We Are Monster

We Are Monster is a Japanese Doujinshi Tabletop Roleplaying Game combining Body Horror, Cosmic Horror, Psychological Horror, and Action in a narrative driven, rules-lite system with both traditional and non-traditional approaches to its game system. There is also a Solo RPG variant called I Am Monsters. The odd usage of the plural forms should give you some hint as to how the game works.

Also, and this is important, the game does not exist.

I first discovered this game and its Solo counterpart a few months ago while doing research for my October blogging plans. I found the idea of the game instantly compelling and its rules weird enough to download. It was also free, as some of my favorite Japanese TRPGs are (such as Meteor City, Space Opera Heroes, and Tokyo Ghost Research). 

I started translating it and planned to run a playtest of it [hopefully] before running a big Halloween one-shot. Alas, I got sidetracked by Space Opera Heroes as well as a few other things and only got back to it recently. When I did, I found I had my English re-write translation but couldn't locate my original download of the Japanese original. 

When I went back to the website I downloaded it from...it was gone. The item I'd saved was no longer there. All the products on the publisher's page had been removed, as had the page itself . It had truly become a vaporware, a phantom game. 

The premise is pretty straightforward; set in the present day, cosmic horror parasites have come to Earth and must merge with living Human beings to stay alive/exist in our reality. You (the Player Character) have been infected and are slowly transforming into a hideous, eldritch monstrosity! You are also losing control of yourself as the parasite takes over.

At the same time, you can periodically wrestle control away from the parasite and it is giving you bizarre superhuman abilities. Maybe, with enough presence of mind, determination, and willpower, you can find a way to rid yourself of this creature or die trying.

Works in this genre include the Japanese Anime/Manga series Parasyte, Tokyo Ghoul, and in some ways Chainsaw Man and Kaiju No.8. Venom from Marvel Comics also fits the model.

Most of the parasites want to eat people. Some want to eat other parasites. A few want to nest and reproduce. Which kind is yours?

Now here's where things get weird (that's right, it's all been relatively normal up til now).

In We Are Monster, each player plays multiple characters. Specifically, they play the key character types of Host and Parasite. One player is a Host and another player is that Host's Parasite. This means that there are times when the two players are vying for control of a single Player Character, as Host and Parasite merge to form a single Entity. If the Human Host gains control, the Entity is called a Being. If the Parasite gains control the Entity becomes a Monster! 

The game recommends allowing each player to run an additional character as well, one that facilitates the type of story your group is trying to tell. For example, if you are dealing with mysterious murders in a small towm you might want:

Alex As: A Host, Nick's Parasite, Town Doctor

Mark As: A Host, Alex's Parasite, The Local Sheriff 

Nick As: A Host, Mark's Parasite, Town Radio Station DJ

Basically you're trying to flesh-out (heheheh) the cast of a Horror Anime or Video Game that gives everyone different goals and interesting potential choices. Some of the characters' objectives will be aligned. Some, will not. It's not exactly PvP but it isn't necessarily not PvP, you feel me? 

The game can also be played in various different forms of execution (wink!). It might be a Psychological Horror Thriller or an Over-the-Top Anime Action series. Maybe there only a few Parasites in an out of the way town in the hills where only a handful of people have any idea what's going on. Instead, you PCs could be working for a government agency trying to stop an invasion of such creatures happening all over the country or even the world! 

Curiously, two TRPGs with similar premises have recently popped up on the crowdfundiing front: Biophage on Kickstarter and Sophont on Backerlit. Biophage in particular gives me strong We Are Monster vibes. 

I am very intrigued by this premise and hope to run a short three-parter as part of another project I'm working on. I will likely support the Biophage Kickstarter if only to have an additional source of ideas. In both cases I will be sure to keep you all updated and let you know how it goes.

The Creepiness Continues...

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Barking Alien

RPGaDay 2026 - DAY 18 - DIRECTIONS

DIRECTIONS

The actual prompt for Day 18 is DIRECTNESS but, *sigh*, I'm already getting kind of tired of these word choices.

As I've already stated, many of them lack 'energy' for me. Between Discipline, Resolve, Tact, and Directness...is there really that much difference? I understand these are not the same words and they have different meanings but somehow they also feel too similar. At the very least, they are related enough that they don't give me any inspiration for Character Creation as they tend to make me think of the same sort of characters.

Instead, I want to talk about the Directions I might take with this game, Space Opera Heroes. 

