neither the riches of the upper-class nor the ability to self-define themselves of the desperately poor with nothing to lose. The biggest section is given over to Neo York, where the book suggests most campaigns can easily fit. This is in a world where the United States and Canada have broken up into many smaller countries across North America, following a second civil war and economic collapse. However, it does give over space to the rest of the world to help flesh out global relations, and let adventures be set anywhere. It gives enough information to allow GMs to expand upon anywhere they wish, using the extensive look at Neo-York as a guide to any modern city (or megacity) in the world of Kazei 5.

 

By far the most interesting, and most important section, of the book. The Setting is the actual meat of how to bring the subgenre to life, I only wish it had another twenty pages to go into greater detail on some of the worlds most important cities and areas. For the record, Kazei 5 defaults itself to the year 2030, which is like the new 2020 - just near enough and just far away enough.

 

Section 2 - The Animepunk Sourcebook. Moving back to the start of the book again, Section 2 looks at a number of standard Cyberpunk tropes, with information on how to treat them in the world of Kazei 5, and with the Hero System specifically. After reading Section 4 to provide context a lot of the information here comes to life more. Cyberware, the most known element of Cyberpunk Gaming out there, starts us off. With a look at Cyberware in society and how you go about getting it. And then a look at how it works mechanically within the context of Hero and Setting both, and then twenty pages of Cyberware write-ups to plug-and-play right into character creation. Cyborgs are next and get the same treatment of how society views them (and the various kinds of cyborgs from partial to full, obvious to inobvious), plus the mechanics behind them all. Cyberspace is next, how its expanded in the world of Kazei 5, and how it works. Luckily there's only six pages of 'Cyberspace Utilities', a perfectly useful number of computer programs to start off as exmaples for the aspiring group of players. Then ESPers are up, a truly Anime addition to the Cyberpunk Genre, psychics, mystics, and telekinetics as they appear in the modern anime-centric setting. How they fit into society, how they work, and how to play one effectively, with eight pages of pre-built Powers to use. And Mecha, another anime-centric addition to Cyberpunk, from the form fitting suits of Bubble-Gum Crisis to the two story tall battle armor of Silent Mobius and Patlabor. How they're used, how they affect play and society both. Also included are Cyberoids - autonomous cybernetic beings, anime versions of robots, from humanoid servants to massive machines of war.

 

The chapter is important in creating the right feel of each element in the game, though about half the Cybernetic Write-ups could have been ditched to give more space to Section 4 - I only need so many examples of cybernetic (the most common element of Cyberpunk Gaming) before I'm ready to create my own for a game. It's not a generic enough discussion on the elements to really work without the information on Section 4, but does work excellently with it.

 

Section 3 - Characters In Kazei 5. An even more detailed look at how to create characters for the setting. The templates break down as Normal Human, Genetically Upgraded Human, Cyborg, ESPer, and Replicate (artificial human). And a look at professional templates - all the standard Cyberpunk archetypes are here. Corporates, hackers and data specialists, doctors and fixers, gangers and street samurai, reporters and rockers, soldiers and cops. Plus a few extra more specific to the setting - Lace & Steel Gladiators (a popular television show of the future), Retrievers (hunting down rogue replicates), and the scientist. Then a look at the Hero System elements and how to use them in Kazei 5 (Skills, Perks, Talents and some Powers and Complications). The Equipment - which no Cybeprunk game is complete without. First a page and a half table of guns, plus twelve pages of description. Really? I suppose a Cyberpunk Game without more guns than a gun-catalogue isn't complete. A couple pages could have been cut from the write-ups to give more space to the Setting. Then a couple pages each to Exo-Suits (a type of Mecha), modern Armor, computers and other equipment. Vehicles round out the Section, cars, military vehicles, more Exo-Suits, and air-vehicles. Just enough to provide some interesting additions to the setting, without bogging you down in endless write-ups of pretty much the same thing. Enterprising gamers will be able to alter these to their needs nicely.

 

Section 5 - The People Of Kazei 5. A setting taken from a series of games means two things, it's well play tested and works within its confines. It has a lot of people already detailed out for you. These are both good things to have, and this chapter goes into all the various characters (former PCs and NPCs from play-testing games) that appeared in the settings history. Nicely, the author provides ways to use and alter each character from how they had originally appeared to ways you can use them in your own games. A well rounded grouping of character types are presented, touching on every aspect previously presented for examples. Need a combat replicate? There's at least two. Need a modern solider? Got it. Powerful and street level ESPers? Yep. Cybords, Genetic upgrades, cops and criminals - all here. The backgrounds are all interesting and all easily used in your own game.

