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Bounty Head Bebop $14.00
Average Rating:4.4 / 5
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Bounty Head Bebop
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Bounty Head Bebop
Publisher: Heroic Journey Publishing
by Timothy B. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 03/21/2019 12:43:14

“You know the first rule of combat? Shoot them before they shoot you.” - Faye Valentine, Cowboy Bebop.

Back in 1998 a new Anime appeared on the scene, something new called Cowboy Bebop. It dealt with the lives and misadventures of a group of bounty hunters in the solar system of the future that looked more like the wild west. There were guns, and terra-formed planets, a corrupt government, the mobs and of course lots of criminals. The crew of the Bebop spent their time doing jobs, keeping their ship together and avoiding starving. While this made for a great show in and of itself, the really cool thing about this were the characters. Larger than life, with secrets, agendas and a history of development that lead them to where they were at that point.

In other words a perfect setting for a Role Playing Game.

The game, Bounty Head Bebop, obviously takes some cues from the series. (AN ASIDE. I understand that this game was supposed to have been an officially licensed product, but I do not have anything to support that with. So instead of explaining all the time why they are the same, let’s just say they are cut from the same cloth and move on from there.)

Bounty Head Bebop (BHB), is a game where you can spend your time flying around a terra-formed solar system hunting down “bounty heads” for fun and profit. The game itself is a slick little RPG with a fun cinematic feel to it. It does what it says on the tin, and does it well.

BHB uses a system called the Inverted 20 system. Basically you have a Target Number (often set by the GM, with guidance), that is modified by ability, skill and or difficulties, your job is to roll that score or under (and different things happen if you hit the number or roll under). The die mechanic is really that simple. Anyone familiar with d20 will catch on fairly quickly despite the roll under mechanic. Now I will be honest, I am not a fan of roll under systems, but I think it works here. To me it seems that Anime based games work best as roll-under. Maybe it is all of those years of BESM or maybe it because it just provides me with a different feel.

Like other d20 games you attributes that despite the name changes look familiar, skills, various edges and flaws, all which work like GURPS. No need to reinvent the wheel, they work fine. Everything is point buy and you spend XP to raise them, like Unisystem.

Details BHB does something REALLY nice here. Puts in a Character Creation Summary so you can get an overview of everything you need to do. Figure out everything in order. Attributes look familiar if you have been playing any game at all. They are scored from 1 to 5 for starting characters, but can go up. Imitative and Movement are derived. As are Saves, Wounds and Vitality points. All pretty simple to figure out.

Skills are next and they are divided up into General, Combat and Specialty. General skills are your everyday skills and like d20 are tied to a specific attribute. Combat skills allow you to fight. Want to be better at aiming or hitting with your fists, then improve the skill. Specialty and Advanced skills are those that you can’t do unless you have a level/points in them. Advanced skills are like advanced sciences.

Edges and Flaws work like GURPS or any other point buy system, though there are no points. You start out with 3 Edges and get up to 6 with 3 more Flaws. Edges can be bought with XPs and Flaws bought off. The list is pretty typical, your Hard to Kill, various “Gun Fu” moves, various pilot and criminal related Edges too. The list looked good and nothing jumped out at me as not being there. There are also various new Psychic/Feng-Shui powers too (details in a bit). And some computer related ones, with the promise of new book dedicated to hacking and the net (for your own “Radical” Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky the IV). Now you don’t need to take any Flaws at all if you don’t want, but I think that might be missing the point of this game really. These characters are yes over the top Anime characters, but they also have issues.

Feng-Shui gets it own chapter and it is the province of the Inuit Indians (yeah, that confuses me too, but I’ll go with it). None of the powers seem out of control, so no anime style Ki based special fx here, but a lot of good solid powers. Danger Sense, Locate Objects, manipulate objects, things like that. More power masters can influence minds or regenerate their bodies. There are seven areas of power (spheres) you choose one and you progress through it. It reminds me of the pschic powers from AFMBE’s “Enter the Zombie”. Given that, an ability to bend bullets might be cool in this game. Of course with power comes psychotic episodes. Do it too much and you WILL go crazy, just like they said.

Given this chapter I can see, and hope that the cyber book works the same way.

A money and equipment chapter follows. Money, though very important to the focus of the game, is game mechanic rather than collected. Similar to D20 Modern in a way. And of course lots of guns, spaceships and other things you need, like food and permits. While money is always going to be an issue, since that is the primary motivation of the characters, doing the system like this was a nice cinematic way of dealing with things.

