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[eharper256]

Aniventure is a Anime Roleplaying game made originally as a better alternative to BESM, when the author saw BESM and thought 'meh, I can do better!'. Its made to be larger than life, and is tremendously inspired by TV Tropes and anime cliche's in general; something which is encapsulated in its crazy (but efficient) dice and combat systems.

Everything matters and probably affects your stats and powers in an Aniventure game, from your Height to Bosom to Personality Disorders. Whilst the level of character detailing isn't really on DF levels, I am proud of the variety it does have.

It's biggest strength is that it can handle all genres of anime, not just, say, mecha shows or magical girl shows, and it has plenty of options for your GM to add in whatever they need.

Anyway, Aniventure was the result of several years of work that I started in University; and it has achieved moderate success since its release a couple of years back, but I figure the more people who are aware of it the better, and you BAY12 guys and gals look like you'd probably know a decent Pen & Paper RPG when you see one.

Mind you, it does have terrible illustrations and I know it. I've improved as an artist since I first made it, but theres no denying its bad. However, right now its ONLY 99p/US$1.61~ for the PDF in my Christmas Sale, so perhaps you might still be interested if you've got a couple of bucks or a poundcoin to spare.

More detail can be found on my Blog Page here, and naturally I'll answer any questions you may have about it too.

[neotemplar]

Interesting.

Probably won't get it as I already have Maid RPG (which is about as much anime as my prospective player base understands).

Still interesting, and props to you for confessing to the art.

[eharper256]

Interesting.

Probably won't get it as I already have Maid RPG (which is about as much anime as my prospective player base understands).

Still interesting, and props to you for confessing to the art.

Ha, I'd forgotten about Maid, I recall someone else showing it to me. I guess I'm fortunate to have a playerbase that loves both RP and Anime as much as I do.

As for the art, well, naturally at the time I made it, I thought it was brilliant. But that was the novelty specs kicking in and it didn't last long. I quite recently saw a 4chan thread about how bad the art was too and that made me chuckle; since it was obviously merciless in its derision (and if I recall someone made a gif zooming in and out on cover swordsdudes guy's crotch ).


Oh, I didn't really speak about the dice-system in the intro post. It uses a system called 'Stacks' as its core. Stacks uses D10. You throw a number of D10 == your dicepool (derived from your stats). This is rarely more than 9 dice total. You then look for Pairs of D10 in your roll, and this is a success. The size of the pair (i.e. 2/2 or 8/8) determines the precise effects. In the case of a sword attack, for instance, a 1/1 pair is REALLY fast but easy to parry aside, whereas a 9/9 shows a strong smash that can easily crush guards but is easier to dodge away from due to its slower speed.

Various further mechanics build upon this in-game, but thats the essence of it. Multiple pairs rolled? You hit multiple times! Trebles? They can alter the pair they're attached to, moving its value up or down by 1. And what about a 0/0? That's a critical, which is both fast and strong. Things like that.

[eharper256]

Oh, and if you're interested, Aniventure will be getting a big (140 Page) supplementary book, called Shimaihen, in the New Year, including a massive chunk of new content, such as diametrically opposed magic, stacks of new character customisation including a build your own race system, a summoning system, errata and a reasonably big beastiary. I anticipate the supplement PDF will be marked up at no more than £2.50/$4 (naturally a physical copy will still be about £10/$15), and will likely be out late Jan/early Feb now that I'm happy with the playtesting I've done.

[neotemplar]

(I also have Tenra Bansho Zero coming )

Physical books with an art upgrade might push me to be more interested in your system.  Its the sort of thing I like in an RPG.

[eharper256]

(I also have Tenra Bansho Zero coming )

Physical books with an art upgrade might push me to be more interested in your system.  Its the sort of thing I like in an RPG.

Well, a friend (and one of my beta-testers) who is a better artist than I has said he will draw some illustrations gradually for it; we've planned to do a re-release, most likely the main book with all the errata and new better illustrations. Still, this is likely a way off; I'm thinking late-summer next year at the earliest, since it would also require alot of editing on my end AND I'm the only one with a scanner.

EDIT: As an aside though, Shimaihen will have somewhat better illustrations by sheer merit of the fact I've got better over the last couple of years. (Seen, for example, in THIS and THIS)

It's actually interesting (and was kinda shocking to me originally) that your opinion is actually a very common one when it comes to RPG books, since personally I rarely take much note of illustrations in them other than to occassionally note their prettiness when relevant. Probably I'm just a mechanics kind of guy; but these days I realise I probably halved my sales, entirely because I couldn't afford to hire a good artist. Go figure. Of course, in an ideal world, I'd just phone up Fusataka Shikubu or somebody awesome like that and hire him for 5000 Yen, but I don't think that's happening anytime soon.