The most basic Direction I could go in is trying to run it as an ongoing campaign. I certainly think it would work for that and I could see it going over well. This is, as noted, the basic approach to utilizing this system. The key would be setting the tone properly I think. 

Another approach, and one I am likely to try at least once in a while, is to run it as a Solo campaign. I like Gidget and the setting I'm developing and if nothing else, at least I get to have funny playing around with my current favorite game [other than Smurfs].

Now here's a Direction that, I'll be honest, is really gaining strength in my mind; I want to use Space Opera Heroes to run a Star Wars ongoing, long term campaign. Not just Star Wars though; Star Wars with an Anime/Manga vibe. 'Star Wars Visions Heroes' essentially. I've mentioned my desire to run an Anime influenced Star Wars campaign before but now I am actually starting to see exactly how to pull it off. Space Opera Heroes is the key. 

Lots of balls in the air as usual but some solid plans are forming. Curious to see where this all goes. 

 

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RPGaDay 2026 - BONUS - DRIVE AND INTELLECT

BONUS

A little extra treat celebrating the first two weeks of the RPGaDay Challenge for 2026 inspired by the weekly prompts Drive and Intellect.

I REALLY enjoyed Star Wars Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi and as I've mentioned already, its recharged my desire to run a 'Star Wars Visions' campaign as opposed to just a Star Wars one. Loving Space Opera Heroes as I am, I thought to myself, 'Why not use Space Opera Heroes to run Star Wars'? They seem to be a perfect match to me so let's have some fun...

Introducing...Bani, Lepi Scout!

Bani (pronounced like Danny but with a 'B') Tuknukchee is a Lepi, a sentient species recognizable for their lanky bodies, long ears, small fluffy tails, and often proportionally large feet. They are covered in soft fur of earth tone colors, though nearly black, white, and even green appear on occasion. Notable members of this species include the smuggler and scoundrel Jaxxon and Lop, a Force wielding young female.

Our Bani here is a freelance Scout, exploring the unknown on behalf of those willing to pay for her services. Maybe the Rebel Alliance is looking for new secret base. Perhaps a Bounty Hunter wants the low down on a planet his target is hiding on. One time, the University of Sanbra hired her to confirm the existence of an alien megafauna on Batuu that had been thought to be extinct. Unfortunately for her Landspeeder, it was not. 

To build a Scout, specifically a Lepi one, I combined the Archetypes 'High-Speed Hero' and 'Lucky Heroine'. She focuses on Agility and Luck, excellent starship skills, decent firearms, and the ability to physical avoid danger using Acrobatics and Evasion. In addition, she can leap exceptionally far (even for an Anime Character!).

As you can see, Bani is similar to Gidget in a number of ways and that's not an accident. If I decide to run a Solo Space Exploration campaign using Space Opera Heroes, I want the option of setting it in my own SOH-inspired universe or the Star Wars universe. If the later I still intend on giving it a strong Anime/Manga vibe. 'Star Wars Visions The RPG' unlocked!

Bani's mission partner and best buddy is RB-EZ1 or 'Easy', an RB Astromech unit she received as payment for one of her first scouting jobs. Easy is laid back and takes even the worst setbacks in stride. Sometimes he's so nonplussed it can be irritating, at least to the very action oriented Bani.

RB-EZ1 is built on the GE MCE Little Boy from Space Opera Heroes (same as Gidget's Robot Companion GUS). Easy's stats are:

RB-EZ 1

Ability Scores: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Agility 1, Intelligence 2, Luck 0, Size 1

Evasion 1, General Engineering 1, Spaceship Engineering 1, Spaceship Navigation 1, 

These droids are really durable (RB units and Little Boys) and have Armor A 2 and B 2. With a Durability Base Value of 3, this gives Easy a final Durability of A 5 and B 5!

. 

Bani's starship is a Corellian ES-125 Long Range Scout, designed and constructed by the shipyards of the Corellian Engineering Corporation. This vessel is modified from its initial rollout to have a Single Barrel Turbo Laser Turret (Ventral) and more Powerful Engines. 

While a GP JS-X Callisto Class is probably the Space Opera Heroes jumpship that best suites 'The Flying Leap ', I don't see this vessel as the same as Gidget Starseeker's 'Wanderer'. That starship is more 'Science/Research', specifically designed and customized to explore the mysteries of the galaxy. This Long Range Scout is a bit more 'Forward Observer', a 'Combat Scout' if you will. 