A chapter on “doing things” follows after that. It is your basic rules chapter, but most things are handled with the same mechanic, so this chapter breezes by. I appreciate transparency in my games. “You can do this and this is how you do it.” BHB takes the basic d20 system and really streamlines it to it’s barest essentials (even more so than True20) yet nothing seems lost. Thus this chapter is very short.

Combat is more involved, since the bounty heads aren’t likely to go quietly. The combat chapter is again, easy to read and uses the same simple mechanics. Skills and your rank in them are what is important here. This sets it off from the d20 crowds and puts it back into GURPS/Unisystem territory. In a neat twist you can use the same “to hit” roll as a damage roll, thus speeding up your games. There is logic in this and I like the effect.

The Setting Chapter both pleased me and irritated me. The solar system is the setting with a nearly uninhabited Earth and terra-formed planets and moons. Briefly object hits the Moon, destroys it, sends Earth into chaos where meteors rain every day. But some of those rocks were used to jump gate tech to allow quick travel throughout the solar system and was a key element in terra-forming.

Now humanity is all over the system. There is a real wild west feel to the plaents. Mars is the center of human population now, Venus is like a giant mob controlled Vegas, the moons of Jupiter have food production and so on and all have their own hazards. There is a Solar System wide police force, but they are few, overworked, underpaid and spread too thin. This gives us lots of crime and the opportunity for bounty hunters (like you!) to capture bad guys and bring them in for fun and profit. Mostly for profit.

What irritated me was that this chapter was so short. Sure, I know it is so I can later buy the Mars book or the Io book, but it just touched the surface. Yeah I could go back to the anime (or other shows, Blake’s 7 comes to mind) for ideas. But I was enjoying reading when it was over.

The book has a very nice index, a character sheet that looks familiar to us all and a summary page on how to spend XPs. But the coolest thing is the included adventure in the back. Gets you and going on your first Bounty Head hunt in no time. The adventure itself is good, and even shows you what can be done with the system in terms of story. Sure this could have been a simple bounty hunt, but this one has moral layers and corruption and the hosts of a “Big Shots” like show (nice touch).

What Did I Like? Simple system, very easy to figure out. Plus it was also easy to figure out what to do with the game. Concepts came with every page (more or less). The book itself has a nice simple layout and it is easy to find everything. Plus it “reads” well too. The text is concise and gets right to the point. I also like the Luck and Surge points, which are basically like Drama Points or Hero Points.

What Didn’t I Like? Still not a fan of roll under mechanics. They seem wrong to me. Would have loved more setting information and some basic computer hacking rules.

Other Notes Art. The art is nice, but a lot of it is used again throughout the book. Pictures of some of the planets would be nice, what does Venus Vegas look like? How about the domes of Mars? That sort of thing.

What Can I do with This? Well there is basic premise, go out and hunt bad guys. But there are plenty of other ideas. The Stainless Steel Rat: Play the bad guys. Sure hunting them is fun, but wouldn’t it be more fun to be the bad guy or the mobsters avoiding the SSPB and the Bounty Hunters? Reservoir Dogs: You get pulled into a heist gone really, really wrong. The Usual Suspects: You bring in your small fry bounty head only to uncover that maybe, maybe the most notorious criminal mastermind might be involved or even one of your marks. Witch Hunter Bebop: Let’s combine Sunrise’s two best anime ever, Cowboy Bebop and Witch Hunter Robin and make a game where you need to hunt down marks using their Feng-Shui powers illegally. Firefly: Yeah it has a game and I really like Cortext, but I’ll be blunt here. There is nothing in Firefly that Cowboy Bebop didn’t do first and better and with a better soundtrack. You can do the same here. Plus the solar system of BHB makes more sense.

Who should get this? If you like Anime or space adventures with bullets rather than lasers then this is your game. If you want to do something like Traveler but don’t want the overhead of the system or the mega-plot then this is your game. You might be able to do “Star Wars” or “Star Trek” but we have better choices for those games. This would be perfect for “Buck Rodgers” or “Flash Gordon” though and of course “Cowboy Bebop”.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Hey thanks for the kind words. I know Im years late but I dont really get updates on things. But I digress. I agree that the art was bare bones. It's good but not enough but the book was put together on a shoestring budget and well somethings had to give. There was no kickstarter back then. Again thank you for the review and I am glad you liked it. Yes its roll under but it's still roll high. You want to get the TN so opposed rolls go highest success wins so let's call it a Roll under but Hugh system lol.
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Bounty Head Bebop
Publisher: Heroic Journey Publishing
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/15/2009 12:29:11