[Viken]

Alot of us Pen-and-Paper RPers are really old fashioned when it comes to that sort of thing. All of us prefer to have real, physical books to hold and examine, and I still remember the feeling of joy and wonder I had when I first leafed through my original D&D 3rd Edition core book; staring at the pictures and images.  It provides something more -solid- than simple art or even a pdf can have. 

At the same token, I took my PDF copy of Mutants and Masterminds (really good D20 RPG), ripped the print without the art and printed them, all 300 something pages so I could have a physical copy of it for my enjoyment.  It also adds to the atmosphere when you have a large book you can drop heavily on a table set with dice and maps and rowdy players.  Mwhahaha.

All the same, I've personally constructed D10 games for non-canon material based on both the Bleach anime and Naruto, the later of which I've updated somewhat sense Shippuuden came out.  I know from experience how hard it can be to make mechanics that are both user friendly and deep and utterly customizable.  So if you need anymore beta-testers or the like, let me know, Eharper256.

Sadly, I am utterly broke, and the situation in my RL (real life) doesn't look to be picking up any time soon, so while I'll browse and examine what I can, there's simply no way I can indulge in something that has my attention. Sorry.

[eharper256]

Alot of us Pen-and-Paper RPers are really old fashioned when it comes to that sort of thing. All of us prefer to have real, physical books to hold and examine, and I still remember the feeling of joy and wonder I had when I first leafed through my original D&D 3rd Edition core book; staring at the pictures and images.  It provides something more -solid- than simple art or even a pdf can have.

Oh I can relate to that, sure. In actual fact, I've had considerably more Hardback sales of Aniventure than PDF's or even Paperbacks, despite their expense (about 2:1, in fact), and yeah I certainly know that good art can help you immerse in a book. All I was saying was that it was a little surprising just how very BIG a factor this was to people.

All the same, I've personally constructed D10 games for non-canon material based on both the Bleach anime and Naruto, the later of which I've updated somewhat sense Shippuuden came out.  I know from experience how hard it can be to make mechanics that are both user friendly and deep and utterly customizable.  So if you need anymore beta-testers or the like, let me know, Eharper256.

Sadly, I am utterly broke, and the situation in my RL (real life) doesn't look to be picking up any time soon, so while I'll browse and examine what I can, there's simply no way I can indulge in something that has my attention. Sorry.

One of my friends ran a short Bleach related mini-campaign with the system; heck I know someone ran a My Little Pony game with it. So I can say with some confidence that its friendly, deep, and customisable. The third part will only improve more when the supplement comes out.

Heck, if you can assure me you can spread it to people who might be interested enough to purchase electronic or paper copies, I'd possibly be willing to send you a free PDF as a gesture of good faith.

That goes for anyone, really. To be honest, its more important for me, as its always been, to try and spread the goodness than to make a profit (though a profit would be nice). I wouldn't be having this sale if that wasn't the case.

Of course, I do have to be careful. Last thing I need is to end up violating my own copyright because someone put it on a torrent site.

Thanks for the offer of beta-testing, but you're a little late. Nearly everything from the supplement has been tested at least a little bit. But I always appreciate comments; without them I wouldn't have some of my errata.

[Viken]

Besides here and a few other sites, I'm generally not that active.   I do have RL people who could possibly be talked into getting a couple of copies of your system, if for no other reason than to prove they are as big a nerds as myself. Hahaha.

On the other hand, I understand your hesitation with not wanting to spread too much around too freely; you do have to make a living, after all.  But from experience, most people who torrent something do so either as something of a demo; to see rather or not its worth it; or people who simply don't have the means to get it any other way.   But more than 80% of those end up paying for it legally, once they get teh chance.  It assauges their concious, I believe.

On another note, I would suggest changing your payment scheme, though.  I know you have it set up out of nessiessity, as printing even paperback copies are somewhat expensive, and hardback even more so, but I think you'd get a greater response with doing something like a donation system, either like here how Bay12 and DF does it; or the pay-what-you-can of a Humble Bundle.  People with the means are more often willing to pay more for the extras and the like, later; while people withoutare still willing to provide something for it.