As a result, I'm going to modify the stats of the standard GP JS-X and make a new but comparable ship:

The Flying Leap

Corellian Engineering Corporation ES-125 Long Range Scout

Ability Scores: Structure 9, Size 8 - Agility/Maneuverability 3, Armor A 2 and B 2.

Final Hull Durability: Base 17, Durability A 19, B 19.

Shields: 3 

Weaponry: Twin Barrel Blaster Cannon Turret - Dorsal (Topside), Skill: Spaceship Weaponry, Damage 16, Damage Type B, Rate of Fire 2.

Modifications:

Single Barrel Turbo Laser: A powerful, turret based energy weapon on the ventral (underside) of the starship. It can only be fired once a round at a cost of one Action Point. To fire a second time in the same round, the follow-up shot would cost two Action Points and take the weapon offline in the next round.

Damage 19, Damage Type B, Rate of Fire 1 (see above).

Powerful Engines: Any roll involving speed due to thrust [in an atmosphere or space] is made at +1D6.

I think we'll end it there for now. I am actually pretty eager to try playing her and using Space Opera Heroes to explore the Star Wars universe, Anime/Manga Style! 

What do you think? Anybody want to see more of Bani? Let me know.

Later,

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Barking Alien

Bani is the Japanese way of saying 'Bunny', a loan word from English. This is instead of Usagi, the Japanese word for Rabbit. 

A Fantasy I Have

Yesterday morning I awoke to a jolt of inspiration! Part epiphany, part dream, and part memory, thoughts began running through my mind and I rushed to my computer in order to weite them down.

In about three hours I created 'Adventurers of The Enchanted Lands', a Fantasy hack of R. Talsorian Games' Anime Comedy RPG classic, Teenagers from Outer Space, created by Mike Pondsmith. 

This isn't exactly my first time creating this game.

I've used TFOS to run many different genres and settings over the years, including Medieval Fantasy. It is one of my all time favorite RPGs. I once used it to run my D&D-But-Not milieu of Aerth for a short Winghorn Guard campaign as a matter of fact. 

For this outing I'm doing things a little differently rules-wise; the mechanics being even simpler this time around. In addition, I'm adding in a few features inspired by recent Japanese Indie TRPGs for a little extra flavor. 

Where to begin? OK, the Core Mechanic: 

Roll 2d6 + Relevant Attribute/Stat + Relevant Knack (if any) and try to meet or beat a Target Number (TN) set by the GM.

• • Easy task: TN 7–9 
• • Moderate: TN 10–12 
• • Hard: TN 13–15 
• • Epic: TN 16+

Critical Success: Boxcars! A Natural 12. Amazing Effect + ‘Anime Flare’ (A flashy description, an extra benefit, or a temporary power-up. This could include making your next Check Roll with Advantage. Roll 3D6 and take the highest two. 

Comedic/Flawed Success: Beat TN by 10+. You succeed with a funny or dramatic side effect (e.g., Your Fireball cooks the monster as well as the Party’s food supply or burns up the dungeon map. Perhaps your elaborate sword technique leaves you dramatically posing for another round or two).

Success: Simply beat the TN. You succeed! 

Failure: If Check Roll is below the TN it is a Miss or Failed Action. You can change it to a Partial Success, succeeding with a Complication, -1 Fatigue, or Disadvantage on next roll. A Disadvantage means rolling 3D6 and taking the two lowest numbers.

Critical Failure or ‘Botch’: Roll Snake Eyes! A natural 2. If the Check Roll total is a Failure, some additional dramatic complication occurs in addition to the Miss. If the Check Roll total Succeeds, you do indeed do what you intended but something still goes seriously wrong. 

As you can see, different factors can introduce a Bonus or Penalty Die Advantage or Disadvantage to a Check Roll but generally speaking that's all there is to it. The objective is to keep things both simple and narrative. 

Character Creation is likewise pretty simple and straightforward, largely the same as TFOS with a few tweaks for a Fantasy setting: Players pick an Archtype - Elf, Dwarf, Human, etc. , determine their Party Role(s) which are 1-3 Traits which can lower the Target Number of tasks related to them, and then work out their Attributes - Stats and Knacks - Basically Skills but also things like Spellcasting or Turning Undead. 

The Character Sheet looks like this...

Magic System 

Anime-Flavored Magic is flashy and costly. Roll Spirit + Magic Knack + 2D6.