Without further ado, Chapter 1: The Basics launches into explaining that Bounty Head Bebop is all about fast-paced anime-style solar-system-hopping bounty hunters, and before you've got your breath back details the 'inverted D20' game mechanic used. This is designed to be fast and simple, yet able to deliver action both cinematic and gritty. Basically, you roll under a target number on a D20, with some harder tasks requiring that you also exceed a minimum target number as well; with an additional twist that you can use - when appropriate - the 'unit' number of the roll to calculate damage thus eliminating the need for a second die roll. And so - still on the first page! - to character creation, with six abilities that reflect the character's physical and mental prowess. Characters also have skills, edges and flaws, saves, vitality, and so on; and may have psychic powers or develop Feng Shui mastery as well. Despite the breakneck speed at which everything is addressed, it's explained clearly and is easy to follow. The chapter ends with experience, and how to use it... so even before your character starts, you have some idea of how you can develop him.

Chapter 2: Skills goes through the skills in detail. There are four types: general, combat, specialty and advanced. Anyone can have general skills, and most people can make an attempt at performing them even if their level is low. Specialty skills general require training of some kind before yo can use them, while advanced skills involve high levels of education. There follows comprehensive listings, explaining the skills available, what they let the character do and, from the game mechanics point of view, how to apply them. There's also a list of commonly-spoken languages, and where in the solar system you are likely to hear them.

And so, on to Chapter 3: Edges and Flaws. Many of these will be innate to the character, but some can be trained for (or out of) by spending experience points and perhaps a bit of role-playing later on. Combat edges can usually be acquired by training, but general ones are less likely to be got after initial character creation. Flaws are, as you'd imagine, potentially disadvantageous, but can lead to some good role-playing, and some can be overcome by a combination of role-playing and experience point expenditure.

Next, Chapter 4: Feng-Shui Powers explores the 'magic equivalent' of this system. Having taken the Feng-Shui Master edge, characters then have to learn (spend experience points on) the various powers in strict order, as well as acquire a lopan (traditional feng-shui dial). The powers are quite simple, but applied with cunning will prove useful to the character choosing to take this path. Chapter 5: Psychic Powers follows, these are more diverse powers of the mind which are divided into seven spheres - the character must choose one and all his psychic powers fall into that one. Again, powers must be gained in a strict order. Some quite dramatic and handy effects can be produced by the skilled practitioner... but there's a downside, the character risks losing his sanity as soon as he begins to develop his psychic powers - and has to roll EVERY time he uses one to avoid some nasty effect. The more powers he knows, the greater the chance of a problem.

That's character generation out of the way. Next comes Chapter 6: Money & Equipment, probably one of the first things this new-minted character's going to be interested in. However, the chapter begins by discussing money as plot device. In a cinematic game, you don't want to account for every last detail, so it can be assumed that the characters generally have sufficient for day-to-day living - but for those special purchases, even if you have the money, is it available? What you're after may be rare or illegal... so you have to find a supplier and strike a deal. Next comes some weapons lists. There's a fair range of items, although they are generic - this is not a list for the gun-bunny. There are also lists for clothing and assorted equipment, including medical costs and the scale of charges for hiring a specialist, along with vehicles including spacecraft.

Although the rule mechanics have been explained as appropriate in the above chapters, Chapter 7: Doing Things brings it all together and lays out all the detail. Primed with this information, Chapter 8: Combat looks at the one area where formal task resolution is always necessary. It's pretty straightforward, beginning with a single initiative roll for the whole combat and proceeding round by round thereafter, everyone acting in turn (although there are mechanisms for pushing ahead or falling back in the order if desired). For those who like added detail, there is plenty of scope for area effects, modifiers for just about any situation and so forth. Naturally, the next bit is all about injuries and healing. There is also a section on vehicle and starship combat, with again pretty much all you need to know laid out clearly. Indeed, an impressive amount of information is packed into this chapter, well organised and clear to use.

Up til now, what we have is a slick cinematic near-future game which could be used for, well, just about any near-future adventure. Chapter 9: Setting Notes is designed to set the rules into the context of the Bounty Head Bebop setting, laying out what is going on in and providing the background for our adventures. The year is 2073AD, and the whole solar system has been altered by a stray comet which shattered Earth's moon into little bits. While hiding from the inevitable rocks hitting Earth it was discovered that they had strange powers, including the ability to form a wormhole to anywhere else in the solar system, so exploration began and most of the habitable bits were visited and settled. It's a wild and lawless setting, with underworld organisations and corporations vying for control and the Solar System Policing Bureau (SSPB) fighting a losing battle against crime and corruption. There's a summary of what the inhabited places are like to visit, along with the hazards to be found there. And the characters? Well, the SSPB is bogged down in its own bureaucracy, corruption and jurisdictional squabbles, so someone has to catch criminals and bring them to justice - hence the need for bounty hunters.