Those are just my thoughts, though, take them as you will.

[Neonivek]

Everything matters and probably affects your stats and powers in an Aniventure game, from your Height to Bosom to Personality Disorders

Isn't one of the laws of anime that your physical appearance is ultimately meaningless?

Heck the time I saw an anime actually making the fact that the opponent was taller then the protagonist was shocking enough (until that was negated the same episode)

[neotemplar]

Yeah for RPGs, physical copies make it feel right, I like to have them even if I use the pdf to play.

I mean heck, I put it $70 to get Tenra Bansho Zero Hardcovers.  (Key tip here, what really sold me was a youtube flip through of the book showing the awesome layout.)

[eharper256]

Isn't one of the laws of anime that your physical appearance is ultimately meaningless?

Maybe, but quite often a certain stereotype will always be associated with something. For example, twin tailed girls are expected to be tsundere and able to whoop-ass, therefore having such a hairstyle in Aniventure will give you a minor bonus to your Prowess stat. Most of the appearance modifiers are quite small; barring archetype packages (which can seriously change the way you play), and your bosom/musculature, which can give you free Fanservice. Fanservice == Your clothes explode (as temporary hitpoints) before you yourself get hurt, which is rather useful when you fail to dodge or parry something.

Related to this: there's a system of Fan Loyalty in place. Its a little bit like Action Points from some games; you can use them to represent your fanbase shouting at you to do better (giving you re-rolls, allowing you to use superpowers, etc.). And since you, as a player, represent that fanbase, you only get Fan Loyalty for good roleplaying.

I mean heck, I put it $70 to get Tenra Bansho Zero Hardcovers.  (Key tip here, what really sold me was a youtube flip through of the book showing the awesome layout.)

Yeah the hardback is £17.50~ish which is around, what, $28? I cut it as fine as it'll go on the costs, I make about $3 from that.

Suppose a flipthrough is one way to do it. I don't have a webcam or any means to make such a video, though, sadly.

On another note, I would suggest changing your payment scheme, though.  I know you have it set up out of nessiessity, as printing even paperback copies are somewhat expensive, and hardback even more so, but I think you'd get a greater response with doing something like a donation system, either like here how Bay12 and DF does it; or the pay-what-you-can of a Humble Bundle.  People with the means are more often willing to pay more for the extras and the like, later; while people withoutare still willing to provide something for it.

I did try to get an Indiegogo drive on it, but it fell flat on its face. At the moment I don't really have any other distribution options besides Lulu unless I can buy some ISBN numbers for the books, which I can't afford right now. As it stands, I make rather minimal profits on the books.

[Neonivek]

So from what I understand this is a setting where steriotypes are real and where the goal is not nessisarily to be better then your opponent but to be more popular.

So it is an anime game based on being in a really terrible and shallow anime XD

Unique

[eharper256]

So from what I understand this is a setting where steriotypes are real and where the goal is not nessisarily to be better then your opponent but to be more popular.

So it is an anime game based on being in a really terrible anime XD

Unique

You can run it that whacked out if you want, but it also works fine with serious campaigns if you just ban a couple of the archetypes.

It is very trope-a-riffic, though, and is happy about it.

Besides Fan Loyalty, there is a standard progression system that runs alongside it, Quality Points, which you save up to level up in one of the four categories of Glory, Love, Dread, or Repute, but can also choose burn on using your superpowers and upgrading your stats if you prefer.

From my testing, its actually really interesting seeing how different players use their Fan-Loyalty in different ways. I myself always save up for my super-power, but some people use it as on the spot instant healing, and still others burn every single drop of it on re-rolls and changing dice, since using it is always an instant reaction. Hilarious when your GM starts using villain's loyalty (there's always fans for cool antagonists too, remember!) back at the player party too.

Combat can always a little bit silly if want it to be, since there is no grid, no sense of time, and no sense of movement restriction. This is quite common in anime, where a protagonist can spend 2 minutes doing a static run in one scene, and leaping to the top of a tower in the next (the staple powers of Concrete Pulping Leap and Bone-Cracking Back Flip can help too). Instead of tactical positioning, there's Offensive and Defensive Supports, ala. Super Robot Wars, where you clash to interrupt each others attack combos.

That said, there is an entire pair of power sets dedicated to being popular (Magnetism and Majesty), and an Idol character class.

[Alkhemia]

Sounds interesting I might pick this up.
Someone should do a game of this might be fun to watch.