• •Low-Cost Spells: Utility, Buffs, Attacks with no Damage (They Confuse, Distract, etc.). Only costs Spell Fatigue on a Botched Check Roll.
• •Big Spells (Dragon Slave! style): Powerful but they drain Spirit (an effect called Spell Fatigue) or cause side effects (hair turns odd color, scent attracts monsters, etc.). -1 Spirit to cast, -2 on a Critical Failure.
• •PCs can take on extra Spell Fatigue to make Spells more effective. 
• •Learning Magic: New Spells are obtained by learning and practice. Must be taught or found in Spellbooks or on Scrolls. Progression feels like Frieren - slow, meaningful mastery that occurs over time.

Combat & Exploration

• •Theater of the Mind with quick rounds. No grid needed.
• •Initiative: Roll Agility + Luck or just go in dramatic order.
• •Damage is narrative. You take Hits; after taking half your total you are stunned and hurt. Target Numbers go up to the next difficulty level. At zero Hits, the character is unconscious and their overall situation may worsen. Player Characters can only die in unavoidable situations or by player choice. Starting Hits = Body + ½ Luck.
• •Dungeons are living, breathing places: Traps, rival adventurer parties, sentient doors, patrols of haunted armors, and wandering entities that want to chat.
• •Food & Rest: Cooking monster meat gives mechanical buffs and restores morale. Skipping meals causes penalties (hungry party = comedic failures).

These are the basic or core rules I have so far and they should be enough to start my Solo campaign. In the next post I'll give you my main character's completed Character Sheet, some idea of why I made the choices I went with, and perhaps a little of the world/setting. Still haven't decided whether or not to go with Aerth. 

Thoughts, opinions, and ideas on this project are much appreciated! 

See you soon,

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Barking Alien

I'll Tell You What I Want, What I Really, Really Want

I am currently running three campaigns. 

One is a bi-weekly game of Star Trek Adventures that my players and I have titled Star Trek: Prosperity. This campaign has been going on for nearly twelve years of real time. It features four players, plus myself as Gamemaster, and is set in a version of The Original Series Era that has run considerably longer than the first Star Trek TV series lasted on television. 

I love this campaign. My players appear to love it. It just keeps going.

The other two are, as mentioned the other day, Superhero games;

One is My Hero Academia: Hero Helpline; basically the premise of the video game Dispatch set in the universe of My Hero Academia. I'm using a Japanese fan-made TRPG called 'Plus Ultra'.

The second is The Legion of Superheroes: Legion Outpost, a Champions 4th Edition campaign following an expansion team of DC Comics' 31st Century Superheroes, The Legion of Superheroes. 

These two are fun. Definitely fun. There are ideas in both of them that I think are interesting to explore. That said...are these the games I really want to be running? Well...

Allow me to start by saying, I don't mean for this post to imply I'd rather be running one of the following campaign concepts instead of any of the ones I'm currently GMing.

OK...wait. No, that is kinda what I'm saying. The RPGs below are what I'd really love to be running if I could run anything I wanted and had people who wanted to play them. Except Star Trek: Prosperity. I would want to run one or more of the campaigns I'm about to discuss in addition to continuing with Star Trek: Prosperity. That doesn't mean I am unhappy with the games I'm currently running, just that these are my current 'dream campaigns'. 

The problem is...I don't know that the games I want to run are ones my current groups of players want to play, especially for a prolonged period of time. They might say yes to a one-shot and truly have a great time with it but I don't think they see the ongoing potential of the ones I'm going to talk about. 

Maybe some do. Hmm. OK. With that...

Ghostbusters

Yeah, I've definitely been slimed by the news of the upcoming Netflix animated series Night Shift but a desire to run a long term Ghostbusters campaign always haunts the back of my mind. 

I love the idea of characters who aren't exceptionally adept or particularly professional facing off against foes beyond their 'pay grade'. At the same time, the PCs do have some special skills and gear to level the playing field (pun intended) and the wits and determination to take down far more powerful adversaries. 

I'm also particularly found of the system I've homebrewed to run Ghostbusters, really a kitbash of the original WEG RPG, InSpectres, and the Year Zero mechanics from Free League's ALIEN game. Add in some of the customizable elements my groups and I have added over the years  - things like unique Proton Packs, alternative Ecto Vehicles, and the PCs' Headquarters - and I really think the game, and the players, would get the most out of an extended campaign, instead of just the occasional one-shot.