Next, Appendices demonstrate the character generation process, provide more information on awarding and spending experience, present a character sheet and round up with a comprehensive index. All done? Not quite...

There is an introductory adventure called "Small Fry" to get you started in your bounty hunting ways, a quest for a fellow who stole some milk homogenizing equipment... or was it? The clue trail to enable the neophyte hunters to discover the truth and the thief is quite neatly laid out, both the GM and the characters should be able to cope. It's a nice example of this kind of detective adventure layout, with clear indications of options of places to look, what you might find and the possibilities for follow-up and developing that line of investigation.

Overall, this is a well-developed game with plenty of potential, whether you want to stick to bounty hunting or develop into a more general near-future game.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Bounty Head Bebop
Publisher: Heroic Journey Publishing
by Jesse B. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/15/2008 19:09:47

I just got this last week. I haven't had a chance to play yet, but I like what I see so far on an initial read through.

I love the source material and I really look forward to getting a game up and running. While only 130 pages, the rules are comprehensive and cover most situations that characters will encounter with not only an excellent selection of skills and equipment, but also vehicle combat rules, which can often be overlooked in core rules. Also, as the game is based on the d20 system and is published under the OGL, it should be pretty easy to talk 3.0/3.5 players into a game (or at least I hope). However, even if the OGL background, the rules are not your normal d20 fare. Instead, they appear to be simplified for speed of play while maintaining tactical options and good character generation options.

While the majority of the book is composed of rules, there is a nice discussion of the setting - laying out some key points and leaving a lot open for GM's to build on. While the included setting is pretty neat and great for playing games based on the source material, I am thinking the rules would be pretty good for a Jovian Chronicles game.

Overall, I think this product is a good value and my only real complaint is that I want more material!



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Bounty Head Bebop
Publisher: Heroic Journey Publishing
by Patrick N. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/11/2008 21:05:43

Hi,

I originally bought this game mostly just out of curiosity, though I have pretty muchly like what I have seen. Unfortunately I haven't yet had a chance to run a game yet, so right now all I can really comment on are the game basics.

The rules are 130 pages long and include chapters on "The Basics", "Skills", "Edges & Flaws", "Feng-Shui' & "Psychic" Powers, "Money & Equipment", "Doing Things", "Combat", "Setting Notes", and an Appendix with stuff like Sample Character Creation, a Character Sheet, a sample intro scenario and an index.

In general the game uses something called an"Inverted 20 System" for resolving all action, with all rolls being done with a single twenty sided die.

One of the things I really liked about the rules is the character creation and the use of things like "Luck & Surge Points" and "Edges & Flaws". All characters start with a certain number of Ability Points and its up to the player to to distribute them among the 3 basic physical and 3 basic mental abilities. The game provides tables for all these abilities to help new players relate the numbers to what they represent. For example, a rating of 2 in one of the physical abilities might be typical of an adolescent character, whereas a rating of 5-6 might be more typical of an olympic type athlete, which I found helped me better understand the character and made them more than just a series of numbers.

Characters also start with a certain number of skill points, which the player can allot to a range of different skills. Here the rules also provide tables that relate skill level to real world equivalents (such as 0 signifying that you are untrained in that skill, 3 meaning that you are average and 4 being above average, etc). In addition to this the player can select a small number of edges for their character (such as acute eyesight or hearing, being a marksman, being ambidextrous, or having political, law enforcement, or underworld ties). Similarly, you can also give your character some flaws such as being clumsy, having allergies, or maybe being a compulsive gambler etc. By giving your character flaws you can select additional edges, and together the use of Edges & Flaws seems to be another nice touch that also helps better flesh out your character.

Overall I also really like the layout and look of the rules, and the artwork is nice though very limited, with some images being re-used in several places. It would have been nice if the authors could have included more/different images.

In conclusion, its clear that the game is meant to reflect the setting and feel of the similarly named anime series, and I guess this is one thing that may be an issue for some players. On the one hand the rules can be seen as an homage to the anime series, though its possible that others may instead see it maybe a possible exploitation of other's work. In general, I think I fall into the first category, but I suspect that each player may have to decide for themselves. Overall, my rating is 4 stars.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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