 

Secion 6 - The Secrets Of Kazei 5. The GMs vault. All the secrets and truths behind the setting. The conspiracies that make it tick, letting you know which rumors are true and false. Plus lots of information on how to set up a Kazei 5 Campaign, setting tone and theme. How to alter it even further to suit different needs. Campaign and Adventure ideas to use and expand upon. And finally a Future History to use (or discard) as you need it to. Consider the future history of what a given NPC or Corporation is going to try in the future.

 

And finally, the Appendices. Which include a quick slang dictionary, small guide to Japanse words commonly used in this type of setting, and a bibliography of various media to get even further background on the genre.

 

It's a solid book, everything you need to game in Anime Cyberpunk - it's just a little out of order.

 

The Downside:

 

Aside from the fact I think it was presented slightly mixed up, I could have done with less write-ups (especially cybernetics and guns) and more actual Setting. Not much is given about Europe, even a few paragraphs on some of the worlds current megacities like Mexico City, Jakarta, Delhi, and Seoul. Or other important cities (London, Moscow, Paris).

 

The Otherside.

 

There's not much to complain about. The author know his Cyberpunk and knows his Anime and blends them well. Anyone familiar with one or the other should be able to pick this book up and dive right in with little problem. Anyone not familiar with either will find this an invaluable guide to gaming in the subgenre and creating rich and believable worlds with excellent internal consistency.

[Susano]

Re: Kazei 5

 

I'll admit, the reverse order of presentation was done as a way to entice people who might be turned off by the anime setting into looking at all of the cool gear.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Kazei 5

 

Yeah - but isn't the book about selling the anime setting? You can get gear anywhere.

[Susano]

Re: Kazei 5

 

Dave and I talked it over and that's what we went with. It seemed a good idea at the time.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Kazei 5

 

Hey, I'm just one opinion. I liked the book, I just read it in reverse. . .

[Susano]

Re: Kazei 5

 

Thankie sai.

[Nagisawa Takumi]

Re: Kazei 5

 

I mostly agree with the review. A few stylistic things, especially as one of my current players is an English instructor in Osaka, but a lot of the female characters are 'too tall to be sympathetic', especially when most of the other male characters listed are either significantly shorter, or outright unsympathetic. (Example: Sylia of the Knight Sabers is 5' 9", making huge for her time, but even then, most of the male support cast are taller than she is.)

 

But really, I'd give this game (including the organizational confusion) a total of 9.5 out of 10. And that's only because I never give anything a 10.

[Starcloud]

Re: Kazei 5

 

It's a fair review. And I can see why it worked that way. Someone opens up the book, they know they're looking for something cyberpunkish, they see the gear, they think "I can use this." As opposed to seeing the setting info chapters first.. it is an atypical organization for a setting sourcebook, but it is also, in a way, Hero's Cyberpunk book. So showing people something they can use up front gets them past the "this book is useless because the setting's not the one I want" hurdle.

[Susano]

Re: Kazei 5

 

It's a fair review. And I can see why it worked that way. Someone opens up the book' date=' they know they're looking for something cyberpunkish, they see the gear, they think "I can use this." As opposed to seeing the setting info chapters first.. it is an atypical organization for a setting sourcebook, but it is also, in a way, Hero's Cyberpunk book. So showing people something they can use up front gets them past the "this book is useless because the setting's not the one I want" hurdle.[/quote']

 

Exactly!

[Spence]

Re: Kazei 5

 

The book worked for me on many levels. One day I want to use it to help me run the anime'ish game I have always hankered to run. Right now I am still in the process of massaging the “aarrrghhh Hero is sooooooo hard” crowd into realizing that it is actually easy. Once they ‘grok’ it, I will be free to run more stuff in many settings…..

 

But K5 is one of my favorite books on the shelf, right there next to Hudson City and Pulp Hero…

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Kazei 5

 

My favorite thing about the K5 book was that all the write-ups for character templates and equipment made it very easy to create both player characters and NPC's when writing an original adventure -- even when I was pretty much new to the genre.

[Susano]

Re: Kazei 5

 

My favorite thing about the K5 book was that all the write-ups for character templates and equipment made it very easy to create both player characters and NPC's when writing an original adventure -- even when I was pretty much new to the genre.

 

[Spence]

Re: Kazei 5

 

My favorite thing about the K5 book was that all the write-ups for character templates and equipment made it very easy to create both player characters and NPC's when writing an original adventure -- even when I was pretty much new to the genre.

 

I can't say I have a favorite part anymore

 

But I do agree the extensive write-ups are extremely helpful. Almost too helpful...

 

Whenever I read through the book I get too many ideas for campaigns and tie in's to anime series I've watched.

 

A good solid game book.

[Tasha]

Re: Kazei 5

 

I can't say I have a favorite part anymore

 

But I do agree the extensive write-ups are extremely helpful. Almost too helpful...