The Adventures of Horai Academy!!

This is a game near and dear to my heart that I honestly haven't run in roughly 30 years. And to be clear, even back then I only ran 6 sessions. I'd never run it before that and I haven't had the opportunity to run it again since. どうしたの？

Not only do I love the premise, best described by my friend Ray as, 'Crazy Japanese High School - The Roleplaying Game', but I also feel it has simple, interesting rules that make it a breeze to run while maintaining a certain amount of mechanical depth. Not too much mechanical depth I suppose but just enough to keep me engaged and allow for the kinds of stories and actions the game intends to create. 

Man, I have to do a dedicated post on this game. It's history and current incarnation are absolutely fascinating.

Anyway, I am once again in an Anime/Manga mood and this game would absolutely satisfy my craving for Japanese pop culture and fandom influenced gaming. 

The Smurfs

I haven't run or played The Smurfs Roleplaying Game in a while now and I REALLY miss it. Moreover, I desperately want to produce an ongoing campaign. Not only have I been eager to do this for some time now but I have so many ideas for putting one together that they're burning a hole in my smurf!

In addition to exploring the fun characters that players keep coming up with, I want to continue expanding the world/setting, bring in both new and classic adversaries, and incorporate the base-building element of developing your Smurf House. 

I seriously think a long term Smurfs campaign could be the best Medieval Fantasy RPG you're going to get from me. Hopefully I'll get the chance. Smurfs crossed.

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Barking Alien

All Things Super

We've seen a lot of Superhero material this year and its only June!

As the subject of colorful, costumed crimefighters remains near and dear to me, I thought I'd discuss some of my favorite Supers related productions of 2026 and how they are influencing my next Superhero RPG endeavor...

Dispatch

If you love Superheroes, Video Games, and especially Superhero Video Games, do not miss out on this title. Dispatch, produced by and available for download on Stream, is a 'Superhero Workplace Dramedy'.

It largely revolves around Robert Robertson, formerly the superhero Mecha Man, who starts working as a Dispatcher for SDN after his Mecha Battlesuit gets wrecked. SDN is the Superhero Dispatch Network, a private company employing Superheroes [and former Supervillains] as an ongoing on-call protection, crimefighting, and rescue agency. 

It is funny, charming, romantic, quirky, and action-packed, with a solid story and best of all, some really fun characters. I highly recommend it! It has strong Supers RPG vibes and a game where the PCs work for SDN would absolutely rock! 

More on that later...

Invincible

The Invincible comic book series was great and the animated adaptation is quite excellent as well, particularly because its not a perfect one-for-one transfer from page to streaming screen. There are a number of changes to the original material in the form of characters and events that, IMHO, work even better than they did in the comic more often than not.

Not every wild swing the show makes is a home run but they're batting average is pretty damn good. 

Free League is releasing an Invincible Tabletop Roleplaying Game and for the most part, I think it's quite good. It does some interesting things directly related to the Invincible franchise that makes the game feel original in its approach to Superhero RPGs.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

I love this series. I've alluded to this in the past but I am going to come right out and say it here, I actually like it more than the original in a lot of ways.

It feels smaller but more personal and the way it explores a character learning to use their Quirk (Superpower) gives the viewer a clearer view of how such a thing might develop.

Add in some great characters, additional world-building, and a largely straightforward plot that still has some nice twists and turns and you've got the subject most heavily influencing my newest campaign. 

Spider Noir

I'll admit I went in to this series both very intrigued and highly skeptical and ended up absolutely loving it. This is how you do a Superhero alternate universe show! 

I watched it in B&W on my first run through and I just started my rewatch in Tru-Color. I gotta say, WOW! I think the purist in me prefers the B&W version but damn if their color choices aren't absolutely beautiful. 

Nicholas Cage is at his quirkiest and the rest of the cast does an amazing job that all the characters really pop. The story is interesting and the way they transfigure the Spiderman mythos is very clever indeed. I would absolutely love to see more of this series. 

Is there another Marvel 'What If' game in my future? You never know...

The Boys

After reading the first few issues of the Boys comic book I put it down and never really looked at it again. It just wasn't for me. I don't want to see deconstructions of the Superhero genre as, unlike writer Garth Ennis, I actually like Superheroes. If you are going to do it, you're going to need to do it REALLY well, with a deep love of the genre underneath it all. 

