Pyramid Review
d20 Mecha (for d20 System)
Published by Guardians of Order, Inc.
Written by David L. Pulver
Edited by Mark MacKinnon, Jeff Mackintosh, Adam Jury, & Rich Spainhour
Art, graphics by Jeff Mackintosh, Niko Geyer, Angie Lai, Christopher Poon, & Stephan Martiniere
80-page b & w softcover; $16.95
Pyramid ReviewBESM d20/d20 Mecha Character Folio
Designed by Jeff Mackintosh
Art by Jason Chan & Niko Geyer
16-page b&w softcover; $4.95
Given how coarse the d20 System can be, something as intrusive and potentially complex as giant robots seems like it would be tough to interweave with the rather blunt mechanics. Showing his usual penchant for elegant system design, Dave Pulver and his crew match the two almost flawlessly.
There's a dearth of setting material here, so readers are going to have to come up with their own (though there are a few worlds already published that make liberal use of mecha). Alternately, the sizable bibliography lists a mess of TV shows, manga, and movies to get the creative juices flowing. What the book does have is a few tips on what typical d20 System fantasy characters might be doing with mecha or one of their cinematic offshoots. From there, they expand the character classes (the mecha pilot or commander) and add feats and skills that put you behind the wheel (or keyboard, or joystick) of the big machines, or leave you in charge of the batteries of firepower with which they're equipped. Chief among the class feats is Mecha, each level you get gives you more . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: April 9, 2004
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