 

Whenever I read through the book I get too many ideas for campaigns and tie in's to anime series I've watched.

 

A good solid game book.

 

I hear you there. I am afraid to open the book now. I am afraid that I am going to taint the fairly clean Traveller Universe with all of that cool Anime stuff. My party of Travellers will probably discover a K5 Kind of world, though the esper weapons will be a lot less powerful or not there. There will be some Cat girl bodyguards though.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Kazei 5

 

I hear you there. I am afraid to open the book now. I am afraid that I am going to taint the fairly clean Traveller Universe with all of that cool Anime stuff. My party of Travellers will probably discover a K5 Kind of world' date=' though the esper weapons will be a lot less powerful or not there. There will be some Cat girl bodyguards though.[/quote']

 

Heh. Traveller has some pretty interesting 'cat people' if your campaign is anywhere near Aslan space. I had a lot of fun with them in my last Traveller game. (Yeah, one of the PCs got snookered into a duel... I'm evil. )

[Spence]

Re: Kazei 5

 

I am afraid that I am going to taint the fairly clean Traveller Universe with all of that cool Anime stuff.

 

Taint? Taint!

 

Ahh.... you are merely confused...the correct statement would be

 

"I am going to improve the fairly clean Traveller Universe with all of that cool Anime stuff."

[Tasha]

Re: Kazei 5

 

Heh. Traveller has some pretty interesting 'cat people' if your campaign is anywhere near Aslan space. I had a lot of fun with them in my last Traveller game. (Yeah' date=' one of the PCs got snookered into a duel... I'm evil. )[/quote']

 

Yeah, they are in a sector that boarders one of the rifts that is next to Aslan Space.

[Tasha]

Re: Kazei 5

 

Taint? Taint!

 

Ahh.... you are merely confused...the correct statement would be

 

"I am going to improve the fairly clean Traveller Universe with all of that cool Anime stuff."

 

You have to understand Traveller was the Second RPG that I ran into and played after D&D in the early 80's/late 70's. So I have a vision of the universe that is warring with the stuff that I currently find "cool". None of my players are old time Traveller Grognards, so any Anime that makes it into my TU won't be noticed. The Traveller Grognard part of me thinks of cyberwear, and other things like that as "taint". The other part of me realizes that if Cyberwear, Manufactured People and other stuff seen in Anime and K5 had been around in the 70's that Traveller would have included them. Kind of like how Star Wars really shaped how things looked in Traveller (Heck most PC's run around in a ship that is either a Tiny Star Destroyer (ie Type S Scout), or a Larger Millennium Falcon (ie Far Trader)) So, I am bringing myself to accepting those things slowly.

 

Heck, the System that the PC's are currently find themselves in. Is inhabited by both Space Dwarves (Asteroid Miners/ Starship builders), Quaddies (ie Bujold's Falling free. Genetically engineered humans adapted for microgravity and having arms and hands where legs and feet are in standard humans), and some baseline humans.

 

They have to deal with an insidious Artificially Intelligent Virus which can etch itself into the hardware of most standard computers.

 

I love K5 and will be referencing that and Traveller Hero for Cyberwear writeups.

[Spence]

Re: Kazei 5

 

You have to understand Traveller was the Second RPG that I ran into and played after D&D in the early 80's/late 70's. ......

 

 

They have to deal with an insidious Artificially Intelligent Virus which can etch itself into the hardware of most standard computers.

 

 

I was just messing with you....

 

I remember playing Traveller when it was new and in the original 3 booklets. back when Judges Guild was about the only company making cool supplements for RPG's.

 

Loved the T Universe before it was filled in. The universe was completely unknown because the GM had to map it themselves. Kinda lost interest with things when traveler went from a 50-60's feel science fiction universe where things centered around very small ships (even warships had tiny crews) to star war'ish mega ships. Basically I enjoyed the most what they now seem to call Classic Traveller pre High Guard.

 

Like you I really don't think that the Star Wars taint creeping in is a good thing. It is probably why I just don't play it anymore.

 

Anyway I'm running away here....

 

I hope your game works out to be a good one.

 

And K5's take on cyber and psy may be just the ticket. I think they strike just the right balance between "just enough" and "overboard".

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Kazei 5

 

You have to understand Traveller was the Second RPG that I ran into and played after D&D in the early 80's/late 70's. So I have a vision of the universe that is warring with the stuff that I currently find "cool". None of my players are old time Traveller Grognards, so any Anime that makes it into my TU won't be noticed. The Traveller Grognard part of me thinks of cyberwear, and other things like that as "taint". The other part of me realizes that if Cyberwear, Manufactured People and other stuff seen in Anime and K5 had been around in the 70's that Traveller would have included them. Kind of like how Star Wars really shaped how things looked in Traveller (Heck most PC's run around in a ship that is either a Tiny Star Destroyer (ie Type S Scout), or a Larger Millennium Falcon (ie Far Trader)) So, I am bringing myself to accepting those things slowly.