As far as The Boys as a streaming series, I loved it. Why? Because unlike the creator who hates the very idea of Superheroes, the team that produced the show clearly loves Supers. Its the same subject, story, and characters (for the most part) approached in a very different way thanks to a much more entertaining perspective. 

While I can't see myself ever running a game in this universe, there are aspects of 'Hero as Celebrity' shown in the series that are certainly on my mind.

My Adventures with Superman

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to check out the latest season as of yet so I'll save a discussion of this show for a future post. I very much enjoyed the previous seasons and I am definitely looking forward to this one.

MHA Hero Helpline and LSH Legion Outpost

I currently have two Superhero RPG campaigns going, which is probably one too many. It might even be two too many! We'll have to wait and see what happens. 

I was kind of desperate to come up with two new ongoing games, one for each the weekly groups I'm in but honestly, Superheroes was near the bottom of the list of choices. In the end I caved though because A) I realized that Supers just works with most of my friends and B) I was kind of inspired by all of the above.

With Group A I felt like we'd just played Supers not that long ago [and in fact, we had]. I

wanted to do something different though so I went with a very particular setting and vibe. The campaign is set in the world of the Anime/Manga My Hero Academia, with the players playing American Superheroes working for the Hero Helpline. Hero Helpline is an on-call private enterprise that responds to individual and business requests to fight crime, perform rescues, and provide other services best suited to the Hero profession. They are also available to assist city law enforcement and emergencies services. 

Basically, I wanted to combine the core concept of the computer game Dispatch with the setting of My Hero Academia. 

As far as Group B, well, I've been promising them I'd run Supers again with them 'someday soon' for a little while now. After a few short campaigns, false starts, and some really good one-shots, I decided someday was now. 

This campaign sees the PCs as an expansion of the Legion of Superheroes, the premier team of DC Comics' 31st Century. As the United Planets has grown in size, so has interstellar criminal activity and attacks from hostile powers like the Khund Empire and The Dominators. Our team of five Superheroes are based far from Earth on the ocean world of Vuruna. Every adventure sees one or more of the established Legion characters helping out the PCs. 

I'm having fun with these but I'm not sure they are what I want to run most. 

More on that...very soon,

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Barking Alien

The Trouble with Aliens

Yet another Japanese TRPG I've been obsessed with for some time now (18 years to be exact) is the UFO Conspiracy RPG Trouble Aliens. 

Created by Akira Waguri and published by Hobby Japan TRPG in 2007, the game has had but a single expansion/supplement entitled Aliens Paradise, which was released in 2008.

In Trouble Aliens you play as an Extraterrestrial, in a Human guise called a Mask, who is trying to either Conquer Humanity, Eradicate Humanity, or Protect Humanity. You can play as a Human as well but you must also choose one of these motivations. I seem to recall additional drives added in either the game's expansion or Japanese TRPG magazine articles. One I remember quite clearly was Study Humanity, which had a particularly humorous twist.

There are twelve major Alien Species described in the game, designated 'The Majestic Twelve', though only 11 are defined. The mysterious '12th Species' is unknown at present and there are numerous theories and conspiracies as to who they are and why their identity isn't known. 

In addition to these twelve there are many other Aliens with lesser domains of power and influence and they too have visited Earth (GMs and players should work together to create new Extraterrestrials if a player has a particular type of being in mind).

Thanks to their Masks most Aliens look indistinguishable from normal Humans. Players do not reveal the Alien Species or goal of their Player Characters to the other players or their PCs, creating an atmosphere where no one knows who is really who and what they're up to. 

Trouble Aliens is therefore not a traditional cooperative RPG, though it can certainly be played that way (See below) . It's default style of play is more akin to Paranoia, with each PC having their own agenda that often runs counter to those of the other PCs. The Player Characters can form alliances, break them, and team up to thwart another PC's plans as needed.

One can also play Agents of The Organization, a secret group dedicated to defending the Earth from any and all invaders from beyond this world. Agents my be of several types as well, from Super Geniuses to Cyborgs to Psychics! If playing an Agents style game, all the Player Character would be on the same side with the same objective (or would they?). 

As a Science Fiction fan fascinated by the 'Aliens are among us' premise, this one goes hard and I absolutely love it. At the same time, what makes it even cooler is that is isn't tied to only that idea. Sure, you could run it as 'Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up?', the classic Twilight Zone episode, but you could play with themes from Alf, Mork and Mindy, People from Earth, Resident Alien, They Live, and so much more. 

