Official Cowboy Beebop RPG Open Playtest

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TristramEvans

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Is it only me that clicks on the download playtest link only to be told by DriveThru that it doesn't exist?
 
Is it only me that clicks on the download playtest link only to be told by DriveThru that it doesn't exist?

Apparently Drive Thru ws hacked, and all products from the last 24 hours are offline while they fix it. Assume it will be up again soon.

From a brief look through, the system is dice pool based and VERYvery narrative.
 
I know a guy who loves the bebop, so I'll be keeping an eye on this!
 
I've read though it once. I'm not 100% sure I grok exactly how the die pools work, but on he whole it seems solid. I really like the basic mechanic of increased consequences balanced by easier help as the stakes in the session rise. I'll give it a more thorough pass today.
 
Apparently Drive Thru ws hacked, and all products from the last 24 hours are offline while they fix it. Assume it will be up again soon.

From a brief look through, the system is dice pool based and VERYvery narrative.
I downloaded it, and yes, it's very, very narrative.
Probably a hard pass from me, much as I hate to say so:shade:.
 
Also, in case anyoe missed it, as I mentioned before, Drivethru was hacked, so it'd be a good idea to change your password.
What for those of use who use Facebook to log in:shock:?
 
Probably a hard pass from me, much as I hate to say so:shade:.
I like Cowboy Beebop a lot, but feel like if I was going to run a game based on it, Star Frontiers would probably serve me just fine
 
An old friend of mine made a Cowboy Bebop game with the serial numbers filed off called Bounty Head Bebop. It’s an electrum seller on DTRPG and it is definitely not a narrative game.

 
An old friend of mine made a Cowboy Bebop game with the serial numbers filed off called Bounty Head Bebop. It’s an electrum seller on DTRPG and it is definitely not a narrative game.

Sold! (Don’t tell my wife)
 
I like Cowboy Beebop a lot, but feel like if I was going to run a game based on it, Star Frontiers would probably serve me just fine
I was thinking Cepheus. In fact, when I started the "grappling combat system" thread, I was thinking Cepheus Bebop...:shade:

then the internet probably already has all your info
The info that I tell to FB might just be containing minor, almost imperceptible inaccuracies, no doubt entirely accidental...:angel:
It's the passwords I'm worried about.


An old friend of mine made a Cowboy Bebop game with the serial numbers filed off called Bounty Head Bebop. It’s an electrum seller on DTRPG and it is definitely not a narrative game.

I've actually seen it:grin:!
But I can't tell if it's a d20 game or not, and the title "Inverted 20" made me decide not to risk getting it. So what is the system like?
 
I haven’t actually looked at it in years since I wasn’t a big Bebop fan but I seem to remember liking it. It’s a simplified d20 game but it’s not D20!!!
 
a simplified d20 game but it’s not D20!!!
Bear with me, man...what does that mean:thumbsup:?
1) A simplified form of the d20 engine (classes, levels, HP, probably 6 attributes in the 3-18 range, and all that jazz).
2) A simplified game that uses only a d20 for all rolls (as was mentioned), but not the rest of it?

I mean, you can say that Dragon Warriors, Flashing Blades and Pendragon all use d20...but then they change the premise to one degree or another until it's no longer really the same game.

OTOH, Adventures in Middle Earth, while changing the classes, remains obviously a d20/5e game, just adapted for a setting.

Mutants and Masterminds is about midway between the two due to how it changes the wounding system and removes the classes (though it still has levels of a sort).

So which one is the case of the Inverted 20:shade:?
 
I am tempted to post an image of page 1 which gives a system overview of The Inverted 20 System but basically it is a blackjack system that uses the 1 digit of the die as the damage roll and gives the characters points they can use to roll with advantage.
 
It uses the classic six attributes with Charisma replaced by Presence. It is an XP based level system that uses skills, edges and flaws but I don’t see separate classes at first glance.
 
I am tempted to post an image of page 1 which gives a system overview of The Inverted 20 System but basically it is a blackjack system that uses the 1 digit of the die as the damage roll and gives the characters points they can use to roll with advantage.
So the damage is always 0, 1 or 2:shock:?
 
Sorry, the ones digit not the tens digit so the range is 0-9 or 1-10, I haven’t gotten to combat yet 1-10
 
Ok, I skipped ahead, you add that ones digit, the game calls it “X-Damage”, to the weapon or attacks base damage.
 
Note that all my posts detailing mechanics above are in reference to the Bounty Hunter Bebop RPG not the Cowboy Bebop play test.
 
Thank you, S sharps54 - let me ask a last (make or break) question, then: how high do HP escalate? (I presume that's an OGL game that has learned some tricks from the d100 family, because the single digits thing is straight out of that playbook:thumbsup:!)

Note to self: no, Asen, you don't need to devise a game that uses d20 and uses the first digit of the die for the damage:shade:.
 
You have both Vitality Points (5+STR+CON+WIS+Modifiers) and Wounds (5+CON+Modifiers) as you level up you can choose to increase your attributes up to a max of 5 (You start with 20 points to spread across the 6 attributes which all have to be between 1 and 5).

Because I’m on my phone and lazy I’ll cut and paste the next part from the rulebook:

Damage Flow And Condition Change

Damage Flow: Vitality Points (to) Wound Points (to) Disabled (to) Dying (to) Dead.

• Damage first goes against Vitality Points.

• When Vitality Points drop to zero, all remaining damage goes into Wound Points.

• Stun Damage that causes Vitality Points to drop below zero also KO's the target.

• When Wound Points drop to zero, the character is Disabled

• A Disabled character who takes further damage is Dying

• A Dying character who takes further damage is Dead

• A Crit that causes Wound Points to drop below zero also maims the target (see below)

What Is Vitality Point Loss?

