In the vast and varied world of Tabletop Roleplaying Games, you’ll find just about any genre has a dedicated system. In the case of anime, nothing better matches the over-the-top action and unparalleled style that you get from Tenra Bansho Zero. The game’s acronym, TBZ, even invokes classic Shonen like Dragon Ball Z (DBZ). TBZ was written and published in the early 2000s by Japanese artist and game designer Junichi Inoue and originally released simply as Tenra Bansho, or alternatively “Everything in Heaven and Earth.” The game proved popular enough to grow a cult following and eventually led to a Kickstarter for an updated and translated version of the game which we’re talking about now.
Tenra Bansho Zero drips style and excitement from every angle, beginning with its unique setting and the art that depicts it. The book even includes 33 full color manga-style pages that serve to introduce the reader into the world of Tenra, a self described “hyper-Japanese” world that mixes a feudal setting with robots, mechs, and magic. However the designs aren’t limited to generic anime tropes and are elevated by their unique identities clearly crafted with care and attention. Samurai in the world of TBZ aren’t just swordsmen, they are the pinnacle of combat, dedicated so strongly to their abilities that they regularly implant magic “Soul Gems” into their skin to further fuel their strength. Shinto priests and spell casters craft paper golems to follow their commands. And Ayakashi are the mysterious magical beings who can be born out of almost anything, say a legendary blade or an animal given greater form. The world and characters of TBZ are so creatively designed that it’s bound to suck in your players and get them invested.
The gameplay of TBZ differs from other, more popular TTRPGs that are currently on the market. The basic system operates off of rolling dice pools, similar to games like Shadowrun, where you gather a number of 6-sided dice and roll aiming to hit numbers below the associated skill you’re trying to accomplish. Each success is counted and then compared against either a flat difficulty number or an enemies’ number of successes if you’re contesting against them. Character creation is modular and open; the players choose and mix around Archetypes that each give skills and abilities, but must bear in mind the Karma cost of each Archetype. TBZ’s Karma system is its way of balancing characters, inspired by Hinduism where having more Karma is considered bad. A character cannot have any more Karma than 108 otherwise they lose all control of themselves and shift into an Asura, a lost soul controlled by the GM. Beyond character creation, there are multiple ways to gain and lose Karma during the course of the game. This leads into TBZ’s unique approach to gameplay, being massively inspired by traditional Kabuki theater, where players are encouraged to applaud their fellow players for good roleplay by giving them Aiki Chits that can be used to further upgrade their characters. Upgrading a character gains them Karma of course, but Karma is also worked off primarily by continually leveling up and resolving Fates: specific emotions, goals, and relationships that drive the characters to do what they do. Every character has a Fate or multiple Fates that they follow, every character has something that compels them to be involved in the story and it’s the players choice just how deeply they want to follow them. When a Fate is resolved, either when it’s deemed appropriate in the story or when the player decides that it’s appropriate, the character loses Karma depending on how much that Fate was leveled up. TBZ is a game that inherently ties its roleplaying focus into its gameplay, greatly encouraging group storytelling.
For all of its unique style and exciting action, there’s no denying that the game definitely has a learning curve, especially once you dig deeper into the optional rules. However for experienced TTRPG fans who like anime and an even mix of Roleplay and Gameplay, Tenra Bansho Zero should be the game to check out.
The Oubliette 