The game contains obvious homages to Blade Runner, Men in Black, Superman, The Terminator, War of the Worlds, and so much more. This is ripe for adapting ideas from Anime and Manga like DanDaDan and even FLCL as easily as Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Alien Earth! 

The blend of comedy and drama, action and romance, mystery and suspense makes this right up my alley. 

The Invasion Has Begun!

Wait...no...sorry...false alarm. They're just making a coffee run.

Anyone want anything?

The game has a somewhat unusual publication history. It came out in 2007 as noted and did fairly well in the Japanese TRPG market. As with many games that aren't Call of Cthulhu or Sword World, it was very popular with a small niche within the hobby. It did well enough to warrant a supplement/expansion a year later, Aliens Paradise, which is actually half rulebook and half Replay Manga* collection.

Sometime between 2013 and 2015 the game went out of print for a while but came back to renewed interest. This happened a couple of times. I am told it is because the publisher, Hobby Japan TRPG, produces so many titles that some of them get rotated. This unusal publishing schedule made it so it has been very difficult for me to get a hold of a copy. In addition, the 169 page book costs quite a bit in shipping, making getting a book I'd have to tear apart to scan for my translation software not at all cost effective.

Recently I noticed the book pop-up again on Conos, a Japanese webstore similar to our DriveThruRPG. There was a big announcement related its return; it was finally available on PDF for only $20 US. SOLD! I pick it up this weekend and I'm going through the process of translating it now. Aliens Paradise is also available for $11 I think. Will likely get that too very soon. 

I played a session of it at an Anime Convention back in 2007 or 2008 and absolutely loved it. In that game, the GM referred to it as 'The Trouble with Aliens' and to this day, even though I now know the correction translation, I still call it that from time to time.

Wow, I finally have it after all these years and I'm really excited to dive into it. Expect to see more posts about this game as I figure out how to play.

Until next time...Watch the Skies...

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Barking Alien

* 'Replays' or 'Replay Manga' are Japanese Comics depicting someone's game in Manga form, often with sidebars or notes explaining how what you're reading happened according to the game mechanics. It is a huge market in Japan and games that don't have Replays attached to them - such as many American imports - don't do very well. Replays are an easy way, at least for the Japanese, to learn a game's rules, what kind of characters are appropriate, what the setting and genre is, etc.

Cutthroat Planet

The Tabletop Roleplaying Game hobby has had more than a few tales of 'Games-That-Never-Were'. Games that were designed, developed, and sometimes even announced but for one reason or another didn't come to pass. Essentially, we're talking RPG vaporware. 

Japan's TRPG market isn't immune to this phenomena. Of particular note in this category is a game I've been obsessed with for many years; Cutthroat Planet. 

Cutthroat Planet is, or would have been, a Retro-Futurisc Space Opera TRPG focused on the PCs as heroic Space Pirates in a galaxy ruled by an evil empire. The idea is reminiscent of Space Pirate Captain Harlock, with the pirates as rebels against a tyrannical imperium.

The game, and its failure to materialize, has quite an interesting history.  

The game was the brainchild of Hayami Rasenjin, a prolific artist and writer who has worked in the fields of Manga, Anime, and Japanese TTRPGs for over three decades. Rasejin is a fan and advocate of Roleplaying Playing Games himself and has done a great many illustrations for the Japanese TRPG industry over the years. His works include being the main artist on SATASUPE, the 'Asian Punk' RPG that remains a favorite in Japan and of yours truly.

Honestly, I'm a big fan of Rasenjin and have been since before I really knew his name. I would see his artwork in various Japanese Roleplaying Games and Roleplaying Game related magazines and eventually started following him on Social Media. During my search for more projects he'd worked on, I came across the subject of this post, Cutthroat Planet.

Sometime around 2001, Hayami Rasejin came up with an idea for a Tabletop Roleplaying Game in which the players are freedom fighting Space Pirates flying between Earth and 'The Second Solar System' preying upon the unjust and overly bureacratic Terran Empire. Set in a Retro-Future Space Opera universe inspired by Flash Gordon and early Science Fiction Anime and Manga, the game had a wonderful setting but no rules.

He eventually tried using a few different systems, even testing them out at Sci-Fi and Gaming conventions but he wasn't satisfied with any of them. One magazine article suggested the game was going to be released as using the rules of SATASUPE, which I personally think would have been awesome. In the end, Rasenjin just couldn't find or create a set of mechanics that he felt were right for the idea and so it went on the backburner.