 

Heck, the System that the PC's are currently find themselves in. Is inhabited by both Space Dwarves (Asteroid Miners/ Starship builders), Quaddies (ie Bujold's Falling free. Genetically engineered humans adapted for microgravity and having arms and hands where legs and feet are in standard humans), and some baseline humans.

 

They have to deal with an insidious Artificially Intelligent Virus which can etch itself into the hardware of most standard computers.

 

I love K5 and will be referencing that and Traveller Hero for Cyberwear writeups.

 

This mirrors my Traveller (and RPG experiences in general) almost exactly. But after 30 years, the Traveller universe hasn't been successfully 'updated.' (Lots of new rules sets, but the setting is really getting dated.) And those who tried to move it forward were, shall we say, not rewarded for their efforts by the Traveller fan community. The best (and last) Traveller campaign I ever ran was like Tasha's -- free of 'old school' Traveller players with all their baggage; just a good gaming group who didn't care if something in my campaign wasn't 'canon.'

 

Traveller Hero as imagined by Tasha sounds awesome.

[Tasha]

Re: Kazei 5

 

This mirrors my Traveller (and RPG experiences in general) almost exactly. But after 30 years, the Traveller universe hasn't been successfully 'updated.' (Lots of new rules sets, but the setting is really getting dated.) And those who tried to move it forward were, shall we say, not rewarded for their efforts by the Traveller fan community. The best (and last) Traveller campaign I ever ran was like Tasha's -- free of 'old school' Traveller players with all their baggage; just a good gaming group who didn't care if something in my campaign wasn't 'canon.'

 

Traveller Hero as imagined by Tasha sounds awesome.

 

Thanks for the encouragement!

 

The Game is set in "The New Era" 1248, which is set some 40 years after the AI Virus took destroyed the Old Imperium. I have it set in Ilelish Sector which was hit hardest by the Virus. The PC's are the survivors of the Fleet that accidentally unleashed the Virus over 100 years earlier. The last session I had them make Mongoose Traveller Naval officer characters (which they are currently converting to Hero), and gave them the first taste of the universe. They have been awoken from their Cryosleep by Space Dwarf Asteroid miners (AKA Grymn). Who were hoping to salvage their Cruiser for system defense purposes and found the crew alive and in stasis. The ship is in it's home port, a Naval depot (a rather plundered Naval Depot). From the crew's point of view they are over 100 parsecs away from where they should be, and it's over 100 years later than they expected to wake up. On top of that the Ship defiantly jumped into the system, but no crew members were awake. Also the last jump totally fried their Jump drive (as in totally wasted/ gone/ needs to be replaced).

 

So next game they have to attempt to wake the rest of the crew (many of who are already dead), find out what's been going on for the last century, and deal with any new situations that arise (and they will be arising...).

 

Thanks Xavier, between talking to you and TGAPPTE (who is one of my players). I am managing to put things together in a way that is better than what I had originally planned. It's making it easier to make it Tasha's TNE traveller Universe. Hope my players enjoy it

 

Tasha

[Old Man]

Re: Kazei 5

 

Traveller Hero as imagined by Tasha sounds awesome.

 

I second this and eagerly await reports from the campaign.

[Susano]

Re: Kazei 5

 

BTW, if you listen to The Game's The Thing, Kazei 5 will be on the next podcast.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Kazei 5

 

BTW' date=' if you listen to The Game's The Thing, Kazei 5 will be on the next podcast.[/quote']

 

Got linkage?

[Spence]

Re: Kazei 5

 

The best (and last) Traveller campaign I ever ran was like Tasha's -- free of 'old school' Traveller players with all their baggage; just a good gaming group who didn't care if something in my campaign wasn't 'canon.'

 

 

This always puzzled me about discussions about Traveller, and I have read it on other forums as well as in person. Old Traveller doesn't have any 'canon' or 'baggage'. It never had any worlds built. Judges Guild put out a few adventures and there were a few bare bones sectors that were mostly just maps.

 

Later, they did go insane with all the world builds, but Traveller 77 to 86(?) gave you rules to build the universe, but never the universe. MegaTraveller, Traveller:TNE and Marc Millers Traveller threw the kitchen sink in and, IMO, ruined the feel that made Traveller fantastic.

 

I guess the best thing I loved about old Traveller was the absolute lack of an 'official' universe. Each GM had to build their own.

 

I really am just curious here. How did the new-fangled messes come to be considered 'old traveller' with everyone forgetting what 'old Traveller' was?