Minor injuries such as bruising, strains, sprains, scrapes, cuts, grazes, and more serious wounds to the extremities.

What Is Wound Point Loss?

Major injuries such as broken bones, heavy bleeding, horrific burns, and inter-nal injuries
 
It's not the simplest rules and it is definitely not the full ruleset and still needs some proof reading but it's a playtest so that is just an observation not a criticism.

Reading it fresh the thing I didn't notice before is its DNA is strongly Blades in the Dark. So definitely on the narrative side of things.

Its a dice pool game where the player leverages tags (called traits) to build a pool. These can be skills, origin, ship or even memory (backstory based).
Unlike PbtA or Blades it's not the highest number that signifies full success, partial success or failure, its the number of 4+ successes rolled.

The USP here is as the session moves through it's four stages or Tabs, (called 3,2,1 and Let's Jam) increasingly more dice are switched out for Negative dice that have consequences attached. So by the finale its almost certain success with consequences will be the best result available. In the Let's Jam phase 4 dice in the pool are switched out foe negative dice.

It's here it gets a bit squiffy as the rules are not exactly clearly written and it feels a couple of key points are missing.
Basically the player chooses how many dice to keep after the roll with the idea being if the player includes say one success from a Negative dice the GM could match that by taking another consequence die (1-3 on a negative die) if there is one, and use it to max out the negative side of the result.

In the Narrative Authority section (very Blades in the Dark) it says the GM can spend consequences to complicate the scene but there is no info in what one consequence would equal or two or three.

Also in the gamble section. which has definite errors, (it refers to a doge at one point instead of gamble and doesn't actually specify what to roll, this is only specified on the test chart) it mentions 'if' the negative dice result is a consequence. But as written a negative die roll always has a consequence. Either success with consequence on 4+ or consequence only on 1-3.

I suspect at one point a 4+ was just a success even on the negative die and although that was changed at some point it wasn't updated evenly.
Some points only refer to consequences coming when the GM takes a negative die, not when a player takes a negative die themselves.

The main outcomes of a test seem to be:

1) Enough success to match the difficulty using only positive dice. Success no complication.

2) Enough success to match the difficulty using only positive dice. Player chooses to take a negative die success to overachieve (not sure how that works) but this has a complication attached. Additionally now the GM can take a negative die themselves (if any are left) upping the consequence level.

3) Some successes but not enough using only positive dice - Player chooses not to add a negative die success to the total. Player succeeds partially but no bad side effects. (this is assumed. It says the player can choose less successes to avoid complcations but doesn't say what the outcome is like. Maybe it avoids complications but fails allowing an alternative test)

4) Some successes but not enough using only positive dice - Player chooses to take a negative die success to get a full success. = test succeeds but there is now a consequence attached from the negative die, plus the GM can also take an equal number of negative dice left on the table i.e. More consequences. (as said before the consequence economy isn't explored so this may be very risky or a no brainer)

5) no successes. Test fails but possibly without consequences and just doesn't work. (this isn't really discussed as in example 3 it only says players can choose to leave successes on the table to avoid consequences)

There is an additional meta currency called rhythm points that can be used to auto succeed or help another player by adding dice. This (help) feature starts expensive then gets cheaper to encourage players to go their own way at the start then come together as the story progresses.

Rules for tests below if you wish to parse them yourselves.

Screenshot_20220522_232252.jpg

Screenshot_20220522_232749.jpg


Finally narrative authority chart notice the GM asks players to fill in story details and players can suggest consequences to GM. This ain't your daddy's trad RPG.
Screenshot_20220522_232729.jpg

PS and this will be the kicker for some. All bounties have an auto escape skill that they can use in the first 3 phases so it is impossible to catch them before the big finish (where the skill won't work)
 
I have skimmed this at work, and it's really not my cup of tea.

I should preface this by listing the things I like about it:
1. the Layout is very easy on the eyes and easy to follow.
2. No mention of the Netflix series. I understand that this product was originally designed to tie in with the Netflix live action show. Without getting political there is a real tendency in creative industries these days to develop an adversarial, "us vs them" siege mentality towards their own audience which I find extremely unprofessional. Glad to see it didn't happen here.

Overall, however I'm not a big fan of the game's mechanics. I do not like when a system ties my hands as the GM or has mechanics to force the story to go a certain way.

TBH, I feel like Cowboy Bebop would be a good fit for Interlock or Open D6 Space. Depending on how much of the book is fluff vs. rules I might still get it then just rip out the rules and use Interlock Unlimited or Open D6.
 
I was with it up until the stages/Tabs stuff, which cranked it one step too far into narrative territory for me. A mix of positive dice and negative dice would be ok if the negatives were environmental or queued from enemy tags, but I struggle with "because it's an episode of a tv show it works like this".
 
The group I will be running this for is more of a trad group so it will be interesting to see what they think. Worse case they don’t like it and we move on to Bounty Hunter Bebop.
 
The USP here is as the session moves through it's four stages or Tabs, (called 3,2,1 and Let's Jam) increasingly more dice are switched out for Negative dice that have consequences attached. So by the finale its almost certain success with consequences will be the best result available. In the Let's Jam phase 4 dice in the pool are switched out foe negative dice.

Not sure what USP is but I will assume upshot will work. This sort of cycle reminds me of how Cortex’s Firefly played, which makes sense. The whole thing makes me think cortex in a number of ways. A bunch of tools to manipulate the pacing of the story vs a bunch of tools to manipulate the world. Maybe I just came up with my own definition of narrative.
 
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