An RPG Convention program from November of 2001

featuring a listing for a Cutthroat Planet playtest.

Special Guest Greg Stafford of Glorantha and Pendragon fame!

Fast forward to sometime in late 2003 or early 2004 and the game design studio known as Adventure Planning Bureau had come up with a new system they planned on using for an upcoming project but no setting had yet been developed. Designer Toichiro Kawashima had created Saikoro (Dice) Fiction and Rasejin, who was familiar with APB, met with him to discuss applying Dice Fiction to his Cutthroat Planet idea.

After writing began on the Cutthroat Planet game, a second Dice Fiction game went into development, Neighborhood Fairy Tale RPG Peek-a-Boo, sometimes referred to by the nickname Peek-a-Boo Horror (another game I really love). Peek-a-Boo was written and created by Toichiro Kawashima himself, with the help of illustrator (and later Kawashima's wife) Nagomi Ochiai, and the staff of APB.  For unclear reasons, Cutthroat Planet was delayed, while Peek-a-Boo continued on at a solid pace.

When Peek-a-Boo was complete, Advanced Planning Bureau decided to release it first and it did very well. Eventually, the popularity of it lead other creators and designers to contact Kawashima and APB about using Dice Fiction for their ideas, creating a sort of 'universal system' and making APB the biggest of the smaller design studios.The company and its system now supports over a two dozen titles, including InSane, Kill Death Business, and Uncle Gap.

By late 2006, after announcements and magazine articles indicating Cutthroat Planet was scheduled for a June 30th release, the following statement was sent out by Adventure Planning Bureau to retailers:

(Translated from Japanese)

Thank you very much for your support.

We have announced that the release of 'Cutthroat Planet', which was scheduled for June 30th,
has been postponed.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

The official release date has not yet been decided, but we are aiming for an early next year release.

The game itself is currently being produced under the direction of designer Hayami Rasenjin
but we are currently in the final stages of adjustment to further enhance the game's quality and are therefore unable to release it.

Repeated announcements of release delays have led to rumors from various quarters that the
game may not be released after all but we are making every effort to ensure that as many users as possible can enjoy this wonderful title.

We apologize for any concern and inconvenience this may cause and we ask that you please wait a little longer.

We will contact you as soon as the release date is finalized.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

We would like to once again apologize for any inconvenience caused.

We look forward to your continued support.

June 26, 2006
Kokusai Tsushinsha Co., Ltd.

An issue of the Japanese TRPG magazine R.P.G. Gamer had an article on the game in the Vol. 4, October 25th 2007 issue accompanied by Rasenjin's art. I am unable to find any further references to the game. Well...sort of...

A Japanese gamer blog that has what has to be the best name for a blog ever, 'Only The Dice Are Honest: Possibly the most pointless TRPG blog in Japan', posted a congratulations on the release of Cutthroat Planet finally coming out in 2010, only to reveal that it was an April Fools joke on the blogger's part. 

So what went wrong?

Sadly, I can find no official confirmation of what happened to this project, though some clues to its failure to launch can be found in the blog entries of various APB personnel and Rasejin himself over the years. 

It would seem that other projects drew Hayami Rasejin's attention away from his writing and overseeing Cutthroat Planet, including his work as a Design Assistant and Consultant in the Anime industry. Higher paying work and more immediate turnaround meant these sorts of professional gigs took precedent over his personal passion project. 

In addition, his popularity as a Manga writer and artist blossomed and he would later do quite well in the medium with a series called 'A Galactic Journey Worthy of a Baron', many elements of which seem to have been influenced by ideas he had originally created for Cutthroat Planet. 

A Galactic Journey Worthy of a Baron, By Hayami Rasenjin. Volume 1

Finally, while not said out right, I get the impression that Rasenjin wasn't entirely happy with the Dice Fiction system version of the game. Blog posts by those who followed the project through the early days and convention playtests mention his use of D20s in some versions, D10s in others, and I get the impression he never found the mechanics that quite matched his vision. I've been there so I get that. 

I lament that this TRPG never truly happened in a way that fans of Rasenjin, Science Fiction Space Opera, and Roleplaying Games had hoped it would. It is a path not taken and a missed opportunity that could have been an excellent addition to any collection of Japanese TRPGs.

 

Later Days,

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